Wedding Crashers, India

Weddings are a big deal in India and we've been lucky to attend a few. One of the more special weddings we witnessed was of a friend from Chennai, who now lives in Washington, DC. We also had visitors from back home tagging along to the grand affair.

A couple of aspects of Indian weddings make them unique and interesting. The actual wedding is a small, family-only affair and it's held at a time based on consultations with wedding experts who read various signs and determine the best - most auspicious - moment to wed. It's not uncommon for the actual marriage to take place on a Thursday at 7:30 a.m.

And then there's the reception. It's India with a billion plus people, so you have to re-create that atmosphere as best as possible. A wedding hall is reserved, food is promised and then the word is broadcast - "Come one, come 20, come all+1!" And they do. A reception of 1,000? Small. 3,500? Now we have a reception!

A typical wedding hall, a big warehouse of expansive rooms, kitchens and able to host multiple receptions. The eager crowd.

The magnificent couple, wearing an heirloom sari and special wedding coat. Fantastic look! Everyone gets to greet the newlyweds and have a picture taken with them. The line forms over there, waay over there......

If you're stuck in the back, watch the action on a monitor. Once the hand has been shaken and the photo taken, it's time to eat. How do you feed thousands? Long tables, banana leaves and buckets of food for a quick turnaround. Perfect.