Wedding is a dream coming true for every individual. It is the day that every individual looks forward to. Weddings are celebrated in different ways in different religions. Hindu and Punjabi weddings are full of fun and excitement while Muslim and Christian weddings are simple and sober. Buddhist weddings display simplicity and elegance.

Buddhist weddings involve very little rituals and are strongly governed by faith. Hence Buddhist wedding is not considered as a religious act. There is no particular pattern of Buddhist marriages. Some couples prefer register marriage in court while some perform it in tradition style i.e. in the Buddhist temple.

Buddhist weddings take in two forms, one includes the Buddhist component and the other non-Buddhist component. In the first form prayers and gifts are offered to the almighty and the monk. The non-Buddhist component includes traditional practices that are carried out by the couple’s family. These practices include offering prayer in spirit house, organizing lavish feast and exchanging gifts with each other.

The first and the foremost wedding practice involve matching of the horoscopes. This is an important phase in every Buddhist wedding. Once the horoscopes are matched, an auspicious day for the wedding is decided by the lama and the groom’s family. The priest then recites prayers and a holy drink is served.

Buddhist wedding ceremonies are carried out in the temple. Firstly the couple is asked to bow in front of the Buddha’s image. Incense stick and candles are lighted and the couple offers prayers to the Almighty. These prayers are recited either in English or in Pali. Loop of strings are put on their head by their parents. This is believed to unite the couple. The monks are offered flowers, food, sweets etc. by the couple. They then exchange vows with each other. Parents and guests bless the newlywed couple.  A red paste is applied on the forehead of the bride and the groom.

In olden days, monks were forbidden from attending marriage ceremonies since they were present in funerals. Including them in wedding ceremony was considered a bad omen. Nowadays Buddhist weddings have gone through many changes. The ceremonies involved in Buddhist wedding these days are elaborate. Monks are now included in wedding ceremonies. We get a chance to witness modern ideas with traditional values in Buddhist weddings.