The Indian wedding encompasses many traditions and rituals which make it very unique. A wedding starts with some fun and traditional pre-wedding ceremonies like Roka, Mehendi, Haldi, and Sangeet. All these functions culminate in the wedding ceremony that is one of the most memorable days for a bride and her parents. Bidai signifies the end of all the fun and traditional ceremonies. It marks the beginning of a new journey for the bride by leaving her paternal home.

During the bridal ceremony, all the family, friends, and relatives gather to bid farewell to the newlywed bride. As the bride leaves her home, her father accompanies her to the car or Doli along with her newlywed husband and requests him to take care of her for the rest of his life. It is truly the most emotional time for everyone, especially the bride and her family. 

Let’s look at some customs and other aspects that make a bidai special yet emotional.

Customs

One of the most common customs in the Hindu tradition is to throw back three handfuls of rice mixed with some coins. The significance of this tradition is that by throwing rice and coins, the girl is supposed to be repaying her parents for all the years they took care of her. 

But why use rice?

Rice is considered to be a symbol of prosperity in Hindu customs. So by throwing back the rice, the bride also meant to ensure that her parental home is always prospering even after she leaves. And since a girl is seen as a representation of Goddess Laxmi, this custom makes it more significant.

Doli

We just talked about the father dropping his daughter at the car or the Doli at the time of bidai. This doli is very beautifully decorated with either flowers or drapes. The trendier versions are the ones that are open on all sides. If one is using a car, you must have seen them decorated with an assortment of flowers as well. Even though the doli had once gone out of fashion, it’s making a comeback. Here are some of the designs that you can use:

Songs

Songs are an integral part of any event. They help us bring out our emotions with their lyrics. And Indian culture is such that you will find a song for any occasion. Be it folk or a Bollywood song, you have a variety to choose from. Recently we have seen some wonderful songs that have come up and perfectly suit the bidai atmosphere. We have listed 15 such songs, some are old yet are still relevant and some are latest and will make your eyes wet instantly.

Oldies

1. Babul Ki Duayein Leti Ja – Neel Kamal
2. Babul – Hum Apke He Kaun
3. Mehlon Ka Raja Mila – Raja Ki Aaygi Baraat
4. Babul Ka Yeh Ghar – Daata

Latest

1. Dilbaro – Raazi
2. Din Shagna Da – Phillauri 
3. Laadki- Sachin Jigar rendition on Coke Studio
4. Meri Laado – Jatinder Singh/My Wedding Story
5. Laadli by AR Rahman & Lata Mangeshkar – Raunaq
6. Heer from Jab Tak Hai Jaan
7. Babul – Neha Bhasin

1. Madhaniya – Neha Bhasin
2. Kehta Hai – Baabul
3. Kabira (Reprise/Encore) – Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
4. Channa Merya – Ae Dil Mushkil
5. Chal Le Chal – The Wedding Filmer

Enjoy all your wedding functions and the planning that goes behind it because this is once in a lifetime celebration where you’ll be the center of attraction in all the functions. This is the one time where you can spend the maximum time with your family and bask in the love that is showered on you from everyone. Even your siblings, whom you have fought with all your life, will not hesitate to show all the hidden love they have for you.

However, bidai doesn’t mean that you have to be emotional. Give a twist to this traditional and make it fun and bring a smile to everyone’s faces.

The @VenueMonk team wishes you the best of luck for the new journey that you’re about to embark on.