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.
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.
🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyWeddings in ancient Rome
The religious ceremonies and attire that marked a union in the city of Rome before the rise of Christianity.Rite · The weeks before
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 2 moreRushnykрушник (Ukrainian), ручнік (Belarusian), ручник/рушник (Russian)
The embroidered linen cloth that marks life stages and guides the couple through the wedding ceremony in East Slavic culAdornment · The weeks before
🇮🇷 Shiraz, Iran and 5 moreUlulation
A high-pitched trilling sound made by women to celebrate weddings and share good news across many cultures.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇩🇪 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
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLaavaanਲਾਵਾਂ ਫੇਰੇ (Lavan)
The four sacred hymns sung during the Anand Karaj that guide a Sikh couple through spiritual stages of married life.Rite · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaTulasi Vivahतुलसी विवाह (Tulasī Vivāha)
A symbolic Hindu wedding uniting the holy basil plant with a stone representing Vishnu.Rite · The weeks before
🇸🇩 Khartoum, SudanJirtigالجَرْتِقْ (Arabic)
A Sudanese inauguration ritual where the groom is symbolically crowned as a king.Rite · The weeks before
🇺🇸 United StatesNavajo wedding ceremony
A Navajo marriage ritual centred on harmony, family union, and nature inside a Hogan.Rite · The eve
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreEpithalamium
A poem or song written to celebrate a bride as she goes to her wedding chamber.Performance · The eve
🇮🇳 IndiaAyyavazhi wedding
The sacred rite of Ayyavazhi that treats marriage as a spiritual sacrament and family life as the highest austerity.Rite · Procession and arrival
🇮🇳 IndiaBrahmanippattu
A devotional song and dance performed by Nambeesan women to bless a marriage with the grace of the Goddess.Performance · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreAnastenariaΑναστενάρια (Greek), Нестинарство (Bulgarian)
A barefoot firewalking ritual performed by Orthodox Christian communities in Greece and Bulgaria.Rite · The weeks before
🇮🇳 Madurai, IndiaGoluBommai kolu (Tamil), Bommala Koluvu (Telugu), Gombe Habba (Kannada)
A tiered display of dolls and figurines arranged in South Indian homes during the Navaratri festival.Feast custom · The weeks before
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
- Jirtig: Alzain Mohammed, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wimpel: Wikipedia Loves Art participant " The_Grotto ", CC BY-SA 2.5, 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
- Ayyavazhi wedding: Vaikunda Raja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Anastenaria: Artkostov, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Golu: Ksiva21, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Navajo wedding ceremony: Neeta Lind, CC BY 2.0, source