Utmost care is taken in the delicate matter of an alliance so that the alliance is perfect. First, the status of the families have to be at par, the Rajput clan must be taken into consideration since the bride and the groom should hail from separate clans. Then, the horoscopes have to be matched and tallied by the family astrologer. Rajputs, as a rule should marry only within the community. 

The official (engagement) ceremony takes place at the groom's house. Only the bride’s father, brother and other close relatives attend this ceremony. This is a strictly all male affair. No ladies, not even the bride, accompany the men folk for the tika. The ceremony is so called because the bride’s brother actually applies a tilak to the groom’s forehead and makes the alliance or engagement official. A sword, other presents, clothes, fruits, sweets etc., are offered to the groom.

Ganapati Sthapna & Griha Shanti 
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Ganapati Sthapna and Griha Shanti ceremony is the second most important ceremony performed usually a few days prior to the wedding. Exchanging of rings does not take place in Rajput weddings. A havan is performed by the groom or bride’s parents to propitiate the gods and an idol of Lord Ganapati is installed. All ceremonies commence only after the Ganapati Sthapana (installation). 

Pithi Dastoor 
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Pithi Dastoor ceremony follows which involves the bride/groom and continues until the day of the wedding. The actual ceremony consists of application of turmeric and sandal wood paste to the bride/ groom who cannot leave the house once the pithi starts. The pithi dastoor at the bride’s house is an elaborate affair. The bride dresses in an orange poshak (Rajasthani dress) and is then brought under a silken canopy, which is held with the help of swords at the four corners by four ladies who must belong to the same clan as the bride. She is brought to the ladies gathering, who then apply the paste to her. A similar ceremony takes place at the groom’s place as well, although it is not that elaborate. Dholans (women singers with dholak) sing auspicious pre-wedding songs while the ceremony is in progress. Throughout the wedding celebrations, the dholans are omnipresent, along with the Shehnai and the Nagara players, though the latter remain in the courtyard or the garden. 

Mehfils
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Mehfils are an integral part of every Rajasthani wedding. It is usually held in the evenings, they are again segregated into the 'ladies mehfil' and the 'gents mehfil'. At the ladies’ mehfil, all the womenfolk gather at a central place in an enclosed courtyard or hall. Dressed in dazzling dresses, they perform the ghoomar (a special dance done in a group). The bride at the mehfil is given an important position to sit and watch the proceedings. She may join the dancing occasionally, but protocol demands that she should not over indulge in the dancing. If the ladies’ mehfil is in progress at the groom’s house, then only the groom is privileged to attend the all women affair. Of course, the men have their own mehfil, where singers perform and these are strictly all male parties.

Mahira Dastoor
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The Mahira Dastoor is yet another important ceremony, common to both the bride and the groom’s families. This ceremony is performed by the maternal uncle of the groom/bride, who, along with his wife and family, arrives with much fanfare, and is received by the bride/groom’s mother with the traditional welcome. The uncle then distributes clothes, jewellery, sweets etc, to the entire family. The ceremony signifies that since at the time of a wedding there is considerable expenditure, it is the duty of the brother to help his sister at her child’s wedding.

Janev 
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The Janev ceremony, where the sacred thread is given to the would be groom on the eve of his becoming the house-holder. The janev is given only to men. The groom has to be dressed in saffron robes like an ascetic and perform a havan before wearing the thread. The significance of saffron robes is that the groom now has two choices before him; either he renounces the world and becomes an ascetic, or he accepts the institution of marriage and its responsibilities. After the havan is completed and the thread given, the groom has to make a mock attempt to run from the chains of marriage while the maternal uncle must catch him and convince his nephew into accepting marriage. 

Palla Dastoor
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On the day of the actual wedding, or maybe a day prior to it, the Palla Dastoor is brought in by a few of the groom’s relatives, accompanied by family retainers, to the bride’s house. The palla dastoor consists of clothes, jewellery and gifts from the groom, which the bride has to wear during the wedding ceremony. This particular custom is typical to the Rajputs. The traditional Rajasthani poshak or wedding dress is usually red in colour, but it could also be orange, gold, yellow, or pink. In certain Rajput clans, a bright parrot green is also worn. The jewellery consists of the rakhri (a circular piece of jewellery for the forehead), danglers for the ears, the timaniyaan (a choker studded with uncut diamonds) the chooda (a set of ivory and gold bangles), the bajuband or gold and stone-studded armlets, gold anklets and the bichhiya or gold toe-rings for the feet, and the nath or the stone-studded nose-ring. 

Baraat
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A Rajput baraat consists entirely of male members. The bridegroom is usually dressed in a gold achkan, with an orange turban and a churidar or jodhpurs with jootis. On the turban he wears a serpech, a piece of jewellery specially meant for the turban. Around the neck he wears a necklace and around the waist he ties a cummerband. Of course, variations in styles and colours prevail. The baraat members also must wear achkans or sherwanis with jodhpurs and safas – colourful turbans. The procession to the bride’s house looks rather regal as there is absolutely no dancing on the streets by the baraatis. In fact, all members, including the groom who rides an elephant or a horse, carry swords. 

As soon as the actual wedding ceremony begins the groom is taken inside to the ladies section where he is received by the bride’s mother with the traditional aarti, and then taken to the mandap to perform the actual wedding rituals. The bridegroom has to be accompanied only by a male member of the family, either a married relative or his younger brother or a younger male cousin. 

The wedding ceremony is similar to a Hindu wedding. However, the bride must keep her face covered throughout the wedding ceremony. 

While the wedding is in progress, the baraat is entertained outside by the bride’s male family members. Therefore, it is mostly the women members of the bride’s family who attend the wedding ceremony. Ceremonies and other rituals, including the bidai, are similar to other Hindu marriages. However at the time of the bidai, a coconut is placed under the wheel of the car before the bride lifts her veil for the husband after the wedding. At this stage, the groom usually gives a piece of jewellery to his bride. 

After the bride reaches the groom's place Grihapravesh takes place. The bride still wears the veil while the puja and other ceremonies take place. A few games are played between the bride and the groom. They are also common to other Hindu weddings. The day following the grihapravesh, the pagelagni takes place. This is a ceremony where the bride, still in veil, is formally introduced to all the family members of the groom who bless her and give her gifts. The veil is then finally removed