At an Indian wedding...

Were there at least 300 people in attendance?

I didn't count, but I think it might be around 200-300.

Orgy

Bathing in the Ganges?

Sounds very nice OP.

Were there dead, bloated cows floating in the pool? Even though it was in the United States I still hope your vaccinations were up to date.

If I had my iPhone and my wallet in my pants (which I would) I would be seriously pissed off.

No elephant, no happy future.

What are you supposed to do for the rest of the evening?

Sounds fun.

I took my wallet and cellphone out of my pockets before I went into the pool. I didn't see a single person thrown in, so I assume everyone was careful to empty their pockets.

You were right to not wear Indian costume.

You were NOT right to go into the water with them.

Those are THEIR traditions. Cultural appropriation is NOT ok.

You sound like Prudence McPrude. No undershirt! What if someone saw your bare breasts through your shirt?!

It is customary to receive a gift of gold from the parents of the wedding party. If you did not receive gold, it is not an official Indian wedding ceremony blessing by the gods.

The OP was asked to join them in the pool, R12. He says the groom was persistent about it. I think it would have been rude to act like a spoiled sport and refuse to go into the pool, shirt, tie and pants and all. If you're asked to embrace the culture, shouldn't you do it?

Not if it's a poor, hot, and dirty one.

Maybe immersing you was a form of blessing to them. Some churches still immerse people to baptize them, although I doubt this particular dunking was as religiously significant.

Why would you assume the resort had a poor, hot and dirty pool?

or maybe op is hot and they wanted to see him wet

R17, I think he was talking about the culture being poor, hot, and dirty, not the pool.

LOL R18, gurl please, there is no hot OP on here.

We can see your dirty pillows, OP

They're called breasts, R21, and every poster has 'em.

In OP's case-- they were dirty pillows

If you were dressed up in a shirt, tie and dress pants, and you faced peer pressure to get into the pool as many others had jumped in, would you do it?

I would have asked someone at the wedding, especially if I thought it was a traditional blessing, cleansing, or luck-related ritual. Can you not politely ask the friend who invited you if there's a name for the ritual?

[quote]spoiled sport

Plain to see your first language is not English, R15. Or are you just, um, speshul?

How was the BO, OP?

I was just joking, by the way. I had just read that crap on an SJW Tumblr, I don't believe it. No Indians would be offended if a non-Indian participated. The only people offended would be a 20 year old women's studies major with blue hair weighing 300 lbs despite her vegan diet.

I attended an Indian wedding in California. A lot of people ended up in the pool there, too, and it didn't matter what clothes they were wearing, many shirts and ties. No one was tossed in under protest. I think it had more to do with the heat than a spiritual tradition, but I don't know for sure. Yes R24, I jumped in dressed like the rest. It was the only way I was going to be able to talk to some of my favorite people there. No worse for the wear, everything dried before the night was over.

Unless cute guys were skinny dipping it sounds incredibly stupid and idiotic.

I once stayed at a hotel in Miami where a wedding reception was taking place at the pool. I just returned from a reception elsewhere. It was a beautiful night, so I relaxed in a lounge distant from the pool and watched. There were lots of fully dressed people in the pool having a great time. I was surprised by an older woman who brought me a plate of food and asked me to join them at the party. What do you do, especially when the woman was so kind? I followed her to the party. Within twenty minutes, several friendly people started talking to me and one “dragged” me to the open bar. Another one of them jumped into the pool and several minutes later, I faced calls to jump in myself. This is something I would never do surrounded by people who know me. I live in a very conservative, socially uptight area. I dismissed it. Then I lightened up. I figured I would never consider it on my own, and they did invite me to celebrate with them, and it’s one of those things you probably shouldn’t do, so I was drawn in. So, I jackknifed into the deep end, wearing my shirt and tie and nice pants. I then discovered I was the only one in the pool still wearing shoes, so treading water was awkward. My upper body were visible for a little while, but I was buff at the time, so it wasn’t a big deal. The tie wasn’t one I valued much. I got the address of the newly married couple and sent a gift when I returned home.

I know there are many cultures within India and probably thousands of wedding traditions. It wouldn’t surprise me if people were in the pool because water represented something sacred, but I’m no authority whatsoever. In my case, there was no tradition involved, these people were just having a hell of a good time.

