Henna, jewellery and body art

Henna, turmeric paste, gold chains, the mangalsutra, crowns and flowers in the hair all decorate the bride and sometimes the groom. Adornment is both beauty and meaning: it marks a person as a bride, protects against the evil eye, and brings family and friends together for hours of shared work.

Henna and turmeric

Henna is applied in North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, from the Moroccan lilat el henna to the Indian mehndi, the Pakistani mehndi night and the Yemeni and Jewish henna ceremonies. Patterns differ: Moroccan designs are geometric, Indian ones floral and fine, and Gulf styles bold and lacy. In India a tale says the darker the colour, the more the mother-in-law will love the bride. Turmeric paste, haldi, is applied before Hindu weddings to cleanse and bless.

Jewellery that carries a promise

In south India the groom ties the mangalsutra or thali around the bride's neck, and she wears it as a sign of marriage. In many Indian communities toe rings, bangles and the bindi or sindoor also mark a married woman. In Ethiopia and Eritrea gold crosses and coin necklaces are worn, and Bedouin and Berber brides wear heavy silver that is also family savings. In Western weddings the ring is the central piece, and the something old, new, borrowed and blue rhyme gives a small ritual to a pin or a ribbon.

What is changing

Some couples now apply henna to both partners, or to guests, and the designs include names, initials or a hidden date. Men increasingly wear jewellery and rings. Ethical sourcing of gold and diamonds is a growing concern, and lab-grown stones and recycled gold have become common choices.