Your Hindu Wedding Venue Guide

Hindu weddings are beautiful celebrations of love, family and tradition. Every couple we meet has different heritages, cultures and preferences, which means that every wedding is unique.

For most couples, it can be overwhelming to even think about where and how to start the wedding planning process. There seems to be a never-ending list of elements that need to be researched, planned, booked and paid for up until the very last second before your guests arrive on the day. So for any couple who are in the “Where do we even start?” state of mind at the very start, we’re here to help. We’ve detailed below what you need to do at each step of your journey and our top industry tips on how to manage yourselves and the day itself!

Every Hindu wedding is different depending on the couple’s preferences, their family heritage and their own wedding traditions. But there are key parts to Hindu weddings that we see often. Below, we have noted down those key parts and their significance throughout the day.

In the Hindu culture, the pre-wedding celebrations are just as important as the wedding day itself, which is why multi-day wedding venue hire is a popular choice for couples. During the week leading up to the wedding day, couples and their loved ones will often host Haldi and Mehndi ceremonies as well as a Sangeet celebration. The Haldi is a vibrant ritual that involves applying a bright yellow turmeric paste to the bride and groom, which cleanses and purifies them before their big day. The Mehndi ceremony sees the bride having her hands and feet decorated with intricate henna tattoos to symbolise spiritual awakening, beauty and joy. The Sangeet is a pre-wedding festival-style event that involves lots of music, singing and dancing. This vibrant get-together is held to celebrate the union of the two families.

On the wedding day itself, you will likely see the Baraat/Jaan kick off the wedding celebrations. This is an elaborate procession that involves the groom, his family and his close friends dancing their way up to the entrance of the venue. This symbolises the groom’s joyous journey to his bride with his loved ones by his side. They are then greeted by the bride’s family, also known as the Milni, as a sign of acceptance of the marriage and the new family bonds.

A Hindu wedding comprises many different rituals and ceremonies, each holding its own beautiful meanings. To mark the start of the Hindu wedding ceremony, the bride & groom will exchange flower garlands, also known as the Jaimala/Varmala, to represent their acceptance of each other as life partners. The bride’s parents may also give their daughter away through a ritual known as Kanyadaan, which involves placing their daughter’s hand on the groom’s and running water through their fingers.

After the Kanyadaan, the couple are connected by a scarf (Hastmelap) and the Agni (a small fire) is lit for the couple to offer their prayers to the Hindu god of fire. They will circle the fire as part of the Saptapadi (7 circles) or Mangal Fera (4 circles) ritual to represent either the 7 principles or the 4 Pheras. The number of circles is dependent on the couple’s heritage and family traditions. The Saptapadi/Mangal Fera is one of the most significant elements of the Hindu wedding. After this, couples may also partake in Kalasha, Laaja Homam, Kansar Bhakshan and Ashirwad.

When looking for a venue for your wedding celebrations, it’s important to note down the elements that are most important to you and your partner. Guest numbers, onsite accommodation options, venue facilities and flexibility, location and style are all questions that you will need to ask yourselves and your venue when it comes to visits.

For many couples who are celebrating a Hindu wedding, it’s always recommended to research or enquire about the use of a live fire for the Agni Pooja during the ceremony. Many venues having restrictions around using fire, with some not permitting it all.

Your venue’s adaptability is also a point to consider. Firstly, has the venue hosted a Hindu wedding before, do they know what to expect and can they provide any guidance? Secondly, are they willing to be flexible and adapt to suit your Hindu celebrations and its culture, can the timings for your day be adjusted and do they permit external caterers? Choosing a dry hire venue can be especially beneficial for couples who want to bring in their own caterers and suppliers, allowing for greater customisation and control over your event.

The third most important factor to discuss with your venue is the space. If you’re looking to invite 300 + of your loved ones to your special day(s), it’s crucial to check that the venue can actually accommodate that many! You will also need to think about your Mandap and entertainment set-up, will there be enough space for these and for the number of guests you are hoping for? Exclusive-use venues are particularly appealing for those seeking privacy and a personalised experience, as they ensure the entire property is reserved just for your event.

Oakley Hall is one of Hampshire’s largest wedding venues, accommodating up to 350 guests in the luxury Garden Pavilion. Our independently-owned manor home, located in the beautiful Hampshire countryside, offers you the flexibility and freedom to choose how you want to spend your big day. Our team will work around you and your timings, whilst respecting your cultural traditions and rituals.

