Henna for Weddings

 Bridal Henna should be applied 1-3 days before the wedding to allow the henna stain time to mature and deepen. Traditionally the grooms initials are hidden in the patterns. The groom must search for the initials on the wedding night, if he can't find his initials he is expected to give a gift to his new bride!

This little game of "hide and seek" has served as an icebreaker for generations of couples in arranged marriages. In traditional families where arranged marriage is the practice often the couple has never met before the wedding day and they may be quite young. The hiding of initials among the intricate henna patterns is one of many tricks to help the couple break the ice and feel more comfortable, as well as to initiate intimacy.

An American version of bridal henna
This heart and vine pattern complimented the embossed wedding announcements the couple chose together.

The henna was applied to the brides lower back 2 days before the wedding ceremony and was kept a secret from the groom till the honeymoon. His initials, DG, in accord with an old Indian custom, were hidden in the vining patterns. It was his job to search for the initials on the wedding night.