Pakistani Wedding
Pakistan is the best place for wedding where ever you are and who ever you are, you will find no other place better than Pakistan for marriage celebrations. All this due to the colorful and splendid celebrations of wedding that consists of four days that are very busy but happy days. In Pakistan wedding is full of colorful and traditional celebrations that add a modern as well as traditional look.There are four colorful occasions on wedding, the first one is
Mayoon
Mayoon or Ubton is a function before a week or ten days of wedding ceremony. It is a condition of privacy, that bride is supposed to stay inside the house and cannot go outside the home. After mayoon bride and groom are not allowed to see each other. The main theme of mayoon is that the bride stops doing all the housework and start beautifying herself.
To mold into the colors of upton, family and invited guests wear yellow garments. Starting of this day is with the recitation of Qur’an. After the religious formalities, family and friends bring the bride for the ceremony. The friends and family sits in circle with their percussion equipments (Dholak and Duff) and sings through out the evening The groom’s family brings ubton for bride and applied to the bride’s skin to brighten her complexion and giving her fresh look on the wedding day. Along with some other home treatments oiling to the hair is also done. Before mayoon is also held with the special importance of the wedding. This is a function of ladies where they sing and dance, while married ladies apply ubton to the bride and oil to her hair.Same function is also held at groom’s house; bride’s cousins, friends, sisters and mother take ubton and apply it on his skin. The purpose is to glow the bride’s and groom’s complexion on the wedding day
Mehndi Functions
Mehndi functions are part of the marriage ceremonies in the Pakistani culture.
The bride normally wears a green dress or yellows/orange for the Henna celebration and uses only light, or mostly, no make-up. The groom will typically wear a casual Shalwar Qameez. The bride and/or the groom are brought forward in the ceremony under a decorative dupatta by their close relatives. In the bridal ceremony, a certain number of married women who are closely related to the bride apply henna to her hands, and feed her sweets. This ritual is supposed to bring good luck and longevity to the bride's married life. Similarly, on the groom's side, oil is applied to his head and sweets are fed to the groom.Dholki is the most common musical instrument used in the mehndi function. Mehndi functions in Pakistan have still maintained their allure with a lot of activities being featured. Both sides wear great Pakistan clothes, with the bride usually being adorned in a green or yellow dress. The celebrations are also marked with song and dance competitions between the bride and groom sides.. Traditionally, the Mehndi was considered a women's event and men did not participate in it. The sing song etc. was left almost entirely to women. However, this has changed substantially in recent times with males featuring prominently in the Mehndi celebrations as well. A recent trend gaining popularity is to announce a colour theme for the Mehndi whereby guests are supposed to dress up in a particular colour. Commonly used colors are bright reds, oranges and yellows and, purple. So it’s a fun ceremony and both side enjoy and wish to be a happy big family.
Baratis the procession of the family, relatives, and friends of the groom and they accompany the groom to the bride’s home for the official wedding ceremony. The groom makes his way to the bride's home on a richly decked horse or car and the “barat” follows in different vehicles. Usually they are also accompanied by a band playing wedding songs. The groom is given a warm welcome by the bride’s family with flower garlands and rose petals thrown upon the procession by the bride's sisters, cousins and friends.
Nikah is purely Islamic official wedding ceremony that usually takes place at the bride’s home. Nikah is attended by close family members, relatives, and friends of groom and bride. Usually, the men and women are made to sit separately, in different rooms, or have a purdah, or curtain, separating them.
Nikah-naama (document of marriage contract) is registered in Nikah. The Nikahnaama contains several terms and conditions that are to be respected by both parties (bride & groom). It includes bride’s right to divorce her husband. Nikahnaama specifies “Meher,” the monetary amount the groom will give the bride. Meher includes two amounts; one that is due before the marriage is consummated and the other that is a deferred amount given to the bride at a time to be determined. The Meher guarantees the bride's freedom within the marriage, and acts as the bride's safety net.
The fathers of groom and bride (Walis) act as witnesses to the wedding. If father is not available, the senior male, brother or uncle performs the ceremony. Islamic Imam (called maulana or maulvi in Urdu) reads selected verses from the Quran and waits for the Ijab-e-Qubul (proposal and acceptance) of wedding. Usually, the groom's side makes proposal and the bride's side conveys her assent. Maulvi and witnesses (gavah) take the Nikahnaama to the bride and read it aloud to her. She accepts the Nikahnaama saying 'qabool kiya,' meaning 'I accept and signs it. The Nikahnaama is then taken to the groom and read aloud to him. He accepts saying 'qabool kiya and signs the document. The Maulvi and witnesses (gavah) also do sign the Nikahnaama contract and the wedding becomes legal. The Maulvi recites the Fatihah, the first chapter of the Quran, and various durud, or blessings to mark the closing of Nikah ceremony.
