If you have ever planned Indian weddings or simply just attended one, you should be aware of the different customs that are involved in them. Indian weddings can, in fact, last for as long as 3 days and can have huge numbers of guests.

Traditionally, the parents of the bride are in charge of most of the wedding and they have to meet the financial costs of everything. The three parts of the marriage process are the engagement, the ‘mehndi’ and finally the wedding ceremony itself.

The first thing that happens for the wedding ceremony itself occurs the day before the wedding. Here, all unmarried girls on the side of the bride as well as the family of the groom gather together at the location of the wedding. They will then apply a paste onto the hands, feet and face of both the bride of the groom (made from rose water, sandalwood and turmeric). Once this has been done, the bride and the groom will go to their separate homes and will not see each another until the next day.

Most of the time, traditional Indian weddings are held outdoors where they will take place under a canopy (or a ‘mandap’). Often, a groom will arrive on horseback along with his party. The bride will be escorted to the location by an uncle on her mother’s side.

Once the ceremony has taken place, the parents of the bride will host a feast for everyone, after which the bride and the groom will depart. The next day, a reception will be held for the newly-married couple and many guests will be invited.

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