For Hindu weddings, it’s essential that all elements to the day can be catered for by your venue. Oakley Hall is an elegant, experienced and well-equipped wedding venue that can meet the requirements of Hindu weddings.

Oakley Hall is a jaw-dropping venue that can confidently host your Hindu wedding ceremonies and rituals. Our manor home’s 500m long driveway and porte cochère grand entrance sets the perfect setting for your Baraat and Milni ceremony. Grooms have certainly made the most of our driveway in the past for their grand entrances with a parade of luxury cars with Dhol drums beating alongside!

But it’s not just the breath-taking exterior of Oakley Hall that makes our venue perfect for Hindu wedding celebrations. The large capacity Garden Pavilion, which can host up to 350 of your loved ones, has a ‘black canvas’ style interior, private facilities for your caterers and ample space for your Mandaps. The permanent marquee structure is fitted with high-quality light grey carpets and white draping fabric & colour-changing LED fairy lights on the ceiling – making it unarguably the ideal canvas for you to create the wedding day of your dreams. The pavilion has a maximum height of just under 4m, which gives you more options for Mandaps! Throughout our years of hosting Hindu weddings, we have seen a beautiful array of colour schemes in the Garden Pavilion, from royal blue & silver to deep burgundy & gold.

The team at Oakley Hall are flexible with your choice of your caterers. Couples are welcome to hire an Oakley Hall pre-approved caterer or they can hire their own choice of caterers. The Garden Pavilion features its very own private kitchen and bar for your caterers to use on the day. The kitchen is fully equipped to cater to larger guest numbers and allows your caterers to work their magic without the worry of cross-contamination from other areas of the hotel.

Planning your Hindu wedding will be a time-consuming and overwhelming process for many. We would always recommend consulting with a Pundit to determine your auspicious dates at least 12 months in advance. Once these dates are confirmed, you can set your wedding budget, book your venue and book your caterers. Having an idea of guest numbers is a useful piece of information to have at the start of your wedding planning journey as it will determine your total budget, venue and caterers.

Once these key elements are booked, you can start researching and booking your other vendors, including entertainment, décor companies, photographers and videographers. These suppliers can get booked up quickly, so it’s best to book these at least 9 months before the wedding day.

When researching suppliers, you’ll come across so many different companies that offer very similar products. We would recommend doing extensive research before signing on the dotted line – meet with the caterers/suppliers, sample their product (if applicable) and look at previous customer reviews. You can also ask around to see if your family, friends or even your venue have worked with them before.

The Agni Puja ceremony is one of the most intimate moments of Hindu weddings, but it also holds fire and safety risks for you, your guests and the venue. It’s absolutely crucial that your Pandit provides you and the venue with evidence of their Public Liability Insurance. This is also the same for other suppliers present at your wedding. All details for supplier safety requirements and documentation can be found here.

In the UK, your marriage will only be legally binding if it is conducted by a registrar and held in a building that holds a civil ceremony license. It really is your choice on how you’d like to include this within your celebrations. Some couples choose to have both their legal ceremony and Hindu ceremony on the same day or over the same weekend, whereas some prefer to have a legal ceremony on a completely separate date.

Many couples choose to host their Hindu wedding celebrations across multiple days. Whether this is all Hindu ceremonies, including pre-wedding rituals, or a combination of Western and Hindu celebrations. With plenty of onsite accommodation, the large capacity Garden Pavilion, the additional function spaces and the extensive gardens, it’s easy to see why multi-day hire is a popular choice for Oakley Hall couples.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your multi-day Hindu wedding, here’s what we’ve seen previously with our couples:

Day 1:
PRE-WEDDING CELEBRATIONS
Milni ceremony & Sangeet celebrations

Day 2:
THE CIVIL & RECEPTION
Civil ceremony
Drinks Reception
Wedding Breakfast
Evening celebrations

Day 3:
THE HINDU CEREMONY & CELEBRATIONS
Baraat/Jaan & Milni
Vivaha Sanskar ceremony (including the Jaimala/Varmala, Kanyadaan, Vivah Homa and Saptapadi/Mangal Fera)
The wedding feast
Vidai

Between your days of celebrations, you and your guests can enjoy a luxury overnight stay in one of our beautiful bedrooms or suites. Oakley Hall has 4 standards of bedrooms to choose from, in addition to a three-bedroom Garden Cottage, which is tucked away within our gardens. For preparation, the bride, groom and their parties are welcome to use the Whitchurch Suite, which is fitted with 3 light-up vanity mirrors, a cosy seating area, a curtained off dressing area and Sonos speakers.