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Advice on henna at Indian wedding

So my partners friend is getting married next weekend, he is British Indian and she is Jewish American. Last weekend they had a pre-wedding celebration only about 50 people close friends and family. At the party I was told several times there was a lady doing henna tattoos, the family kept coming up to me asking me am I going to have one and I felt quite pressured. I didn't want to offend any one, but I had a henna done on my leg a few years ago and it swelled up, itched and went bright red and puffy and stayed sore for a few weeks.
After shyly saying no each time they asked, his dad came over to me, he asked again, I said oh maybe later, he said no no not maybe, its a done thing! Grabbed me arm, pulled me up out of my seat and marched me over across the marquee! I was so upset that he had been so forceful with me I felt like running out in tears . my partner had to come over and interrupt and make him atop by politely saying we didn't want to offend anyone but I'd had a bad reaction in the past. He then insisted it wouldn't cause reactions this time. We finally managed to make him stop. But I was really quite upset by all of this. Now I'm left wondering if I have offended his family for refusing to have the henna?
I'm now feeling uneasy about going to the wedding next weekend too :frown:

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Reply 1

FanaticEV

I dont think it will be on their minds given they have a wedding to focus on.

They probably were just trying to get you to have some fun and join in as henna drawings look very nice. But if you had a reaction before then its perfectly fine to decline and im sure they wont remember it as a bad thing, just a small nag.

You probably wouldnt have had a reaction again because im guessing it was cheap quality henna, but maybe your skin is allergic to something in it and you might have so its fair enough not wanting to risk it

Reply 2

ab210

You could have just said 'No, I had an allergic reaction last time' and stood up for yourself....

Reply 3

tania<3

You probably had black henna instead of the natural normal henna :/ black henna is the type that gives people blisters and scarring, and I can totally understand why you'd be wary about getting it done again!

Just tell them the situation and I'm sure they'll be understanding. They probably just thought you were shy or something :smile: