The elderly members of the bride`s family welcome the guests at the doorstep. They apply perfume by an attardani on the back of the right hand of the guests and rose water is sprinkled from gulabdani. After this sweets are distributed.

Ganpatipujan: The auspicious wedding ceremony begins with a prayer known as Ganpatipujan for Lord Ganesh`s blessing to take the wedding through without any problems or obstruction. This prayer is performed at both the groom as well as bride`s residence.

Punyahvachan: For purification of minds and place, priest asks groom/bride and his/her father to pray and ask for the blessings of everybody at their respective homes.

Devdevak: It is also called kuldevata sthapana wherein the family deity is invoked to bless the couple .The ceremony takes place at groom`s as well as bride`s quarters.

Gaurihar Puja: The bride wears a yellow sari given by her maternal uncle and ties mundavalya (decorative strings of pearls, beads, flowers) on her forehead apart from other jewellery and facial make-up. She sits in her room in front of a silver idol of Parvati is placed on a heap of rice. She keeps on taking some rice with both her hands and puts atop the idol while praying Goddess Annapurna.

Lagna Muhurt: Everybody present in the mandap is given akshata and everyone stands close to the mandap. The groom, head covered with topi and mundavalya tied on the forehead, is invited to the mandap where he stands on a wooden platform (pat) facing west and holding a thick garland. The priests hold a cloth screen called antarpat in front of the groom chanting mangalashtaka. The bride`s maternal uncle escorts the bride to the mandap. Respective karvali stands behind the bride/groom with a copper kalash containing holy water and topped with betel leaves and coconut.

Another young girl stands with aarti. Mostly the groom`s mother stands behind the bride with eksari - black beads string with big gold bead in the centre. The bride`s mother is not supposed to attend the ceremony. She is supposed to wait at the bride`s room where she will not be able to hear the mangalashtaka. Friends and guests sing their own compositions of mangalashtaka which are typical Sanskrit or Marathi verses invoking Gods, describing the ceremony, praising the bridal couple`s family members, giving advise to the bridal couple and finally giving blessing as also best wishes for the life together ahead. Then everyone showers akshata on the couple.

At the said time of the muhurt, the priest chants last verses of the mangalashtaka loudly removing the antarpat with traditional music of vajantri (consists of shehnai and choughada). The bride and groom then exchange garlands. The respective karvalis apply holy water from the kalash to the eyes of bride and groom and perform aarti.

Kanyadan: In this ceremony bride`s father gives away her daughter to the groom. The priest asks the groom to join both the palms and receive stream of holy water poured by bride`s mother while bride`s father says that he is giving away in marriage his daughter to this gentleman so that both of them can start together a life of Dharma, Artha and Karma. The groom accepts it saying that this is giving away love for love.

The one who gives love is also one who receives love. The groom tells the bride that she is the shower of love, which has been given by the Sky and received by the Earth. This is perhaps the most emotional moment in all the rituals of a maharashtrian wedding. Then the bride asks for a promise from the groom that he will never violate her limits in Dharma, Artha and Karma. The bride`s parents perform Lakshmi Narayan Puja of the couple considering them to be avatar of the god and the goddess. The couple ties a halkund with a thread on each other`s hand. This is called Kankan bandhane.

Akshataropan: The couple is asked to hold akshata in left hand and shower them with the right while expressing their desire for gunsamriddhi, dhan, dharma, santan and kirti. The priest and elders pray that all their desires be fulfilled.

Mangalsutrabandhan: While the priest chants mantras, the groom puts mangalsutra around the bride`s neck.

Vivah Hom: A stone is kept to the west of the homkund (fire) and a pot of water is kept to its northeast. To the north, four darbhas are spread on which there are two vessels. A pot of Ghee is kept nearby. The priest tells the couple that having taken the oath of marriage now, the same is to be taken in the witness of the sacred fire. Then the priest asks the groom to pour ghee in the name of Skanda, Prajapati, Agni and Som. The groom prays to the sacred fire asking to make them pure and keep their enemy away; asking for children and their long lives; asking to protect his bride and make her give good progeny whom she would see by living a long life.

Lajja Hom: The priest asks the bride to join palms in which the groom puts a spoonful of ghee, a fistful of puffed rice and again a spoonful of ghee. The groom holds with both his hands the bride`s joined palms and puts this in the fire chanting mantras, which means that this girl has worshipped the fire, which will never make her break loving ties with her in-laws. The groom holds the bride`s right hand and goes around the fire chanting mantras that means, "I am Purush, you are Prakriti, I am Sky, you are Earth, I am a Song, you are the tune. With these conceptual ideas and love in mind, let us unite forever to procreate. Let us live hundred years and always have mutual understanding."

Saptapadi: Having worshiped the fire, the priest asks the couple to take seven steps with the same thoughts and determination. The groom, with his right hand, holds the bride`s left hand and starts taking steps towards the northeast direction. First, the right foot is taken forward and then the left foot is joined with it while chanting mantras. After every two steps, small heaps of rice are kept on which they are supposed to tread. The couple asks for seven needs of life, one at each step. These are food, strength, wealth, happiness, progeny, pleasure of enjoying various seasons and immortal friendship.

The couple is asked to stand facing each other and touch their foreheads literally meaning putting their heads together for decision-making henceforth. A touch of humour is added to the ceremony with the bride`s brother twisting the groom`s right ear to remind him of his responsibility towards his sister. Bride`s mother does oti bharane and gives a sari to the bride, which she is supposed to wear. The groom may also change into another set of clothes and then the couple touches the feet of elders and take blessings.