Everywhere in the world, marital unions are dreamed of and prepared with the utmost care, with the sole aim of making it the happiest day of a lifetime. cultural and religious rites. The May issue is dedicated to to marital customs within the island’s various communities; four couples agreed to explain their characteristics to us.
From time immemorial, marriage has been more than a contractual commitment establishing a family structure, or a civil and/or religious institution. It has been a solemn act uniting two people in love, protection, projection… whatever their culture or religion. Although it defines universal values, it takes the form of rituals that differ from one community to the next.
Jenita and Vikram
The wedding ceremony is still one of those traditions in Hindu culture that is handed down from generation to generation. Jenita and Vikram, who started out as friends, realized after a year and a half that the deep feeling that animated them was love! “True love”, Jenita corrects. So they got married… in a way that respected customs. “The lives of girls of the Hindu faith are parameterized and directed by their families! They often feel stifled”, Jenita tells me, without bitterness, before adding: “This union meant a lot to me! I knew that Vikram was the man for me, my eternal moral support and contributor to my development.
Accompanied by their parents, Jenita and Vikram went to the pandit (Hindu priest), to determine the precise day of the wedding, according to astrological beliefs linking dates of birth, phases of the moon and so on. To finance the big event, the couple relied on their savings. Various tasks were naturally delegated to family and friends: “Generally, men entrust men, women entrust women.”
Jenita didn’t see her husband for two weeks before the wedding. “We wrote a few messages to each other, without talking or seeing each other… to keep up the anticipation of meeting again!”
The Hindu ceremonial is spread over several festive days. Each person, surrounded by loved ones, goes through a series of rituals combining specific dress codes and traditional meals. The henna rite – the first stage – is the equivalent of a bridal shower, and symbolizes a change in status. A paste is applied to the bride’s hands and feet, ensuring her prosperity and fertility. Then comes the geet gawai, “the old ladies’ dance”, when a group of dancers is brought in to set the dance floor alight until the early hours of the morning. “It was Friday… I partied at home with all my relatives until 4 a.m.,” says Jenita cheerfully, before moving on to the next day’s haldi. “During this ceremony, the boys wear beige or white and the girls yellow. Green saffron is crushed by a relative and applied to the skin to give it a glow. It’s a purification for one’s husband or wife! The chanting and prayers last for several hours, and the ritual ends with the seven vegetarian curries served to the guests. Jenita experienced this on the roof of her family home, under a huge tent. Vikram was at home with his family and friends. The official Sunday ceremony crowned the marriage. While it’s customary for the man to travel to the girl’s home to marry her, Jenita couldn’t accommodate 200 guests! So she found Rose Belle a Hindu temple and its adjoining great hall. Jenita also recalls the post-wedding ritual: “A week later, Mom, my brothers, my grandmother… came to pick me up and spend two nights with them. I was able to tell them all about the beginnings of my new life, my gifts, my honeymoon in Rodrigues, etc.”
As I recall the highlights, I feel the jumble of emotions. “When I left home, everyone had tears in their eyes. I was happy, of course, but it tore my heart to have to leave the nest after thirty years with my mom. I realized I was moving in with my husband, his younger brother and his mother.”
Chloé and Didier
Chloé currently lives with her mom in Rivière du Rempart, Didier with him in Sainte Croix. The two lovebirds have known each other for seven years and have been “preparing psychologically since last year” for the sacrament of marriage. The civil ceremony will take place on October 31, while the Catholic religious ceremony is scheduled for July 26, 2024.
For them, the solemn act represents the concretization of their love, and the vows are paramount: “The sacrament of marriage is the only one we give to each other”. I learn that their respective families are large, and that the young people had great difficulty agreeing on the number of guests, as well as the location. “It caused a lot of tension! For the venue, we took an enormous amount of time, got several quotes from different restaurants and reception halls… and finally decided to have the ceremony at my house, followed by a family dinner.” Chloé is picky and demanding, so the choice of caterer was still complicated. “We’ve already tested two restaurants and are planning more!”
