Banquet hall

A dedicated indoor venue used for weddings, receptions, parties, and corporate events — typically with built-in catering, AC, AV, and seating capacity ranging from 80 to 800 guests.

Kalyana mandapam

The Tamil term for a traditional South Indian marriage hall — typically operates on a two-shift system (morning muhurtham + evening reception) with in-house Brahmin catering.

Function hall

Bangalore and Hyderabad English term for a banquet hall — used interchangeably with banquet hall, often slightly more colloquial.

Marriage garden

An outdoor venue with covered or open-air space designed specifically for weddings — typically 200–1,500 guest capacity, used Nov–Feb to avoid monsoon and summer.

Mandap

The ceremonial canopy under which a traditional Hindu wedding is conducted — typically a four-pillared structure with floral decoration, central platform, and seating for the couple, parents, and priest.

Sangeet

A pre-wedding music-and-dance evening, originally a women-only Punjabi tradition, now mixed-gender and central to most North Indian weddings — features choreographed performances, DJ, and dance floor.

Mehendi

A pre-wedding ceremony where intricate henna designs are applied to the bride's hands and feet — typically a daytime women-centric event with music, snacks, and photography.

Haldi

A pre-wedding ritual where turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groom by family members for blessing and good luck — a vibrant, photogenic, daytime event.

Reception

The post-wedding celebration where the newly-married couple formally receives extended family, friends, and community — typically the largest event of the wedding sequence.

Cocktail night

A Western-influenced pre-wedding evening event focused on cocktails, standing-and-mingling, hors d'oeuvres, music, and light dancing — typically held a day before the wedding.

Muhurtham

An astrologically auspicious time window during which a Hindu wedding ceremony is performed — calculated based on the bride and groom's birth charts and the Hindu calendar.

Baraat

The groom's ceremonial procession to the wedding venue, traditionally including a brass band, dancing family and friends, and sometimes a decorated horse, elephant, or vintage car.

Pheras

The seven sacred circles a Hindu bride and groom take around the sacred fire (agni) during the wedding ceremony — each phera representing a vow for the marriage.

Kanyadaan

The Hindu wedding ritual where the bride's parents formally give her away to the groom — performed inside the mandap before the pheras, with prescribed mantras and offerings.

Shaadi

The colloquial Hindi/Urdu word for "wedding" — used across North India to refer to the entire wedding event sequence.

Farm house

A large private property with open land, accommodation, and event infrastructure rented for full-stay weddings (typically 2–3 days) — popular for destination-feel weddings without leaving the city.

Mehfil

A traditional Indo-Persian gathering for poetry, music, and conversation — historically central to Muslim and courtesan culture, now adapted as a pre-wedding event in some modern Indian weddings.

Engagement

The formal pre-wedding ceremony where the couple's families publicly announce the marriage and exchange rings — typically held weeks to months before the wedding.

Banquet-style seating

A seating arrangement using round tables for 8–12 guests each — the standard for Indian sit-down wedding dinners, reducing venue capacity by 30–40% vs theatre seating.

Per-plate pricing

The per-guest catering cost at Indian wedding venues — quoted separately for vegetarian and non-vegetarian menus, with non-veg typically ₹200–500 higher.

Jaymala

The Hindu wedding ritual where the bride and groom exchange floral garlands — symbolizing mutual acceptance and the start of their married life together.

Mangalsutra

The sacred necklace tied around the bride's neck by the groom during a Hindu wedding ceremony — symbolizing the marital bond.

Vidaai

The emotional post-wedding ceremony where the bride formally leaves her parents' home and family to begin her new life with the groom's family.

Anand karaj

The Sikh wedding ceremony — performed in front of the Guru Granth Sahib at a gurudwara — featuring four sacred hymns (laavan) sung while the couple circumambulates.

Nikah

The Islamic marriage contract ceremony — performed in front of a Qazi (officiant) and witnesses, with formal proposal, acceptance, and the mehr (gift to the bride).

Walima

The Islamic wedding reception, hosted by the groom's family the day after the Nikah — a celebratory feast for extended family, friends, and community.

Pellikoduku

The Telugu pre-wedding ceremony where the groom (pellikoduku) or bride (pellikuthuru) is formally prepared for the wedding — typically including a ceremonial bath and ritual blessings.

Pithi

The Gujarati equivalent of haldi — turmeric, sandalwood, and rose-water paste applied to the bride and groom by family for purification and good luck.

Aiburobhat

The Bengali pre-wedding ritual feast hosted by the bride's family the day before her wedding — featuring her favorite foods as the "last unmarried meal".

Gaye holud

The Bengali haldi equivalent — turmeric paste application ceremony, usually held in the morning of or day before the Bengali Hindu wedding.

Sappadu

The traditional Tamil multi-course vegetarian meal served on a banana leaf — central to Tamil Brahmin wedding catering and South Indian community feasts.

Big-fat wedding

An informal term for large-scale Indian weddings with 500-2,000+ guests, multi-day events, elaborate decor, premium catering, and total budgets typically ₹30 lakh to ₹5 crore+.

Destination wedding

A wedding held in a location away from the couple's home city — typically a resort, palace, or scenic destination requiring guests to travel and stay 2-3 nights.

Catering minimum

The minimum number of plates the venue requires you to pay for, regardless of actual guest attendance — a key contract clause that affects total wedding cost.

Inter-faith wedding

A wedding between partners of different religious faiths — often combining two ceremonial traditions, requiring careful venue selection that accommodates both.

Multi-cuisine catering

Wedding catering that spans 4+ cuisines (Indian, Continental, Chinese, Asian, Italian, etc.) — typical at premium Indian weddings serving guests with varied taste preferences.

Live counter

A wedding catering setup where food is cooked or assembled on-the-spot in front of guests — chaat, dosa, pasta, sushi, ice cream stations are most common.

Darbar Sahib

The ceremonial setup for the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book) at a Sikh wedding — a raised platform under a canopy where the religious ceremony takes place.

Roka

The North Indian pre-engagement ceremony where the two families publicly accept the alliance — typically smaller and earlier than the formal engagement.

Reception line

The dedicated area at a wedding reception where the newly-married couple stands to formally greet arriving guests — typically near the entrance or stage.

Indian wedding & venue terminology.