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
🇮🇹 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
🇲🇲 MyanmarMarriage in Myanmar
A blend of Buddhist rites, astrological timing, and family negotiations that defines union across Myanmar's diverse ethnRite · Finding a match
🇮🇳 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
🇮🇳 IndiaSvayamvaraस्वयंवर
The ancient Hindu ceremony where a princess picks her husband from assembled suitorsBetrothal · Finding a match
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreHandfastingceangal na lámh (Irish); pòsadh-bliadhna (Scottish Gaelic)
A pledge ceremony where a couple joins hands to make a binding marriage contract or engagement.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaChaklong wedding
The traditional Ahom marriage system involving rice powder mandalas and ancestral rituals.Rite · Finding a match
🇸🇩 Khartoum, SudanJirtigالجَرْتِقْ (Arabic)
A Sudanese inauguration ritual where the groom is symbolically crowned as a king.Rite · The weeks before
🇮🇳 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
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreHindu weddingvivaha (विवाह)
The traditional marriage ceremony for Hindus, centered on sacred fire and seven vows.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAnand Karajਅਨੰਦ ਕਾਰਜ
The Sikh wedding rite where the couple circles the Guru Granth Sahib to four hymns of union.Rite · Procession and arrival
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreGhost marriage冥婚 (mínghūn)
A union arranged for deceased individuals to ensure harmony in the afterlife and care in this one.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
🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର)
The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇧🇩 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
🇮🇳 IndiaZoroastrian wedding
A Zoroastrian marriage ceremony featuring hand-fastening, rice sprinkling, and shared meals.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaVaramalaवरमाला (Varamālā)
The exchange of flower garlands that marks mutual acceptance in a Hindu wedding.Rite · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaMeitei weddingLuhongba (ꯂꯨꯍꯣꯡꯕ)
The traditional union of the Meitei people, marked by clan exogamy and specific courtship rituals.Rite · Finding a match
🇧🇳 BruneiBrunei Malay wedding
The sequence of ceremonies that mark the engagement and marriage of Brunei Malays.Rite · Finding a match
🇺🇸 United StatesNavajo wedding ceremony
A Navajo marriage ritual centred on harmony, family union, and nature inside a Hogan.Rite · The eve
🇪🇬 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
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMangalsutraमङ्गलसूत्रम् (maṅgalasūtram)
The sacred necklace tied around the bride's neck to mark her marriage.Adornment · The ceremony
🇸🇾 Syria and 3 moreAssyrian wedding
Marriage ceremonies blending ancient Assyrian rites with modern cultural practices among the Assyrian people.Rite · Finding a match
🇮🇳 Delhi, India and 4 moreSindoorसिंदूर (Hindi)
The vermilion powder a Hindu husband applies to his wife's hair parting to mark her marriage.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreAnastenariaΑναστενάρια (Greek), Нестинарство (Bulgarian)
A barefoot firewalking ritual performed by Orthodox Christian communities in Greece and Bulgaria.Rite · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Meitei wedding: Dabu Leichombam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ayyavazhi wedding: Vaikunda Raja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hindu wedding: Dinesh Cyanam, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Anastenaria: Artkostov, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mangalsutra: Ackroydman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Assyrian wedding: Yucalyptus, CC0, source
- Navajo wedding ceremony: Neeta Lind, CC BY 2.0, source
- Arab wedding: 13th century artist, Public domain, source
- Sindoor: Masum-al-hasan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source