1. Var Satkar: The official reception of the groom by the bride’s family. Mother of the bride typically blesses the groom with Aarti and acknowledges him as being part of the family.

2. Madhu Parka: Father of the bride walks the groom to the altar and feeds him Panchamrita (mixture of yogurt, honey, sugar, ghee, and milk) before the ceremonies commence.

3. Kanyadan: In this ritual, parents of the bride give away their daughter to the groom amidst chanting of mantras.

4. Vivaha Homa: Fire is a sacred and integral part of a Hindu Wedding Ceremony. Fire is lit to mark an auspicious start to the rituals.

5. Paani Grahan: Taking bride’s right hand in his left, the groom accepts her as his wife. This ritual symbolizes the brides surrendering her heart in the hands of the groom.

6. Pratigya Karan: In this ritual, bride and groom take vows of love and loyalty toward each other.

7. Shila Arohan: Literally means “Stepping on the Stone”, where mother of the bride helps the bride ascend onto a stone and counsels her to prepare for her married life. The stone is symbolic of strength and trust.

8. Laja Homa: Laja or puffed rice is offered by the bride and groom as oblations to the sacred fire. Rice marks a bountiful married life.

9. Mangal Phera: One of the most important rituals of a Hindu marriage is that of a couple circling around the fire seven times. The number 7 has religious and mathematical significance. A circle is 360 degrees, and all numbers between 1 and 9 divide 360 except 7, making it a non terminating number and hence marking a marriage as indivisible.

10. Saptapadi: Or Seven Steps unites the couple for a lifetime. The seven steps stand for nourishment, strength, prosperity, happiness, progeny, long life, harmony, and understanding.

11. Abhishek: After Saptapadi, the priest sprinkles holy water on bride and groom, and they pay homage to sun and pole star.

12. Anna Prashan: The last symbolic rite is to offer food to the sacred fire. Having done so, the bride and the groom feed each other.

13. Aashirwaad: Hindu Wedding Ceremony concludes with the blessings of elders.

There may be slight variation in the ceremony or additional traditions depending on which part of India you belong to. Some of the common Hindu Wedding Ceremonies are Agarwal, Marwari, Punjabi, Gujarati, Maharashtrian, South Indian, and Bengali. Look out for our future posts on different kinds of Hindu Wedding Ceremonies.

Photographs by AlexMoi Photography, International Destination Wedding & Portrait Photographer
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Agarwals are one of the most enterprising and influential communities hailing from Northern States of India. Agrawals or Agarwals (also known as Baniyas) have significant presence in business, government and private service, agriculture, education and politics. Some of the common Agarwal Last Names are Gupta, Jindal, Mittal etc.

Mehendi

The Formal Engagement or Rokna

The tradition of a Rokna Ceremony is to symbolize coming together of the two families of the couple. Rokna literally meaning to stop in Hindi. It symbolizes that the search of the families or the individuals for their soulmate has stopped.

During the actual ceremony, the bride-to-be’s father or an older male member of the family puts a tilak on the groom’s forehead. This is a gesture to accept and welcome the groom into the family. The groom is given some gifts and fed with laddoo, which is the favorite dessert of Lord Ganesha. Following this, the groom-to-be’s family presents the bride-to-be with gifts.

Teeka

The Teeka ceremony takes place on an auspicious day around the time of the wedding cerebration. It begins with a small puja being performed by the bride’s father and the groom. After that all the male members of the bride’s family do a tilak or a teeka on the groom’s forehead. It is a gesture to show their love, and respect towards the groom. The groom is given some gifts and is fed mithai. Members of the groom’s families may be presented with gifts, fruits and mithai.

Godh Bharai

Following the teeka ceremony, the bride is escorted by her entourage consisting of siblings, cousins and friends to the function where her godh ceremony will be held. The groom’s family brings gifts, jewellery, doll, shringar or make up, clothes and mithai for the bride in beautifully decorated trays and baskets. These gift items are placed in the bride’s jholi or lap. The doll bears a special significance as they are presented to the bride with a wish that she may bear many children in the future. All of the gifts are signs of marital bliss and are considered shubh.

Sangeet

Sangeet

Traditionally an Agarwal Sangeet involved ladies of the families getting together and singing wedding songs to bless the bride. Today, the modern Sangeet is a spectacular event consisting of performances by family and friends, most of the time organized in the form of a skit. The skit tells the story of the bride and the groom in interesting commentary, music and dance. Later in the evening, the dance floor is opened up to all the guests to celebrate.

Mehendi

The mehendi or henna ceremony typically takes place at the Bride-to-be’s parents residence, a day or two before the actual wedding. Amidst family, friends, music, singing, and dancing, mehendi is applied on bride’s hands and feet. Usually Agarwal families hire a traditional signers and dholak artist to entertain the guests, and number of professional henna artists to apply mehendi to all the ladies in attendance.

Laghana Lekhan

In Laghana Lekhan, a small puja is held in the prospective bride’s house. Close relatives and friends are invited to attend the puja. It is during this puja that an auspicious time for the rituals of the marriage also known as lagna or mahurat is determined. In the end, the formal wedding invitation and lagan patrika or letter indicating the wedding time is hand delivered to the groom’s family to formally invite them to the wedding.

Agarwal Bhaat Ceremony

Bhaat

Bhaat is a very important Agarwal wedding tradition. The Mama or the maternal uncles of the bride plays an important role in the wedding. The custom is, for the Mama to bestow lavish gifts on the bride. A couple of days prior to the wedding, the mother of the bride goes to her brother’s house to invite him for Bhaat, which is a simple North Indian meal consisting of rice and lentils with sugar, and gives him a formal invitation to the wedding.

