Ceremony

YOUR

Vivaha Wedding Ceremony

The full wedding ceremony is 45 to 60 minutes and includes all Vedic rites, Sanskrit mantras and explanations in English at each stage of the ceremony.

The Hindu marriage ceremony is performed according to the rituals prescribed in the Vedas. The ceremony is a collection of rituals performed by the bride, groom, and their respective parents. The pandit conducts the ceremony by chanting Vedic mantras (hymns) in Sanskrit. The marriage ceremony is sacred and represents the strongest social bond between a man and a woman before their parents, relatives, friends, and society. 

ESSENTIAL

Rituals for a Hindu Wedding

There is no “one way” of performing a Hindu wedding as the customs and rituals vary from one region of Indian to another. We customize your wedding ceremony based on your culture, traditions, and ancestral roots. However, the underlying principal of sacred union is the same and there are certain core rituals that are essential for a Hindu wedding as described below.

BARAT

The Grooms Procession

During the barat procession the groom is escorted to the wedding in a lively procession of music and dance accompanied by his family and friends.

VARA PUJA

The Grooms Reception

The bride’s mother welcomes the groom. She leads him into the mandap where the bride’s father will either sprinkle water on him or wash the his feet. The groom is fed honey and milk. At this time, the bride’s relatives try to steal groom’s shoes, adding mischief and humor to the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, the groom retrieves his shoes by offering to buy them back.
ganesh

GANESA PUJANAM

The Auspicious Invocation

The priest begins the marriage ceremony with a prayer to Lord Ganesh, the remover of obstacles.

NAVAGRAHA PUJA

Celestial Blessings for the Wedding

The graha shanti is a prayer to the nine planets of our solar system to bless the bride and groom with inner strength, courage and peace of mind. 

KANYA AGAMANAM

The Bride’s Entrance to the Wedding

The bride now makes her entrance accompanied by her bridal party. She approaches the mandap and meets the groom outside. In some communities a curtain is held between the couple symbolizing the physical world that separates the bride and groom is lowered to bring them together.

JAIMALA

Garland Exchange

Once at the mandap, the bride faces the groom and they place flower garlands around each other. This indicates the desire and acceptance to be united in matrimony. A maṅgalāṣṭakam, traditional song of eight verses, may also be sung at this time to invite all the planets, Gods, and Goddesses to witness the marriage and bless bride and groom.

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