The Significance of Wedding Garlands in Indian Weddings

In many Indian cultures, the exchange of garlands occurs quite early in the wedding ceremony. When the bride and groom meet on the wedding stage or mandap, they take turns exchanging garlands around each other's necks. This act symbolizes their mutual agreement to get married and accept each other as life partners. It often becomes a very playful moment because friends and family lift the bride or groom up to make it even more fun and lighthearted.
Significance of Wedding Garlands

The garland itself was rich in significance. Prepared from some of the freshest flowers like roses, jasmine, or marigolds, each flower symbolizes something different. While roses spoke for love and passion, jasmine spoke of purity. Marigold is the symbol of good fortune and prosperity. Therefore, while wearing these garlands, the bride and the groom accepted the blessing for a happy, harmonious, and prosperous life together.

Flowers have also, from time immemorial in Hinduism,  been used in rituals as a representation of love and pure love offered to the divine. It is therefore considered an offering during the wedding to each other by the couple and to the divine presence among them.
Contemporary Applications

While the garland tradition is made out of fresh flowers, in the contemporary era, modern couples often opt for an intricately unique garland style featuring pearls, crystals, or even silk flowers to suit their chosen theme. As these have changed through time and along the fashion curve,  the heart of the garland remains the same: it still involves unity,  love, and respect.

In that regard, wedding garlands are truly so much more than just some flowery trinket to append; they are an ageless symbol of love, unity, and mutual love during Indian weddings.