Upon receiving the invitation, the mama or bride’s maternal uncle brings gifts for her and her entire family. They are all welcomed inside the home with a teeka on their forehead by the bride’s mother. During this ritual, the bride is seated on a beautiful chauki (a short stool with four legs). She is then presented with all sorts of gifts, like clothes, and jewelry. She is adorned with the earrings, necklace, nose ring, bangles, anklets, and toe rings given to her by her mama and mami.

Tel Baan Plate

Tel Baan and Haldi

In the Tel Baan ceremony, the ladies on both sides  ‘prepare’ the bride and groom (in each respective home) for the forthcoming wedding. This ritual usually happens on the day of the wedding, and in more traditional families, happens for a couple of days around the wedding time.

At this ceremony, a paste made from herbs, mustard oil, fresh milk curds, henna and turmeric on the faces, arms and feet of the bride and the groom. All the ingredients for Tel Baan are separately put in bowls made of clay, put together in a plate. The ingredients are applied by the means of brushes made of grass. Family members take these grass brushes and dip them in the ingredients and apply it symbolically to their feet, knees, hands, shoulders and head seven times from bottom to top and then top to bottom. This is accompanied by some singing of folk songs.

On the day of the wedding, in addition to the tel baan, the haldi ceremony is also held where ubatan or a paste made primarily of haldi or turmeric is rubbed on the bride. The thought is that haldi makes the bride glow. During the ceremony, the bride also gives a portion of the paste to her cousins and friends of marriageable age. After the ritual bath, the bride is dressed up with shringar and aarti is performed for her.

Kangana

On the day of the wedding, the bride and the groom, are also tied the kangana or sacred thread on their right wrists. The kangana is a red thread strung through iron chaaku (small iron knife for protection), turmeric sticks, supari (betel nut) and kaudis (shells). These are all symbols of good luck and to protect the bride and the groom from the evil eye or nazar.

Ganesha Puja

This puja marks the beginning of all wedding festivities and hence, starts with a Ganesha puja, which is performed by a pujari or priest. The significance of this puja is to ward off any evil and negate the effects of any deaths in the family, so that the marriage may take place without any obstacles.

Gaur Puja

In Gaur Puja, the bride is worshipped as Goddess Gauri or Parvati (consort of Lord Shiva), who is considered the perfect wife. As an Aryan princess marrying a non-Aryan, Lord Shiva, she merged herself completely with an alien culture and the unfamiliar lifestyle of her husband’s family. They bless her with a long and a happy married life, like that of Parvati and shower her with gifts. For the Gaur Puja, all of the bride’s family and extended family, form a circle around her. She hands husked rice or jaw to all of them turn by turn. After that they all walk around her, circling her seven times. While they do that, they offer the husked rice to her, to bring her happiness. Rice is a symbol of prosperity and fertility in Indian culture. At the end of the seven circles, everyone going around her offers her a present in her lap. In the end, the bride’s mama picks her up in his arms while she is still holding on to the pile of gifts, and places the bride in her mother’s lap.

Tomorrow we will be posting about the Agarwal Wedding Day Traditions. Stay tuned for more.

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Baraat

This ceremonial procession begins with the groom’s family blessing the groom and putting the turban on his head. This is known as Sehra Bandhi, and after this the groom mounts a decorated white mare. Along with his rejoicing friends and family, the entire Baraat proceeds to the wedding venue. The entire procession is very lively celebration full of music and dance.

Baraat Swaagat

The Baraat is welcomed by the bride’s family at the venue entrance. Typically the male members on bride’s side greet their counterparts in the groom’s family by welcoming them with garlands and embracing them. This is also known as Milni.

Toran

Meanwhile, the groom is escorted by members of the bride’s family. The entrance of the wedding venue is decorated with a toran or flower decorations. The groom hits the toran with a stick before he steps inside the venue.

Bateri Puja

Following the Toran, a welcome prayer or Bateri Puja is conducted, where the groom is showered with blessings and gifts by the father of the bride. The groom gives his word to the father of the bride that he will perform all the sacred rites of marriage according to his prescribed religious duty.

Neem Jhadai

Neem Jhadai

This is a typical Agarwal tradition, where the bride’s sister sprinkles water on the groom with a twig from a Neem tree. Neem tree has many medicinal uses and is hence considered a sacred tree by Hindus. In order to protect her brother-in-law from evil eye and harm, the bride’s sister ceremoniously sprinkles water from the Holy Ganges on the groom. In exchange she gets a small gift from the groom.

Aarti

Mother of the bride honors the groom by performing the traditional Aarti, where she blesses him. She also puts a teeka on the groom’s forehead and wards off evil eye from him.

Aarti

Jai Mala

The bride, in all her finery, is escorted to the wedding mandap by her entourage amidst Vedic chants. First, the bride garlands the groom, accepting him as her husband, and the groom reciprocates.

Joota Chhupai

This is the fun part for bride’s sisters and brothers, where they steal the groom’s shoes once he sits for the puja. The shoes are only returned to the groom in exchange for a heavy ransom.

Walking Down the Aisle

Kanyadaan

Kanyadaan is performed by the father of the bride in presence of a large gathering that is invited to witness the wedding. In this ceremony, the father gives away his daughter to the groom. A silver or gold coin is placed in the bride’s palms, which are held together by her father, who then places them in the hands of the groom. Amidst prayers, the pujari pours water over their joined hands and blesses them. The tradition of the groom taking the hand of the bride is also known as Pani Grahan or Hast Milap.

As a condition for giving away his daughter for marriage, the father of the bride requests a promise from the groom for assisting the bride in realizing the three ends : dharma or living life righteously to attain moksha or salvation, artha or money to live life comfortably, and kama or never-ending love and loyalty. The groom makes the promise by repeating three times that he will not fail the bride in his commitment to her and her family.

