Every South Asian Wedding Event, Explained (and What to Wear to Each)

October 9, 2026 by Zorsay

No wedding has all of these. A Tamil Brahmin wedding in New Jersey and a Bangladeshi Muslim wedding in Queens may share very few events on this list. There is no single standard ceremony anywhere in the subcontinent; the order of rituals changes by region, religion, caste and family [1]. Read this as a dictionary, not a schedule; the invitation tells you which entries apply. If it says "Mayoun, Mehndi, Nikah, Walima," skip the Hindu and Sikh sections. If it says "Poruwa and Homecoming," you are at a Sinhalese wedding and only the Sri Lankan entries apply.

Each entry gives what the event is, who does it, when, and a short dress note, with a link where a full page exists. Genderfluid guests: pick from either the Women or Men lines; a kurta with a dupatta, or an embellished jacket over a skirt or wide pant, works at almost every event here.

Jump to an event

Pre-wedding: Chooda · Chunni · Dholki · Ganesh puja · Garba · Gaye holud · Haldi · Jaggo · Kelvan · Madhavsaro · Mangni · Mayoun · Mehndi · Nalangu · Pithi · Roce · Roka · Sangeet · Tilak

Wedding day: Anand Karaj · Baraat · Christian mass · Jain phere · Kanyadaan · Lagan · Mandap variants · Mangalsutra · Milni · Muhurtham · Nikah · Oath taking · Poruwa · Saat phere · Swayamvar · Varmala

Post-wedding: Bou bhaat · Griha pravesh · Homecoming · Pag phera · Reception · Vidaai · Walima · Welcome dinner

Jump by tradition

• Hindu, North and West: roka, tilak, chunni, sagai, haldi, pithi, sangeet, garba, ganesh puja, baraat, milni, varmala, kanyadaan, saat phere, mangalsutra, vidaai, griha pravesh, pag phera
• Hindu, South: nalangu, pellikuthuru, muhurtham, mandap variants, thaali, saptapadi, satyanarayan puja
• Muslim: mangni, dholki, mayoun, ubtan, gaye holud, mehndi, nikah, rukhsati, walima, chauthi
• Sikh: roka, chunni, jaggo, chooda, sangeet, baraat, milni, Anand Karaj, doli
• Jain: sagai/tilak, Jain phere and granthi bandhan
• Buddhist (Sinhalese, Nepali): poruwa, oath taking and blessing, homecoming
• Christian: roce, church mass and minnu, portonem
• Parsi: madhavsaro, adarni, lagan
• Nepali: supari, janti, swayamvar
• Sri Lankan: poruwa, thaali and koorai, homecoming
• Bengali and Bangladeshi: gaye holud, bor jatri, mala badal, sindoor daan, bidaai, bou bhaat
• Diaspora: welcome dinner, after-party, day-after brunch

Pre-wedding events

Chooda and kalire

A Punjabi bride's maternal uncle slides red and ivory bangles (the chooda) onto her wrists, then relatives tie dangling gold or silver kalire to them [2]. It is usually folded into the mayian evening alongside the vatna turmeric rite [2]. Bride's-side, mostly women, mostly morning. She often keeps the bangles on for weeks afterward [46].

Dress: Women: a suit or light lehenga in pink, coral or yellow; the bride is often in plain cream so the bangles read. Men: kurta pajama.

Chunni chadana

The groom's mother or senior-most woman drapes a chunni over the bride's head as a formal statement that she is accepted into the family [41]. In Punjabi practice, a chunni may also be given to the bride at the roka itself [2]. It falls one to several weeks before the wedding and is often merged with the sagan or engagement [41]. Close family only.

Dress: Women: a suit or lehenga in a shade that will not fight a red or pink dupatta. Men: kurta or Nehru jacket.

Dholki

Named for the small two-sided drum, a dholki is an evening of folk songs and dancing thrown by friends or family in the weeks before a Pakistani or Punjabi wedding [47]; other South Asian Muslim families hold similar gatherings. It belongs to the same family as the Punjabi sangeet, where women gather to sing and dance giddha before the main ceremony [2]. A bride may have several.

