bridal

THE RECEPTION
As the ceremony came to a close, we stood together in
front of the Torahs, and Norman left a small donation in
the open ark before stopping at the mezuzah on the way
out.
Outside, fireworks exploded, lighting up the sky, wel-
coming and celebrating us. We entered our reception,
held outside at a school campus, in a blaze of glory as
sparklers shot fire over our heads and confetti explosions
rained down.
After feeding the whole family wedding cake, we went
up on stage. Norman’s grandfather’s sister’s daugh-
ter’s husband’s brother presented our biographies, and
Norman and I each gave thank-you speeches. Norman
choked up and almost couldn’t continue when he talked
about all his parents’ support — despite all of the differ-
ent customs that can make us seem far apart, we are both
close to our families and that pulls us back together.
We floated around the LED dance floor in an elegant
waltz, until the tempo changed. Norman jumped over
to meet me and I rebounded to him, matching the new
Bollywood beat. Celebrating his Indian roots and the
culmination of several months of lessons, we surprised
and impressed everyone with our Bollywood flair. People
crowded the dance floor, moving to all different music,
including lifting us in chairs during an energetic hora.
A procession followed and all 500 guests — small for an
Indian wedding, but four times the number of people we
expected to celebrate with in Michigan, where my family’s
rabbi of 20 years would conduct the ceremony — came up
to get pictures and congratulate us. Some tried to give us
gifts, but we had to refuse them per Norman’s parents and
the invitation: “No gifts or flowers, blessings only.”
I snuggled close to Norman on the way back to the
hotel. We made it, despite my Vegas temptations and
some snafus. We were married and finally alone together,
able to bask in our love and in the knowledge that as
we start our lives together — and continue to learn and
accept each other and our unique cultures — we had a
special bond and faith in each other that would bring it all
together.
And, of course, the adventure wasn’t really over. Less
than two months later, we got married all over again in
Michigan at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield with
Rabbi Michael Moskowitz officiating.

In Mumbai, the wedding cake

At the wedding in Michigan, with Norman in traditional Indian garb

64

January 26 • 2017

jn

Tami Tarnow-Joseph, originally from Southfield, works for the Walt
Disney Company and lives with her Indian Jewish husband, who also
works at Disney, in North Hollywood, Calif.

Coming down the aisle at Temple Shir Shalom two months later