Jaimala

Vachan

After Kanyadaan, the bride asks the groom for certain promises. She, still seated on the right hand side of the groom, asks him for seven vachan or promises which he is required to understand and agree to, in order to have the bride come to his left side and accept being his wife. The vows reiterate the importance of communication, love, and trust in the marriage.

The groom agrees to abide by the vachan. He requests the bride for the same commitment. Once she answers in the affirmative, the bride goes over to the groom’s left where she seats herself. This signifies that from that day forward, she takes the place in and of his heart, which is on the left side of the body.

Wedding Puja Preparation

Gath Bandhan and Mangal Pheras

The wedding ceremony is performed in presence of the sacred fire or Agni. Offerings are made into the sacred fire as a form of thanksgiving and purification. The fire also represents the God and a witness or Sakshi to the couple’s marriage. The bride’s veil is tied to the grooms waist band, also known as Gath Bandhan. The couple goes around the fire seven times, repeating their wedding vows amidst the chanting of mantras. Following the pheras, vermilion powder or Sindoor is applied on bride’s forehead and Mangalsutra is put around her neck by the groom. This concludes the wedding rituals.

Aashirwaad

Once the wedding rituals are completed, the couple touches the feet of their parents, elders and ask them for their blessings or Aashirwaad.

Vachan

Kangana

These are fun games that the couples play right after their ceremony. Kangana, involves untying the sacred red thread, which was tied during Tel Baan on the bride and groom’s wrists. In Jua, the bride’s wedding band is put into a dish filled with milk, untied Kanganas and some grass. The bride and groom dip their hands in the dish to fish for the ring. Mutthi Bandh requires the bride and the groom to make a fist while the other person tries to open it. They both take turns doing this. In Chhand, The groom is asked to recite some verses of poetry in this last game. This is his chance to be creative.

Vidaii

This is a very emotional custom, where the bride bids a tearful farewell to her family to make her way to the husband’s home.

Mooh Dikhai

This is a ritual by which the bride makes her acquaintance with all the members or her husband’s family. When the bride enters her husband’s house for the first time, each member of the family comes in to meet her and shower her with gifts.

As far as rituals are concerned, every community has its own sense of doing things. No matter which community you belong to, weddings are times when the bride and the groom unite with promises for a lifetime. Stay tuned tomorrow for a

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Mangala Snaanam

As a part of Mangala Snaanam custom, the bride and groom are required to take an auspicious bath, in their respective homes on the day of the wedding, to prepare themselves to perform the sacred rites and rituals.

Pellikuturu or “Making of the Bride”

The bride is adorned by her mother, sisters, aunts, and close friends. In this ceremony, the bride’s relatives help her with her hair, makeup, wedding sari, and jewelry.

Ganapati and Gauri Puja
Ganesha, being the remover of all obstacles, is worshipped to inaugurate the wedding ceremony to keep away all impediments. Gauri Puja is held at the Bride’s residence with the bride herself, and all her family members in presence before they leave for the actual ceremony.

Nandi Devata Puja
Nandi Devatas, or the presiding deities are propitiated by installing a leaf-laden branch of the pipal tree, and an ablution with milk,  performed by five Sumangalis or married ladies.

Navagraha Puja
This Puja is performed to invoke the nine (nava) planets (graha) that rule over man’s destiny.

Vratham
The South Indian wedding ceremony begin with a Vratham, performed separately by the bride and the groom. For the bride, it means the tying of the Kappu or holy thread on her wrist which is meant to ward off all evil spirits. It symbolizes a kind of the protective armor for the bride. The groom worships the deities: Indra, Soma, Chandra, Agni, to prepare himself for a new chapter in his life as a householder or Grihasta, as the days of his bachelorhood come to an end.

Kaashi Yatra
This is an important South Indian Wedding ceremony, that brings the bride and groom’s families closer together. In this ceremony, the groom pretends to go on a Kaashi Yatra, where he renounces the worldly pleasures and and makes his way to Varanasi in slippers, umbrella and a bamboo fan. On his way there, the groom is stopped by the father of the bride, where he persuades him to assume the responsibility of a household and promises to give him his daughter as a companion to face the challenges of life.

Jana Vasam: Ushering in of the Bridegroom

The bridegroom is brought to the wedding venue in a procession from the temple. Nadaswaram band leads the way of the procession. The groom is escorted by the bride’s parents, and welcomed at the wedding mandap.

Vaaku Nichaya Muhoortham
In this ritual, the father of the bride and the bridegroom’s father face each other and solemnise the final betrothal ceremony of the groom. The priest chants the relevant mantras in which the names of the bride, the bridegroom, as well as the names of their three generations of ancestors, are cited in presence of all the wedding guests.

Exchange of Garlands
The bride and the groom are lifted on the shoulders of their respective uncles to exchange garland with each other three times representing a complete union. A garland worn by a person, should not be used by another and here the exchange of garlands symbolizes the couple’s unification.

Oonchal: Swing, Ride and Singing of Laali
The bride and groom are seated on a swing or Oonchal, where they rock forth and back, as the ladies around sing Laali, or songs to praise to the couple. The chains of the swing signify the eternal Karmic link with Almighty above, and the to-and-fro motion of the swing represents the ups and downs of life.

Vara Puja
The feet of the groom are washed in milk, and wiped off with silk. Water, and lighted lamps are circulated around the swing in order to guard the couple against demons and ghosts.

Kanya Dhaanam
In this ceremony, father of the bride gives the bride away to bridegroom. In South Indian Weddings, the bride is made to sit on her father’s lap before she is given away.

