As some of you may know, we both share a unique heritage: Our mothers are both Punjabi Sikhs and our fathers are both Hindus.

In the spirit of both of our backgrounds, we first celebrated the start of our journey with a traditional Punjabi Sikh roka ceremony in Delhi in December 2024. As we look forward to our wedding, we have chosen to follow a traditional Hindu ceremony.

You may ask, what goes into a traditional Hindu wedding? From delicious food and lively dancing to dazzling outfits and grand decorations, Hindu weddings are a celebration like no other. This overview of some of the events and traditions will be your guide to everything - from rituals to fashion - so that you can join the celebrations!

The first day of Hindu weddings feature a Mehendi ceremony with intricate henna designs, mingling, and dancing. This is followed by the high-energy sangeet where the bride's friends and family compete with the groom's friends and family with singing and dance performances! Bring your energy and be ready to dance!

The second day begins with traditional rituals overseen by our family elders. Malika will start her morning by wearing her "Chooda" - a set of bangles that symbolize new beginnings, love, and prosperity. She then will have a Haldi to receive blessings and celebrate her joyful transition into marriage. Prateek will have a similar morning where he has a Haldi followed by a "Gharoli" to cleanse himself and receive blessings ahead of the wedding. We'll have a traditional Goan lunch with its unique flavors and dishes to fuel everyone up for the non-stop celebrations that follow!

The wedding ceremony will begin as Prateek dons a "Sehra" and is joined by all of his family and friends as they (slowly) parade to the wedding venue, complete with many breaks for dancing. The procession will then meet the bride's family as part of the "Milni" before the bride and groom exchange garlands during the "Jaimala" and then perform the sacred rituals and "Pheras" where they are married. Afterwards, you'll join the couple for a celebratory dinner and more dancing!