Every society has rules and customs concerning sexual relations, marriage, family, • household structures, and child-rearing practices. Most people think of these social regulations as simply the natural way of doing things. But in fact, they are cultural constructs and play vital roles , in establishing and maintaining social alliances, allocating resources, and assigning social obligations. Because marriage and family, in various forms, play fundamental roles in any society, wedding rituals are significant social events. Whether private or public, sacred or secular, weddings reveal, confirm, and underscore important cultural ideas and values. Symbolically rich, they usually feature particular speech rituals, plus prescribed apparel, postures and gestures, food and drink, songs and dances passed down through generations. Here we see a Muslim bride in Gujarat, western India, surrounded by female relatives and friends on the eve before her wedding. Their hands are beautifully decorated with traditional designs created with dye made from the crushed leaves of the tropical henna tree. Known as mehndi, this body artis an age-old custom among Muslims and Hindus in parts of southern Asia, as well as northern Africa. Often the groom's name is hidden within elegant designs of flowers and vines that symbolize love, fertility, and protection. A bride's mehndi evening, traditionally held at her parents' home, is a lively female-only gather* ing with special food, singing, and lovemaking instructions, along with hand painting.