How long do pakistani weddings last

Pakistani weddings usually begin with a Dholki. This is a pre-celebration which usually takes place one or two weeks before the main celebrations.

The bridal party, close friends and relatives of the bride and groom are in attendance. During this event guests sing and dance traditionally while beating on a dholak drum. Before the main ceremony occurs, one of the most important events for a bride is the Mehndi henna party where the bride has intricate henna patterns drawn onto her hands and feet. Female friends and family members will also have henna patterns applied with less elaborate designs than the bride.

However over recent years the groom has become involved in the day with family and friends applying oil to his head. Sing, and dance traditional songs. The betrothed pair rejoices the event of mehndi separately, each with their family and friends.

Then the Nikkah takes place, where the bride and groom are officially documented and declared as man and wife.

This is amongst the most important Islamic ritual at a Pakistani wedding. Nikkah takes place either a few weeks or days before the Barat or can even be combined with the function of Barat. It is the formal ritual of the wedding. The groom usually rides a horse or a horse carriage while leading the way to his friends and family dancing on the beat of the drums.

The groom, his family, and relatives are all very warmly welcomed. In their reception, they are greeted with goodwill and are also offered juices and food. On the day of Valima, the groom usually wears a suit and the bride will be witnessed once again in plenty of gold jewelry combined with outfits of pastel shades. Pakistani weddings nowadays are colorful, extravagant and across-the-board entailing numerous customs and rituals, and a source of joy, entertainment, and the ultimate festivity of love for those involved.

The country has an assortment of people where some desire to have an extravagant wedding while others embrace the Islamic approach of the wedding. This, it all depends on the choices made and the resource possessed.

The culture of different countries undeniably varies but then again in every culture marriage that works seems to be of the people who are open minded, flexible and respectful to each other. The Shaadi usually takes place on the same day as the nikah. At the start of the Shaadi, guests will stand and watch as the bride is escorted down an aisle by her parents to a stage where she will sit with her groom.

He may not hope to see his shoes again until he pays each family member off with cash. The Valima is the reception and final event of the days-long wedding celebration.

The rukhsati concludes the entire wedding celebration where guests gather to say farewell to the newly married couple. This is an especially bittersweet moment for the bride because traditionally, this is the moment she is leaving behind her childhood and her parents to live with her new husband.

After the rukhsati, the couple makes their way to their honeymoon and start their new life together. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Brides. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Erum Salam. Erum Salam is a writer at The Guardian. Brides's Editorial Guidelines. Fact checked by Cherisse Harris. Cherisse Harris is a fact-checker with a focus on lifestyle, beauty, and parenting. She's worked in research for nearly two decades. Bao Tram: I found some photos which show that the wedding clothes of the bride and groom look colorful.

Could you describe them for us? Najam Hassan: In Mayoon, the bride along with all the ladies wear yellow colour dresses. On wedding day, the bride wears a heavily embroidered red dress called Lehnga, while the groom also wears the embroidered overcoat that is called Shairwani.

Regardless of how society changes over time, weddings remain a cherished rite of passage. How do think about it, Najam? Najam Hassam: Yes it's true of course and marriage has always been a harbinger of a new life for both boy and girl. And with respect to the traditions and ceremonies, we love to preserve them as these are our identity. Bao Tram: Thank you, Najam, for joining us today and telling us about wedding ceremonies in Pakistan.

I hope to see you in future programs. A single wedding contains many elements of local traditions. Pakistani weddings are explosions of colour, beautifully embroidered flowing fabrics in silks and chiffon, tantalizing food, traditionally decorated stages, and a lot of music and dancing.