It was my cousin who was getting married but the truth was that besides a few short notes on facebook, I hadn't seen him since my own wedding back in 2000. He was there with his new wife and she actually caught my bouquet ( I guess that means that that old wives tale is not true). And because it had been a while it did make it seem strange to be there as I didn't really know them and yet there we were sharing their most special day with them. It is funny how we can not see someone for so long and then we go to their wedding and then go back to not seeing them again. One cousin made the comment that they felt they should come to his wedding even though he too hadn't seen him in a while because the next thing you know is your meeting up with them again at a funeral instead.
I just found it all very strange but both my cousin and I both agreed that we didn't want to wait so long again to get together as we are family and family is important.
The wedding itself started off in a cathedral in the city, a traditional ceremony.
And then we moved on to the reception venue where they had the Iranian ceremony. I must say it was interesting to watch, there is so much joy and noise involved. They ask the groom if he takes the bride to be his wife and he says 'yes' and then they ask the bride and she says 'no' so then the bride's mother has to talk her into it and then she says 'yes'. The wedding is really dominated by the women of the family. Then they present the bride with jewelry, not just a few trinkets but some serious jewelry.
At the reception they had a belly dancer perform and she was amazing, she could shimmy and shake like you wouldn't believe. And with the cake cutting all of the young female relatives 'tease' the groom with the knife, they dance (quite suggestively) and he has to bribe them with money, in the end the bride is given the knife.
It was just an amazing wedding to watch for me but I must admit I understood when my cousin and husband were talking and saying that it is a most intimidating customs for the men as they has just been married and there is a lot of women then dancing suggestively around them for the rest of the evening.
On the Sunday we met up with our gorgeous girls at church and then had lunch with some of our church family and sibling family. Then we had dinner with all of my mum's side family from the wedding- cousins, aunts and uncles and celebrated my brother's 33rd birthday. Happy Birthday!
Whew, I am happy for a day at home where I can relax, clean, feed, entertain, wash, fold, hang and blog.
3 comments:
Oh my WORD! You'd never catch a belly dance at MY wedding - the bride is supposed to be the main event in my opinion and I'd totally freak out if I were upstaged. :) Actually, in the Bible Belt here in Texas, just having a belly dancer would cause a total freak-out at ANY occasion! It must be traditional for the bride because she seems happy for the girl to be there but I'm afraid my Big Green Eye of jealousy would just not make for a happy reception.
What an interesting reception. Thanks for sharing!
Yes that was the funny thing, it wasn't just the belly dancing, it was all the bride's cousins too. When the belly dancer was 'working' the audience she would choose random people to dance with- Husband used that time to leave for the toilets and he said there were a large number of other young blokes in there too.
what an amazing wedding- although we find it a little strange! I will have to ask my Saudi students about this belly dancing thing.......hhhhmmmnnn.....on second thoughts, maybe not- I could be afraid of the answer!!!!
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