The Bridegroom’s Assurance
After the Kanya Dhaanam, the bridegroom assures bride’s father, that h will be the bride’s companion in joy and sorry, in this lifetime and after death as well.

Kankanam Dharanam

In this ceremony, the bride ties a string fastened to a piece of turmeric, around the wrist of the bridegroom to bind themselves by a religious vow. The groom also ties a similar thread or Kankanam on the bride’s wrist.

Maangalya Dharanam
At an auspicious hour, tying of Mangala Sutra or Thaali takes place. The bride looks eastward, and the bridegroom faces westward while tying the gold Mangala Sutra around the neck of the bride. As he does so, the Nadaswaram drums are beaten loud and fast. The Mangala Sutra represents the physical, mental and spiritual union of the couple.

Paani Grahanam
Paani Grahanam translates to “holding hands”. The groom holds the hand of the bride, while Mantras are recited. The gist of the mantras is, “God has offered you to me and we shall never part from each other!”

Saptha Padi
Holding the bride’s hand, the bridegroom walks seven steps with her. This is the most important part of a Hindu Wedding ceremony, and only when the couple takes seven steps together is the wedding ceremony complete.

Pradhaana Homam
Paying homage to Agni, or the Fire God, is one of the crucial ritual in a Hindu Ceremony. AGNI, the mightiest power in the cosmos, the sacred purifier, the all-round benefactor, is deemed as a witness to the marriage (Agni Sakshi). The bride and groom circle around the fire, and feed it with ghee, and twigs of nine types of trees, as a sacrifice. The fumes that arise out of the fire, are have medicinal and cleansing effect on the couple.

Treading on the Grindstone
Holding the bride’s left foot toe, the bridegroom helps her tread on a grindstone kept on the right side of the fire. The Mantras say: “Let thy mind be rock firm, unperturbed, by the trials and tribulations of life! ”

Showing the Arundhati Star
The groom shows the bride the Star Arundhati of the Ursa Major or Saptarishi Constellation, as also Dhruva the polestar, so that the wife can emulate the virtues of these two stars in her married life. Arundhati, the wife of Vasishta Maharishi, is exemplified as an ideal wife. Dhruva is the one who attained immortality through single minded devotion and perseverance.

Laaja Homam
This ceremony comprises of the bride’s own sacrificial offering to the fire, with the help of her brother. The bride’s brother gives her a handful of parched rice grains which she hands to bridegroom who on her behalf, feeds it into the fire. Through this food offering, the bride seeks a long life for her husband, and propagation of the family. Participation of the bride’s family members indicates the continuance of links between the two families. The couple circle around the fire, three times, and the feeding of the fire with parched rice, is repeated three times.

Showering of Rice
Akshadai or rice grains coated with turmeric and saffron, are showered on the couple, by elders and invitees as an Aashirwaad or benediction.

Mangala Aarthi
A solution of lime, and turmeric powder is prepared on a plate, and circled around, and thrown away to ward off evil eye. This is done a number of times during the entire wedding ceremony, and at the end to conclude the wedding ceremony.

Griha Pravesham
After the completion of the wedding ceremony, the bride is formally taken to the groom’s house, where she is welcomed by the groom’s family members. As the bride steps into her new home, she kicks a vessel full of rice with her right foot across the doorstep. The rice spills over and falls on the ground and this symbolizes abundance of wealth with her entering into the family.

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Congratulations on your engagement! Wondering where to start from? Here is a checklist of items which will walk you through your wedding planning process. According to 2008 Wedding Industry Facts, the average length of engagement is 16 months (Courtesy: Hudson Valley Weddings). For this checklist I am going to assume an eight month engagement and wedding planning period, since Indian engagements are usually shorter. Your first month planning will definitely be the busiest. Even though the list is top heavy, don’t be afraid as the more work you do in the beginning, the less you will have to worry later.

Week 1

1. Pick a Date/Weekend: Give yourself enough time for preparation when picking a date. Also, think about the season you would prefer to get married in.
2. Estimate your Wedding Budget: Are you planning on using your own savings for the wedding? Are the parents chipping in? Now is a good time to get to talk to your fiance and both families to get the finances together for the wedding.
3. Finalize all the events: There are many events associated with an Indian Wedding Celebration. Do you want to have an engagement party, haldi, mehendi, sangeet in addition to the wedding and reception? Now is a good time to decide.
   • Tip: Take your budget into consideration when deciding the number of events and how they will be scheduled on the weekend to accommodate your out of town guests.
4. Estimate the number of guests and start a guestlist: Once you have a set budget in mind, you should estimate how big of a wedding you want. This will help you decide the other planning aspects of your wedding.
   • Tip: Make a spreadsheet of all the guests. I would suggest using Google Docs and use the following heading items for your spreadsheet, which accounts for all the details related to your guests: Guest Family, Number of people invited, Address, Email Address, Phone Number, Events invited for, Out of Town?, Save-the-Date sent?, Invitation Sent?, Gift received, Thank You Card Sent?
5. Hire a Wedding Planner (optional): If you want a planner to assist you find you your venue and other vendors, go ahead and book your wedding planner in the first week itself. This will ensure that you get maximum benefit out of hiring a planner. Make sure you get referrals from family and friends. Yelp and Wedding Wire are great places to start looking as well. A lot of planners have negotiated (discounted) rates with vendors, which can work in your favor. On the flip side, they may steer you towards the vendors with whom they have a relationship.
   • Tip: Most planners and even other vendors offer a discount if you pay them the full amount when you sign the contract. Consider doing so only if you are sure about your planner/vendor selection.
6. Start researching Venues: Finding venues for all your wedding events, which are open for the dates you picked can be very trying. Get a head start so that you can book the wedding venue of your dreams!  Schedule appointments to go visit the selected venues and start shortlisting.
   • Tip: Find out the venue requirements and policies for lighting candles, havan rituals/ fire, alcohol, parking, vendor and event insurance, cancellation or postponing the event.

