Hindu Wedding Rituals Step by Step Guide in 2025

India is a diverse nation, with each state celebrating some of its own traditions, culture, festivals, and rituals, however, throughout India, the essence of marriage traditions remains almost the same. Hindu marriage, which is also known as Vivaah is steeped in rich traditions and beautiful customs, and has vibrant and unique rituals that may take days to be executed. Every single custom and practice in nuptial celebrations has a deep philosophical and spiritual significance that is believed to be important for newlyweds to know and understand. 

So whether you are the next one to get married or you are invited to a Hindu wedding and you don’t know what to expect, we are here to help you. In this blog, we are covering Hindu wedding rituals step by step guide that would let you prepare yourself accordingly. But first understand the Hindu wedding ceremony.

What is a Hindu wedding ceremony?

According to Hindu beliefs, matches are made in heaven, and once you are married, the bond is supposed to last seven lifetimes. While the process of marriage lasts up to three to four hours, the rituals and festivities begin several days early and go up to the day of the wedding. Some of the rituals are even after the marriage, at the groom’s house. Although it may sound tiring, and boring, you may feel it is unnecessary, but in Hindu wedding traditions, these rituals have deep relevance and are fun and wholesome. 

While some of the rituals and ceremonies differ based on region, culture, and other traditions, Hindu weddings have generally almost the same elements. The wedding festivities are blissful with worshipping God, performing rituals, dancing, music, food, party, and more.

Hindu pre-wedding rituals

After the marriage is fixed and the families of both sides give consent to the marriage, the wedding preparations begin in the family, from booking the venue and caterers to meeting the priest for the wedding rituals, the house is on cloud nine. Before the marriage itself are a lot of pre-wedding rituals. 

• Lagna Patrika

The first thing that both families do is to call their priest to match the horoscope or birth chart, also known as Kundli. Through the horoscope, the priest checks for compatibility between the couple, and if there is any hurdle in performing the marriage. Lagna Patrika is an age-old Vedic ritual that announces the Hindu wedding saya date for marriage (Muhuratam). 

• Roka/Tilak Ceremony

After finalizing the auspicious date for the wedding comes the Roka/Tilak ceremony. It takes place at both the bride and the groom’s house where close friends and relatives are invited to announce the alliance. The Roka ceremony is held at the bride’s house, where the groom’s family visits the bride’s home and blesses and gifts her clothes, jewelry, presents, and cash. 

The same happens in the Tilak ceremony with the groom, where the bride’s family visits the groom’s place to bless him. Usually, the bride’s father applies vermilion or Teeka on the groom’s forehead and offers his consent for the marriage. Then, the groom is presented with gifts, jewelry, clothes, cash, sweets, coconut, and rice as a part of the ritual. 

Nowadays, as a part of modern Hindu wedding ceremony, the tilak and roka ceremonies are done either on the day of Lagna Patrika after the priest announces the day of marriage or on engagement. 

• Engagement/Sagaai

Engagement or Sagaai is the day when the bride and the groom exchange the rings and officially announce their commitment to each other. Earlier, the engagement was an intimate affair in the presence of close relatives, however, nowadays, the ceremony is held in some banquet halls in the presence of relatives, friends, and guests and the alliance is announced. The guests present the couple with the gifts and the party continues with a dance, music, and food. Presently, cake-cutting has also become a trend on engagement day. 

• Haldi Ceremony

The Haldi ceremony is an important ritual of a Hindu wedding, where the bride and the groom apply a thick paste of turmeric, honey, rose petals or rosewater, and milk. Although the Haldi ceremony is held one or two days before the wedding day, the preparation for the ceremony begins almost a week ago. Turmeric is considered auspicious and brings a glow to the bride’s and groom-to-be body, and is held as a prewedding cleansing and purification ritual for the marriage. 

In modern Hindu wedding celebrations, this ceremony occurs in a shared location where family and friends apply turmeric paste to both the bride and groom, accompanied by dance, music, and joy.

• Mehendi Function

In this ceremony, the hands and legs of the couple-to-be are adorned with henna (mehendi). Mehendi artists make intricate and beautiful designs with henna paste and it is believed that the darker the color henna leaves on the hands, the more loving the partner will be. Earlier, the Mehendi function used to be only in the presence of the ladies, but nowadays, family members, relatives, and friends are present. The evening is filled with dance, music, party, and fun, and now occurs at a common place where the mehendi ceremony of both the bride and the groom takes place together. 

• Sangeet Ceremony

The sangeet ceremony or the musical night is an evening of music, dance, games, and celebration. Mostly celebrated in North India, the sangeet ceremony is all about fun and entertainment. Traditionally, in the Sangeet ceremony, the bride’s friends and sisters dance and sing and only ladies are allowed in the festivity, but, now, family members, friends, and relatives are present and dance and sing their hearts out. Some families organize the Sangeet night as a separate event while some club it together with the Mehendi function and arrange it in private clubs or hotels. 

