Marriages may be solemnised according to the customs and usages of the individual’s religion, caste, community or family, provided that those customs do not violate any of the law’s provisions. The minimum legal age for marriage in Nepal is 21 for men and 18 for women. Men and women under these ages can only marry with the consent of their parents, providing the man is at least 18 and the woman is at least 16 years of age.
Most marriages are monogamous, but polygynous unions were traditionally frequent and are still occasionally found. Second and subsequent wives are often members of other ethnic groups, such as the Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Sherpas, and Newars, but not low-caste artisan groups. With the exception of Thakuris, the self-proclaimed aristocrats among the Chhetris who practice matrilateral cross-cousin marriage, cousin marriage is not practiced. Brahman girls traditionally married by the age of 11, and Chhetri girls a few years later; but educated urban dwellers now marry in their late teens or early twenties. Grooms are normally a few years older than their brides. Village exogamy is usually observed, and parents arrange their children's marriages with the help of an intermediary. An astrologer also is consulted to ensure that the couple make a good match. The boy's family priest, in consultation with the bride's family, sets an auspicious date and time, based on the lunar calendar (several months of the year are inauspicious for marriage). The entire wedding ceremony lasts a full day, from the time the members of the groom's party arrive at the bride's home till they leave the next day with the bride. The most important part of the ritual is kanyadan, the gift of the bride to the groom by her parents. A married woman always wears vermilion powder in the parting of her hair, so long as her husband is alive.
Traditional Hindu Marriages
Traditional Hindu wedding ceremonies in Nepal are a major celebration which takes place only at a special time of the year that are from mid January to mid-March, mid-April to mid-June and mid-November to mid-December. Highly regarded as a sacrament, Hindu marriages are solemnized in accordance with the VEDAS, the holy scriptures of the Hindu religion that date back several thousand years. The notable features are that weddings should take place on the earth under a canopy known as mandap with a sacred fire center of it around which bride and bridegroom walk doing several rituals suggested by priest. The groom's party is supposed to arrive at the wedding spot in a procession, so it's good to have a convenient assembly location nearby.
Astrologers decide on auspicious dates within this period on the basis of the position of the stars. The system of performing wedding ceremony in Nepal is attention-grabbing where the bride and bridegroom perform the Puja and take best wishes as well as blessing from relatives, friends and family members. The marriage venue is decorated by colorful paper flowers and twinkling lights. A Nepalese bride will dress in the bridal color of red, will be beautifully made up and will wear much jewelry. Traditionally, the bride and groom are being carried to the wedding ceremony. In a village this may be in a basket or by horse; at a city wedding transportation is more likely to be by a parade of cars. Music is an essential part of marriages. The tradition music in the form of Pachai Baja and folk songs and dance is still most popular among people as on this sacred day they believe that playing traditional music strengthens the nuptial knot, pleases God and not least of all it makes the environment pleasant and charming. With the advancement in society, it has become customary to choose between Panchai baja and modern brass band.
The best venues where we arrange traditional Hindu marriage ceremonies in Kathmandu are:
a) Pashupatinath Temple
b) Balaju Water Garden
c) Gujeshwari Temples
d) Budanilkantha (Narayanthan)
e) Dakshinkali Temple
Traditional Buddhist Marriages
These marriages are also unique in its feature. Buddhist weddings in Nepal are often quieter occasions, with a focus on ceremonial displays. The weddings are usually extremely large, sometimes encompassing whole villages and large numbers of extended family.
Buddhist marriages are performed at monastery. Traditional dress is worn by both bride and groom, and Lama (Monk) does all customary puja (worship) to solemnize the wedding. The butter lamp is lit at the monastery during wedding day and it quite attractive. The music played during this occasion are traditional and different from modern music which makes environment pleasant and soothes mind. The best venues where we arrange traditional Buddhist marriage ceremonies in Kathmandu are:
a) Kopan Monastery
b) Monastery at Swayambhunath
c) Monastery at Boudhanath
What we arrange to make the event a grand success
» Transportation
» Venue and accommodation
» Decoration
» Invitations
» Music
» Video graphs
» Wedding Cake
» Catering (all meals)
» Sweets
