Indian weddings are known for being lavish and extravagant with many pre-wedding traditions, rituals and timeless customs. Of course, the journey to the big day of an Asian wedding is a long one, with months of planning and pre-wedding rituals to abide by. The wedding itself can last anywhere from three days to around a week.
Indian weddings are traditionally considered as a marriage of two families, rather than a marriage between the bride and groom. The concept behind Indian weddings is that the entire family and the surrounding community are all involved in this monumental occasion.
With any wedding, there are always do’s and don’ts for both the bride and groom to follow. However, with Indian weddings, these are even more important due to family traditions and religions. In this guide, we take a look at some of the do’s and don’ts for every Indian wedding groom.
Of course, you want your parents to be happy with your choice of partner, and this is significantly more important with Indian weddings. When you finally meet your in-laws for the first time, you should try to remain empathetic and respectful of their values and culture. It really does help to align their beliefs and expectations with your own to incorporate into your wedding day, so that all religions & beliefs are followed and honoured.
With any traditional wedding, the groom must ask the bride’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage - and with Asian weddings, this is by no means different.
In order to start off your marriage the best way, we recommend asking for the bride’s father for his permission to marry his daughter. With Indian weddings, it's also best to talk to the brother of the bride for his approval, also, as both the father and brother of the bride are very important to her.
While stag do’s were once a wild weekend away with the groomsmen, they are now becoming far more extravagant, with popular stag-do destinations including Amsterdam, Prague, Ibiza, Monaco and even a week away in Las Vegas.
Of course, from a stag do, you’ll want your closest friends to attend, with plenty of fun activities planned to make it a trip of a lifetime to never forget.
If you’re giving your bride the engagement ring on the day, you’ll need to make sure that you establish a budget that you’re comfortable with, to make it easier to find a ring in your price range. We’ve all heard the common saying that the groom should spend around two months worth of salary on an engagement ring. However, for modern-day couples, the cost isn’t that important.
Indian weddings can be expensive, and if you’ve been to one before, you’ll understand exactly why. Sticking to a budget when buying your rings ensures that you have enough of your budget to cover other aspects of your wedding.
Choosing a best man is a big decision to make, as it needs to be someone who can cope with the responsibilities and is organised. While the best man isn’t usually involved with much of the wedding planning, some of the best man duties will include giving a speech, keeping the rings safe on the big day and, of course, planning a stag do for the groom.
Our best advice is that the obvious choice is usually the best choice, whether it be your brother, cousin, dad, or best friend.
With the bride and groom arriving at the wedding ceremony separately, we often see grooms planning their own transportation. If you’re looking for an over-the-top wedding, it’s important that you have the showstopper entrance to match it.
From extravagant helicopter arrivals, vintage wedding cars, to a traditional horse and carriage, there are many transportation options to choose from on your big day. With over 100 acres of parkland and gardens and 22 acres of woodland, Ladywood Estate is well suited for any grand entrance.
On the morning of the wedding, it can be a nice surprise to gift your bride-to-be with a thoughtful gift, prior to the ceremony. Whilst it doesn’t have to be an expensive or lavish gift, it can be a simple letter or flowers to make the day even more magical for your bride.
For any groom, it’s important to prepare your outfit(s) several days before the wedding so that everything is prepared and ready to go. For Indian grooms, this is considerably more important, with possible different elements to the outfit, including the dupatta, turban, safa and kalgi, to name just a few. With any of these items missing, the outfit can look incomplete.
Clothes worn to an Asian wedding do require some coordination and planning as you might want your outfit to compliment your bride’s outfit. Most importantly, do make sure that anything you wear to your Indian wedding is comfortable. As much as you might not want to, be sure to try on each of your outfits, making sure that everything fits comfortably and that nothing is itchy or poorly fitted.
Planning your wedding speech is arguably one of the most daunting moments of your wedding, particularly if you aren’t very familiar with public speaking. Your speech doesn’t have to be long, it can be light-hearted, fun and heart-warming. Most of all, just remember who you should thank and don’t forget to mention “my wife/husband” in your speech!
It’s important to thank your guests for attending your wedding, as well as thanking your family, groomsmen and even the bridal party for their help in making the special day possible.
Prior to the wedding, you should begin to plan your hair and beauty treatments. Trimming your beard, having a sharp haircut and having clean, white teeth before the big day will ensure you’re looking your best and ready for all wedding photos and videos.
A manicure and pedicure is probably something you are unlikely to consider doing before your wedding day. For a groom, you’ll most likely be barefoot during the day of your wedding and days prior for various religious and social events especially if you're having Raas Garba at your Sangeet. This is why you should pay extra attention to your manicure and pedicure routine, and if you haven’t visited a salon before, you might be worried or embarrassed about going for the first time.
However, one thing to remember is that it isn’t just the bride who should endure the necessary hair and beauty treatments before the big day, the groom also needs to look his best! Take your groomsmen or best man with you if you’d feel more comfortable, or attend with your bride for some pre-wedding bonding time!
As the groom, you should naturally have the mindset to impress the family of your bride and maintain a good impression throughout the wedding, and of course in general.
With many religions against drinking alcohol, some are more relaxed. If you’ve decided to drink alcohol at your wedding, it’s crucial to remember to know your limits. You should limit how much you drink, and don’t get too drunk. Your wedding day is a day you should always remember, so be sure to be respectful if you’re drinking.
When arranging gifts for your in-laws, you should make sure you have a budget in mind and plan carefully for which gifts you give to whom. Many couples gift their in-laws with flowers and personalised gifts, choosing significant gifts which add a personal touch to the wedding day will truly be appreciated by your new family.
If you’ve been to many Indian weddings in the past, you’ll understand how many Indian wedding traditions and rituals there are. With Indian weddings sometimes lasting several days, there will only be limited time to follow these traditions.
One thing to remember is that it can sometimes be impossible to follow all of the traditions expected on your wedding day. If you decide not to follow any wedding traditions, you should still make sure to be respectful of them and try to participate in traditions that are meaningful to your religion and your family.
With any wedding, you’ll most likely have family travelling from afar. For this reason, you’ll need to make sure you’re courteous towards all guests and find time to thank them for attending your special day.
Whether it’s catching up with family members you haven’t seen in a long time, or creating personalised gifts for each of your guests. With most Indian weddings having an average of 500 plus wedding guests, you should take the time to welcome them and thank them for attending your wedding day.
After most weddings, the married couple typically embarks on a honeymoon to celebrate their marriage and share some time together following the celebrations. We often see grooms planning the honeymoon, or, if the honeymoon is planned for later on, the groom will plan a ‘minimoon’ which is typically in advance of the longer honeymoon to be taken at a later date.
Here at Ladywood Estate, we can make sure you have the perfect setting for a traditional Hindu Wedding. Ladywood Estate embraces all faiths and traditions. The Orangery offers a magical setting for your ceremony and The Pavilion for dining and dancing the night away.
We offer one, two or three days of celebrations – the choice is yours. Get in touch today!
If you’d like to find out more about Asian weddings, please take a visit to our
wedding guides
page, where you’ll find some helpful checklists or guides explaining more about religious weddings customs and rituals.
