Wedding traditions with garlands and flowers

A garland is a ring of flowers, and in the exchange of garlands a couple say yes without a word.

A garland is a ring of flowers, and in the exchange of garlands a couple say yes without a word. Garlands welcome, bless and decorate, and in many warm countries a wedding is hard to imagine without them.

The exchange

In the Hindu jaimala or varmala, bride and groom exchange garlands of marigold, rose or jasmine. In Buddhist and Hindu Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia, jasmine is made into garlands, and in Hawaii the lei is draped on the couple. In the Philippines, a flower garland is offered by sponsors. In Fiji and Samoa, leis and garlands are also exchanged.

Flowers and meaning

Marigolds are auspicious in India, jasmine is a symbol of purity, and roses are for love. Ancient Greek and Roman couples wore wreaths of myrtle. Bouquets and buttonholes in the West carry a similar idea, and the bouquet toss is a last echo, in which the woman who catches it is said to be next to marry. Increasingly, flowers are local, seasonal and dried.

About this page

Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Garlands and flowers (symbol). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

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🇩🇪 Hamburg, Germany and 3 moreWimpelווימפל A linen sash made from a baby boy's circumcision cloth that binds the Torah scroll.Adornment · The weeks before

🇲🇲 MyanmarMarriage in Myanmar A blend of Buddhist rites, astrological timing, and family negotiations that defines union across Myanmar's diverse ethnRite · Finding a match

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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Epithalamium: Lorenzo Lotto, Public domain, source
Svayamvara: Nandalal Bose, Public domain, source
Jirtig: Alzain Mohammed, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Wimpel: Wikipedia Loves Art participant " The_Grotto ", CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Marriage in Myanmar: Thant Zin Myint, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Laavaan: Ashish 100, CC BY 2.0, source
Tulasi Vivah: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
Rushnyk: Pavlo Boyko, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Weddings in ancient Rome: Meister der Aldobrandinischen Hochzeit, Public domain, source
Handfasting: Sander van der Wel, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Chaklong wedding: Chiring chandan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Varamala: Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Baraat: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pnglife/, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Meitei wedding: Dabu Leichombam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Wedding mandapa: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Ayyavazhi wedding: Vaikunda Raja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Hindu wedding: Dinesh Cyanam, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Mangalsutra: Ackroydman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Assyrian wedding: Yucalyptus, CC0, source
Navajo wedding ceremony: Neeta Lind, CC BY 2.0, source
Ochipok: Unknown author, CC0, source
Arab wedding: 13th century artist, Public domain, source
Sindoor: Masum-al-hasan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source