Traditional Hindu Weddings

Hindu Weddings are said to be the bringing of two people who are compatible. Hindu wedding ceremonies are traditionally performed in Sanskrit. They have many rituals that differ from modern western weddings in many ways. Hindus convey a lot of importance for marriages, and the ceremonies are very colorful and continue on for several days.

The wedding must take place in a mandap (the four-polr canopy at centre stage) in the presence of a sacred fire. The sacred fire in the mandap symbolises not only the illumination of the mind, knowledge and happiness but it is also a clean and pure witness to the ceremony as it progresses. Seven encirclements are made around the sacred fire by the bride and groom together as they make their seven promises. The seven promises are:

1. Let us take the first step to provide for our household, keeping a pure diet and avoiding those things that may harm us.
2. Let us take the second step to develop our physical, mental and spiritual powers
3. Let us take our third step to increase our wealth by righteous and proper means
4. Let us take the fourth step to acquire knowledge, happiness and harmony by mutual love, respect and trust.
5. Let us take the fifth step so that we may be blessed with strong, virtuous and heroic children.
6. Let us take the sixth step for self-restraint and longevity.
7. Let us take the seventh step to be true campanions and remain life-long partners by this wedlock.

The ceremony itself is a collection of rituals which is performed by both the bride, bridegroom and their respective parents and close relatives. The priest chants "mantras" from the Veds that were originally written in Sanskrit. The following things are used in the ceremony:

•  Fresh flowers- which signify beauty
• Coconut- to signify fertility
• Rice, jaggery and other grains- to signify the food necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle
• Ghee (purified butter)- to feed the sacred fire

• Kumkum (vermilion) - red powder which is used for marking the forehead to signify good luck and to convey that your husband is a part of your life.

In traditional Hindu weddings, the formal invitation is the only card announcing a marriage to the community. There are no arrangements for "save the date", "RSVP" or "thank you" cards. This is because a person may come with as many persons as he/she wishes to a hindu wedding. Guests aren't strict, no registration lists are required because most people attending the wedding would not have recieved a formal invitation. This is because it is common in a hindu wedding to have 500+ guests and most people are hence invited by word of mouth. Traditional Hindu wedding cards have Lord Ganesh printed on it because it is believed that Lord Ganesh brings prosperity and happiness to the marrying couple and their family.