Wedding Traditions of the Middle East; Cypress to Iraq

Jan 21
2011
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Wedding Traditions of the Middle East; Cypress to Iraq

Wedding traditions in the Middle East brings together many cultures and various religious
overtones. For the countries of Cypress, Iran and Iraq, these cultural and religious traditions are
steeped in long tradition.
Cypress
For the village of Kilani, an old tradition was that the bride’s family will hand out specially made
bread as the invitation to the wedding.
In many of the villages, there is the tradition of bed laying. This starts by having young girls
surround the bed and, while dancing and singing around it, will lay sheets on to the bed. Once
the sheets have been laid, money will then be placed on the bed by family guests. This financial
support is intended to show for a prosperous wedding. After this, a baby, often a boy will be
placed on the bed and rolled around to represent fertility, thus giving the couple many heirs.
Wedding attire will depend on the location of the wedding. While most big towns or villages are
more modernized, the smaller villages are still set in their traditional ways. In a village wedding,
conservative is the way to go.
Arriving to the church can vary, but it is not uncommon to see the bride and groom arrive to
the church together. In the event the groom arrives before the bride, he may be seen standing
outside waiting for her with her bouquet. In lieu of some traditions, the bride is usually given
away outside the church. Then the groom and bride will walk together up the aisle and despite
having a wedding party, the parents will also stand with the new couple to be.
The best man is known as Koumbaros and the main bridesmaid is the Koumera. Often they will
be asked to place crowns, or headbands that are known as a Stefana, on to the couple’s heads and
are worn until the end of the ceremony.
Iran
In Iran, formerly known as Persia, it is the groom that will purchase his bride’s wedding dress.
The dress will usually consist of ten feet worth of sheeting in which the groom will wrap it
around his bride.
Once the wedding vows have been exchanged, crumb shavings from two decorated sugar cones
are trickled down onto their heads which is known to bring them good luck.
For many in Iran, the wedding will be based on the marriage contract, after all 95% of Iranians
are Muslim. The groom’s first view of his bride-to-be is from her reflection in the mirror. A
wedding cloth, also known as a sofreh-ye aqhd, is placed before the mirror. The cloth will
contain many items that are usually symbolic foods or other items.
The bride will be asked three times and if she agrees to the marriage, at that point they will be
declared as husband and wife.
The after reception known as arusi, or feast, includes a dinner consisting of a whole roasted lamb
with a side of sweet rice is served. After the meal, the dancing and singing will commence.
At the reception the new bride and groom may wet their fingers in honey and then place them
in the other person’s mouth or they may just feed the other person sugar-coated almonds as an
alternative.
After the reception has finally ended, the new couple will go to their new home where they will
knock over a bowl filled with water that is in their doorway, which is thought to bring them good
luck. They will also wrestle with one another in a playful way to see who will be the first to enter
the home as it means the first one in is the head of the household.
Iraq
In many ways, marriages in Iraq are arranged. When an Iraqi man sees a woman that he finds
attractive, he informs his mother. His mom will then research the girl’s family in every aspect to
see if she would be a good match for her son. If his mother agrees, she will be the one that goes
to the young girl’s home and ask for her hand in marriage to her son, at which point the girl’s
family will then research his family.
Once both families agree, they will all come together to meet. The potential bride and groom
will spend some alone time together to get to know each other. In the event one or both do not
like the other, the courtship is over, otherwise the wedding is on. In smaller towns or villages,
marriages between cousins are still the preference.

