India is known for her myriad festivities celebrated with utmost exuberance. Colourful rangolis and painted walls, fireworks, musicians, decorated elephants, camels, and horses, flower garlands, elaborately embroidered outfits, exquisite culinary delights – you name it – make such events remarkably interesting tourist attractions. Indian marriage ceremonies differ according to religion, region, and lately, the introduction of wedding styles and themes by event management organisers, offering the couples the opportunity of choosing a ceremony and venue of their choice so as to make the event more than memorable.  

A traditional Indian wedding is always a nice exposition of the culture, traditions and customs of the families involved. It is always considered imperative for the bride and groom to don the typical traditional wedding dresses of their region.

The Groom
he South Indian grooms’ traditional wedding dress includes a traditional ‘veshti’ or ‘vetti’ (dhoti) and ‘kurta’. A dhoti is the traditional men's wear garment in India. South Indian grooms also wear their traditional caps with veils of flowers.

The North Indian groom traditionally wears a ‘sherwani’ with a ‘churidar pyjama’, or a ‘bandh gala’ suit. The sherwani is a long coat-like garment worn in South Asia. It is very similar to an Achkan or doublet. The sherwani is worn by both Hindu and Muslim grooms. It is worn over the ‘kurta’, a loose fitting long shirt; the leg wear is a tight fitting Churidar Pyjama, a looser Khara Pyjama, or a baggy Salwar. Elaborate and impressive looking turbans are de rigeur for the groom and his male friends.

No bridal outfit would be complete without ornate jewellery, and when it comes to Indian bridal jewellery, the obvious choice is gold. Jewellery has many connotations, both aesthetic and ritual. The wearing of jewellery is supposed to endow the women with qualities of power and authority, as well as great beauty. 

Gold has traditionally symbolised wealth and prosperity in Indian culture, holding special significance in celebrations such as weddings and births. Often presented as a gift or tangible form of investment, this precious metal features heavily in most Indian weddings. Ornaments such as the mangal sutra, bindi, necklaces, earrings, bangles, nose rings and finger rings are worn by brides almost all over the country. 

Rings are the most traditional form of wedding jewellery for both men and women, and universally symbolise a marriage between two individuals. In Indian Hindu marriages, the additional adornment of a 'mangal sutra' or 'thaali' (a small gold pendant worn on a black thread or necklace) is the main symbol of matrimony. Tying of a thaali around the neck of the bride by the groom is the most important ceremony in Indian Hindu weddings.

Other than the mangal sutra, in North India, many women deck their arms with bangles in vivid green and red. And the chooda that is presented to the bride by her maternal uncle as a symbol of her newly married status, is one which she has to wear for at least 40 days after her marriage. The chooda is traditionally a set of ivory bangles with inlay work – although nowadays faux ivory is used.