Indian Wedding Traditions Explained: A Visual Guide from Haldi to Vidaai
- Saptapadi Studio
- Aug 5
- 4 min read
Every ritual, every emotion — here’s what makes Indian weddings unforgettable.
✨ Introduction: More Than a Wedding — It’s a Celebration of Culture, Family, and Love
Indian weddings are not just one-day events — they’re multi-day experiences full of emotion, color, laughter, and deep-rooted tradition. And for couples planning a destination wedding in Mexico, it’s a chance to honor those customs while sharing them with guests from around the world.
Whether your celebration is Hindu, Sikh, or beautifully blended, this guide will walk you through the key Indian wedding traditions — from pre-wedding rituals to the emotional farewell — so every guest can feel informed, included, and inspired.
At Saptapadi Studio, we’ve photographed countless Indian weddings across Mexico, and we’re excited to take you on a visual journey through these meaningful moments.
🌼 1. Haldi Ceremony
Blessings, laughter, and turmeric everywhere
The Haldi is a joyful pre-wedding ritual where a yellow turmeric-based paste is applied to the bride and groom’s face, neck, hands, and feet by family and friends. Traditionally believed to cleanse the skin and ward off evil, the Haldi also brings vibrant energy and lots of fun — think flower petals, playful splashes, and yellow outfits all around.
📸 Photographer tip: These moments are full of candid emotion and bold color — perfect for storytelling.
💃 2. Mehndi Ceremony
Art, patience, and celebration — with a modern twist
The Mehndi marks the start of the festivities. Traditionally, the bride sits for hours while intricate henna designs are drawn on her hands and feet, symbolizing joy, beauty, and love. But modern destination weddings are changing things up.
👰 Today: Most brides have their bridal mehndi done the day before the events begin — privately in their suite — while guests receive simpler henna designs during the Sangeet night. It keeps the schedule light and lets guests enjoy the art in a fun social setting.
📸 We love capturing detailed mehndi close-ups once the stain sets — usually the morning of the wedding.
🎶 3. Sangeet Night
Let the dancing begin!
The Sangeet is the ultimate pre-wedding celebration. This is the night when both families come together for performances, dance-offs, singing, and heartfelt speeches. Think choreographed family dances, colorful outfits, delicious food, and dhol beats that keep the energy sky-high.
💃 It’s your chance to bring Bollywood to Mexico.🎥 Don’t skip video coverage — this is where love and laughter come alive on stage.
🐎 4. Baraat
The groom’s grand entrance
The Baraat is a joyous procession where the groom (and sometimes the bride too!) arrives in full celebration — traditionally on a horse, though we’ve seen everything from vintage cars to boats. Friends and family dance around him to the rhythm of the dhol, celebrating his arrival at the ceremony site.
🎶 Expect music, sunglasses, and full dance party vibes before the vows even begin.
🔥 5. Wedding Ceremony
The sacred center of it all
Every Indian wedding ceremony is unique depending on the couple’s background and beliefs. Here’s a quick breakdown of the most common formats we’ve photographed:
Hindu Ceremony (Shaadi)
Takes place under a mandap, often facing the ocean. Includes meaningful rituals like:
Kanyadaan – giving away the bride
Mangal Pheras – circling the sacred fire
Sindoor & Mangalsutra – signs of marriage
Sikh Ceremony (Anand Karaj)
Usually held in a gurdwara or symbolic indoor setup. The couple walks around the Guru Granth Sahib while hymns (Shabads) are sung.
Fusion or Multicultural Ceremonies
More and more couples are blending traditions — combining vows, rituals, prayers, or personal touches that represent both backgrounds in one meaningful experience.
🪷 No matter the format, the heart of the ceremony is love, unity, and family.
🥹 6. Vidaai
The emotional farewell
The Vidaai is one of the most emotional moments of any Indian wedding — when the bride bids farewell to her family as she begins her new life. It symbolizes a daughter leaving her childhood home and stepping into a new journey with her partner.
In destination weddings, the vidaai is often symbolic — walking to a vintage car, a romantic boat, or simply a heartfelt hug with parents before heading back to the suite.
📷 This is when we slow down and capture the quiet, powerful moments — tears, smiles, blessings, and new beginnings
📸 Final Thoughts from Saptapadi Studio
Indian weddings aren’t just beautiful — they’re layered, emotional, and alive with meaning. Every event, from Haldi to Vidaai, tells a story that goes beyond the visuals. As photographers and videographers, our mission is to capture that story honestly — the laughter, the chaos, the quiet tears, and the deep connections.
We’ve documented these traditions across Mexico, and we’d be honored to do the same for you.
Planning your Indian wedding in Mexico?Let’s tell your story — from the first splash of Haldi to the final farewell.👉 Contact us to inquire about your date →👉 Explore our venue guides for Indian weddings in Mexico →
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