A haldi highlight made from the turmeric, the laughter and the family
The haldi is the turmeric ceremony held in many Hindu and Indian families in the day or two before the wedding, often on the morning of it. Relatives, frequently the married women of the family first, apply a paste of turmeric, usually mixed with things like sandalwood, rosewater or gram flour, to the face, arms and feet of the bride or groom, and the gathering tends to end with everyone covered in yellow. It is commonly held separately at each family's home. To get a highlight of it, upload only the haldi footage as its own WeddingEditor project, name the people and moments in the preference questions, and WeddingEditor's AI editing makes a Highlight Reel of about 5 minutes or a Social Teaser.
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Last updated October 2026
How to get a highlight of the haldi
- 1
Make the haldi its own project
Create a project just for the haldi and upload what you shot there: the setup with marigolds and the low seat or chowki, the bowls of paste, each relative's turn, the songs and the messy end. If both families held a haldi and you filmed both, decide whether they belong in one film or two separate projects.
- 2
Say whose turn matters
In the people question, name the relatives who applied the paste and what each wore, usually in shades of yellow that make faces hard to tell apart. List the first application, any traditional songs the women sang and the moment the playing started as must-include moments.
- 3
Get the edit back and refine it
Use a plan credit or buy One Wedding and start processing, which typically takes 24 to 72 hours. Once the edit is delivered to your project, watch it in the app and download a 1080p MP4. Email notes from the link in the app if you want changes; up to two rounds are included.
Haldi moments to list
Write these in the order they happened. Faces covered in turmeric look alike, so describe clothing too.
The setting
The marigold decoration, the seat where the bride or groom sits, the brass or steel bowls of paste.
The first touch
The first relative to apply haldi, often the mother or grandmother, using a mango leaf, a betel leaf or their fingers.
Each family member's turn
Aunts, sisters and friends applying paste to cheeks, arms and feet, and the bride or groom's reaction.
The songs
Traditional haldi songs sung by the women of the family, often with a dholak.
The playful end
Relatives smearing turmeric on each other, a cousin chased with a handful of paste, water poured at the end.
The wash
The bride or groom being rinsed off, sometimes outdoors, before changing for the next event.
What happens at a haldi, in order
This is a common shape. Names, ingredients and timing vary by family and region: Gujarati families often call it pithi, Punjabi families hold the maiyan, and Bengali families the gaye holud.
1. Preparation
The paste is mixed, often by the women of the household, and the seat is set up with marigolds or a decorated cloth. The bride or groom wears old or yellow clothes, expecting to get stained.
2. Blessing and first application
In many families a short prayer comes first, then elders take turns applying the paste. The turmeric is commonly believed to bless the couple, brighten the skin and keep away bad luck before the wedding.
3. Everyone joins in
Relatives and friends follow, usually in order of closeness, and songs and teasing build. Many families hold the bride's and the groom's haldi separately at each home, so two shoots can run at once.
4. Play and cleanup
The ceremony often ends with turmeric on everyone and water splashed around, then a bath before the next event. The light is usually daylight, often outdoors or in a courtyard.
One event, one project
A haldi uploaded on its own becomes one edit: a Highlight Reel of about 5 minutes or a Social Teaser. It uses one purchase or one plan credit.
Sound as recorded
The edit keeps the women's songs, the dholak and the laughter from your footage, and music works with them as your audio preference sets.
Parts of the haldi and what to note in the preferences
| Part of the haldi | What it looks or sounds like | What to note in the preferences |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Marigolds, a decorated seat, bowls of yellow paste | "Two or three establishing shots, no more." |
| First application | An elder's fingers or a leaf on the cheek, quiet | "The grandmother's first touch must be in." |
| Relatives' turns | A line of family members, yellow clothes, close faces | "Feature the three aunts in the green sarees." |
| Songs | Women singing with a dholak | "Let one full verse be heard." |
| Play | Paste thrown and smeared, shrieks, water | "Keep the cousin being chased." |
| Rinse | Water poured, the bride or groom laughing | "End here." |
What is a haldi ceremony?
A haldi ceremony is a pre-wedding ritual in which family members apply turmeric paste to the bride or groom, commonly held at home in the day or two before the wedding as a blessing and a celebration.
The mehndi is a different event, where henna is applied to the bride's hands and feet. Some families hold them on the same day, but they are separate rituals with different footage.
Haldi highlight questions
Can I get a separate film of the bride's and the groom's haldi?
Yes. Make two projects, one per haldi, and each produces its own edit. If you want both in one film, upload them into a single project and say in the notes which order they should appear in.
Everyone is yellow; how will the AI editing know who is who?
From your descriptions. Name each relative with their relationship and something distinctive, such as "bride's sister, pink dupatta, glasses", in the people question.
Will the haldi songs be in the film?
Only if a camera recorded them. The edit uses the sound inside your video files, so keep a camera near the women singing. Ask for more singing in the audio question and list the song you want heard.
Can the haldi and mehndi go in one highlight?
Yes, if both are in the same project. Say how to divide the time between them in the priorities question.
How long until the haldi edit is back?
Processing typically takes 24 to 72 hours after you start it, and there is no fixed delivery time.
Who sees the haldi film first?
You do. It arrives in your project, and WeddingEditor never contacts your couple; what they receive, and when, is up to you.
Does WeddingEditor decide how the haldi can be shown, given the bride's appearance?
No, it is the family's call. Some families are relaxed about haldi footage and others are not. WeddingEditor edits only what you upload, so leave out clips they would rather keep within the family.
Other Indian wedding events
All that yellow, made into a film
Create your account, upload the haldi on its own, and name the relatives who took their turn.
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