An Indian Wedding Weekend in NYC – Part 1

Well, I think it’s safe to say that this weekend’s Indian wedding festivities were beyond our wildest dreams. I wore traditional Indian attire, which I rented, to two different events, was part of a 9:30am dance party which shut down part of Park Avenue for four blocks while my dear friend rode towards the Waldorf on a white horse, and danced for hours. This wedding left many of shaking our heads as traditional Christian weddings just don’t compare to the ritual and tradition of the Indian weddings. So much took place during the wedding weekend that I am going to split it into two posts. Today’s post is going to cover the first two days while tomorrow will cover the third day and tips for attending an Indian wedding!

Indian Wedding

The event, which took place over three days, was a wonderful blend of Indian culture with New York glam. While the couple now lives in Atlanta, they spent much of their time dating in New York City and Asha completed her dermatology residence in New York last year.

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The weekend kicked off with a sunset cruise on the Hudson. Even though we lived in New York City for five years, this was my first sunset cruise! The weather cooperated, allowing gorgeous sunset views of the city and Statue of Liberty. We spent most of our time on the top deck, catching up with old friends or dancing to the awesome music. Meanwhile,  on the lower deck, there were two women applying henna to the women’s hands and palms. Part of the Indian culture, mehendi or henna is a common way to celebrate religious events and weddings.

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Friday morning, less than 12 hours after we disembarked from the ship, a small group of us arrived at the Waldorf for Raj’s Maglik Shubh Prasango. The Mangalik Shubh Prasango is a traditional religious event held the day before the wedding. The bride and groom have separate ceremonies with their friends and family members. While the language barrier made it impossible to understand everything, just watching the ritual was magical. In addition, their minister did a good job translating and explaining the major parts of the ritual.

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The ceremony, which lasts around two hours, revolves around the cleansing of the soul and multiple rituals, including one in which guests apply turmeric paste to the groom’s face. Turmeric is thought to have cleansing powers. The below picture was taken right after we each used our ring finger to apply turmeric to his face.

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After a large Indian lunch feast, the group had a five hour break before we were back at the Waldorf for the Garba & Sangeet. An Indian dance party which takes place the night before the wedding ceremony, this evening was so much fun! It included professional dancers who performed impressive routines before leading the group in more than an hour of traditional Indian dancing, known as Dandiya.

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Dandiya is performed in a circle, with both genders participating, as they dance and use sticks, similar to drumsticks, as props.  The dancers as well as the Indians in attendance were patient with those of us who were new to the dance, helping us learn and enjoy by the end of the evening. For this event it was suggested that guests could wear Indian Garba attire, known as gharga, or comfortable loose skirts. The bride and groom served signature cocktails to keep the dancers hydrated and refreshed – tamarind margarita (my favorite) and watermelon mojito.

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Aren’t Raj and Asha’s gorgeous in their pink and gold attire? So elegant and vibrant!

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The Waldorf Astoria lobby entrance and ballrooms were completely transformed with flowers, lighting, draping and props! It amazes me that just four hours before this scene was plain off-white walls and a marble floor. Gorgeous!

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I can’t take credit for all of these pictures as some of them come from the wedding hashtag’s instagram feed #rashanyc2015.

Have you been to an Indian wedding before?

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A New Favorite NYC Workout Class

When Bo and I planned this trip to New York City, I knew that I wanted to squeeze in a few workout classes. Typically I go for my usual favorites – Uplift Fitness and Barry’s Bootcamp. But, after making a list for the past few months of new instructors or classes, I was inspired to try a few new classes and instructors instead.

After referencing my list in iPhone Notes, I started strategically planning the classes. As we have an Indian wedding in the city Thursday night through Saturday night, I knew that I needed to frontload the classes. Since I was working from our midtown office Monday through Wednesday while staying in Brooklyn, classes located in Flatiron or Brooklyn worked best for the early morning schedule.

Five days of classes left me feeling lean and strong – just in time for the wedding weekend! I will wear my rented saree and lehenga with confidence while dancing and celebrating Raj & Asha! 

Of the five classes we took, The Fhitting Room was our favorite overall workout. IMG_9391

A high intensity training boutique fitness studio located in Flatiron, everything about the workout experience impressed us.

Upon arriving, a bright, vibrant space greet you and the green color theme is visible throughout the studio. A large calendar is posted adjacent to the check-in desk, making the upcoming schedule visible to everyone with just a quick glance.

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There are also lockers and a bathroom on the main level, along with the primary studio.  The staff also briefly explained the studio’s workout concept  – using functional movements, strength training, high intensity intervals, total body focus and highly varied exercises in order to strengthen and change participant’s bodies.

Before our class we were given a quick tour of the downstairs space, which is home to a smaller, private fitness studio and the main locker and shower area which includes two bathrooms, two showers, lockers and a few vanity areas for blow drying hair and getting ready. The studio provides everything you need to get refreshed after your workout including large towels, blow dryers, and toiletry products!

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Back upstairs, it was time to get down to business! Our class, which was party of NYC Fit Week, had 15 students and 2 instructors.

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Let’s talk about the 2 instructors because that is the primary thing that makes this workout stand out from other similar workouts. Not only were the two instructors, Emily and Dyan bubbly and energetic, but they were constantly walking around checking and improving form. In a HIIT class, I feel that form is easily compromised which can lead to injuries. Having two instructors watching us at all times helped both Bo and I ensure that we pushed ourselves WHILE maintaining form.

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The main studio includes rows of different “toys” or workout gear. One mirrored wall is dedicated to TRX training while the other sides include rowing machines, kettle bells, bosu balls, boxes, and even foam rollers! Even though the studio has been open for a few months, it was still well organized and spotless. The floor is a special, cushioned floor which makes burpees and other jump movements far more comfortable. Before the class kicked off the instructors walked us through the workout which included a dynamic warm-up (high knees, mountain climbers, froggers, air squats, etc)  followed by intense circuits which rotated through in small groups. The workout was posted at the front of the room so we knew what was coming.

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For the next 45 minutes we worked our way through the workout while rocking out to a great playlist. While I can’t remember each part of the workout, these portions stood out in my mind:

  • Bosu foot taps by side to side jump overs
  • 2 minute erg followed by ab pikes using the erg seat
  • Kettlebell step ups followed by box jumps
  • TRX rows and curls
  • TRX hamstring curls and TRX planks

There was no “calling in” the workout as every minute the instructors were there pushing us harder and making sure we were engaging the proper muscles. By the end of the class I was BEYOND sweaty and my muscles were fully fatigued. It should be noted though, that while we were exhausted, we were already wishing we had time to sign up for another class this week! 

Cost: $35 but there are packages available to reduce cost including new participant 2 for 1 class

Location: 31 West 19th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue

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A Preview from our NYC Photo Shoot

A month ago our dear friends Brad and Margaret spent the day snapping photos of us through the city. It was one of the most wonderful days enjoyed with great people and reminding us of all our favorite spots throughout the streets of New York. Some of them we frequent daily and others, such as Grand Central, are parts of our past. Regardless, we spent six hours walking the streets just enjoying everything it had to offer. There were two cameras on us at all times, something we haven’t felt since our wedding day.

While I can’t wait to see the final collection of images, these are the first four they’ve shared with us! Keep in mind that everything they do is for the love of photography and merely a hobby. Judging from these four pictures I can’t wait to choose 10 or so to frame for both our London and Geneva flats. I think it would be so fun to have the same in each flat so we get to look at the pictures during the week while we’re apart.

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