Ceremonies
Mala Badal
First Look + Garland Exchange
This is a joyous, traditional Bengali wedding ritual where the bride and groom exchange floral garlands three times. It symbolises the couple’s mutual acceptance, respect, and the formal start of their holy union. This happens alongside the Subho Dristi, the first time the bride and groom see each other during the wedding, as they are kept apart until this moment.
Kanyadan
To give away
In this ritual, parents of the bride give away their daughter to the groom amidst chanting of mantras. The groom takes the bride's hand from her father and promises to never fail the bride in his pursuit of a lawful life, wealth and love.
Pratigya Karan
To have and to hold
This takes place after Laja Homa, where the couple offer rice to the fire to bless their home with prosperity, harmony and a fruitful future. During the Pratigya Karan, the bride and groom take vows of love and loyalty toward each other. During this phase of the ceremony, the couple commits to being equal partners. By reciting these vows, they acknowledge each other as lifelong friends and pledge mutual respect, understanding, and support through all of life's joys and sorrows.
Mangal Phera
The Vows
One of the most important rituals of a Hindu marriage is that of a couple circling around the fire seven times. The fire serves as a witness to the vows they make to each other sealing the promises made into action. Each circle seals a different promise to each other: a life for nourishment, strength, prosperity, happiness, progeny, long life, harmony, and understanding.
Sindoor Daan
Transition to Husband and Wife
The Sindoor ceremony is a pivotal Hindu wedding ritual in which the groom applies vermilion (sindoor) to the bride's hair parting. It symbolises her transition into a married woman and marks the official culmination of the sacred wedding vows. The application of the bright red powder signifies lifelong devotion, mutual trust, and a pledge to protect and cherish the bride. Sindoor acts as the ultimate visible marker of a married woman.
Registry Signing
Legal Paperwork
This is where the couple will sign the official documents that legally recognise their marriage in New Zealand. The marriage is then witnessed by two people picked by the couple. Who will it be...