Gujaratis are deeply immersed in cultural ethics and they take pride in celebrating their religious and cultural ceremonies with a lot of devotion. So, it is not surprising that when it comes to marriages, the Gujaratis enthusiastically participate in all the rituals and ceremonies that are associated with it. A typical Gujarati wedding is a pious affair that is marked by prayers, rituals and entertaining customs.

A Gujarati bride wears a Sari on her wedding day. However, the Sari is worn in a different style than what is worn by the rest of the Indian women. The color of the Sari is, usually, red. Nowadays, lehenga cholis have also become a popular choice among the brides. On the other hand, the bridegroom is attired in the traditional dhoti-kurta. There are also many grooms who prefer to wear designer kurta pyjamas or western suits on the big day.

Like all other Indian weddings, Gujarati weddings are also characterised by a number of pre-wedding, wedding day and post wedding ceremonies.

Pre-wedding rituals:

There are various pre-wedding rituals that are performed before the wedding day.

Ghari puja – this puja is performed on the eve of the marriage day in the house of the bride and the groom. The priest or Pandit offers prayers and invokes his blessings on the soon-to-be couple.

Sangeet – in this event professional singers or DJs are called to entertain the guests. The family and friends of the bride and the groom eat, drink and make merry all through the entire night.

Wedding day rituals:

On the wedding day, celebrations begin after the arrival of the groom. He is warmly welcomed by the mother of the bride who performs the aarti. After the welcome, there is a ritual called madhuparka, which involves washing the feet of the groom. At this time, the sisters or friends of the bride steal the shoes of the groom and in return they ask for money. This is one of the most fun-filled events of the wedding.

As per the Gujarati tradition, the maternal uncle of the girl escorts the bride to the mandap (a stage) where the couple exchanges garlands. Then, the bride's hand is placed over the hand of the groom and this ceremony is known as hasta milap. Another event is Hathialo, in which the groom's scarf is tied to the end of the sari of the bride. This symbolises the everlasting bond that will keep the bride and the groom together forever. This ceremony is followed by varmala in which a garland of flowers is tied around the neck of the couple to ward off any evil influences. The father of the bride then gives the hand of his daughter to the groom and this ritual is known as kanyadaan. After this, "magal phera" takes place, wherein the couple takes four rounds of the holy fire and the marriage is solemnized.

Post wedding rituals:

After the wedding, some post wedding rituals take place. A ceremony called Saubhagyavati Bhava is performed wherein the elderly ladies of the bride's family bless the girl for a happy married life. After that, the girl departs from the house of her parents to start a new life with her husband, this is called Vidaai.

Few useful links:

http://www.jeevansathi.com/

http://www.jeevansathi.com/matrimonials/gujarati-matrimonial/