Dress: Women: kurta set, gharara or light lehenga in bright colors; nothing heavy, you will be on the floor clapping. Men: kurta pajama or kurta with waistcoat.

Ganesh puja and mata ki chowki

Most Hindu wedding weeks open with a Ganesh puja, a prayer to the remover of obstacles [15], run by a priest or elder at home on the first day of festivities or the wedding morning [38]. Some Punjabi Hindu families add a mata ki chowki, an evening of devotional singing to Durga, with diyas and aarti; one recent celebrity wedding opened with one [35]. Close family.

Dress: Women: modest suit or sari, dupatta over the head for aarti. Men: kurta pajama; cover your head if asked.

Garba and dandiya raas

A Gujarati night-before event where women in chaniya cholis dance in circles and men join with decorated sticks for dandiya raas [43]. It fills the sangeet slot and is the one event where you will be judged on footwork rather than embroidery. Expect a hall rather than a home, and expect everyone to dance.

Dress: Women: chaniya choli with mirror work, dupatta tied back, flats you can spin in. Men: kediyu or short embroidered kurta with dhoti pants.

Gaye holud

"Turmeric on the body," the Bengali haldi, observed by Bengali Muslims and Hindus in Bangladesh, West Bengal and the diaspora [4]. The groom's side applies turmeric paste to him and sends the rest to the bride; it can be one joint party or two [4][5]. The day varies by family, from the day before the wedding to the wedding morning. The groom's family sends the holud tattva, gifts of clothes, cosmetics and food [31].

Dress: Women: yellow or mustard cotton sari, often red-bordered; the bride is in yellow too. Men: yellow or cream panjabi with dhoti or pajama.

Haldi

A turmeric-and-oil paste applied to bride and groom by married relatives for glow and luck, at their separate homes, the day before or morning of the wedding [2]. Many Hindu communities have a version: vatna in Punjab, halad in Maharashtra, gaye holud in Bengal [2][4][34]; North Indian Christian families also hold a haldi, ubtan or mayun about a day before [7]. Close family, daytime, messy. Full page: haldi.

Dress: Women: yellow, mustard or orange cotton; nothing you cannot wash. Men: a yellow or white kurta you are willing to sacrifice.

Jaggo

Jaggo means "wake up." Before a Punjabi wedding, the maternal families fill a decorated brass pot with clay lamps and mustard oil, a maternal aunt carries it on her head, and the party processes through the neighborhood singing boliyan [2][26]. Jaggo is usually held late on the night before the wedding, often after the vatna, though some families start a day or two earlier. Often combined with the mayian (vatna, chooda, sometimes sangeet) into one long evening [2].

Dress: Women: bright suit or lehenga you can dance in; phulkari is the local flavor. Men: kurta with a phulkari stole.

Kelvan

A Maharashtrian pre-wedding meal. After the sakharpuda engagement, each family invites the couple home for a feast and prayers to the family deity (kuladevata) [34]. Small, domestic, days before the wedding, closest relatives only. Think of it as the family saying goodbye to the couple as single people, one kitchen at a time; the menu is the point.

Dress: Women: cotton or silk sari, nauvari if you can drape it. Men: kurta pajama. This is dinner at someone's house.

Madhavsaro and adarni (Parsi)

Four days before a Parsi wedding, both families plant a young mango tree in a pot at their doors while a priest prays; it is tended until the eighth day after the lagan [10][19]. The adarni, one to three days before, is a gift visit where the groom's family brings the bride clothes and jewelry, and everyone eats sev, dahi, boiled eggs and bananas [10][19].

Dress: Women: a gara-embroidered sari in a pale to mid-tone shade if you own one, otherwise soft silk; skip white. Men: white dagli with pheta for close family; linen suit for everyone else [19].

