Blueprint for your wedding; Flawless sequence of great Indian wedding events and rituals!

Our weddings in India, a culturally and traditionally rich nation, are multiple days celebration full of rituals and fascinating events rather than one-day celebration. It is difficult to truly understand these events without knowing their sequence of events. Here is the sequence of Indian wedding events and rituals:

Pre-Wedding Events:

Engagement:

An engagement ceremony is a significant pre-wedding event since it marks the formal beginning of a new chapter in the lives of two people before marriage. It will be held a few months before the wedding. Engagement is being celebrated in different regions in different names, like ring ceremony, roka, sagai, sakhshagandh, chunni, nischitartham, and betrothal ceremony. Gifts between the families of the engaged girl and boy will be exchanged during the ceremony.

In contrast to traditional Indian engagement, India has embraced the Western practice of exchanging rings. Engagement is celebrated in all other religions as well as Hindu tradition.

Haldi Ceremony:

One or two days prior to the wedding day, the Haldi ceremony will be celebrated. Haldi will be applied to bride and groom on the event, and family will wish them luck and bless them. It is believed that turmeric has purifying, detoxifying and beautifying qualities, whereas the celebration symbolizes the cleansing of skin and soul of the bride and groom. As per the Indian customs, turmeric symbolizes prosperity and auspiciousness. Yellow colour outfits are traditionally chosen for the haldi event but it’s not mandatory to wear only yellow outfits. In recent days, many brides and grooms chose vibrant peach, pink, and other colours to add personal touch to the event.

Sangeet and Mehndi:

Traditional sangeet and mehndi are two different pre-wedding events. Family members and friends join in the singing and dancing during the sangeet, enjoying the event. The mehndi ceremony involves application of mehndi on both the hands and legs of the bride. Sangeet is a tradition of Punjab and northern states adopted by other regions of the country. In recent days, both events are being celebrated on the same day in order to save money and time while combining two events, making one larger celebration.

Wedding Day Events:

On the day of wedding, a series of joyous events takes place depending upon the region, family tradition, and custom. In common wedding day events, they can be explained as baraat, varmala, phere, and vidai in series. Baraat, where groom will be led to the ceremony along with music, drummers, and dancing. Baraat followed by the varmala, where the groom and bride exchange garlands. Phere is an Indian wedding ritual where the bride and groom walk around sacred fire or any idol depending upon their region’s custom. Vidai is an emotional event that marks the completion of wedding.

Post Wedding Event:

Reception:

Reception is a main post wedding event. Ways of celebrating the event may vary from region to region and religion to religion. It is an event where newly married couples make their first public appearance together. At the same time, it is an event to thank those who attended the marriage and blessed them. Reception serves as a social gathering that reinforces the bond between the two families and lets everyone enjoy the happiness of the union.

Conclusion:

It is advisable to divide the pre-wedding, wedding, and post-wedding events into timelines to ensure nothing has been missed. These are celebrations rather than merely activities, and they give the wedding its own significance and importance. These rituals help in strengthening the couple’s emotional connection between the couple and bless them as they begin their new chapter of life.