Explanation of Ceremonies

Helping you understand the customs and meanings of each of the ceremonies.

Haldi

The Haldi ceremony is a colorful Indian wedding ritual that symbolizes the start of a new life together and the purity of the couple. The ceremony is typically held on the morning of the wedding or the day before. It involves family and friends applying a paste of turmeric (haldi), oil, and water to the bride and groom. The ceremony is often accompanied by folk songs and dancing and is believed to bless the couple with prosperity and protect them from evil spirits. The turmeric paste is thought to cleanse and purify the couple's bodies.

For our ceremony, please wear something white, we will be playing holi after the haldi ceremony. Be prepared to have colour all over you!

Sangeet

A Sangeet ceremony is an important part of Indian weddings – it’s like a pre-wedding reception where friends and family ceremonially welcome the couple into their lives and wish them the best for their future. This welcoming celebration often includes lots of dancing and music, religious traditions, ethnic games, ceremonial attires, delicious food, and more. The word "sangeet" translates to "sung together" in Sanskrit. At one time, senior female family members sing traditional songs with the bride. The songs Included jokes about the bride leaving her parents' home, in-laws, and how to have a successful marriage. But now it is a joint celebration that includes everyone singing, dancing and just having fun.

For our ceremony, please be ready to dance or sing. If you would like to prepare a dance before hand then let us know and we can add you to the list of dancers or singers (rappers?)!

Baraat

A baraat is a traditional Indian wedding procession that escorts the groom to the bride's family home or the wedding venue. The word "baraat" literally means "a marriage procession". The baraat is usually led by a dhol player that is beating a double-sided barrel drum, with the grooms family and friends dancing as they make their way to the venue. After the groom makes his way through the baraat procession, the bride's closest relatives welcome him with the Milni ceremony. During this ceremony, they sprinkle rose water and offer Shagun, a token of good luck.

For our ceremony, both the bride and the groom with have separate baraats that will join together and make their way together to the wedding venue. The groom and bride will leave the baraat as it nears the venue. When everyone is seated then the groom and bride will make separate entrances.

Wedding Ceremony

Central to the ceremony is the Saptapadi, a significant and symbolic rite where the couple takes seven sacred steps around the holy fire, known as the Agni. These steps reinforce the commitment and promises they make to each other while seeking the divine blessings of Agni, the god of fire, as a witness to their union.

Our ceremony will include the joining of a blended family for the bride, groom and their kids. The ceremony will include old traditions and some new ones.

Groom Enters: After everyone is seated, the groom will enter, and will be greeted by the women in the bride's family, who will do an aarti/pooja to welcome the groom.

Ganesh Pooja: The Hindu Wedding ceremony typically begins with the Ganesh Pooja. A sacred ritual where the couple prays to Lord Ganesha for wisdom and to remove any obstacles that may come in their path. This important ceremony sets a positive and auspicious tone for the rest of the wedding celebrations. The groom sits in the mandap with all the parents while the pandit recites the mantras.

Bride Enters and Exchange of Malas: The bride will walk down the aisle and will be greeted by the groom. The bride and groom will place the flower garlands on each other. This symbolizes the couple's acceptance of each other as life partners and their agreement to marry.

Family Ring Exchange: The bride and groom will give rings to the children. Not part of a traditional Hindu wedding, this is our addition to the ceremony to symbolize the blending of both families.

Tying of Gathbandhan: Tying the gathbandhan, or nuptial knot, is a Hindu wedding tradition that symbolizes the eternal bond between a couple. The bride and groom's kids will place scarves around them and will tied them together to represent their pledge of love and faithfulness before God.

Vivaha Homa: The pandit will light a small fire in a copper bowl called a kund using clarified butter and woolen wicks, and will chant mantra which the couple repeats. The couple will offer items to the fire, such as sandalwood, rice, crushed herbs, oil, and sugar.

Mangal Phera: The couple will walk around the fire, with the groom leading the bride in the first three circles and the bride leading the groom in the final circle. The priest will chants mantras from the scriptures, and the couple repeats them.
The four circles represent the four goals of life:

Dharma: Moral sense and religious duty
Artha: Prosperity and providing for the family
Kama: Energy, passion, and earthly pleasures
Moksha: Liberation through self-realization and spiritual salvation

Saptapadi: The bride and groom will take seven steps together. The word saptapadi is Sanskrit for "seven steps". Each step, called a phere, represents a meaningful vow of marriage: nourishment, strength, prosperity, happiness, progeny, longevity, and harmony.

Sindoor, Mangal Sutra, Rings + Vows, Chunri: The groom will apply vermillion (sindoor) to the forehead of bride. A mangal sutra will be placed on the bride by the groom. The bride and grood will exchange vows and rings. And a Chunri will be placed on bride by the grooms sister to welcome her to the family.

Joota Chupai Negotiations: a fun and playful wedding tradition, where the bride's sisters and friends try to steal the groom's shoes and refuse to give them back until the groom offers some gifts.