If you and your partner recently got engaged in Northern India, or if one of you has an Indian heritage, you may wish to incorporate Indian culture into your upcoming wedding. Here are some fun ways to add a touch of India into your wedding plans so guests get a feel for your love of the country and its meaning to you and your spouse-to-be on the big day you are about to enjoy.

Have The Wedding Party Showcase Traditional Looks

With bright colors and an array of cloth textures, Indian textiles can be used in the bridal party's attire. Hues of deep pink, purple and red can be used for the women's dresses and men's ties or bow ties. Have a seamstress design the women's dresses and ask them to add gold embellishments and rhinestones to the material. These dresses (called Saris) can be halter-style or off-the-shoulder with a matching draping scarf. Allow each bridesmaid to choose a bright-colored Sari to be designed. Have the seamstress make a matching kurta for each of the groomsmen. There will be several colors represented as they walk down the aisle.

Offer Tastes From The North Indian Area

Indian food will be one of the highlights of your wedding. Consider having an Indian food buffet for your guests to savor some of the exciting tastes from another continent. Since many people are not used to these flavors, it is best to indicate which selections are spicy or include the ingredients on tags you place in front of each entrée. Include Indian finger food favorites like chicken tikki, vegetable pan rolls, or flavorful kabobs. Dinner foods can include creamy chicken curry, a delicious paneer selection, or a fish Amritsar dish.

Give Trinkets To Remember The Day

When setting up your place settings, give each guest a small elephant or camel figurine to remember the fun they had at your wedding. Hand paint your names and date on the bottom of each one so the treasure will be remembered for years to come. During the reception, tie a piece of red string around each person's wrist and tell the person it is an Indian blessing tradition. They will be able to think of the newlyweds when they look at the red string and should leave the string in place until it falls off on its own due to normal wear. This is believed to give the new couple good luck.