Week 2

1. Choose your bridesmaids and groomsmen (optional): If you choose to do so, select your bridesmaids and groomsmen and invite them to be in your wedding party. It is always nice to send a hand written note to invite your friend/relative to your wedding party, followed by a phone call. Once they confirm, it’s a good idea to get their measurements for their outfits.
2. Pick a theme/colors and start collecting ideas: If you choose to do so, pick your colors/theme for your wedding. Regardless of whether you are having a theme of not, start gathering ideas for your wedding. Look through magazines, wedding planning blogs, even talking to your friends and cousins who recently planned their wedding.
3. Send out Save-the-Dates: Once the guestlist is finalized, send out your Save-the-Dates. You could go with something which you Do-it-Yourself, or even go to a local paperie/paper store and get them ready to be sent out. Often times, brides go with magnets with a picture of them and their fiance, or even very creative DIY Save-the-Dates according to their theme.
4. Plan your Engagement Party (optional): If you decide to do so, start planning your engagement party. You may want to have it at your parent’s house or backyard if the weather is nice, after taking the guestlist into consideration. Think about what kind of party you want: Brunch/ Hors d’oeuvres/Dinner.

Week 3

1. Finalize the Venue: By this time you should have selected your venue. Sign the contract and make the deposits.
2. Start your Wedding Registry: Decide the stores or online website where you would like to set up your wedding registry.
   • Tip: Most people go with Macy’s, Crate and Barrell, Bed Bath, Target,  Beyond and other big department stores. Personally, I recommend online websites like myregistry.com for setting up your wedding registry, as it gives you a lot more flexibility. You can add any product online and place it on your registry. Moreover, if you are a smart shopper, you can shop for the best deal to save your guests money!
3. Wedding Website (optional): Set up your wedding website with all the details of your wedding. You can purchase a domain and server space from website hosting companies like bluehost.com, godaddy.com, 1and1.com with your and your fiance’s name, for example: nehaandkart.com. Once you have the domain, you can have a friend/cousin/web developer or even yourself create a wedding website with details such as how you met, proposal, photo gallery, wedding venue and details, link to registry, RSVP, guestbook etc. Alternatively, there are many wedding planning websites, like weddingwire.com, which already have templates for wedding websites, and all you have to do is enter the content and the website is automatically created for you. You can choose to forward it to your own domain rather than the one generated by the website company. Email the website link to your friends and relatives.

Week 4

1. Start Researching Caterers: Put a little thought into your wedding menu. Are you thinking live stations, ice sculptures, chocolate fountain, fondue, specialty appetizers and drinks or simple buffet? Browse through directories of local restaurants, which fit your requirements and schedule tastings. Get per person estimates when you go for the tasting. You might also want to talk to your caterer about drink packages. Make sure that the caterer is licensed by your venue.
2. Start Researching Event Decorator/ Florists/ Mandap: Based on your theme, ideas and colors, start thinking of decor ideas. Make a list of things you need from a decorator/florist. Are you going to have special lighting for your events? Talk to various florists for centerpieces and flowers for the ceremony and reception. Also start looking for overlays, Indian event decorations, Mandap, stage for Sangeet and Sweetheart table set up etc. Get estimates for everything.
3. Start Researching Photographers: Good photographers are often booked months in advance. Get on your game and schedule meetings to book your photographer. You should definitely look at the samples of the different photographers so that you know their style (posed, photojournalistic etc.). You should also try to negotiate a photo package for all your wedding events as you don’t want to miss the special moments. Important occasions for photos include Engagement Portraits, Engagement Party, Mehendi, Sangeet, Getting Ready Pictures, Pictures of just Bride and Groom on the Wedding Day, Pictures with the Bridal Party, Ceremony, and Reception. You might want to ask the photographer for the rates of an assistant, should you need one.
4. Start Researching Videographers: Go for a videographer who has shot Indian Weddings before because they will have a good idea about the lineup of events on your wedding day and would not miss shooting your important moments. Also you would want to discuss how the media of the video: HD/ Blue Ray DVD/ Video Tape etc, whether you want raw footage or the edited video or both etc. Decide which events you need the videographer for and whether they need to have assistants or not.
5. Start Researching DJs: Do your homework to find a good DJ. Talk to different DJs to get a vibe of what kind of music they play and how often they switch it up. If you need a projector for slideshow, cables to hook up your computer to the projector, special sound system, other tech equipment, you might want to talk to the DJ and negotiate a package for that and all your other events. Also, ask the DJ if he can provide dhol/ entertainment/ music for the Baraat. It is best to select a DJ based on a performance that you have seen.
6. Start Researching Event Rentals (depends on the venue): If you are having your wedding at a museum, hall or a special location, most probably you would need to rent out everything needed for your event, from china, glassware, tableware, tablecloths to tables and chairs. This can get pricey depending on your guestlist and you definitely need the correct estimates for the number of each item to be rented with extras to spare. Do your utmost to research the most reasonable event rental company in terms of finding the best choice of rentals, as well as a company which has relaxed policies. Sometimes your caterer can provide some good referrals for the event rental companies.
7. Pick out your invitations: Start looking at different Indian Invitations Websites to look for the perfect invitation. Also, read our article on how to select a wedding invitation for some useful tips. Once you have a winner, finalize the invitation text (include your website and registry information on the invitation), and order the invitations as it takes a couple weeks for the order to be processed and shipped. You want the invitations at least 4-5 months before the wedding, so that you have enough time to address them.