Mangni, sagai and engagement

The engagement goes by mangni (Urdu), sagai (Hindi), kurmai (Punjabi), sakharpuda (Marathi), nischitartham (Telugu and Tamil), adravanu (Parsi) and gwe-biu or supari (Newar Nepali) [2][12][19][20][22][32][34]. Rings, sweets and dry fruit are exchanged and elders bless the couple [32][33]. In Islamic terms, mangni is a promise to marry later, not a contract [18]. Months before the wedding, or folded into the wedding week.

Dress: Women: mid-weight lehenga, anarkali or sari; dressier than a roka, lighter than the reception. Men: bandhgala or Nehru jacket.

Mayoun and ubtan

The Muslim counterpart of the haldi, widely held in Pakistani and North Indian families. Mayoun (mayun, manjha) marks the bride's last days at home: close women relatives apply ubtan, a turmeric, sandalwood and rose-water paste, sing and drum, and the bride wears yellow [47][48]. It may run several evenings into the mehndi. Indian Muslim families may call it manjha, held two days before the nikah [33]. Ubtan is sometimes its own small evening.

Dress: Women: yellow or marigold cotton shalwar kameez, glass bangles. Men: white or yellow kurta.

Mehndi

Henna is applied to the bride's hands and feet, and usually to the women guests, with singing, dancing and food [2][33]. Muslim, Hindu and Sikh families all hold one, one or two nights before the wedding. In many Pakistani weddings it is the big performance evening with rehearsed dances from both sides [47]. Full page: mehndi.

Dress: Women: green, orange or multicolor lehenga or gharara; sleeves you can push up. Men: colored kurta with waistcoat.

Nalangu and pellikuthuru

The South Indian purification rites. In Tamil weddings, nalangu is a turmeric, sandalwood and green gram paste applied at the couple's separate homes, followed by games like papad-breaking and antakshari [21]. The Telugu equivalent is pellikuthuru (bride) and pellikoduku (groom), one or two days out, with nalugu paste and a turmeric bath [12]. Daytime, close family, vegetarian food on banana leaves, and a lot of turmeric on the floor.

Dress: Women: colored silk sari or lehenga, jasmine in the hair [21]. Men: veshti and angavastram [21].

Pithi

The Gujarati haldi. A paste of turmeric, chickpea flour, sandalwood and rose water is applied by the paternal aunt first, then other married women, on the wedding morning or the day before [42]. Same purpose as the other turmeric rites here [4], but playful: younger relatives try to smear extra paste on the couple's faces [42].

Dress: Women: yellow or orange cotton or georgette, lightweight, there is water and oil involved [42]. Men: cotton kurta with dhoti or pajama.

Roce

The Goan and Mangalorean Catholic pre-wedding rite. Coconut milk (roce) is poured over bride and groom at their separate homes two or three days before the church wedding, in order of seniority, while Konkani singers perform [7][25]. Guests crack eggs on the couple's heads for luck [25]. Bombay East Indian Catholics have a related bathing rite, umbracho pani [7].

Dress: Women: a simple cotton dress or kurta you do not mind getting wet; the bride is traditionally in white. Men: light shirt and trousers. Everyone ends up soaked.

Roka

Roka comes from rokna, "to stop": both families stop looking and formally agree to the match [39]. In Punjabi tradition it is the first event, with gifts exchanged and sometimes a chunni for the bride [2]. Semi-formal, at home or a restaurant, immediate family only, often months out, and the first time you will meet the other side.

Dress: Women: pastel suit, sharara or pre-draped sari [39]. Men: kurta with Nehru jacket or a Pathani suit.

Sangeet

An evening of music and choreographed dances by friends and family, usually the night before the wedding [2]. The Punjabi women's giddha night is the root; the modern diaspora sangeet is co-ed, staged, and often the biggest party of the week, with a stage, a DJ and a running order. Full page: sangeet.

Dress: Women: dance-friendly lehenga or pre-draped sari in jewel tones or metallics [49]. Men: embroidered kurta with Nehru jacket or a bandhgala.

Tilak

A groom-side event, mostly North Indian and Bihari, where the bride's father, brothers and uncles visit the groom's home and mark his forehead with vermilion or sandalwood to accept him as son-in-law [40]. Jain families use sagai and tilak interchangeably for the engagement [24]. The bride usually does not attend [40].

