18 modern henna designs for brides—and grooms!—looking to update a centuries-old ritual

The ceremonial exchange of “Qubool hai” finds itself among the more persistent hallmarks of the traditional Muslim nikah, but it does little to capture the magnificence of a ritual that is rife with cultural symbolism. Originally devised to place the bride’s consent at the crux of the ceremony, traditional celebrations remain notably devoid of the champagne-popping pomp and circumstance associated with weddings.

The discerning eye will, instead, spot the reverent romanticism manifest in a flurry of less tangible moments as an errant tear is surreptitiously wiped away during the rukhsati (the departure of the bride with her new family) or as the purdah, a curtain of flowers placed between the couple, gently swells in the amber-dappled breeze of golden hour. In the absence of the bridal march or ceremonial music, emotions instead bubble to the surface as the couple clings to stolen glimpses of one another between strands of perfumed jasmine, cast adrift in a secluded sanctuary of calm after tireless months of planning.

As modern custodians of a centuries-old ritual, a new generation of henna artists is swapping the ornamental excess of yore in favour of meaningful minimalism when it comes to henna designs. Whether it be clusters of vines slithering down wrists or abstract geometric patterns that tempt the mind into varied interpretations, each motif has a story to tell—one that you will marvel at long after the last dredges of saffron have faded from your palms. A newlywed draws from the memories of her recent nikah to compile a mood board of henna designs for modern brides on the cusp of wedded bliss.