Wedding season and griha pravesh season arrive together in Ahmedabad. Couples marry between November and February, and a large share of them move into a new flat on the western side of the city within a few months of the wedding. Friends, siblings and colleagues then ask us the same three questions: what do we give the couple, what do we give for the new home, and can the varmala be saved. This guide answers all three, with prices and how long each takes.
A name plate for the new door
A name plate is the gift that gets used every single day, and the one friends most often pool money for. Ours are cast in weather-resistant epoxy resin with the lettering set under the surface, so it does not peel in the sun on a west-facing door. Lettering is available in English, Hindi and Gujarati, and in combinations.
- Peacock and Krishna round plate, 12 by 12 inch, ₹1,499, with a hand-painted Krishna motif and the house name, family names and door number in gold.
- Jay Swaminarayan oval plate, 10 by 16 inch, ₹2,000, ivory marble with a crushed-gold border.
- Marble and gold plate, 12 by 8 or 16 by 10 inch, ₹2,500, with 3D lettering, an optional Ganesh, Om or Radha Krishna motif, and brass mounting hardware.
- Blue marble oval plaque, 12 by 18 inch, ₹2,500, which works as a name plate or a devotional plaque with any image.
- Radhe Krishna oval plate, 15 by 22 inch, ₹4,000, the large one for a bungalow or a main door with space around it.
What we need from you: both names as they should appear, the flat or house number, the deity or motif if any, the language, and a photo of the door so the colour sits well against it. The layout is sent to you for approval before pouring, which is why a name plate takes two to four weeks. Order it as soon as the griha pravesh date is fixed, not the week before.
Photo frames for the couple
These are ordered after the wedding, once the photographer has delivered, and are the usual first-anniversary and just-married gift from siblings.
- 12 inch round couple frame, ₹1,500, soft lilac with a pearl and glitter border and a golden steel stand.
- 8 by 12 inch pressed-flower frame, ₹1,499, with real pressed flowers across two corners, for the family portrait from the wedding.
- 5 by 6 inch photo block, ₹1,200, 10 mm deep, freestanding, for a desk. Send any photo and we print and seal it.
- Round gold-bordered frame, 12 to 20 inch, ₹1,500 to ₹2,500, with a kuldevi or temple image printed under the resin, for the mandir in the new home.
Frames take 10 to 14 days once we have the photo. Send the highest resolution file the photographer gave you, not a WhatsApp forward.
Preserving the varmala
Yes, it can be saved, and Ahmedabad is the easiest place in the country to do it, because the garland can be handed to us the day after the wedding while it is still fresh. Two pieces:
- Forever flower block, ₹1,000. Flowers from the varmala, the bouquet or the proposal, pressed and set in a clear block with gold flecks and a Forever inscription. Production takes 8 days once the flowers reach us, and any flowers we do not use come back with the piece.
- Double-heart keepsake, ₹2,500. The large heart holds the preserved flowers with both names and the date in gold; the smaller heart hangs beside it with a photo. This is the one couples ask for after seeing it at someone else's house.
For a full framed varmala or a wall clock with the garland inside, allow three to four weeks after the flowers arrive, and read the varmala preservation guide for how to dry and pack the flowers if you are sending them from another city. Fresher is better, but a varmala that has been in a cupboard for two months still works; the colours are simply softer.
For the griha pravesh
The housewarming gift is for the house rather than the couple, and the pieces that get asked for are the ones a new flat is missing on day one.
- Shubh Labh door hanging pair, ₹249, which goes up before the kalash is carried in.
- Ivory marble sinhasan, ₹2,000 plus shipping, for the new mandir, and a Kanha jhula from ₹1,800 if they keep a Laddu Gopal.
- 24 inch black and gold wall clock, ₹2,500, silent movement, for the living room wall that has nothing on it yet.
- Split-circle marble wall art, ₹7,999, two pieces in blue, ivory and gold, for a group of friends pooling for one large gift.
- Rose-quartz serving tray, ₹2,000, for the first guests they host.
Timing it right
- Name plate: order as soon as the griha pravesh date is fixed; minimum two weeks, ideally four.
- Frames and photo blocks: after the wedding, once the photos arrive; 10 to 14 days from then.
- Varmala pieces: hand over or post the flowers within days of the wedding; 8 days for the block, 3 to 4 weeks for framed pieces.
- Griha pravesh pieces: 10 to 14 days for stock designs, plus courier time outside Ahmedabad.
Couples abroad get the same pieces by air, with the name plate in particular a common request from Gujarati families in the USA and Canada. The USA and Canada pages cover shipping and payment. For favours for the guests rather than gifts for the couple, see the wedding return gifts guide.