Dress: Women: silk suit or sari, modest. Men: silk kurta with churidar or dhoti; Nehru jacket or bandhgala on the groom's side [40].

Wedding-day events

Anand Karaj and laavan

The Sikh wedding, "blissful event," happens in a gurdwara before the Guru Granth Sahib; Sikh authorities now hold it may only happen in a gurdwara [9]. After milni and ardaas, the bride's father links the couple with a shawl (palla), and they walk four times around the scripture as the four laavan are sung [16][17]. Everyone sits on the floor, removes shoes and covers their head [16]. Full page: wedding ceremony outfit.

Dress: Women: suit or sari with a dupatta that stays on your head; no bare shoulders. Men: kurta pajama or suit; a head scarf is provided if you have no turban.

Baraat, jaan, janti and bor jatri

The groom's procession to the venue, with family and friends dancing to a dhol [3]. Gujaratis say jaan, Bengalis bor jatri, Nepalis janti [3]. The Newar janti carries milk to the bride's mother as repayment for nursing her [22]. In Bengali custom the bride's mother welcomes the groom with a lamp, bananas and betel leaves (bor boron) [44]. Full page: baraat.

Dress: Women: bright lehenga or sari you can walk and dance in; comfortable shoes. Men: sherwani or achkan with safa; the groom wears the sehra [2][48]. By Wikipedia's descriptions the achkan is a knee-length jacket and the sherwani falls below the knee [50][51], though shops and families use the words loosely.

Christian mass and minnu

South Asian Christian weddings center on a church service with vows and rings before a priest [7]. Goan Catholics hold the nuptial mass at the groom's parish, then sign the register [25]. Kerala Syrian Christians add the minnu, a small gold pendant that one guide describes as cross-shaped and tied on a yellow thread around the bride's neck [45]; brides wear white or cream, often kasavu [45].

Dress: Women: sari or dress with shoulders covered; pastels or jewel tones, and skip white and cream, which read bridal. Men: suit and tie.

Jain phere and granthi bandhan

Jain weddings keep the Hindu scaffold (procession, kanyadaan, seven steps) but anchor it to Jain texts and temple visits [7][24]. Granthi bandhan ties the bride's dupatta to the groom's scarf; the saptapadi vows stress mutual respect and spiritual growth [24]. Afterward the couple go to the temple (jina griha darshan) for their first joint act of worship [24].

Dress: Women: silk sari or lehenga; leave leather belts and bags at home. Men: kurta pajama or bandhgala, non-leather shoes if you can.

Kanyadaan

The bride's father gives her away, placing her hand in the groom's; the groom promises three times to uphold dharma, artha and kama [1]. In Tamil weddings the bride sits in her father's lap while her mother pours water over a coconut the couple holds [20]; in Telugu practice the parents first wash the groom's feet [12]. One of the three rituals common to nearly every Hindu wedding [1].

Dress: Mid-ceremony, so your ceremony outfit. See wedding ceremony outfit.

Lagan (Parsi)

The Parsi wedding proper, on the evening of the fourth day of festivities, at a baug or fire temple [19]. The couple sit facing each other behind a cloth (ara antar), priests circle them seven times, the cloth drops, rice is thrown, and their hands are bound seven times with raw thread during an hour of prayer [19]. Bride in white sari; groom in white dagli with pheta [10][19].

Dress: Women: gara in a pale to mid-tone shade or soft silk sari; skip white, which is the bride's. Men: dagli for family, dark or cream suit for guests [19].

Mandap variants

The mandap is the canopy under which a Hindu wedding happens, and it changes by region: the Tamil manavarai, the Sinhalese poruwa platform, the Telugu stage with its curtain for jeelakarra bellam, the Maharashtrian morning ceremony in a hall [11][12][20][34]. Gujaratis hold the mandvo, a ceremony where the bride's male relatives erect the canopy poles and a priest consecrates the space with a puja [43]. Whatever the shape, it is where you will spend the longest stretch of the day, so plan your outfit around sitting.