Sometimes I think we all need to lighten up. I know it was impetuous and foolhardy, but I had a great time with fun people and I truly kicked back in a way I hadn't in a long while.

R31, when in Rome... I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It probably felt great, (and unique.) You're right, sometimes we take life too seriously and we should just jump in the pool. I've known business executives who have jumped into a pool or gone into a dunk tank in a full suit, as a challenge to employees to meet a work goal and see the boss get soaking wet.

"one of those things you probably shouldn't do" Yes, but that's what makes it daring and fun, as long as it doesn't affect anyone else. And you dry off and life goes on.

Here's a business lesson from venture capitalist Tim Draper...

I've seen Tim Draper use that trick in another instance, on his short reality TV show, "Start-Up." Apparently he does it with every class he enrolls in the program. It forces them to go beyond their comfort zone, which you sometimes need to be successful, he claims.

I once received a wedding invitation which was titled "Take the plunge with us." or something like that. No one knew the entire wedding party-one at a time-would get up on the diving board at the pool and "take the plunge" at the reception. I guess both families were in on it, and the people in the wedding party committed to do it. Some people may be appalled by it, but all the guests were having fun. Everyone was asked to join in. There wasn't pressure to do it. No one was tossed in. Most people did go in. I went in. It was a hot night. Like the earlier poster said, it's something you wouldn't think of doing. I took off my suit coat before I did, but I still had my bowtie on. Some of the men went in wearing full suits. The photographer told me a lot of couples take photos In the surf or in a pool wearing their wedding clothes a couple of weeks after the wedding. Who knows it might be a trend.

I'd have gone naked.

[quote]The photographer told me a lot of couples take photos In the surf or in a pool wearing their wedding clothes a couple of weeks after the wedding. Who knows it might be a trend.

Yup, it's apparently a trend known as "Trash the dress".

Some dumb bitch drowned because of it back in 2012.

I didn't even know they still made undershirts!

They will be divorced in 3...2...1

R34, A wedding reception video was posted on this site last year. It sounded so familiar. I finally traced it down. Was this the wedding you attended? It must be!

I would totally do that in R39! It looks like a blast. The receptions around my city are stodgy and the wedding couples tend to do what their parents want them to do. This is refreshing (in so many ways.) I'm happy they had fun in their own irreverent way. I just wonder if it was pre-planned or spontaneous. Either way, I'd be there in R39.

Hey, OP, I thought of you last night while at a poolside wedding reception. Maybe in your situation, tradition played a part. But, isn't it totally expected when people are drunk and happy at a pool, one invariably ends up in the water, triggering the others to join in? Like you're asking for it to happen? Like there's a certain joy in letting go and jumping in? I knew it was a matter of time, and the first guy dove in around midnight. I watched a couple of dozen people follow him. One of my friends took a designer suit into the water. With this thread in mind, I threw reservations out the window and dove in myself, my first time ever. It was fun. Thanks for the catalyst. My tie survived. I was almost dry by the time I drove away. Will I do it again? Now that I've crossed that bridge, probably, but only in situations when it doesn't impact anyone else's fun at the party. That was the case last night. After the bride and groom left, most of the guests ended up in the pool. One guy was standing in water mid-nipples. It was hot watching the water lap at them. If only he was gay...

Indian weddings can be three day affairs, so there are activities every day. There was a pool party at a destination wedding on day one and almost everyone ended up in the pool. I saw people in wet clothing when I arrived and I figured it was going to be me eventually. I met a hot well built guy in a dry white t-shirt and tight jeans. After a while he told me he was jumping in and wanted to know if I wanted to join him. Who would say no? So I went in with my silk shirt and khakis on. We jumped in at the same time and when he popped up, holy shit. Hairy chest and taut nipples. On a muscular chest. It’s a good thing my khakis gave me room to grow. Then his wife jumped in. Damn. There went my all nighter. There were other hot guys in wet clothes, but I realized it was a very hetero guest list. These parties are pretty common in India. I think people are modest or maybe there’s a thing about bare skin. Or maybe it just gets hot in India. There are no qualms in diving in. The party stayed outdoors so everyone dries out, if you ever get out of the pool. Drinks were brought poolside, so you didn’t have to get out. I was pretty wrinkled before the night was over. My shirt survived.

