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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.

RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
KindRiteVowBetrothalGift customAttireAdornmentPerformanceFeast customBlessingPlayFamily roleSettingModern
StageFinding a matchEngagement and betrothalThe weeks beforeThe eveProcession and arrivalThe ceremonyThe wedding feastReception, dance and giftsAfter the wedding
🇮🇳 IndiaTulasi Vivahतुलसी विवाह (Tulasī Vivāha) A symbolic Hindu wedding uniting the holy basil plant with a stone representing Vishnu.Rite · The weeks before 🇮🇳 IndiaChaklong wedding The traditional Ahom marriage system involving rice powder mandalas and ancestral rituals.Rite · Finding a match 🇮🇳 IndiaTelugu Hindu weddingతెలుగు వివాహ వేడుక A multi-day Telugu Hindu marriage marked by seven vows around fire and family rituals.Rite · Finding a match 🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreArab weddingزفاف or فرح or عرس A series of family-centered rites and processions that mark marriage across the Arab world.Rite · Finding a match 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBengali Muslim weddingবাঙালি মুসলিম বিয়ে A multi-day Bengali Muslim marriage blending Islamic rites with local folk traditions.Rite · The weeks before 🇧🇳 BruneiBrunei Malay wedding The sequence of ceremonies that mark the engagement and marriage of Brunei Malays.Rite · Finding a match 🇮🇳 IndiaZoroastrian wedding A Zoroastrian marriage ceremony featuring hand-fastening, rice sprinkling, and shared meals.Rite · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreIranian weddingمراسم عروسی در ایران A multi-stage celebration rooted in Zoroastrian tradition and adapted by Islamic customs across Iran.Rite · Finding a match 🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର) The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 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.

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