How south Indian weddings are different from North Indian wedding?

Posted by Rohit Sharma on November 19th, 2022

When it comes to Indian weddings, then the things that strike the mind are lavish weddings which include loud music, costly decoration, traditional attires, and delicious food. There is no doubt that India is a diverse country that includes various religions. Every region has its own wedding traditions and rites. But the south and the north Indians have extremely diverse customs around marriage. North Indian and South Indian weddings differ in various ways such as the timing of the wedding, ceremonies, food, wedding attire, and music.

Let's have a look at the various differences between South Indian and North Indian weddings:

Wedding attire: One can easily determine from the attire that the wedding is South Indian or North Indian, as both cultures have completely different wedding attire. South Indian bride wears a silk saree and the groom typically dons a white shirt with dhoti or mundu whereas, In North India, the bride typically dons a lehenga and the husband typically dons a sherwani and besides the bride and groom, other wedding attendees also wear, lehengas, bulky sarees, and dazzling sherwanis that are party dresses at North Indian weddings. However, the costume used at South Indian weddings is more subdued, with silk sarees, gold jewelry, veshtis, and shirts.

Makeup: This is another big difference between these two cultural weddings. The North Indian bride gets ready in the salon and spends a huge amount on their dress and makeup. Whereas, the South Indian bride wears a fairly conservative outfit at South Indian weddings, and the most important thing in their wedding that they wear is gold.

Timing of a wedding: One of the most significant differences between South and North Indian wedding is the timing. The South Indian weddings happen in the early morning as per the muhurta, but the North Indian weddings begin in the evening and go on till the following morning. South Indian marriages could begin as early as the morning in the ideal scenario.

Food Menu: There is a huge difference between the dietary system of North Indian and South Indian cultures, they differ greatly from one another. The South Indian wedding food menu never includes non-vegetarian food items, and mostly the food that is served at these weddings is on banana leaves, as these people follow the old traditions of South Indian weddings. On the contrary, North Indian weddings typically feature a buffet with a large selection of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine. Since there is such a lively party atmosphere, alcohol is frequently served as well. Generally, the North Indian wedding menu could include chapati, poori, spicy curries, exotic drinks, and sweet foods. In contrast, the typical meals served at a South Indian wedding are dosa, uttapam, jalebi, vada, and upma. The spices and oil used here are very different from how food is prepared in the North.

Furthermore, the way in order to serve the food is completely different at both weddings. As South Indian weddings are simpler than North Indian weddings, and in these weddings, food is typically served on banana leaves during South Indian weddings these people use their hands to eat the food as there is no use of a fork or spoon. On the other hand, in North Indian weddings there is a buffet system where the food is provided to the guests in a buffet manner. The guest is free to take whatever they want to eat.

Music: Music plays a significant role in all the wedding functions, but every region has its unique music and if we talk about the music heard at weddings in North and South India is very different from one another. Generally, North Indian weddings are played loud music and have lots of fun, especially Punjabi weddings are a mixture of joy, laughter, extravagant music, dance, and sangeet. On the paradoxical side, South Indian weddings place a strong emphasis on tradition and culture. When people enter the Mandapam marriage hall, Shehnai music welcomes them.

Wedding atmosphere: South Indian weddings have a serene environment, where all the rituals are performed very calmly and classical, Carnatic, or live instrumental is played only during the ceremony chosen even for music. The rituals are given more prominence, and the couple is the center of attention. However, at North Indian weddings, the atmosphere is like a festival where people dance to Bollywood songs at all the ceremonies.

In India, a wedding is considered a sacred relationship, and a beautiful event where two people are united forever. So, whether it is a North Indian wedding or a South Indian wedding, the purpose is just to bring together two souls and their families in a beautiful relationship.