Month 2

1. Finalize your Caterer, Event Decorator/ Florist/ Mandap, Photographer, Videographer, DJ, Event Rentals: You should have these vendors finalized and locked in so that you can start planning the wedding details with them. Review the contracts thoroughly before signing. Make sure they provide a reasonable alternative person/company to fill in case they are sick or under circumstances beyond their control.
2. Book your Priest/ Pundit: Based on the kind of ceremony you want, book your priest. Its always good if the priest can speak in English and translate the ceremony for the guests. Confirm their dakshina or honorarium and also the date of the wedding.
3. Select you Cake Vendor and Cake Design: If your venue or caterer does not provide one, then start looking for a cake vendor. Regardless, you will need to pick a design for your cake.
4. Make the Arrangements for Baraat and other transportation: Reserve the horse carriage, get permits if need be for the Baraat and make arrangements for limo/transportation for the day of your wedding. You may also want to book a shuttle to transport your guests to the wedding venue if different from the accommodation.
5. Book your trip to India (optional): If you are doing your wedding trousseau shopping in India, then book your plane tickets and make appropriate arrangements to take time off of work etc.

Month 3

1. Select a vendor for your Mehendi, Hair, Make up and Arranging your Dupatta or Sari: Make sure you have make up and hair trials, before you select the vendor. Interview them to make sure that they can arrange transportation to come to where you are. Also, you might want to bring pictures and discuss with them the way you want your mehendi, make up, hair, and dupatta arranged.
2. Select Wedding Outfits for the entire bridal party and Jewelry Sets for yourself: If not going to India, find a local store or travel to a city with huge Indian diaspora in the US to purchase jewelry sets for yourself and traditional outfits for yourself, your fiance and your entire bridal party. Also start looking into suits and tuxedos for the groom and groomsmen.
3. Travel to India to purchase your Wedding Trousseau (optional): Read our article on how to shop for your wedding in India for special tips.
4. Block Hotel Rooms for out of town guests: Get a block of rooms for a discounted rate for all of your out of town guests. Update your website to include the hotel information and the code to get the discount.
5. Honeymoon Suite: Book accommodations for your wedding night.

Month 4

1. Purchase your Accessories: If not going to India, then start looking for matching purse, bindis, bangles, and footwear.
2. Start planning and book your honeymoon: Decide on a destination, and book your travel, and hotel for the honeymoon. If you are traveling internationally, make sure you have valid passports and appropriate visas/ other travel papers, vaccinations etc.
3. Finalize your Menu and Service details with your caterer
4. Finalize your Decor Arrangements

Month 5

1. Get your invitations ready and Mail them: Address all your invitations and put stamps. This process can take a good week, especially if you are still in process of compiling addresses and have a huge guestlist. Use vellum or metallic labels to print addresses. You might also want to consider calligraphy.
2. Order your wedding rings/bands
3. Start looking for favors: Read our article on suggestions for special wedding favors.
4. Childcare for your Ceremony and Reception (optional): If you have many guests with babies and small  children, you might consider making arrangements for them.

Month 6

1. Alcohol and Bar Arrangements: Order liquor/alcohol for your event if you are not getting it from the caterer or venue. You might have to get a permit to serve your own alcohol at your venue and hire bartender as well.
2. Prepare Ceremony Programs and Other Stationary: Design the proof of concept for your ceremony programs. If you are designing any other stationary, scrapbooks for display etc., you should consider doing it now.
3. Research Marriage License Requiremnts: Also schedule a blood test appointment, if required by your state.
4. Song for First Dance: Select the song for your First Dance. Consider taking dance lessons or choreographing it yourself.

Month 7

1. Purchase your Guestbook, Pen and Pen Holder
2. Purchase gifts for your bridal party and close family members
3. Contact close family and friends for Sangeet Performances (optional)
4. Get all the sari and lehenga blouses stitched: You should do this for yourself and your bridesmaids.
5. Make sure that all your outfits fit properly: You still have some time to get the outfits tailored to fit you in case there have been a size change.

Month of the Wedding!

4 Weeks Before

1. Have Sangeet Performers submit their music to you
2. Send a Song List to the DJ: Make a list of your must-play songs and do-not-play song list and send it to your DJ. You should also send all the sangeet songs and the song for your First Dance to make sure the DJ has all of your music.

3 Weeks Before

1. Call guests who have not yet RSVP’d and get the final head count
2. Determine the order of your receiving line, if you are having one
3. Prepare a timeline for all your wedding events
4. Prepare a list of assignments for your bridal party and family members

2 Weeks Before

1. Give the final head count to all your vendors
2. Give the timeline of wedding events to all the vendors, members of your bridal party and family members helping
3. Create your seating chart and make the place cards: Give your seating chart to the vendors in charge of directing guests to their tables, arranging the chairs, tables, table numbers and place cards.
4. Prepare your toasts and thanks to family and friends
5. Confirm all your final payments and have them ready to be mailed out or handed over to the vendor

Week of the Wedding!

1. Hand over all the favors, guestbook, placecards, programs etc. to the event planner or the person in charge of arranging them
2. Put together an emergency kit: This should contain Aspirin, Hairspray, Make up, Safety Pins, Mints etc.
3. Pack your suitcase for the honeymoon
4. Get pampered at a Spa
5. Enjoy your Wedding Celebrations!

After you come back from your honeymoon

1. Ensure all your vendors have been fully paid: As a courtesy you may review them on wedding planning websites.
2. Arrange for your outfits to be cleaned and preserved
3. Write all your Thank You Notes: Traditional etiquette gives you an 8 week grace period.
4. If you choose to do so: Do all the paperwork to change your name, and arranging to combine finances, insurance policies etc.