When I ask if the parents are involved in their decisions, Chloé replies that, although they are independent enough, they don’t hesitate to ask their nearest and dearest, because of their young age. Understanding that Chloé is meticulous and organized, I turn my attention to the details of the event, surprised that so much is already perfectly planned with over five months to go. “I’m a pretty meticulous person, I like to take care of things myself, so they’re done my way,” Chloé explains to me. The theme will be “Chic and golden”. The flowers and decorations will be the responsibility of her sister-in-law, based on carefully selected photos. The wedding rings have been chosen on Pinterest to be made by a jeweler, as have the dress and suit designs, which will be made by a seamstress and tailor. The choice of church is inescapable, since Catholic tradition dictates that the place of worship be that of the girl’s parish, and religious preparation has already been completed, divided into seven sessions over two months. “We’ve learned a lot about ourselves and each other, and it’s helped us to improve, to live in harmony. We don’t always agree on everything, but we learn to compromise. It’s by living together that we’ll know everything about each other!”
Only fifty guests will be present at the civil wedding, as the whole family (even arriving from abroad) will attend the religious ceremony next year. Bachelorette and bachelor parties are planned just before the date, and the honeymoon will take place in a hotel in the South or East. For Chloé, “this day has to be special, unique and harmonious… because it’s also the union of two families”.
Zahra and Ilshad
Zahra and Ilshad, of the Muslim faith, married almost six years after they met. While for her the wedding was “a new adventure”, for him it represented “a great responsibility”. Several family meetings were held to work out the organizational details, and the number of guests was set at 250! “Even though I wanted a simple wedding, I still opted for a traditional ceremony, with the all-white dress, veil, henna, etc.”
Zahra had her bachelorette party a week before the big day, and still has fond memories of it! “With my friends, I had a wonderful first dive at Belle Mare. On the other hand, I came out with super-tanned legs and arms,” she laughs, ashamed to admit.
The mehndi – the henna ceremony – represents (as in Hindu marriage) the traditional bachelorette party and protects against the evil eye, jealousy… While the family applies the tattoo on the bride, the groom has gifts delivered for the big day: jewelry, clothes… ” The mehndi took place on Thursday evening, at my home in Goodlands, followed by a briani and sweet and savory cakes. The mehndi took place on Thursday evening, at my home in Goodlands, followed by briani and sweet and savory cakes. My wedding dress was a gift from my husband!”
The next day’s religious ceremony, the nikah, symbolizes the union. It took place on a Friday, a sacred day for Muslims, at home and in the presence of an imam. The bride wore the traditional lehenga, a gift from her mother-in-law. “We lived in a beautiful house with a big courtyard, so my dad wanted his eldest daughter to get married there. We decorated everything, put lights on the coconut trees… it was magical! With my white dress, I was like a princess! Zahra confides that the ceremony was even broadcast live for relatives living in France. “My husband was quite relaxed, while I was a little sad to be leaving my family and my sisters, with whom I still lived, for an adult life! Zahra then returned home with her husband, where they were welcomed by his relatives at another reception washed down with mocktails (since they don’t drink alcohol). The young woman remembers the photo session with nostalgia by night at Caudan, surrounded by her sisters and Ilshad’s brothers, as well as the week-long honeymoon in Rodrigues.
One of the rituals of Muslim marriage is the gift given by the husband to his wife: the mahr. This nuptial offering – car, money, jewels, etc. – guarantees the wife’s “survival” for a few months, in case of misfortune: illness or death of the husband. It should be noted that, under Islamic law, the man is not allowed to touch the wife’s assets.
Today, Zahra and Ilshad are the happy parents of 7-month-old Aliza.
Virginie and Rémy
When I meet the vacationing couple at the Lagoon Attitude, they’re on their honeymoon, married three days ago, right here! Together for eight years, Virginie and Rémy are both divorced. Virginie’s simple wish to be his wife, without folklore or artifice, no matter where – on a desert island, why not – appealed to Rémy. “After big weddings in France with more than 130 people, including cousins we never see again, we were in the mood for something else,” he admits.
