When Yamini Arora stumbled upon a reel of a bride carrying a crochet varmala, she had a kind of “Wait, why didn’t I consider that?!” moments.
“I knew about crochet flowers and plushies and had purchased them earlier than,” mentioned Arora, 28, who tied the knot in April 2025. “However a crochet varmala didn’t happen to me till I noticed it on Instagram. I appreciated the thought of getting the varmala perpetually with you out of your marriage ceremony day as a substitute of utilizing pure flowers and throwing them away after a number of hours,” she mentioned.
In an period the place weddings have gotten extra private, sustainable, and Instagram-friendly, crochet varmalas are discovering their means into the hearts—and across the necks—of contemporary Indian {couples}.
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A varmala (or jaimala) is a garland exchanged between the bride and groom as a conventional Hindu marriage ceremony ritual. It’s often product of recent flowers—however currently, a brand new, inventive various is taking up: handmade crochet flower garlands, crafted utilizing yarn, thread, beads, and many love.
“These garlands don’t wilt, don’t scent bizarre the following day, and don’t find yourself within the trash,” mentioned Zainab Mukhtyar, 22, founding father of Zain’s Story, a crochet enterprise she began in January 2024. “They stick with you perpetually—as a reminiscence and a bit of artwork.”
For Yamini, that permanence was the promoting level. After shopping crochet pages on-line, she discovered Zainab’s work. “Her color choices, flexibility in sizing, and affordable pricing stood out. The varmala turned out attractive—we’re even planning to show them in our front room!”
The makers behind the magic
The crochet varmala is an element of a bigger shift towards intentional, considerate weddings. Crochet itself has seen a revival, with the worldwide knitting and crochet market projected to develop by USD 10.69 billion between 2024 and 2028.
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Ananya Malhotra, 21, who runs Enchanted Threads, has been crocheting since she was 17. “Our crochet flowers have been already widespread, and once I noticed somebody experimenting with crochet varmalas on Instagram, it simply clicked. I believed that is one thing folks will love –– it’s lovely and significant.”
One of many greatest causes {couples} are leaning towards crochet varmalas is the thought of preservation (Supply: Zain’s Story/Instagram)
She was proper.
“I initially launched crochet varmalas in Might 2024,” Ananya defined. “Brides need to see what they’re getting, so we made samples and did a correct photoshoot with bridal outfits. It helped them visualise how it could look on their large day.”
What makes crochet varmalas particular?
Customisation is a large draw. “You’ll be able to select the colors, the size, even the place the pearls go. Individuals need one thing that displays them,” Ananya mentioned.
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And so they’re not mass-produced. “Every varmala is hand made in three levels: first, the flower petals are made, then the leaves, and eventually the flowers are assembled into the ultimate design,” mentioned Zainab. “Relying on the model and size, it could possibly take wherever from two to a few days to make a pair.”
Zainab broke down her pricing transparently: Rs 100 per rose, with an extra Rs 100 for assembling the varmala. “A crimson varmala with 9 large roses and three small ones prices Rs 1200. A pink one with 10 large roses and three small ones prices Rs 1300. You’ll be able to add extra roses for additional value.”
Whereas others typically promote them at a a lot increased fee, Zainab needed to maintain it reasonably priced. “Our shoppers pay for precisely what they need—nothing extra, nothing much less. You’ll be able to customise the variety of flowers, color palette, and even the location of pearls.”
Ananya’s varmala designs take critical effort: “Every flower takes about 25–half-hour, and every garland has about 16–20 flowers. That’s 600 minutes—or 10 hours—of pure work only for the flowers. Add to that 1–2 hours of meeting.” She retains pricing between Rs 7000 to Rs 11,000 per pair, aligning with high-end actual flower varmalas however providing a souvenir that by no means wilts.
Not only a development, however a souvenir
For {couples}, the largest draw is preservation. “Holding the varmala reminds us of the day we obtained married,” Yamini mentioned. “Everybody liked it—we’ve already really useful it to mates.”
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When Yamini Arora stumbled upon a reel on Instagram displaying a bride carrying a crochet varmala, she had a kind of “Wait, why didn’t I consider that?!” moments. (Credit score: Yamini Arora)
Whereas purists nonetheless choose the perfume and softness of actual flowers, crochet varmalas are successful over {couples} who need sentiment, sustainability, and one thing Instagrammable.
Crochet is likely to be old-school, however within the fingers of India’s younger marriage ceremony entrepreneurs, it’s weaving an entire new custom. So, whether or not you’re a soon-to-be bride, a marriage planner, or somebody who simply actually loves crochet—this development would possibly simply hook you in.
