WeddingIndian wedding rituals explained
India has many ways of getting married, and a guest at one may be a stranger at another. These pages set out the ceremonies of eight traditions in the order they happen, in plain words.
| Tradition | The central moment | Usual time |
|---|---|---|
| Hindu wedding (North India) | Pheras around the sacred fire | Evening or night |
| Sikh wedding (Anand Karaj) | Four laavan around the Guru Granth Sahib | Morning |
| Muslim wedding (Nikah) | Nikah: consent before witnesses | Day or evening |
| Christian wedding | Vows and rings in church | Day or evening |
| South Indian Hindu wedding | Tying of the thali at the muhurtham | Morning |
| Bengali wedding | Saat paak, shubho drishti and sindoor daan | Evening |
| Marathi wedding | Antarpat and mangalashtaka | Morning |
| Gujarati wedding | Four mangal phera | Day or evening |
What most Indian weddings share
- A promise before the wedding: roka, sagai, kurmai, mangni, nischayathartham or betrothal.
- Turmeric and henna: haldi, maiyan, pithi, gaye holud, manjha and mehndi, in almost every community.
- The arrival of the groom with his family, and a welcome by the bride's family.
- One central act that makes the marriage: steps around the fire, the laavan, the nikah, the vows or the thali.
- A farewell to the bride's home and a welcome in the new one.
- A feast.
For couples from two traditions
Many couples today hold two ceremonies, or blend rituals from both families. Sit with both sets of parents early, list the rituals each side holds dear, and build the plan around those. A marriage between people of different religions can also be solemnised or registered under the Special Marriage Act: see marriage registration.
Customs differ between families and regions. These pages are general guides, reviewed on 11 November 2026.
More wedding help
- Planning checklistEvery task from a year before to the week after, with dates.
- Budget plannerPlan and track spending head by head. Your figures stay on your phone.
- Guest listCount families and people for each side and track who is coming.
- Questions for vendorsWhat to ask the venue, caterer, photographer and others before paying.
- Wedding day timelineSample hour-by-hour plans for evening and morning weddings.
- Wedding day bagThe emergency kit and papers to carry on the day.
- Marriage registrationHow registration and court marriage work in India.
- Wedding wordingSave-the-date, announcement and thank-you messages to copy.