Wedding Traditions of the Middle East; Cypress to Iraq
Wedding traditions in the Middle East brings together many cultures and various religiousovertones. For the countries of Cypress, Iran and Iraq, these cultural and religious traditions aresteeped in long tradition.
Cypress
For the village of Kilani, an old tradition was that the bride’s family will hand out specially madebread as the invitation to the wedding.
In many of the villages, there is the tradition of bed laying. This starts by having young girlssurround the bed and, while dancing and singing around it, will lay sheets on to the bed. Oncethe sheets have been laid, money will then be placed on the bed by family guests. This financialsupport is intended to show for a prosperous wedding. After this, a baby, often a boy will beplaced on the bed and rolled around to represent fertility, thus giving the couple many heirs.
Wedding attire will depend on the location of the wedding. While most big towns or villages aremore modernized, the smaller villages are still set in their traditional ways. In a village wedding,conservative is the way to go.
Arriving to the church can vary, but it is not uncommon to see the bride and groom arrive tothe church together. In the event the groom arrives before the bride, he may be seen standingoutside waiting for her with her bouquet. In lieu of some traditions, the bride is usually givenaway outside the church. Then the groom and bride will walk together up the aisle and despitehaving a wedding party, the parents will also stand with the new couple to be.
The best man is known as Koumbaros and the main bridesmaid is the Koumera. Often they willbe asked to place crowns, or headbands that are known as a Stefana, on to the couple’s heads andare worn until the end of the ceremony.
Iran
In Iran, formerly known as Persia, it is the groom that will purchase his bride’s wedding dress.The dress will usually consist of ten feet worth of sheeting in which the groom will wrap itaround his bride.
Once the wedding vows have been exchanged, crumb shavings from two decorated sugar conesare trickled down onto their heads which is known to bring them good luck.
For many in Iran, the wedding will be based on the marriage contract, after all 95% of Iraniansare Muslim. The groom’s first view of his bride-to-be is from her reflection in the mirror. Awedding cloth, also known as a sofreh-ye aqhd, is placed before the mirror. The cloth willcontain many items that are usually symbolic foods or other items.
The bride will be asked three times and if she agrees to the marriage, at that point they will be
declared as husband and wife.
The after reception known as arusi, or feast, includes a dinner consisting of a whole roasted lambwith a side of sweet rice is served. After the meal, the dancing and singing will commence.
At the reception the new bride and groom may wet their fingers in honey and then place themin the other person’s mouth or they may just feed the other person sugar-coated almonds as analternative.
After the reception has finally ended, the new couple will go to their new home where they willknock over a bowl filled with water that is in their doorway, which is thought to bring them goodluck. They will also wrestle with one another in a playful way to see who will be the first to enterthe home as it means the first one in is the head of the household.
Iraq
In many ways, marriages in Iraq are arranged. When an Iraqi man sees a woman that he findsattractive, he informs his mother. His mom will then research the girl’s family in every aspect tosee if she would be a good match for her son. If his mother agrees, she will be the one that goesto the young girl’s home and ask for her hand in marriage to her son, at which point the girl’sfamily will then research his family.
Once both families agree, they will all come together to meet. The potential bride and groomwill spend some alone time together to get to know each other. In the event one or both do notlike the other, the courtship is over, otherwise the wedding is on. In smaller towns or villages,marriages between cousins are still the preference.

Written by nicole in: Maui Photography | Tags: , , , ,

Wedding Traditions of the Middle East; Oman to Saudi Arabia

Jan 21
2011
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Wedding Traditions of the Middle East; Oman to Saudi Arabia

Wedding traditions of the Middle East can come in all kinds of forms. Some of the customs may
be the same from country to country, but other traditions will vary. For such countries as Oman,
Palestine, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, these ritual traditions are taken very seriously.
OMAN
Wedding traditions of Oman include:
- Unlike other Middle Eastern countries, both men and women are allowed to select their mate.
- After the price is agreed upon, the groom-to-be and the father of the bride will attend an
Omanian judge’s office to sign a contract. For this procedure, the bride will not be present.
- For most of the wedding proceedings, the groom and bride will be separated.
- As for celebrations, it is common for the groom’s family to stay together and celebrate for as
long as three days. Meanwhile the bride’s side will only celebrate for just one or two of the days.
During the celebrations, the bride stays with other children in another room.
- After the groom’s family has returned from the bride’s home with the new bride, the party
starts up again. While the bridal party is entertained and fed, her new groom is being shaved and
redressed into his best clothes. His outfit would also include a green sash to match his wife’s
green headdress. The color green being worn by both is thought to bring good fortune.
- Upon the completion of the ceremony, the couple will go off to a nuptial hut that is usually
built by the groom’s friends. It is here where the new couple will spend their honeymoon
lasting up to one week. During this time, they will use their feet to crack an egg, which is
encouragement for fertility.
PALESTINE
Wedding traditions of Palestine include:
- A Ziyaneh is held for the bachelor the night before his wedding. It’s basically a bachelor party
where the groom’s sexual abilities are confirmed. This ritual includes his parents bragging about
his beard, which is a symbol of manhood. Although the groom may be as young as 14 years old,
he will still need to have a good shave to be successful at the taking of his bride’s virginity.
- Expectations are high that the new bride is a virgin and proof is often needed to avoid having
the groom laughed at and mocked. Therefore, after they consummate the marriage, the groom
will exit the room with the virgin’s blood on the cloth. The cloth is then handed to the groom’s
mother where she will dance with it in front of some women. After, she will hand it to the father
of the groom who then brags about his son’s manhood.
- One of the bigger traditions in Palestine is when the bride places a piece of dough on her front
door of her new home. This symbolizes blessings and wealth to her home as well as good fortune
in money and children to the groom by his bride.
QATAR
Wedding traditions of Qatar include:
- Nearly all marriages are arranged and are usually within the tribe.
- Girls are considered old enough to marry upon their educational completion by about age 14 or
15.
- The bride can choose to go with either a more modern wear or a traditional wear. The
traditional wear includes a green disdaasha (Arabic gown) that is covered with embroidery of
gold color. Wearing the dishaasha shows a sign of respect for the older Gulf traditions.
- For a Qatari marriage, the groom needs to give the bride a marital payment known as “mahr.”
- The bride will generally make all the decisions for her wedding and is assisted by other females
in her family, the groom’s family and friends. The groom will be in charge of financing the
entire wedding and honeymoon, as well as any other requests she may have or want.
- Most Qatari weddings take place after either the “Maghrib” (after sunset prayer) or after
the “Ishaa” (the evening prayer). Many weddings usually take place in the evening since a night
setting tends to be a more romantic atmosphere.
SAUDI ABRABIA
Wedding traditions in Saudi Arabia include:
- When a man and a woman decide to marry, they generally will go out and buy new clothes,
then return to throw out their old clothes. This symbolizes a new life together.
- Both the groom and bride will wear white for their wedding ceremony. The groom will also
wear a long cover that is known as a Bisht.

