A tilak ceremony highlight, made from the groom's side of the wedding
The tilak ceremony is held in many North Indian Hindu families, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and neighbouring regions, before the wedding. The bride's brother and other male relatives visit the groom's home, where the brother applies a tilak of vermilion or kumkum and rice to the groom's forehead, and the bride's family presents gifts. A priest usually leads prayers, and it is often attended mainly by men. Upload the tilak footage as its own WeddingEditor project 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 tilak highlight
- 1
Upload the tilak footage
Create a project for the tilak and upload the arrival of the bride's family, the prayers, the tilak itself, the gifts and the meal. This event is usually filmed at the groom's home, often separately from the rest of the wedding.
- 2
Name the bride's brother and the elders
The person applying the tilak is the key figure, so name him and what he wore. List the groom's father, the bride's father if present, and the priest, and put the tilak, the gifts and the embrace afterwards in the must-include list.
- 3
Receive the tilak film
Start processing after paying or spending a credit; processing typically takes 24 to 72 hours. The finished edit arrives in your project as an MP4 to watch and download, with up to two revision rounds available by email.
Tilak moments to list
Arrival
The bride's brother and relatives arriving at the groom's home with gifts.
Prayers
The priest leading a short puja with the groom seated.
The tilak
The bride's brother marking the groom's forehead with vermilion and rice.
Gifts
Clothes, sweets, fruit and other gifts presented to the groom and his family.
Blessings
Elders blessing the groom, hands on his head.
Embrace
The two families greeting each other once the rite is done.
What happens at a tilak ceremony, in order
Customs differ by family, caste and region, and some families combine the tilak with the engagement or the roka. Check the plan with the family.
1. The bride's family arrives
The bride's brother leads a group, often of male relatives, to the groom's home, carrying gifts.
2. Puja
A priest conducts prayers with the groom seated on a low seat, often facing east.
3. The tilak
The bride's brother applies a tilak of vermilion or kumkum and rice to the groom's forehead, accepting him into the family.
4. Gifts and celebration
Gifts are presented, sweets shared, and a meal often follows. Women of the groom's family may sing traditional songs nearby.
A small event, your choice of length
Choose a Highlight Reel of about 5 minutes or a Social Teaser when you create the project, depending on how much you filmed.
Locked once paid
Once you check out, the footage in the project is fixed, so upload everything for the tilak before paying.
Parts of the tilak and what to note in the preferences
| Part of the tilak | What it looks or sounds like | What to note in the preferences |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival | Relatives carrying gift trays | "Open as they enter." |
| Puja | The priest, the groom seated | "Brief." |
| Tilak | Vermilion and rice on the forehead | "Must include, the brother's hand close." |
| Gifts | Trays and envelopes presented | "One or two shots." |
| Songs | Women singing nearby | "Keep one verse if it was recorded." |
| Greeting | The families embracing | "End here." |
What is a tilak ceremony?
A tilak ceremony is a pre-wedding rite in many North Indian Hindu families in which the bride's brother applies a tilak to the groom's forehead at the groom's home, and the bride's family presents gifts, marking the groom's acceptance.
A tilak mark is also part of many everyday Hindu prayers; the tilak ceremony is the specific wedding rite. It differs from the roka, which brings both families together to accept the match.
Tilak ceremony highlight questions
The tilak was short. Should I choose a teaser?
If you have only a little footage, a Social Teaser fits well. A Highlight Reel of about 5 minutes suits a longer tilak with prayers, gifts and a meal.
Can the tilak and the wedding be one film?
Yes, if you upload both into one project before checkout and say the order. Separate projects make separate films.
Everyone was in similar kurtas. How will WeddingEditor find the brother?
Describe him: "bride's elder brother, maroon kurta, beard, applies the tilak". The AI editing follows your descriptions.
The women's songs were in the next room. Will they be heard?
Only if a camera caught them. If one did, ask for more voices in the audio preference so the singing comes through alongside the music.
Does the couple get the film directly?
No. WeddingEditor delivers to your project only; you decide what the couple receives.
What file format is delivered?
A 1080p H.264 MP4 in widescreen.
Does WeddingEditor know which tilak rituals the groom's family follows?
It does not decide or check family protocol. Customs at a tilak vary between families and regions, so describe what happened in the moments field and leave out anything the families do not want filmed; the edit is made only from your upload.
Other Indian wedding events
The groom's welcome into the family
Create your account, upload the tilak, and say who applied the mark.
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