Are you sure you weren't at a Bryan Singer party, OP?

It's not really a cultural/religious thing. They were probably just having fun and cooling off after the wedding. And they kept their clothes on to avoid the super old grandparents getting a heart attack.

OP, you're the silver-mustachioed focal point of this picture, aren't you? Everyone else looks genuinely happy while it's clear that you're hissing through your fake smile. Sad!

Eldergays can't hiss underwater. Or can they?

Hiss underwater? They can live underwater. The normal life cycle is twink --> twunk --> gills --> elder.

You must be be younger than 24, r46, or you'd have your eldergills by now.

What about the BO?

Any opportunity for Indians to smell less awful en masse should be celebrated.

I tended bar at the poolside wedding of two kids from affluent families. I was asked to wear a full tuxedo. I own one, so it wasn't a problem. Late in the reception, some guests offered hundreds of dollars to others to jump into the pool fully clothed. The younger people, no problem, it was too easy. I think they should have bargained for a higher dollar amount before they went in. I was offered $100 to take a dive in my tux. I brushed it off and the offer doubled to $200. I said I would think about it, but only after most of the guests had left. A couple of hours later, the offer was $500, from one of the parents! Are you kidding? Of course I dived in. I knew the tux would dry. I went right back to work after the plunge. I received more tips in the following half hour than I had in the first four hours. I drove home in a towel. It was totally worth it.

If you’ve never seen it watch monsoon wedding. Cute movie with some hot Indian guys.

Congratulations, OP! You're now a Hindu!

With these shoes? Are you insane? And do you know that water ruins the lining in a suit?

And you know the pool has to be drained to clean it, right?

Whole scenario sounds weird to me - you don’t think it’s just an est teasing us?

And as for the tuxedoed bartending guy jumping into the pool - sounds fucking vile to me! Affluent’ people trying to see how much dough it’ll take for people to humiliate themselves. And does any decent tux really recover after a dip in chlorinated or salted water? I mean - there’s a reason they’re dry clean only you know...

All sounds really odd.

Tuxedos have seen much worse at weddings than getting them wet in a swimming pool. You have to wonder how many times the tuxedo you just rented was covered in vomit at prior rentals. I'd think stomach acid would be much more corrosive than chlorine at however many parts per million. Dry cleaning involves soaking an article of clothing in a solvent which includes, get this, chlorine.

Hell, if it hurts no one, have fun. If I made $500 and a couple hundred more in appreciative tips, I'd dive in. I'd probably break even on a tuxedo meant to perform work in and might have earned goodwill with other wealthy patrons who may hire me later, maybe for something better than bartending gigs.

Alcohol + swimming pool + celebration + catalyst + nice clothing + doing something you wouldn't normally do = acknowledge the possibility of going into the pool with your clothes on and plan accordingly. When does it not happen?

If the man paying you big bucks wants you to jump into the pool, it's a good career move. Many have done more humiliating things for less.

Personally, I'd do a cannonball.

[quote]spoiled sport

It's "spoilsport."

Wasn't this in an episode of that Aziz Ansari tv show?

Here you go, R58.

I attended a wedding reception at a swimming pool. When it was time for the groom to throw the garter, he threw it over the heads of all the men. It landed in the pool behind them. Three of his groomsmen looked at each other and grinned. Then they threw the wallets out of their pockets and dove in. It was like pressure had been building all night and the dam broke. A dozen or so men joined them in the pool, no thought to shirts, ties and in some cases suit coats. I knew it was inevitable. I think everyone else did, too. No one minded. I heard they confessed to the rental agency the tuxedos went swimming. He told them much worse has happened. They weren’t penalized afterward.

Like this, R60?

Tables set up around the pool, events near it. Who wouldn't predict R61 would happen? Were these people warned they would be seated ten feet from the pool? I wonder if anyone waled away pissed off. It wouldn't have bothered me, if I was dressed that way, I'm resigned to going into the pool.

that's "walked" away... Anyone been through something like this?

Glad to know about this odd custom. Now I know to decline any invites held near pools.

The videos here look fun. I've never seen anything like this.