WeddingHindu wedding (North India): rituals in order
A North Indian Hindu wedding is spread over several days and ends with the pheras around the sacred fire. The names and details change between Punjabi, Rajasthani, Uttar Pradesh, Bihari and other communities, but the order below is widely followed.
| Ritual | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Roka and sagai | Weeks or months before | The families formally agree to the match and exchange gifts. At the sagai (engagement) the couple exchange rings. |
| Haldi | One or two days before | A paste of turmeric is applied to the bride and the groom in their own homes by relatives. It is a cheerful, messy family function. |
| Mehndi | One or two days before | Henna is applied to the bride's hands and feet, and to the women of the family, with singing. |
| Sangeet | The evening before | An evening of songs and dances performed by both families. |
| Sehra bandi and baraat | Wedding day | The groom is dressed and a sehra is tied. He leaves for the venue with his family and friends in a procession with music. |
| Milni | On arrival | The bride's family receives the baraat. Matching relatives of both sides greet each other with garlands. |
| Jaimala (varmala) | Start of the ceremony | The bride and groom put garlands on each other. |
| Kanyadaan | In the mandap | The bride's parents give their daughter's hand to the groom. |
| Pheras and saptapadi | In the mandap | The couple walk around the sacred fire while the priest recites the vows. Most communities take seven rounds; some take four. The seven steps or vows are called the saptapadi. |
| Sindoor and mangalsutra | After the pheras | The groom applies sindoor in the parting of the bride's hair and ties the mangalsutra. |
| Vidaai | End of the wedding | The bride takes leave of her parents and leaves with the groom. It is the emotional moment of the wedding. |
| Griha pravesh and reception | After the wedding | The bride is welcomed into her new home. A reception is often held by the groom's family. |
Customs differ from family to family and from place to place. This is a general guide for guests and for couples learning about each other's traditions, not a rule book. Reviewed on 11 November 2026.
If you are a guest
- The pheras often take place late at night at a time fixed by the priest, so the evening is long. Eat when dinner is served.
- Shoes are removed before stepping into the mandap.
- Guests usually give a gift or an envelope of money (shagun) to the couple or the parents.
- Bright colours are welcome. Many guests avoid plain white or plain black.
Planning notes for the two families
The priest and the muhurat
Fix the pandit early and ask him for the muhurat, the time chosen for the pheras, before the venue and caterer are booked. Everything else on the day is planned backwards from that time. Ask him for a written list of puja samagri and settle who buys it.
The mandap
The mandap needs a fire-safe floor, seats for the couple, both sets of parents and the priest, and a clear path for the pheras. If the venue is a banquet hall, ask whether a havan fire is allowed indoors and where.
The baraat
Agree on the route, the starting time, the band or dhol and who looks after the elderly in the procession. A baraat that starts late pushes dinner and the pheras late into the night.
Small things that are often forgotten
Garlands for the jaimala and the milni, a tray for the shagun envelopes with one trusted person in charge of it, and someone from each family who knows the order of the rituals and can call the right relatives at the right time.
For the hour-by-hour plan of the day, see the wedding day timeline, and for jobs to hand out, who does what.
Questions people ask
How many pheras are there in a Hindu wedding?
Seven in most communities. Some, such as many Gujarati and Sindhi families, take four. Follow the custom of your family.
What is the saptapadi?
It means "seven steps". The couple take seven steps or seven rounds together, each with a vow. Under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, where the saptapadi is part of the ceremony, the marriage becomes complete when the seventh step is taken.
Other traditions
More wedding help
- Planning checklistEvery task from a year before to the week after, with dates.
- Budget plannerPlan and track spending head by head. Your figures stay on your phone.
- Guest listCount families and people for each side and track who is coming.
- Questions for vendorsWhat to ask the venue, caterer, photographer and others before paying.
- Wedding day timelineSample hour-by-hour plans for evening and morning weddings.
- Wedding day bagThe emergency kit and papers to carry on the day.
- Rituals explainedThe ceremonies of eight Indian wedding traditions, in order.
- Marriage registrationHow registration and court marriage work in India.
- Wedding wordingSave-the-date, announcement and thank-you messages to copy.
- Haldi, mehndi, sangeetPlanning the functions before the wedding day.
- Small weddingA simple wedding with fewer guests, planned well.
- Who does whatSharing the work between two families and the cousins.
- Outstation guestsRooms, pick-ups, welcome notes and a help desk.
- Menu planningBuilding the menu and briefing the caterer, without waste.
- Family photo listThe group photographs to plan, and how to get them quickly.
- After the weddingThank-yous, payments, returns, photographs and paperwork.