India has diversity in every aspect of life, and when we talk about marriage ceremonies, each part of the country has different marriage customs. These weddings are intricate, beautiful & elaborate. Marriages are the combination of love, joy, togetherness and sharing happy moments with family, friends & relatives.

The religious proceedings in North Indian Weddings are taken very seriously because these sacred traditions carry opulence to tie the couple in a holy relationship. These rituals are performed with the devotion & belief. Marriage is a lifetime relationship, and Indians follow these rituals to make it last long. All rituals have their significance and deeply rooted in the culture and history of the country. Indian wedding features their loyalty to customs & traditions, and you can have a look at the rituals that are conducted during the North Indian wedding:

The engagement

Once the marriage is fixed, an auspicious day is selected then the couple exchange ring in the presence of their family & relatives. The ceremony is known as Roka ceremony. In the old days the bride & groom were not allowed to meet till the marriage, but today the couple meet before the wedding. The family of bride & groom visit each other's family and exchange the gifts like jewelry, sweets & clothes. Ring ceremony is organized 1 or 2 days before the marriage, to save time & efforts.

Haldi ceremony

Haldi ceremony is the Indian wedding system, that takes place on the day of the wedding or a couple of days before the marriage ceremony. The paste of sandal, Turmeric and rose water has been applied on the faces & body of the couple to be. Indians believes that it wards off the evil eye on this particular days. Haldi fights blemishes, dark spots and brings glow on the face.

Mehendi

The color of the henna on bride's hands signifies the love and longevity of the relationship. Henna is one of the sixteen adornments that a bride needs to wear for her wedding. Dance and music performed when henna designs are applied on the hands and feet of the bride.

Sangeet

Dance and music are performed a day before the wedding ceremony. Family & relatives of both bride & groom participate in the function and dance on different music.

Barat, tika & Jai Mala

Groom arrives on the horse along with his family, the bride's family welcomes him on the entrance and applies a tika on his forehead. After the welcome, Jaimala takes place, in which bride & groom exchange floral garlands in the presence of their loved ones.

Kanyadaan & Pheras

Kanyadaan is the most important ritual of giving away the bride. Father of the bride give her daughter's hand in the groom's hand & pour water over it.

Vidaai

The bride is sent away to her husband's home after the phrase. Broadly, Pheras are the last ritual associated with the marriages.

These are some common North Indian wedding rituals.