Allison and Sameer - Our Wedding Website

The first event will be the Garba Raas. This will be a night of energetic and fun traditional dancing. This evening of dancing is a pre-wedding Gujarati Tradition.
Don't worry, its not that complicated- you can learn the steps as you go and catch on. You can also jump in and jump out at your choosing.

Garba is done in circles, often concentric circles to allow for large groups to dance. It can be simple with just a few repetitive steps or involve a sequence of more complex moves. The music usually starts off slow and gradually builds up and so the end can get crazy and fun!
Here is a link showing Garba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZikJI9IHFoY

Dandiya Raas is a dance done with partners as you tap sticks, or dandiya as they are called, to the beat of the music. This dance can also be dressed up to include more complicated steps or doing just the basic steps is a ton of fun!!
Here is a link showing Dandiya Raas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szd7Y3ofCDQ

Allie learned these dances at the first event she went to with Sameer and is confident you all can catch on! There will be no judges and most importantly, Sameer and Allie just want to include everyone in the festivities and see you guys try and have some fun. This is what Sameer and Allie expect from some of you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViVpwLXybSg
Just kidding :) Sort of.....

There will also be Henna artists present to apply Mehndi to those who want it. The Bride and bridal party will already have theirs done, since the Bride will have very extensive Mehndi applied (arms, hands, feet, ankles, etc...) Mehndi signifies the strength of love in a marriage. It is believed that the darker the mehndi color, the stronger the love and bond will be between the bride and the bridegroom and their families. The color of red is tied to Love, loyalty, and fertility. Often, the groom's name is hidden in the bride's Mehndi design and it is a game to find his name....

Many people have asked about dress code for this event- You are free to wear whatever comfortable cocktail attire you want- Remember you will be most likely taking your shoes off and dancing a lot! You are absolutely welcome to wear Indian attire if you choose!