How to choose a wedding date: the muhurat rules pandits follow

A wedding date is one of the most carefully chosen dates in Indian life. Families often have only a few weeks that work for everyone, so it helps to know which rules matter and which are flexible.

Periods usually avoided

• Chaturmas, from Devshayani Ekadashi to Devuthani Ekadashi.
• Pitru Paksha and Adhik Maas.
• Kharmas, when the Sun is in Dhanu or Meen.
• Days when Jupiter or Venus is too close to the Sun to be seen.

Nakshatra, tithi and weekday

• Nakshatras commonly chosen for marriage: Rohini, Mrigashira, Magha, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Swati, Anuradha, Mula, Uttara Ashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada and Revati.
• Tithis preferred: the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th and 13th.
• Tithis avoided: the 4th, 8th, 9th and 14th, and Amavasya.
• Weekdays: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the usual choices.

The lagna and the couple’s charts

A pandit also picks the time of the main rites so that the rising sign is steady and helpful, with no malefic planets in the 7th or 8th house at that moment. The couple’s Moon signs are used to check that the day is supportive for both of them, a step called Chandra bala and Tara bala.

When flexibility is fine

If the family dates, the venue and the muhurat do not line up, a pandit can often find a nearby alternative. A date that the family can attend is worth more than a perfect one that half of them cannot make.

Fix the muhurat before booking the venue if you can. It saves a lot of changes later.