Indian Hindu Wedding Ceremonies

In accordance with Hindu tradition, marriage is a sanskar or sacrament which marks the commencement of a new family unit and, since it is deemed so important, a lot of formality surrounds the event.

The bride will start the proceedings by wearing a white sari with gold and red embroidery to represent purity and then, during the ceremony, she will put on a red sari, representing fertility.

The groom will wear an ivory or white traditional Nehru jacket and trousers.

There are up to 8 different types of Hindu marriage preamble.

From Brahma, where the bride's father invites a well-respected man to marry his daughter in return for a large quantity of jewels and other gifts or Arsha where the swap is for a cow and a bull, through various unpleasant Rites involving unwilling or medically unfit brides! The most socially acceptable one for modern UK culture would have to be Prajapataya, where the bride's father blesses the prospective bride and groom with a speech that encourages them to perform their responsibilities in life together before giving her hand in marriage.

But, in all events, the bride's father always does the giving, a factor which plays a large part in the Indian wedding ceremony.

At some weddings there can be a lot of processions and preliminary celebrations at the homes of the respective couple's families; the main marriage ceremony occurs under a temporary covered structure made of wood with pillars and incorporating chairs for the bridal couple and their parents plus a special place for the sacred fire. This is the Mendap or sacred tent.

Because of the intricacies of the various rituals in such a confined space, it is imperative that the wedding photographer who will be capturing these emotional images for the future is in the right position.

This integral part of the marriage ceremony consists of up to thirteen symbolic rituals starting with the welcome of the groom's family by the bride's relatives and the receipt of a gifts.

The couple walk around the fire four times, sometimes touching a stone in each revolution to represent overcoming any obstacles and responsibilities in their daily lives - to signify health, prosperity, being good parents and salvation.

The bridal couple then face north and take 7 steps together. This is Saptapadi where they ask God to bless them. The first step is for food, the second, strength, the third, prosperity, the fourth is wisdom, the fifth fertility, the sixth health and the seventh and last symbolises friendship forever.

The groom shows that he welcomes his bride into his life by making a mark on her forehead with red powder. He also gives her a necklace of black beads - a mangalsutra as a symbol of the eternal bond that binds them

The bride and groom then feed each other sweetmeats symbols of the promise to love, cherish and be faithful to each other forever.

Blessings then follow by the priest, parents and family. The bridal party and their guests move on to a feast and games.

Inevitably the party has to come to an end and the bride says goodbye to her relatives and is escorted by her brother, her husband and several other people to her new home, where she is received by her new husband's mother and sisters and given a piece of jewellery to welcome her to her new home.

Click through to this website to find out more about Other Cultural wedding traditions