Excerpted from "Weddings From the Heart" In India, where the fragrance of flowers in the form of incense is deeply a part of spiritual life, the groom's brother traditionally sprinkles flower petals on the bride and groom at the closing of the wedding ceremony. This is as if to say, through the extravagance of spilled flowers: May your life together be filled with comfort and ease; may it be filled with the deliciousness of flowers; may you want for nothing. Hindu weddings in India and elsewhere also include an initial exchange of flower garlands by bride and groom, a gift of protective amulets tied to the wrists of the couple, and a recitation of family lineage. The couple is then tied together with a sash, and they walk around a ceremonial fire seven times to signify their vow to face life's challenges together. This is a beautiful symbol that you might want to incorporate in some form into your ceremony.