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A Muslim marriage and subsequently a
Muslim wedding is a weaving together
of families, of two souls, and of
two destinies. It’s considered as a
big and very auspicious occasion in
all cultures of the world. Different
cultures have different wedding
traditions and ceremonies, and every
culture has its own treasure of
wedding ceremonies, wedding customs
and rituals.
Weddings in various Muslim countries
follow their respective cultural
traditions. Some are more Islamic
while others have adopted norms that
are in the values of various
cultures. Various cultures have
introduced more ceremonies in the
Muslim marriage and matrimonial
process.
Brides are decorated and beautified
in various ways for weddings. For
example, in the Indian subcontinent
(India, Pakistan and Bangladesh)
traditions, Mehndi or Henna as it is
called, has a great significance.
The brides are decorated both on the
bride's hands and feet. In some
Middle Eastern countries such as
Morocco, the has a ceremonial bath a
few days before the wedding and is
decorated with henna and jewelry.
Other countries vary in their
celebrations of weddings.
Most weddings in Islamic and Arab
cultures could become very expensive
affairs. Hundreds and sometimes
thousands of guests are not unheard
of. Large spaces or hotels are
rented to accommodate such a large
gathering of guests. The bride is
also decorated with very expensive
jewelry. 22K gold is quite common
that includes bracelets, ear rings,
and jewelry for the head (worn over
the wedding shawl).
Families that are more conservative
Islamically usually avoid such
lavish weddings as it is considered
an unnecessary expense. More prefer
instead to pay the amount to the
bride and the groom to help them
start their family.
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