Say yes to crochet! The adorable new twist on wedding garlands this season

The wedding season is back in full swing, bringing with it all the excitement of fresh trends and creative ideas. Couples are pulling out all the stops to make their big day truly one-of-a-kind. One adorable trend that’s stealing hearts this season is crochet jaimalas—handcrafted garlands that add a personal touch to wedding ceremonies. Alongside custom hashtags and colour-coordinated outfits, these jaimalas are the latest way couples are putting their own stamp on tradition.

A handmade touch

“Crochet jaimalas are a perfect handmade touch to your special day,” says Mahek Satyen Choksi, founder of Phooldhaage, a Surat-based crochet accessories brand. “A bride connected with me regarding the mala and we decided on the colours that complemented her lehenga and her spouse’s sherwani, fixing on a peach-pink shade. It took us approximately 40 man hours to complete both the garlands,” she adds.

The price of one such garland ranges from anywhere between ₹1,200 to ₹6,000, depending on the intricacy of the design and customisation.

Eco-conscious choice

Unlike traditional floral garlands, which wilt within hours, crochet jaimalas offer more durability and an eco-conscious choice. “People today, particularly Gen Z, are increasingly eco-conscious and inclined toward sustainable practices. Crochet jaimalas perfectly fit this mindset—they’re eco-friendly, memorable, and solve the common disappointment of seeing beautiful real flower jaimalas fade away by the end of the day,” explains Zainab Mukhtyar, founder of Zain’s Story, a Mumbai-based crochet accessories brand.

Repurpose, reuse

With the rising trend of crochet accessories and people’s love, these garlands can also be repurposed after the wedding as home decor. Zainab explains: “They can be repurposed as vase flowers, as we also provide ready-made sticks and guidelines for easy assembling of the flowers. We also guide our customers in transforming their jaimalas into other decorative pieces. This way, these special jaimalas continue to bring joy and beauty to their homes long after the wedding day.”

A labour of love

A bride from Rajasthan shares how she wanted a crochet jamala for her roka ceremony. “I wanted to do something different for my roka ceremony and the idea of a crochet varmala came to my mind. I could not find a single photo on the internet so I asked my aunt to make one for me,” shares Kajal Bansal, a Rajasthan-based resin artist.

For some artisans, crochet jaimalas aren’t just about creativity but a labour of love. Suman Garg, founder of Hot Knot, recalls how the idea first took shape. “My niece to me with the idea of making a crochet jaimala for her ring ceremony, and I instantly loved it. But I only had a month to bring it to life,” she shares adding, “I made 18 petals a day, 180 small petals and 180 large petals to make a total of 60 tulip flowers. It was not easy as I faced many hurdles, from getting the wrong colour threads to delays in delivery, and even figuring out how to paste the petals onto the pearls so the thread could pass. But the result was worth it all.”

As the wedding industry continues to embrace personalisation and sustainability, crochet jaimalas are quickly becoming a popular choice—one stitch at a time.