Hindu Wedding:

The Wedding Date is Determined in the Stars; Before the wedding, an auspicious time (known as the muhurta) is fixed for the event. Using the bride and groom’s dates of birth, astrologists calculate the position of planets and stars to reflect the celestial union of the couple. During the ceremony, the gautra of both bride and groom (going back at least three generations) are announced. A gautra is the ancestral lineage or the ancestor’s original clan (this is not related to caste or religion). In Hindu law, marriages should not take place within the same clan.

 

Matikore:

The matikore or dig dutty as it is popularly called in Guyana is essentially prayers to Mother Earth or Dharti puja and is done two days prior to the wedding. ‘Matti’ means earth and ‘kor’ means digging. The same rites are done separately at the homes of the bride and groom. At the bride’s home, her mother wends her way to a clean spot some distance from their home and to the accompaniment of the tassa drums and traditional songs offer prayers for the fertility and prosperity of her daughter’s marriage. Matikore has traditionally been dominated by the female family members. After applying sindoor, (the mark of married women) to the foreheads of the married women assembled there, female relatives would hoist the tray aloft after collecting a small sample of earth to take to the home for the puja. At her home, the bride traditionally garbed in yellow, symbolizing fertility, sits with the pandit and performs puja. She receives a protective thread or raksha sutra on her wrist and the hardi or dye is blessed. The dye which is said to have restorative, cleansing and beautifying powers is smeared on the bodies of bride and groom after the matikore.

 

Sangeet Ceremony:

There’s a Pre-Party Called the Sangeet a Few Days before the Wedding
Prior to the actual the wedding, there’s a pre-party called the sangeet where family comes together to sing, dance and revel in the joy of the upcoming union. The remainder of the evening is filled with wedding music and dance as the ladies. Tassa has always been the main form of music although many persons have added recorded music to the entertainment. Family members even give performances! The bride’s family sings a traditional folk song to the groom’s family to welcome them.

 
Mehendi Ceremony:

Elaborate mehndi nights even before the matikor are now trendy.  Female friends and relatives of the bride are invited to her home where they reminisce on their childhood, tease her, sing, dance and make merry. Someone skilled in applying the mehendi applies intricate designs on the bride’s hands and feet and even on her friends. With new technology mehendi paste can be bought in tubes or cones, making it easy to apply. Stick-on mehndi tattoos are also fashionable! The artist applying the mehndi to the bride’s hands carefully weaves the groom’s name among the designs telling the blushing bride that the groom has to find all the letters of his name on her wedding day. She is expected to keep the paste on for many  hours as it has been said the brighter the colour on the hands the more the bride will be loved by her husband.

The Bride’s Hands and Feet Are Adorned with Henna Paint During a Mehndi Ceremony
During the mehndi ceremony, which also takes place in Muslim weddings, henna is used to apply intricate designs to the bride’s hands and feet. The mehndi ceremony usually takes place one day before the marriage will be held, as the application can take hours.

  

Wedding Ceremony:

The Couple Weds Under a Mandap
The wedding mandap is a temporary structure constructed for the purpose of the marriage ceremony. It may appear on an elevated platform, and is decorated with anything from flowers and greenery to fabric and crystals.
The Bride and Groom’s Garments are Tied Together as They Circle a Fire.
The saptapadi is an important ritual in North Indian Hindu weddings. During the saptapadi, the bride and groom have their garments tied together. In South India, the couple walks seven steps together to signify their friendship. In North Indian tradition, they make seven circles around a ceremonial fire, each round signifying a specific blessing they request of the gods. The main significance of saptapadi is establishing friendship, which is the basis of a Hindu marriage.
Red Powder is applied to the Bride’s Hair, Signifying She is Married
Sindoor, a red-orange powder, is applied to the part of a woman’s hair, symbolizes her new status as a married woman and is applied to her hair during the ceremony.
Cords Are Tied to the Wrists of the Bride and Groom During Raksha Bandhan.
Cords are tied to the wrists of both the bride and the groom. Marriage is considered to be an arduous stage in life, and the cords are meant as protection.