Dress: Ceremony clothing throughout. Women: silk, brocade or heavy chiffon, shoulders covered. Men: sherwani or dhoti-kurta.

Mangalsutra, thaali and sindoor

The marriage necklace and the vermilion. In North India the groom ties a mangalsutra and applies sindoor to the bride's hair parting [1]. In the South he ties a thaali with three knots, the third by his sister in Tamil custom; Telugu grooms tie a thread with gold discs [12][20]. Sri Lankan Tamil brides change into a koorai sari from the groom's family just before the thaali [37]. Bengalis end with sindoor daan, the bride in red Banarasi, the groom in a white pith topor [5][44].

Dress: Mid-ceremony. Sri Lankan Tamil guests: women in sari, men in white dhoti with gold-bordered shirt, no black [37].

Milni

The "meeting" when the baraat arrives: fathers greet fathers, uncles greet uncles, each pair exchanging garlands and gifts [2][3]. Punjabi Hindu and Sikh weddings do it; at an Anand Karaj it opens the morning before the families enter the gurdwara [16][17]. It is short, often outdoors, and the only part of the day where the two families stand face to face as units, so it gets photographed heavily.

Dress: You are already in ceremony clothes. Shoes you can stand in on asphalt.

Muhurtham

The auspicious moment, fixed by astrology, at which the thaali is tied in South Indian weddings [20]. In Tamil practice the groom's parents give the bride a nine-yard silk sari just before; the Telugu version is the jeelakarra bellam, cumin and jaggery placed on each other's heads at the exact minute [12][20]. The day before, the panda kaal muhurtham is a family prayer that opens the wedding [20]. Tamil and Kannada ceremonies are usually in the morning; Telugu timing varies, and Wikipedia says Telugu muhurtams are traditionally close to midnight [12], though many families now choose early morning, so check the invitation. See wedding ceremony outfit.

Dress: Women: Kanjeevaram or other silk sari, temple jewelry, jasmine [20]. Men: veshti with silk shirt or kurta.

Nikah

The Islamic marriage contract. A qazi or imam officiates, each partner gives consent (qubool) three times, the mahr is set, and witnesses sign the nikah nama [6][33]. In Bengali Muslim weddings bride and groom sit apart with same-gender family until the contract is done, then together for blessings [6]. It can stand alone weeks early or sit inside the baraat evening. Full page: wedding ceremony outfit.

Dress: Women: sari, lehenga or long kameez, with a dupatta handy (head covered in a mosque); brides often wear softer tones at the nikah and save red for the baraat or rukhsati, but families vary. Men: sherwani or suit.

Oath taking and Buddhist blessing

Buddhism treats marriage as civil, not sacramental, so there is no fixed liturgy; couples register the marriage and then seek a monks' blessing at the temple [13]. In Sinhalese practice the poruwa holds the vows, elders recite benedictory verses, and six girls chant the jayamangala gatha [11][14]. If "oath taking" appears on a Sri Lankan or Nepali Buddhist invitation, it may refer to this vow-and-blessing segment; ask the family.

Dress: Women: sari (Kandyan osariya at a Sinhalese wedding); pastels and color; skip white. Men: suit or national dress.

Poruwa

The Sinhalese wedding ceremony, on a decorated wooden platform standing for the couple's future home, at an astrologically fixed time (nekath) [11][14]. The couple enter right foot first; the bride's father places her hand in the groom's; betel leaves are dropped; the maternal uncle ties their little fingers with gold thread and pours water over them; a coconut is broken as they step down [11][14]. It predates Buddhism on the island [11].

Dress: Women: Kandyan sari with gold borders; the bride adds a nalalpata headpiece [27]. Men: suit, or the nilame costume for groom and close kin [27].

Saat phere and saptapadi

Seven steps or seven rounds around the sacred fire, each a vow, and in India the point at which a Hindu marriage becomes binding [1]. Who leads varies: the bride leads six in the North, three or four in Central India, with different vow wording in the South [1]. Bengalis add saat paak, the bride carried seven times around the groom on a stool before the fire rounds [5].