I hope this checklist is comprehensive enough and will be useful for you in planning your wedding. As usual, please comment on this entry with your suggestions or email me  at neha@marigoldevents.com.

The post Indian Wedding Planning Checklist appeared first on Marigold Events.

Asiatic Lilies

• Asiatic Lily: These lilies stand for pride, purity, innocence and beauty. Asiatic Lilies look very welcoming and will definitely warm up the room. They come in white, pink, yellow and orange.

Chrysanthemums

• Chrysanthemum: These flowers represent what every marriage should be filled with: cheerfulness, optimism, truth, long life, joy. Chrysanthemums are very symbolic and definitely a great choice. They come in white, yellow, orange, pink and other colors.

Delphinium

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• Delphinium: This flower represents an open heart and are very welcoming. They come in in white and blue.

Lavender Centerpiece with Roses and Chrysanthemum

• English Lavender: This flower denotes purity, and devotion. They are known for their lovely fragrance and therapeutic uses. English Lavender will definitely relax your guests. They come in purple.
• Forget-me-not: This flower symbolizes true love, hope, remembrance, and memories. They Come in the color blue.

Freesia

• Freesia: Freesias mean innocence and thoughtfullness. They come in white, yellow, pink, blue and purple

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Gerbera Daisies

• Gerbera daisy: Representing innocence and loyal love, they come in pink, yellow, orange, red and white

Hydrangea

• Hydrangea: This flower stands for understanding and comes in white, blue, purple and pink. They look absolutely stunning because the flower is big and full.

Rose Pomanders

• Rose: Love. One of the most common, but romantic flowers, roses do not need much description.Come in a whole variety of color.

Sunflower Inspiration Board

• Sunflower: Sunflowers are bright and bring warmth and cheer. It gets its positive qualities of friendliness, happy thoughts and fuzziness from its resemblance to the sun. The bright yellow colored flower is exuberant.

Tuberose

• Tuberose: These flowers are very fragrant and represent pleasure. They come in white.

Violet Inspiration Board

• Violet: Modesty, faithfulness, innocence, beauty – these are the qualities associated with Violets.

Zinnia

• Zinnia: Lasting Affection, Goodness, Thoughts of Absent Friends, Remembrance are what Zinnias are associated with. Comes in red, orange and pink.

Cymbidium Orchids

• Orchids: Orchids don’t do too well in extreme temperatures. During summer, you may be worried that the orchids will dry out. However, cymbidium orchids are one of the most wilt-resistant flowers that can be used during the summer season.

The post Summer Wedding Flowers appeared first on Marigold Events.

Image Credit: Two Mann Studios

Today we are featuring a guest blog post by Akanksha Agarwal of WedMeGood.

3 months or less. Sounds unbelievable, definitely stressful and kinda impossible right ? Wrong. We’re telling you it CAN be done with a little thoughtful planning and some help from resources near you. We’re also telling you exactly how :

• Focus on the big tasks – We know, we know everybody tells us that photographers and venues have to be booked 6 months in advance but just hear us out. First and foremost, hash out the numbers like your wedding budget, number of guests and wedding date. The first item on your agenda should be booking the venue. Go for non-traditional ones like Kingdom of Dreams in Gurugram, resorts near Jim Corbett etc. Sometimes venues provide onsite services like decorations, catering and entertainment. You can opt for combo deals.

You can find list of wedding venues online with their prices, availability and location. Just filter them down by your preferred location and you are done. For eg: If you are getting married in Delhi, you can search banquet halls in Chattarpur, South Delhi, EastDelhi, NorthDelhi, or any locality in Delhi or any other city in India at WedMeGood.

• Invitations – Considering the time it takes to design / personalize an invite, it is a good idea to choose from the existing ones. Don’t forget to proofread them before printing them out and sending them.
• Jewelry + Bridal outfits – ALWAYS purchase the jewelry before your outfit. Jewelry is a bigger investment and something you’ll wear for years and even pass on to your kids. Its also easier to modify clothes to complement your jewels. Have a look at collections online and visit multi brand stores like Aza and Ogaan for your trousseau.
• Other vendors – When it comes to hiring other vendors, make sure you prioritize. The ones that should be on top of this list are your Photographer, Videographer and Makeup artist. Most of them respond promptly to e-mails so you can quickly ask them if they’re free on your wedding day.
• Be tech savvy – Book the mehendi artist online, order wedding favors, floral / gota jewelry, create a Save The Date e-card on websites like Canva etc. Wedding planning Apps like WedMeGood come in handy while doing research and booking vendors online.
• Involve your fiancé – Given the paucity of time, it is better to have your own personal sounding board during the planning stage. And what better person for this job, than the man you’re going to spend the rest of your life with ?
• Enlist help from cousins / friends – Your sister can choreograph sangeet performances and do DIY decorations for smaller functions like mehendi. Your brother can communicate + coordinate with caterers, decorators and pandit ji. Your best friend can carry your bridal emergency kit and phone to screen calls and solve matters that crop up at the last minute.
• Back up – It is important to have a Plan B. For example an indoor venue for when it rains, an extra pair of heels just in case etc. Always have back up options
• Hire a professional – If things don’t seem to be working out, hire a wedding planner. They’re professionals for a reason. They have experience and knowledge that could make things very very easy for you.

Most importantly, remember that this day is not about the exact colour of roses on the mandap or the same signboard you saw on Pinterest. It is about you, your main man and your family / friends celebrating this special day. Don’t go on Bridezilla mode for teeny tiny details and make sure you have fun !

The post How to plan your wedding in 3 months or less appeared first on Marigold Events.

A wedding is a couple’s first party that they throw together.

