Planning to invite your Non-Indian friends to your wedding? Probably a good idea to brief them on what to expect. Most people outside of India attending Indian functions can feel overwhelmed with the number of rituals and ceremonies. Get them engaged in the experience by explaining the significance of everything involved. You can either display the significance as a slide show during the pre-wedding ceremonies or print pamphlets that can explain the main rituals that will take place at a wedding. This will help them understand the importance of Indian culture and values too.

Here are a few key points to share with your non-Indian friends about the main rituals in a wedding:

Fixing The Wedding Date
The wedding date in India is often fixed after consulting an astrologer to find an auspicious time. Indians have long believed that this will help the couple start their married life with the blessings of the stars.

Sangeet ceremony
The sangeet ceremony is held before the actual wedding day. Families get together and sing, dance and enjoy good food as they celebrate the upcoming union of the new couple.

Mehendi Ceremony
The Mehendi ceremony is usually held the day before the wedding where the bride’s hands and feet are adorned with intricate designs using henna. Here’s a fun fact, the groom’s name is often hidden in the intricate design and turned into a game where the groom has to find his name in the fragrant hands of his new bride.

Tying The Knot
The mangalsutra plays an important role in the Hindu wedding as it is tied by the groom around the bride’s neck while the name Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity is invoked.

With India being a vast country where each corner has its own set of customs and traditions, remember to explain to your non-Indian friends the special customs that your region follows. After all, learning about all the good Indian rituals is a fun experience for everyone.