Dress: Ceremony clothes. Skip red (the bride's); white and black are commonly avoided too, as both are associated with mourning in many Hindu settings [49]. See wedding ceremony outfit.

Swayamvar

The main ceremony of a Nepali Hindu wedding. "Choosing the groom by the bride" is now ceremonial: Vedic hymns, the bride circling the groom three times with betel and a dubo ko mala (holy-grass garland), exchange of garlands, rings and jewelry, then sindoor [23]. Newar families call it swoyambar, at a religious site, after the janti arrives [22]. Bride in red; groom in daura-suruwal with a dhaka topi [23].

Dress: Women: red is the bride's, so pick another color sari. Men: daura-suruwal and topi if you own one, otherwise suit or kurta.

Varmala and jaimala

The couple exchange flower garlands, their first public act of acceptance [2]. Tamil weddings do it three times with friends lifting the groom out of reach (maalai maatral); Bengalis exchange three times too (mala badal), often the first moment the couple see each other [5][20]. Usually right after the baraat is received, on a stage, before the couple sit for the longer rituals. It makes the best photos of the day, so photographers crowd it.

Dress: Ceremony clothes.

Post-wedding events

Bou bhaat

The Bengali reception hosted by the groom's family, where the bride serves rice and ghee to her new relatives and is introduced to the community [5][6]. Bangladeshi Muslim families fold the walima into it [6]. It follows the bodhu boron welcome, where the bride steps into milk and lac dye at the threshold [5][31]. The bride's family arrives in its own procession (kone jatri) with gifts [6].

Dress: Women: Banarasi, jamdani or silk sari; this is dressy. Men: panjabi with pajama or a suit.

Griha pravesh and satyanarayan puja

The bride's first entry into the groom's home: she pushes a pot of rice over the threshold as the household's new Lakshmi [12][34]. Punjabis call it pani bharna and the bride kicks mustard oil at the door, then the couple touch elders' feet (matha tekna) [2]. Maharashtrian and Telugu families follow the next morning with a satyanarayan puja, a Vishnu rite for the new household [12][34]. Immediate family only.

Dress: The bride is still in bridal wear; guests rarely attend. For the puja: women in silk sari with head covered, men in dhoti-kurta.

Homecoming (Sri Lankan)

The groom's family's reception, hosted and paid for by them, where the bride is formally welcomed into their household [28][30]. Once held the same day as the wedding, it is now a separate evening, starting around 9 p.m. and running late [28][29].

Dress: Women: evening sari or gown, lighter than the wedding. Men: suit; jackets come off by ten [28].

Pag phera, chauthi and portonem (the return visit)

The bride's first trip back to her parents. Punjabis and North Indians call it pag phera or phera dalna: her brothers fetch her a day or two after she moves in, and the groom comes to collect her [2][46]. Many Muslim families say chauthi, on the fourth day, with a lavish lunch and gifts that close the formal rituals [32][33]. Goan Catholics say portonem, the day after the wedding, with the bride in a red saddo dress [25].

Dress: Women: light festive wear, peach, coral or mustard; the bride keeps her chooda on [46]. Men: cotton kurta pajama or, for portonem, a suit without a tie.

Reception

The last big party. In Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslim weddings it is the walima; in Bengali Hindu weddings the bou bhaat; in Parsi weddings a four-course dinner with fish for luck and toasts to God, the couple, the fire temples, the guests and the hosts [8][19]. Full page: reception outfit.

Dress: Women: gown, embellished sari or statement lehenga in metallics or jewel tones [49]. Men: tuxedo, bandhgala or velvet sherwani.

Vidaai, bidaai and rukhsati

The bride's farewell from her parents' home. Hindu and Sikh families say vidaai or doli; she throws puffed rice backward over her shoulder to repay her parents [2][5]. Bengalis say bidaay and do it the next morning, the bride leaving for the groom's house that evening [6][44]. Muslims say rukhsati, which in Pakistani practice usually follows the nikah on the baraat night [47].

