From the article: Islamic Wedding Party Customs
A wedding is always a happy time for families to celebrate. The official Islamic marriage contract may be the same in most places, but beyond that there is quite a bit of variety in the celebration of an Islamic marriage. The various wedding traditions in the world reflect the diversity of the Muslim community. What are the wedding party customs in your culture or country? Share Your Traditions
USA
- Here in the US, the Muslim communities are often very small and the extended families of the bride and groom might not be able to attend. The contract is signed privately, and then the entire Muslim community is invited to the mosque for a dinner. The women gather in a separate part of the building, and sing nasheed to celebrate with the bride. There is a lot of laughter and smiling, and sisters give gifts, advice, and congratulations to the bride. Everyone dresses up, and the bride usually wears a white gown. The groom has his own party with the brothers in another part of the mosque. When everyone is finished after a couple of hours, the groom takes the bride away for their honeymoon. Some families have tried to hold wedding parties in rented halls or hotels, but in my community this is frowned upon as an unnecessary expense. We try to follow the sunnah of a simple meal and no music, just innocent laughter and fun.
- —Guest Umm Abdullah
