The first step towards the Gujarati wedding is match making. The parents are the one to look for the partners of their son or daughter. The father has to begin to look the husband of his daughter when he comes of age. Normally the culture requires that the boy see each other before the marriage and they are the ones to decide if the marriage has to go on or not. If the marriage is to take place, then there are important steps that have to be followed before the girls are taken to his husband home. The rituals performed begin before the wedding, during the wedding itself and after the wedding.
The second step towards the marriage is to perform the first ceremony meant to chase away evil spirit and any other obstacle that may take place during the wedding. Both families perform the ceremony at their own. After this the prayers session known as the Graham Shanty will take place on the places of both groom and bride. During this ceremony the horoscope of the couple are matched to ensure the compatibility. After the first two ceremonies, the third one is for the groom to go to the house of the bride to ask his mother in-law blessings. This ceremony is known as Jaan and the groom has to bow down and to clutch the nose down. This is to show humility and to show that he understands the sacrifice of the mother to give her daughter.
After the pre-wedding rituals, then come the wedding rituals. In the Antarpaat wedding ritual the uncle of the bride will have to take the bride to the groom and both will be given garlands to wrap on the necks. During the Madhuparka the groom is given milk and honey and the sister-in- laws hide the shoes. He has to get back his shoes after offering the money that they ask him.
After this the groom scarf and the shawl will be attached to the bride’s sari and when they join together their hands it will be a symbol of joining together their souls. The family members bless the couple by showering them with the rose petals and the rice.
After the above, the acharya has to perform the Kanya Daan in front of the sacred fire. The parents of the girls have to abstain from eating to be pure when they perform this ritual. During the pheras, the couple goes around the sacred fire and the acharya will be chanting the mantras. Another important step is the Saptapadi where the couple has to go around the holy fire seven times.
The last steps in the wedding are the post wedding ritual: the reception, Ghar Nu Laxmin and Aeki beki. The reception takes place immediately after the wedding. The family gives their wedding gifts while they partake on wedding meals. The Ghar Nu laxmi is the ritual to welcome the bride in her new home. Aeki Beki is the game played to end the wedding rituals.