Dress: Your ceremony clothes. Keep a wrap handy; it is late and often outdoors.

Walima

The banquet after the nikah, which scholars agree must be hosted and paid for by the groom's side [8]. Timing varies; most scholars place it after the marriage is consummated, so it is usually a day or more after the nikah, though some families hold it the same evening [8]. In Pakistani weddings it is often the final event [47]; in Bangladesh it merges with the bou bhaat [6].

Dress: Women: formal sari, gown or lehenga in pastels, ivory or soft metallics; the bride is often in an ivory or pastel outfit. Men: suit, tuxedo or dark sherwani.

Welcome dinner, after-party and brunch

Diaspora additions borrowed from the American wedding weekend. The welcome party is a cocktail event one or two nights before, hosted by the couple or parents for all guests; the after-party follows the reception when the venue closes; the day-after brunch is a buffet so people can say goodbye before flights [36]. No ritual, no dress code beyond what the couple posts.

Dress: Welcome dinner: cocktail attire or a light kurta. After-party: reception clothes minus the heavy jewelry. Brunch: linen, sundress, kurta, sneakers.

FAQ

How many events will I actually be invited to? Often two to four: the sangeet or mehndi, the ceremony and the reception. Haldi, roka, tilak, chooda, kelvan and griha pravesh are close-family events; if you are invited, you know the family well enough to ask.

What is the difference between a mehndi, a sangeet and a dholki? Henna night, performance night, and the informal drum-and-song gathering in the weeks before [2][47]. Pakistani mehndis absorb the sangeet; many Indian families run both as one evening.

Is a walima the same as a reception? Functionally, yes: the groom side's banquet after the nikah [8]. Pakistani invitations list it last; Bangladeshi ones fold it into the bou bhaat [6].

What do vidaai, bidaai and rukhsati have in common? The same moment, the bride leaving her parents' home, in Hindi, Bengali and Urdu [2][5][47]. Doli is the Punjabi word [2].

Which events are family-only? Ganesh puja, tilak, chunni, chooda, kelvan, adarni, nalangu, griha pravesh and the return visit. If one is on your invitation, treat it as an honor and dress one notch up from dinner at their house.

This page is the dictionary. The rest of the guide is outfit advice, event by event: start at the Shaadi Dressing Guide, and join the Shaadi Dressing Guide email list for new guides.

Sources

Accessed 2026-10-08. Sources 50 and 51 accessed 2026-10-09.

1. Hindu wedding, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_wedding
2. Punjabi wedding traditions, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjabi_wedding_traditions
3. Baraat, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraat
4. Gaye holud, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaye_holud
5. Bengali Hindu wedding, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengali_Hindu_wedding
6. Bengali Muslim wedding, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengali_Muslim_wedding
7. Weddings in India, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weddings_in_India
8. Walima, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walima
9. Anand Karaj, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anand_Karaj
10. Zoroastrian wedding, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrian_wedding
11. Poruwa ceremony, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poruwa_ceremony
12. Telugu Hindu wedding, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telugu_Hindu_wedding
13. Buddhist view of marriage, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_view_of_marriage
14. The Poruwa Ceremony of Sinhalese Buddhists as a Marriage Ritual, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. https://www.sjp.ac.lk/blog/poruwa-ceremony-sinhalese-buddhists-marriage-ritual/
15. Hindu Wedding Ceremony (program notes), University of Maryland Department of Physics, personal page. https://physics.umd.edu/~reka/wedding/indian/ceremony.html
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All single-source claims resolved or hedged in QA pass 2026-10-09. Still resting on a single source or retailers only, for human review: chunni chadana [41], tilak [40], pithi and garba specifics [42][43], kelvan [34], mata ki chowki [35], nalangu [21], Kerala minnu [45], swayamvar [22][23], chauthi [32][33], mayoun descriptive detail [47][48].

Featured image: henna-decorated hands at a gaye holud and mehndi. Photo: Russell eee / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.