Wedding Traditions of the Middle East; Oman to Saudi Arabia
Wedding traditions of the Middle East can come in all kinds of forms. Some of the customs maybe the same from country to country, but other traditions will vary. For such countries as Oman,Palestine, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, these ritual traditions are taken very seriously.
OMAN
Wedding traditions of Oman include:
- Unlike other Middle Eastern countries, both men and women are allowed to select their mate.
- After the price is agreed upon, the groom-to-be and the father of the bride will attend anOmanian judge’s office to sign a contract. For this procedure, the bride will not be present.
- For most of the wedding proceedings, the groom and bride will be separated.
- As for celebrations, it is common for the groom’s family to stay together and celebrate for aslong as three days. Meanwhile the bride’s side will only celebrate for just one or two of the days.During the celebrations, the bride stays with other children in another room.
- After the groom’s family has returned from the bride’s home with the new bride, the partystarts up again. While the bridal party is entertained and fed, her new groom is being shaved andredressed into his best clothes. His outfit would also include a green sash to match his wife’sgreen headdress. The color green being worn by both is thought to bring good fortune.
- Upon the completion of the ceremony, the couple will go off to a nuptial hut that is usuallybuilt by the groom’s friends. It is here where the new couple will spend their honeymoonlasting up to one week. During this time, they will use their feet to crack an egg, which isencouragement for fertility.
PALESTINE
Wedding traditions of Palestine include:
- A Ziyaneh is held for the bachelor the night before his wedding. It’s basically a bachelor partywhere the groom’s sexual abilities are confirmed. This ritual includes his parents bragging abouthis beard, which is a symbol of manhood. Although the groom may be as young as 14 years old,he will still need to have a good shave to be successful at the taking of his bride’s virginity.
- Expectations are high that the new bride is a virgin and proof is often needed to avoid havingthe groom laughed at and mocked. Therefore, after they consummate the marriage, the groomwill exit the room with the virgin’s blood on the cloth. The cloth is then handed to the groom’smother where she will dance with it in front of some women. After, she will hand it to the fatherof the groom who then brags about his son’s manhood.
- One of the bigger traditions in Palestine is when the bride places a piece of dough on her front
door of her new home. This symbolizes blessings and wealth to her home as well as good fortunein money and children to the groom by his bride.
QATAR
Wedding traditions of Qatar include:
- Nearly all marriages are arranged and are usually within the tribe.
- Girls are considered old enough to marry upon their educational completion by about age 14 or15.
- The bride can choose to go with either a more modern wear or a traditional wear. Thetraditional wear includes a green disdaasha (Arabic gown) that is covered with embroidery ofgold color. Wearing the dishaasha shows a sign of respect for the older Gulf traditions.
- For a Qatari marriage, the groom needs to give the bride a marital payment known as “mahr.”
- The bride will generally make all the decisions for her wedding and is assisted by other femalesin her family, the groom’s family and friends. The groom will be in charge of financing theentire wedding and honeymoon, as well as any other requests she may have or want.
- Most Qatari weddings take place after either the “Maghrib” (after sunset prayer) or afterthe “Ishaa” (the evening prayer). Many weddings usually take place in the evening since a nightsetting tends to be a more romantic atmosphere.
SAUDI ABRABIA
Wedding traditions in Saudi Arabia include:
- When a man and a woman decide to marry, they generally will go out and buy new clothes,then return to throw out their old clothes. This symbolizes a new life together.
- Both the groom and bride will wear white for their wedding ceremony. The groom will alsowear a long cover that is known as a Bisht.

