On the day of the wedding, the groom is welcomed by the mother-in-law in a ceremony called Pokavu (arrival of the groom). She tries to pinch his nose to remind him playfully that he will have to rub his nose on the door to ask for her daughter. After this the Jaimala (exchange of garlands) takes place. The first Jaimala takes place at the entrance of the wedding hall, symbolizing the couples’ formal acceptance of each other. The second Jaimala takes place under the mandap (wedding tent).

While the groom is sitting under the mandap the ‘Madhuparka’ is performed where his feet are washed and he is fed milk and honey. The bride is then brought to the mandap by her maternal uncle in a ceremony called Kanyaagaman when the antarpat is lowered so that the couple again exchange garlands (2^nd Jaimala).

Now is the time for the bride to be given away in a ritual known as Kanyadaan or Hasta Milap. Varmala has been added to the wedding ceremony in which the parents and other relatives of the bride place an auspicious cord around the necks of the couple to protect them from evil influences.

Unlike many other Hindu weddings, there are only four pheras called the Mangalpheras (steps around the sacred fire by the couple) in Gujarati wedding, where the pheras symbolize the four basic human goals of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.

The Sapta Padi or the seven guidelines (vows) for married life, are then recited by the couple while the groom helps the bride touch seven betel nuts with her right toe.

Once the wedding rituals have been completed, the couple take blessings from their elders by touching their feet.

After Vidaai or the moment when the parents give away their daughter, the newly weds return to the groom’s house. The groom’s mother then welcomes her daughter-in-law as Ghar-ki-Laxmi.