Top 7 things I like about Pakistani Weddings

By Umm Ibrahim

Here are the top 7 reasons that make me smile at the start of the wedding season.  These are the things that make attending a wedding worthwhile.  Yes, they actually make all the preparation and dressing up in chiffon and georgettes (in chilly December nights) and the travelling worth it.

1- Nikah in the Masjid

There is something very serene about attending a Nikah in a Masjid. It makes you reflect on the sacredness of the bond and the beauty of the relationship.  Alhamdolillah, more and more young people are opting to tie the knot in the Masjid.

2- The awesome Khutbah

‘Awesome’ is the last word that I’d use for most of the Nikah khutbahs that I’ve heard.  But, then there is that rare Nikah khutbah which is enlightening and Iman-boosting at the same time.  Instead of some rehearsed mumbo-jumbo, it is real life advice that you can comprehend and apply.  It is a power-packed sermon that reminds you of your duties to Allah and to your fellow human beings.  You come back from such a wedding feeling that, for a change, your soul has had its wedding feast too, and not just your body.

3- The cute kids in ghararas, lehangas and three-piece suits

Don’t you just love them?  They are cuteness personified; and the way they pop out from underneath the tables is just adorable.  Any wedding is incomplete without the toddlers running around dressed up as little men and women.  Their spontaneity and innocence is actually refreshing in a surrounding where most of the adults appear to be fake: painted in make-up, plastering false smiles and visibly uncomfortable in ridiculous hair-dos and stiletto heels.

4- Bumping into a long-lost friend or acquaintance

It’s a small world, they say.  And a wedding is a perfect place to prove this true.  You are bound to run into that classmate you haven’t been in contact with since Grade 4.  Or that Aunty who was your neighbor 10 years ago.  If you’ve been invited from the bride’s side, this person will most probably be invited from the groom’s.  In most cases, these run-ins are very pleasant and nostalgic.  Old friendships get rekindled.  You catch up on everything, exchange phone numbers and marvel over the wonderful chance encounter.

5- The Rukhsati

We, Pakistanis, are very emotional beings.  Our family bonds are very strong.  Yet, paradoxically, we don’t openly express our love and affection for our families, except at the hour of rukhsati!  There is something so genuinely sentimental about a rukhsati that it can melt the heart of anyone present.  The beauty of the father-daughter, brother-sister, sister-sister and mother-daughter bonds are all beautifully portrayed in these few minutes.  Yes, seeing the rukhsati is worth the 5-hour wait!  (By the way, holding a Mushaf over the bride’s head at the time of Rukhsati is not from the Sunnah, nor is it reported to have any benefits.  So, brothers of brides, you can safely ditch this practice.)

 6- The Mehndi

No, I don’t mean the Mehndi functions.  I mean the Henna.  What a wonderful thing it is!  The colour, the smell, the designs!  I love to apply it on others’ hands (though my attempts often end up in a mess and fervent apologies on my part) and I absolutely love to get it applied on my hands.  After Eid, a wedding is the second-best excuse to apply Mehndi.  It also makes the memory of the event last for a good ten days.

7- The Food

Last but not the least, the delicious food. Isn’t this the reason why most people attend weddings in the first place? What can beat gajar ka halwa and kashmiri chai in the cold December nights?  Tantalizing, eh?

So, all hail the wedding season. Viva la wedding season!

Read “Top 7 things I dislike about Pakistani weddings” here: https://youthclubblog.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/top-7-things-i-dislike-about-pakistani-weddings/