Written by nicole in: Maui Photography | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Beach Weddings, Maui

Sep 19
2010
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It was another beautiful beach wedding at Poolenlena. This mainland couple is taking there first walk together as husband and wife.

Written by nicole in: hawaii professional photographers, maui beach weddings, maui bride and groom, Maui digital photography, maui hawaii photographers, Maui Photographer, Maui Photography, MAUI PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY, MAUI WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER, MAUI WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS, Maui Wedding Photography, maui wedding photography service, Maui- personal Photographer, photographer, maui, photographers in maui, Photographers Maui, photographers on maui, professional photographer, Wedding photography, WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY MAUI, wedding pictures maui, WEDDINGS MAUI | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Day Planner

Apr 12
2010
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Wedding Day Planner

From the day you were a little girl, you have always dreamt of your wedding day. Well the time has finally come and everything you have imagined must now be planned out. There are many things to consider, but some of the most important is how you will look. Afterall, it is your red carpet moment that will also be captured on film forever.

To start, you will need to decide if you are going to go with a traditional style or be daring and be creative. Also, is this your first wedding, a second wedding, a public wedding to validate the private service you recently had or maybe it’s a renewal of vows. Depending on the type of ceremony, you can then decide on your hair style, your color theme, accessories and other aspects.

Color Schemes

With many of the traditional weddings being in white, more and more modern day weddings are turning away from white and going other versions of color. Thanks to many of today’s designers, color and tradition have been set aside for a new level of creativity. From the traditional pure white, to the off white or ivory, to pastel colors such as shades of pink, blue, purple or yellow, the trend doesn’t seem to stop there.

In addition to the main colors as focal points, colors are being added to gowns. Designers have begun to incorporate sparkling colors such as silver or gold to the dress to accent the dress and give highlight to a particular area of the dress or to compliment an accessory that the bride may be wearing. Remember, before you go to creative with colors and accents, be sure to discuss these with your photographer and videographer to determine how these color schemes will appear on camera. The worst thing you can do is to be all dolled up, but that doesn’t transpose well on film, thus giving you a look you did not want to capture forever.

Hair Styles

One of the decisions you will have to decide on is whether or not your hair style will be done separately from your wedding party, will you all match or will you all be going with a wedding theme, where the hair design will be based upon.

In the event you and your party are going with a similar hair theme, you will need to consider those in your wedding party. Is their current hair length going to allow for a design that will work or not, or will you have to be a bit creative. You may have to consider a short haired bridesmaid in a long haired theme the possibility of hair extensions. Another issue to consider is whether a bridesmaid is coming from out of town and will she get there in time to have her done properly to match the rest of the wedding party.

As you and your party are planning out the hair style, you need to take into consideration other aspects. The dresses, the veil, the different types of accessories all may play a part in your hair styles. For those obsessed with their hair, you may want to go with a hair design before picking out a dress or accessories. You will also want to consider the type of dress you have chosen. What kind of neckline does it have or how far down the back is your back exposed.

In general, the more the gown flows, the recommendation is to go with a longer hair design and for the high collared dress, and you may want to consider a hair design that is up. Are you still not sure? Going with a traditional style is always a good fall back plan. For example, your hair is pinned up, with some tight curls trickling around the neck line, giving you a very glamorous look regardless if your wedding is formal or informal.

No matter your hair style, there is always something that can be done to give you that right look. In most cases it’s the accessories. You can add accessories such as pins, barrettes, a chignon, wraps, lace, ribbon or other fabrics to really bring out the best in your hair design, your dress and your face. There are so many things you can add to give your hair that extra flare on your special day.

So as you can see, planning a wedding properly is usually done in a year in advance. You will also experience, if you are not prepared, that the big things are the easiest to plan for, such as the ceremony and the reception. However, it’s the little things that are the most tedious, such as your clothing, hair style and accessories for you and your wedding party. Plan ahead and have fun with it all and have a great wedding.


Written by nicole in: maui event photographer, Maui Photographer, Maui Photography, MAUI PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY, photographers in maui, Photographers Maui, photographers on maui, Wedding photography, WEDDINGS MAUI | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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