For many people across the world, a wedding is a time of joy, celebration and also unity. It goes without saying that for us as followers of Islam, this isn’t any different. While there are undoubtedly some distinctions between a Muslim wedding and other spiritual or non-religious ceremonies, society and personal choice still play an essential role in what occurs on the special day (or days).
Be it a three-day Indian wedding or a typical Western layout, there are particular components of Muslim wedding celebrations that are consistent across the world. This detailed guide shares tips for planning your traditional Muslim wedding event– from the ceremony to the unique customised outfits!
First things first, the date
When it comes to booking a wedding event date, most Muslims favour the Islamic month of Shawwal, yet this isn’t necessary. The majority of times of year are appropriate, though you should avoid the spiritual months of Ramadan and Muharram. This implies you’re cost-free to organise your wedding for your favourite season– whether that be a blissful summer season wedding or a cosy winter months affair.
Prepare the venue
In Islam, it’s elective to wed in a mosque, which means you’ll have the freedom to pick a place of your own choice. Whether you’d prefer an intimate setting with just your closest family members at hand, or a bigger location to suit a wider circle of close friends, the decision is yours as to where you want the ceremony and celebrations to happen. After the ceremony itself there will certainly be a walimah, which is generally an event with a feast where guests can commemorate the union. This can be anything from massive festivities to a gathering at home.
When it comes to the walimah, you need to consider the food you would like served. Traditionally in many cultures, it’s family members that offer the food as well as beverage on the day but many modern couples now opt for caterers and table service.
Agree on a mahar
As one of one of the most important days in the life of a Muslim, there can be a lot of pressure to host the ultimate wedding event. One of the very first points to think of as soon as a day has been set is the mahar, a pre-agreed dowry settlement from the bridegroom to the bride. Settling on an appropriate mahar is something normally talked about independently in between the new bride’s and groom’s families, and also can be anything within the bridegroom’s monetary means. From a luxurious item of jewelry, clothes, cash or even a simple prayer agreeing this ahead of time will certainly make sure the bridegroom has lots of time to prepare prior to the wedding day.
Get excited for the Henna Evening!
A common tradition among Muslim new brides to be, between East as well as South Asia is to have a henna celebration a couple of days prior to the event, where fragile, artistic patterns are made use of the hands as well as feet of the bride. This party is an ideal opportunity for female bonding prior to the wedding day! It’s also common to have a comparable event for the groom.
The gown
The visual of your Muslim wedding celebration can be however you like, as long as it’s modest. Some gowns are delicately formed with embroidery and jewels sewn in to really make the dress as dazzling as possible, others may choose a simpler style. Bottom line is you will need one. Most dresses take months to arrive due to being custom made. Always tell the dressmaker that your wedding date is a few weeks prior to your actual wedding date so that you can factor in time for delays and alterations..
The ceremony
Next, you’ll need to think about the ceremony, or nikah, itself. The nikah can be as simple as you like, requiring only 2 male witnesses and a Muslim educated in Islamic law– which is usually an imam or Qazi. Separated in 2 various areas or areas of the hall, you and your companion will exist with the nikah namah– the marital relationship agreement– which will be signed after reading out loud.
A Muslim wedding celebration bears lots of similarities to weddings of people of other religions. They are a time to commemorate love, faith and unity. Whether you’re a bride-to-be in India, England, Malaysia or Egypt, your special day will certainly be one of the most important of your life, so get preparing to ensure your perfect day goes smoothly!
