Hi,
Im going to a muslim wedding this sunday (if her fiance doesnt call off the wedding again for the 4th time).
I have obviously never been to one so therefore do not know what to expect.
Can you give me some idea how this is done and what i should expect.
Many thanks
Dolphinlove
****Oh probably Muslim in the US are alittle different. I’m not sure but can share with you how Muslim in Asia conduct their wedding. We usually gives money as a blessing like Chinese Ang Pow, but their are not red in colour rather in green…etc…Of course you can choose to buy them gift as well. Depend on individual…
The Groom’s Procession
On the wedding day, a procession of friends and relatives accompany the groom from his place to the wedding venue. This is done whether the groom rides on a horse or in a car.
If no concrete covered area is available, a shamiana (large decorated tent) is erected.
The Arrival of the Groom and Guests
The arrival of the groom is accompanied by the beating of drums and playing of musical instruments.
On this arrival, the groom and the brother of the bride exchange a glass of sharbet (a sweetened drink) and money. The sisters of the bride welcome the guests by playfully hitting them with a stick wrapped around flowers.
The Wedding Ceremony
For some Muslim ceremonies, particularly those rooted in Islam more traditionally found in South-Asia, the men and women are seated in separate rooms or have a curtain to separate them. This is not the case for all Muslim ceremonies though. The meher, (a compulsory amount of money given to the bride’s family by the groom’s family) is decided upon by elders of both families.
Before reading a selected piece from the Koran (the holy book of the Muslims), witnessed by two male persons and a lawyer or eminent person, the officiating priest will ask the bride if she is happy with the arrangement and whether she agrees to marry the groom. The boy is asked the same.
The marriage is registered (nikaahnama). It is first signed by the groom and then two witnesses. The bride will sign later. The groom is then taken to the women’s section. He gives money and gifts to the sisters of the bride. He receives the blessings of the elder woman and offers his salutations. Dinner is served separately to the women and men. The groom’s family feasts separately.
After their first meal, the groom and bride are seated together and a long scarf is used to cover their heads while the priest makes them read prayers. The Holy Koran is kept between them and they are allowed to see each other through reflection by mirrors. Dried dates and a sweet dish are served to the guests. The dates have religious significance.
The groom spends the night in a separate room at the girl’s house with a younger brother. In the morning he is given clothes, money and gifts by the bride’s parents. That afternoon his relatives come to accompany the bridal couple to their home.
The Rukhsat Ceremony
The farewell by the father of the bride is performed by the father giving her hand to her husband and asking him to protect her always. Final farewells are offered and the couple leaves.
Another tradition from the Muslims of South Asia is that when the bride enters her new home, her mother-in-law holds the Koran over her and the groom follows. It is believed this may have its roots in the Hindu faith. Four days after the wedding she is taken back to her parent’s place. The wedding reception is held when the husband brings his wife and her family back to a reception hosted by his family. It is then that the two families become one. ****