These days, I am finding that many couples are involved with their wedding planning and not just leaving the planning in the hands of professionals or friends and relatives. The bridge and the groom feel immense joy in taking the first ‘as a couple’ steps together while planning their own wedding.

As a florist I often get questions as to how can we make this party, this celebratory dinner or small reception more personalized?

I have curated below some interesting ideas which are easily a DIY or most eminently doable with the help of friends or the bridal party.

Courtesy: Laxmi Lobo

1. This picture gives you three ideas in one. The elegant yet simple backdrop is an easy to make frame of bamboo with fragrant hand strung garlands of jasmine or any other fragrant flowers. You can use bright flowers too and change the look. The contrast of the vintage Kerala (India) home make this particular style come alive, but you can adapt the backdrop to your setting, whether in a garden, whether rustic or inside a large reception room.  The tiled pathway is scattered with rose petals and lined with bright marigold hand strung garlands. These garlands contrast beautifully with the lush green grass and marigold has the property of keeping insects away too. Do remember this in a garden setting. Some may want to use passion red rose petals on an aisle between the chairs.
   

   Courtesy: Laxmi Lobo

2. Planning of your wedding happens a few months before. An interesting way for a couple to bond is to have a personal centrepiece at their wedding party. For some months, the couple can gather all the wine and champagne corks they drink, sharing their joy with friends and family as they get closer to their wedding date. These corks can then be the basis of a centrepiece like below. Any kind of fresh flowers can be added using a floral sponge on top of the vase. I would also suggest some lovely photo frames around the vase, these will capture the joyous moments shared while e drinking the wines. A table like this creates a very special talking centrepiece at any wedding party.
   

   Courtesy: Laxmi Lobo

3. If your wedding party is in the open and has a thick luscious garden hedge as part of the entranceway to the reception or party area, here is a stunning way to brighten the walkway. Bright and colourful umbrellas tied onto the hedge. A simple idea, but will be surely talked about many months after your wedding.
   

   Courtesy: Laxmi Lobo

4. Vintage tea cups on a vintage wall. Another visually delightful decor idea. Coloured Hydrangea will fill a teacup. Buy as many colours of Hydrangeas from your florist and borrow and buy as many tea cups as you can. Garage sales are a good idea for tea cups. And if all else fails, get white tea cups from the wholesalers who supply to hotels.
   

   Courtesy: Laxmi Lobo

5. If you and your partner are biking enthusiasts nothing could be a better idea than bicycle wheels decorated with flowers. This has been mounted on a wrought iron stand. You could let your imagination run wild, hang then from tree branches if it’s a garden setting. Maybe from some hooks in a ceiling or even mount them against a wall. I find the contrast of this idea very appealing. The softness of the delicately coloured peach flowers with the ruggedness of a bicycle wheel is like the strong and steady with the whimsical. It’s what a marriage is, isn’t it?
   

   Courtesy: Laxmi Lobo

6. Here’s another interesting and very easy to make backdrop. You can also use the same theme for the chair backs and make the wedding reception area look summer and colourful. It will work wonders in an outdoor setting because the white of the tree bark contrast with these colourful ribbons. The greenery that surrounds us in a garden setting brings out the colour of this unusual idea which hardly uses any flowers. You can add little bunches of flowers as you go along and make the look even brighter.
   

   Courtesy: Laxmi Lobo

7. One of my favourites for an evening party is candle lamps hung from the trees. These lamps which look like the vintage carriage lamps are a good investment even if they are a little expensive. You can always use these many times over even making a corner of your apartment (if you do not have a home right away) come alive. I have even used these lamps as a backdrop hanging from an ancient banyan tree for an evening reception. Hang them in different lengths and use good quality rope.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my curated ideas from various wedding parties. Adding your own ideas to these will give much pleasure as you plan the most important day in your life, your wedding.

Follow Laxmi Lobo and Spring Flowers on: Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus, and Pinterest

The post Seven DIY wedding flowers ideas appeared first on Marigold Events.

Vendor Credits:

Photographer: Tomoko Photo, Venue: Oakley Country Club, Catering: Oakley, Country Club, Cake: Konditor Meister, Makeup: Kerri Herlihy, Hair: Lindsay Griffin, Bridal Dress: The House of Kamiar Rokni, Bridal Jewelry: Solitaire Designer Jewelry (Lahore), Flowers: Agora-Whispers of Spring 

The post Featured Wedding: Husna + Akbar appeared first on Marigold Events.

Today we are featuring a gorgeous Pakistani Wedding, captured by Sonya Lalla Photography. 

We can’t get over the picturesque Nikkah ceremony of Ameena and Yaseen, which was held outdoors. I love the  red rose pomander accents with the gold chivary chairs. Sometimes, less is more. Ameena looks lovely in her pale gold outfit. The lattice and floral designs of her dark mehendi are beautiful. Yaseen looks very handsome in a white kurta.

For the wedding reception, Ameena chose a stunning zardozi laacha paired with fabulous gold jewelry. In love with bride’s glamorous eye make up and how it is perfectly balanced by a subtle lip color. Yaseen dressed up in a cream sherwani with gold accents and turban. Both Ameena and Yaseen look very happy and radiant.

Hope you enjoy the lovely photos!

Also seen here are outdoor pictures of the couple.

Credits

Photographer: Sonya Lalla Photography   (Blog)

Makeup artist: Eiashadow

Hairstylist: Zulfija’s Hair Creations

Wedding dress: Hassan Sheheryar Yasin

Music: Dj Ovais

Venue: Dallas Marriott Las Colinas Hotel

Wedding Designer: Junaid Paracha (Sky House Event)

The post Featured Wedding: Ameena + Yaseen appeared first on Marigold Events.