The Engagement ceremony marks the beginning of the marriage chord. It is a ceremony wherein the would be Bride and Groom exchange rings followed by an exchange of gifts, sweets, fruits etc between the two families.

Sangeet Ceremony

The Sangeet Ceremony or Ladies Sangeet is another major Pre wedding rituals exclusively for women. This function is held 2/3 days before the actual wedding, wherein the Ladies of the household sing and dance on wedding songs dedicated to marriage and bride.

Mehendi Ceremony

Another ceremony which is held days before is the Mehendi Ceremony. This is usually held at the Bride’s place on the eve of the wedding ceremony. A Mehendiwali is called who designs intricate designs on Bride’s palms, wrists, arms, legs and feet.

Haldi Ceremony

Haldi Ceremony is also regarded as an auspicious occasion which is held a day before the wedding day. At this, both the Bride and the Groom are applied with a Haldi paste (made of Turmeric, Rosewater and Sandalwood). Mainly the female relatives and friends take part in this ceremony. Traditionally it is believed that applying Haldi paste to the bride will add beauty to her complexion.

In India each region has a different way of celebrating the Pre wedding ceremonies. Indian wedding ceremonies last for few days and form an integral part of the elaborate Indian weddings and further add to the charm of the wedding celebrations.

Tilak Ceremony

The wedding celebrations begin days before the actual wedding day and last weeks after that. In between the wedding day and the formal finalization of marriage, several pre-wedding ceremonies take place. These pre-wedding rituals are actually traditional customs that are considered to be auspicious for the forth coming wedding as well as the married life of the would-be couple.

Post Wedding Preparations

The Indian Wedding Ceremonies boast of various rites and rituals that commence with the Pre-Wedding Ceremonies and conclude with the Post Wedding Ceremonies.

Like the Pre Wedding planning and the Main Wedding day celebrations, the Post Wedding Celebrations continue with great happiness and enthusiasm. After all the main day functions, still some more rituals need to be practiced after the wedding ceremony to complete the marriage ceremony.

Post Wedding Ceremonies observed in Indian Weddings include

Vidaai Ceremony

The popular Vidaai Ceremony also known as “Brides’ Departure” is a ceremonial Vidaai of the Bride from her maternal to the in-laws home. It is a teary farewell for the Bride and her parents but also sounds the commencement of a novel journey for the bride as she accompanies her husband to step into a new and different world of marital bliss.

Reception Ceremony

The Reception Party is another significant amongst the several Post-wedding rituals of India. It is a Social gathering which is organized by the Groom’s family to get the bride acquainted with the relatives, members of the extended family and friends of the groom. As a whole, the Indian Reception ceremony is just an extension of the wedding day and is characterized by opulence and splendor.

The Post Wedding Ceremonies add an additional zest to the whole affair, but unlike the grand Hindus' Post Wedding ceremonies the Muslim community prefers to keep their events a low-key affair. The reception is popular by the name of Dawat-e- walima.

So, it is not surprising that these, Post Wedding Ceremonies in India have attracted and still go on fascinating people from far and wide.