Interesting Indian Wedding Traditions

When it comes to weddings, Indian weddings indeed take the cake. They are filled with intricate traditions and customs, plus they really know how to celebrate with wedding events that typically span 3 days on average.

If you’ve been invited to an Indian wedding, you’ll likely get to bear witness to some of these interesting Indian wedding traditions.

Hand-painting
The bride gets her hands and feet painted during one of the ceremonies. Called a mehndi, they use henna ink to draw the most beautiful patterns on their skin.

Lucky flowers

Garlands are given to the guests of honour in lieu or corsages. Additionally, a great deal of flower petals, typically rose petals, are thrown to bring good luck.

A prayer with the Pandit
The Pandit, or priest of sorts, who was responsible for choosing the wedding day based on the horoscopes of the bride and groom, leads a prayer with the family to give the newly-weds a happy marriage.

 Shoe theft

The groom must be on high-alert when he washes his feet at the wedding altar, or mandapa. It’s tradition for his sister-in-law to try to steal his shoes. If she does so successfully, the groom has to pay her in order to get them back.

Fasting

The bride’s parents don’t eat anything before the wedding so that they can be pure for this special day. Similarly, the bride and groom also fast. It’s a good thing they hire Indian wedding caterers to provide the typically incredible feast that will soon follow. 

Uniting the souls
Instead of exchanging rings, the mangala sutra, a cord with 2 gold pendants, is tied in 3 knots by the groom. This is done to symbolize the bond of their souls for 100 years. 

Determining the head of household

Perhaps the most interesting and fun of the Indian wedding traditions is a ceremony called mangal pheras. The bride and groom walk in a circle around a sacred fire four times and then run to their seats. The one who sits first will be the ruler of the house.

If you’re planning an Indian wedding, you’re going to need Indian wedding food. Spend time on your traditions and enjoying your special day. Let Coriander Group give you an extraordinary Indian wedding catering experience. Make your next event the most memorable it can be by focusing on your guests and letting Coriander Group handle the food with quality and delicious Indian wedding food. Visit Coriander Group today to find out more.