The auspicious wedding ceremony begins with Ganpatipujan and a prayer is performed for Lord Ganesh's blessing to take the wedding through without any problems or obstruction (nirvighna). This prayer is performed at both the groom's as well as bride's quarters. 

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

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It is also called kuldevata sthapana wherein the family deity is invoked to bless the bridal couple and the ceremony takes place at groom's as well as bride's quarters.

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The bride attired in a yellow sari given by her maternal uncle and mundavalya (decorative strings of pearls, beads, flowers) tied on the forehead apart from other jewellery and facial make-up is all ready to get married. She sits on a pat in her room and in front of her, a silver idol of Parvati is placed on a heap of rice on another pat. She keeps on taking some rice with both her hands and puts atop the idol while praying the Goddess Annapurna. At this moment, the bride is not supposed to talk and instead needs to concentrate on her prayers.

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Everybody present in the mandap is given akshata and everyone stands close to the mandap. The groom, dressed in dhoti-kurta or salwar-kurta, head covered with topi and mundavalya tied on the forehead, is invited to the mandap where he stands on a 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 and she is asked to stand on the other side of the antarpat also holding similar garland. 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 arati. Mostly the bridegroom's mother stands behind the bride with eksari - black beads string with big gold bead in the centre .

Enthusiastic relatives, friends and guests also get chance to 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. The Groom's mother puts across eksari around bride's neck and is supposed to tie a knot at the end of each stanza of mangalashtaka. Each stanza ends with "Kuryat Sada Mangalam, Shubh Mangal Savdhan" and everyone showering akshata on the bridal couple. 
At the stroke of the muhurt, the priest chants last verses of the mangalashtaka loudly removing the antarpat and among the traditional music of vajantri (consists of shehnai and choughada) and/or modern band, the excitement builds up for the zero hour. The groom first puts a garland around the bride's neck. The bride also does the same. The respective karvalis apply holy water from the kalash to the eyes of bride and groom and perform arati. 
Ladies are given haldi-kunku and all are given sweets mostly pedha. 

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Bride's father gives the bride away to the groom. The priest asks the groom to join both the palms and receive in it 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 Kama. 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. He asks the elders to bless them. 
Then the bride asks for a promise from the groom that he will never violate her limits in Dharma, Artha and Kama. The bride promises the groom that she will always belong to him like Sita-Savitri and always be by his side. 
The bride's parents perform Lakshmi Narayan Puja of the bridal couple considering them to be avatar of Lakshmi Narayan.
The couple ties on each other's hand a halkund with a thread and this is called kankan bandhane. 

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

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Chanting mantras, the groom puts mangalsutra around bride's neck.

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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 bridal couple that having taken the oath of marriage now, the same is to be taken in the witness of the fire (agnisakshi). Then the priest asks the groom to give ahuti of ghee in the name of Skanda, Prajapati, Agni and Som. The groom prays to Agni 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.

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The priest asks the bride to join palms in which the groom puts a spoonful of ghee, a fistful of lahya (puffed rice) and again a spoonful of ghee. The groom holds with both his hands the bride's joined palms and puts this ahuti 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 and the pot of water chanting mantras that mean, "I am Purush, you are Prakriti. I am the Sky, you are the Earth. I am a Song, you are a Chhand (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. The bride is asked to stand on the stone kept to the west of the fire. The groom asks her to remain steadfast like the stone. 

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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 step towards the north-east direction. First, the right foot is taken forward and then the left foot is joined with it while chanting mantras. Like this, seven steps are taken. At every two feet, small heaps of rice are kept on which they are supposed to tread. The couple asks for seven needs of life - one each at each step. These are food, strength, wealth, happiness, progeny, pleasure of enjoying various seasons and immortal friendship. The priest says that this sanskar has extremely strengthened the bond of friendship between you (the couple) and may your lives be united like two bodies with a single soul! 
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 wears. The groom may also change into another comfortable pair of salwar-kurta. The couple touches the feet of elders and get blessed. 

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