After the ceremony the bride is brought out into the wedding hall accompanied by her close female relatives and friends with much fanfare. A mirror is given to the bride and groom so that they can see themselves as a married couple for the first time; historically it was the first time, literally, that they saw each other. Both the bride and groom read a passage from the Holy Koran, and afterwards they bless each other. Then they drink almond milk from the same glass, and feed each other sweets to ensure a sweet and healthy life together. For some fun the bride's sister along with other females steal the groom's shoe, and hold it ransom. A price is negotiated to pay the bride's side to surrender the shoe back to the groom.
Rukhsati takes place, when the groom and his family leave together with the bride. Usually Quran is held over the bride for blessings. The departure of the bride becomes a very emotional scene as she says farewell to the home of her parents and siblings to start a new married life.
Valima
Valima is a reception from the groom's sides. This time, your relatives are going to come over to the groom's place. It mainly consists of a feast dinner. The bride wears dress and jewelry provided by the groom’s family.
Mehndi Functions
The bride normally wears a green dress or yellows/orange for the Henna celebration and uses only light, or mostly, no make-up. The groom will typically wear a casual Shalwar Qameez. The bride and/or the groom are brought forward in the ceremony under a decorative dupatta by their close relatives. In the bridal ceremony, a certain number of married women who are closely related to the bride apply henna to her hands, and feed her sweets. This ritual is supposed to bring good luck and longevity to the bride's married life. Similarly, on the groom's side, oil is applied to his head and sweets are fed to the groom.Dholki is the most common musical instrument used in the mehndi function. Mehndi functions in Pakistan have still maintained their allure with a lot of activities being featured. Both sides wear great Pakistan clothes, with the bride usually being adorned in a green or yellow dress. The celebrations are also marked with song and dance competitions between the bride and groom sides.. Traditionally, the Mehndi was considered a women's event and men did not participate in it. The sing song etc. was left almost entirely to women. However, this has changed substantially in recent times with males featuring prominently in the Mehndi celebrations as well. A recent trend gaining popularity is to announce a colour theme for the Mehndi whereby guests are supposed to dress up in a particular colour. Commonly used colors are bright reds, oranges and yellows and, purple. So it’s a fun ceremony and both side enjoy and wish to be a happy big family.
Barat
Nikah
Nikah-naama (document of marriage contract) is registered in Nikah. The Nikahnaama contains several terms and conditions that are to be respected by both parties (bride & groom). It includes bride’s right to divorce her husband. Nikahnaama specifies “Meher,” the monetary amount the groom will give the bride. Meher includes two amounts; one that is due before the marriage is consummated and the other that is a deferred amount given to the bride at a time to be determined. The Meher guarantees the bride's freedom within the marriage, and acts as the bride's safety net.
The fathers of groom and bride (Walis) act as witnesses to the wedding. If father is not available, the senior male, brother or uncle performs the ceremony. Islamic Imam (called maulana or maulvi in Urdu) reads selected verses from the Quran and waits for the Ijab-e-Qubul (proposal and acceptance) of wedding. Usually, the groom's side makes proposal and the bride's side conveys her assent. Maulvi and witnesses (gavah) take the Nikahnaama to the bride and read it aloud to her. She accepts the Nikahnaama saying 'qabool kiya,' meaning 'I accept and signs it. The Nikahnaama is then taken to the groom and read aloud to him. He accepts saying 'qabool kiya and signs the document. The Maulvi and witnesses (gavah) also do sign the Nikahnaama contract and the wedding becomes legal. The Maulvi recites the Fatihah, the first chapter of the Quran, and various durud, or blessings to mark the closing of Nikah ceremony.
After the wedding is legally announced, dishes of dates and misri (unrefined sugar) are served to the groom's family. Groom is then escorted to his bride where he’s allowed to site beside his wife. This is the time when sisters-in-law of groom play pranks and tease the groom.
Aina dekhi
After the ceremony the bride is brought out into the wedding hall accompanied by her close female relatives and friends with much fanfare. A mirror is given to the bride and groom so that they can see themselves as a married couple for the first time; historically it was the first time, literally, that they saw each other. Both the bride and groom read a passage from the Holy Koran, and afterwards they bless each other. Then they drink almond milk from the same glass, and feed each other sweets to ensure a sweet and healthy life together. For some fun the bride's sister along with other females steal the groom's shoe, and hold it ransom. A price is negotiated to pay the bride's side to surrender the shoe back to the groom.
Dinner
In most weddings this is the most important part of the wedding. All guests are invited to eat to their heart's content. In fact it is the food at the wedding that makes or breaks the event. If there is plenty of it, and it is considered tasty, then your wedding is a hit. After many years people won't remember how the bride or groom looked, or what was said, but they will remember the food.
Rukhsati
Valima
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