• Puja or Worship Deities

No Hindu worship or auspicious festivity is complete without worshipping Lord Ganesha. As a part of the wedding festivity, Lord Ganesha, along with other deities, and family deities are worshipped and their blessings are taken to begin the new relationship. The worship or Puja is held to bring good luck in the couple’s life. Some families may worship their family deity primarily or some other God than Lord Ganesha. 

Hindu Wedding Rituals

After the pre-wedding rituals, several wedding rituals are performed on marriage day and during the wedding. The ceremonies that occur during the marriage procession are: 

• The Baaraat procession

Traditionally, the wedding used to take place at the bride’s house, however, the wedding today occurs at banquet halls due to extensive space and luxurious decoration and aesthetics. Traditionally, the groom arrives at the wedding venue on the back of a beautifully adorned horse, nevertheless, grooms these days opt for a car. The groom’s family and friends dance around him during the ‘baaraat’ procession. 

• The Milni or Samdhi Milan

As the groom and the baaraat arrive at the door of the venue, the bride’s family welcomes them with garlands, and the bride’s mother welcomes her to-be son-in-law with an ‘aarti’ and offers him some sweets. The guests are presented with a ‘shagun’ (gift) which is a symbol of good luck and strengthens new bonds, however, this is not mandatory. 

• Jaimala or Varmala Ceremony

After the groom steps on the stage, the bride enters and they proceed to the Jaimala or Varmala ceremony, wherein the bride and the groom exchange flower garlands. 

• Kanyadaan

Following Jaimala, the bride and the groom proceed to the mandap or wedding altar. The marriage ceremony begins and Kanyadaan occurs. It is a ritual in which the bride’s father gives away his daughter’s right hand to the groom’s left hand, symbolizing handing over his daughter under the responsibility, care, protection, and love of the groom and asking him to treat her as equal. 

• Granthibandan

This ritual is where the couple ties the knot, representing the two souls joining together for their married life. The groom’s scarf is tied to the bride’s saree or pallu where they pray for a healthy and strong bond. 

• Mangal Pheras

In the Hindu wedding ritual, mangal pheras is the most sacred ritual. During pheras, the bride and the groom take seven rounds around the sacred fire or havan, each with a vow of Nourishment, Strength, Prosperity, Family, Togetherness, Health, and Wisdom. They symbolize love, care, respect, honor, and faith between the couple. 

• Sindoordaan and Manglasutra

During this ceremony, the groom puts vermilion or sindoor in the bride’s hair parting and then ties a Mangalsurtra around her neck. After this ritual, the priest announces the duo as the married couple and these two are considered as symbols of a married woman. 

• Aashirvaad 

In this ritual, the couple takes the blessing of the elders and visits the temple in certain regions to pray from the family deity and other Lords. Relatives and loved ones offer the couple gifts or cash in the form of blessings. 

• Vidaai

Vidaai or farewell ceremony begins. It is a ritual after the marriage is completed and the bride bids adieu to her family and leaves with the groom and the baaraat to her in-laws’ house. The process of the grand farewell depends on the family’s traditions and culture, however, the basic essence is the same. The bride throws rice over her shoulder and her mother collects it in her pallu, this symbolizes the daughter’s gratitude towards her family and bestows her love and blessings on her maternal family. 

• Griha Pravesh

This ceremony occurs once the newlywed couple reaches the groom’s house, where the bride is welcomed in the house with a knock over the pot, which is filled with rice, with her foot. This ceremony represents the auspicious entry of the Lordess Lakshmi into the house, bringing prosperity and wealth along with her. 

• Dwaar Rokai 

The groom’s sisters block the entry to their room. Then the groom must bribe them with neg or cash or gifts so they can enter. 

• Mooh Dikhai (reception)

With Mooh Dikhai, the ceremonies come to a close. In this ritual, the bride’s veil is lifted, and everyone in the family, especially the elders presents her gifts, cash, or jewelry. In modern times, the reception party is held, where relatives and guests are welcomed to introduce the bride to them. 

Organize Your Hindu Wedding In The Vivaan, Karnal

In Hindu tradition, marriages are sacred and are seen as a lifelong commitment that not only binds two individuals but also unites their families and communities. They are celebrated with joy, entertainment, and love, with rich cultural rituals and customs. Unlike old days, Hindu weddings are more grand, luxurious, and large today, and require sprawling areas to commemorate extensive guests. The Viaan in Karnal offers banquet halls that cater to your wedding idea with the hospitality of royalty. With the pinnacle of grandeur and extravagance, the Vivaan welcomes its guests with unparalleled services. 

Book the Vivvan to have the most amazing Hindu wedding that will be remembered for eternity.