Engaged to be married in April 2022, they began by organizing a secular ceremony to be held near their home in September, before finding a heavenly island where their marriage would be recognized, since this is not the case everywhere. They chose Mauritius and, with the help of a specialist travel agency, booked their stay: a week at the Lagoon Attitude and a wedding package that promises to be full of surprises!
“We bought a package, supplemented by à la carte services such as flowers, hairdressing, make-up… but nothing was concrete yet”, they tell me, before going on to detail the efficient support provided by everyone involved in the project. From the preparation of the administrative file and its transmission to the French Embassy in Mauritius, to the welcome at the hotel by Kevin and Carine, who were in charge of all the organization (beforehand and on site). The couple confirm that the well-oiled link between all the protagonists is reassuring; all cab journeys to the registry offices in Port Louis and Rivière du Rempart (the district) had already been arranged.
On D-3, a meeting with the couple set the tone for the event – over drinks and sincere goodwill – and enabled Virginie and Rémy to add the services of a photographer. The witnesses? Kevin and Carine, of course! “Everything was perfect, beyond our wildest dreams! The team really pulled out all the stops. On the big day, the adorable Kevin personally ironed the dress and suit, and Carine photographed and filmed the ceremony, which was then sent directly to relatives in France. And when the civil registrar began his speech at 5 p.m., in the shelter of the rain, Kevin arrived as if from a film, shouting Stop! We’re stopping everything! It’s stopped raining, we’re moving everything back outside! And we were able to make our entrance on the beach again and experience the magic of the moment!”
Each service could be chosen: music, flowers, lobster dinner on the beach, etc. “We let ourselves be guided with confidence, and the result was just right! After the ceremony, Rémy opened the bottle of champagne, we cut the cake, drank a glass with the team and danced on the beach with the maurichians. ”
Virginie and Rémy have a plethora of vivid memories! The genuine kindness of Mauritians, “that takes you right to the gut”. The fabulous excursions. The encounters… like this resident, a former backing singer for Jean-Jacques Goldman, who performed for them on Île aux Cerfs You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban and brought Virginie to tears. “It was two days before the wedding, we hadn’t yet chosen the song for the ceremony, it was this one!”
Maison Lionnetdirected by designer Véronique Lionnet, plunges us into the hushed world of haute couture and weddings. A workshop, a boutique and a multi-faceted family home, this address in the heart of Rose Hill is well known to Mauritians, having been in existence for almost forty years. Véronique and her team tailor the dress of your dreams, in the finest luxury and detail, elegance and savoir-faire. Initiated by Pierre Laurent, the master of haute couture in Mauritius who made perfect cuts and finishes his signature, Véronique now masters the technicality and refinement of her creations.
In Tamarin, the Yemen Pavilion – with its four hectares of gardens and century-old trees – offers a magical setting for receptions! Its 650 square meters of space (425 of which are covered) can accommodate 300 seated guests for a feast… until 3 a.m.! A fully-equipped, functional kitchen completes this exceptional venue nestled in the heart of the Yemen nature reserve, with its 3400 hectares of wilderness! On the estate, the Yemen Lodgeperched at an altitude of 180 metres, is an original idea for a wedding night, with a splendid view of the west coast and absolute peace and quiet!
Contemporary, original, timeless… jewels from Oceano Pearls jewels combine the oceanic inspiration of Mauritian designer Harriet Batchelor; the tradition of Italian and French beauty… inspired by the many places she has lived; the quality of materials (genuine pearls, gold vermeil…); and the expertise of the craftsmen in the workshop in the south of the island. The emerging local brand launches a bridal collection.
Gimme your dress is an online consignment shop, born in 2017 from the idea of offering brides-to-be the chance to buy or rent second-hand dresses, themselves put up for sale on the aforementioned platform (web and Facebook). Thus dusted off, princess dresses find a second life and offer Mauritians a chance to wear the model of their dreams while making substantial savings (up to 70%), all in an eco-responsible approach.
