This variety adds to the rich culture practiced by the Nepali people for centuries. In this article, I have tried my best to describe the typical wedding customs in Nepal, which hopefully does no injustice to the culture of any particular Nepali cast, creed or religion. The system of arranged marriage is dominant in the Nepali society. Barring a few-metropolitaninstances of “love marriages” when the couple concerned choose their own life-partners, most of the marriages are arranged by the parents of the marrying couple with the help of their respective relatives and a match-maker priest. Even in such setting, for the most part, each of the prospective couple is given a final say to accept or decline their match. In the good old days, like in the case of my parents 25 years ago, the bride and the groom got to see each other on the day of their engagement, and literally speak to each other for the first time on their wedding day! A popular practice these days especially in the cities, like in the case of my cousins, is that the parents make their matches and give the potential couple some time to date and know each other before letting them decide on the marriage. The matches are generally made on the basis of similarity of background in caste and financial conditions of the two families. In some cases, a pretty girl might get married off to a more salubrious family, but it is almost impossible for a poor lad to get arranged with a pretty or wealthier girl. The arrangement always takes place inside the same caste but never inside the family.
