Muslim wedding functions can be quite different depending on which nationality the family is. A Bangladeshi muslim wedding for example can be quite different from an Iraqi muslim wedding. The muslim religious traditions are influenced and enriched by each country’s own national wedding traditions.
In this blog post we want to talk a little about Bangladeshi muslim wedding traditions as we witnessed those in recent event taking place in Slough, Berkshire.
Wedding Day Preparations at Home
The wedding day preparations start at each party’s home. And most Bangladeshi muslim weddings are no exception. Red and Gold Weddings photo+video team is always happy to come to home of the bride or groom to capture the precious moments of getting ready. These moments often result in best photographs and video highlights.
When the bride/groom is ready, some photographs of the family inside the house or the garden are taken. Sometimes the young bride/groom is fed with milk and sweets or in groom’s case – platter of roast chicken, rice, kebabs, boiled eggs and vegetables (taal). The feeding of the groom is played out as a game where the brothers and friends of the groom would feed the groom playfully.
Arrival at the Venue
Now that home traditions are done, it is time to go to the venue. Usually UK Bangladeshi muslims choose to hire a limousine for the bride/groom and sometimes also for the closest family members.
When arriving at location both parties will enter the venue with some ceremony, but groom will sometimes enter after the bride and will be greeted by bride’s family members requesting playfully an entrance fee.
Nikaah
The bride and the groom are usually seated in separate areas. Then the main part of the wedding takes place. This is the Islamic ceremony called the Nikaah. During this ceremony the bride and groom separately in front of an Imam take wedding wows and sign Islamic wedding documents.
After Nikah is done, usually the bride will join the groom on the main stage. This is the time to take some group photographs and capture video with the newlywed couple.
Then the meal is served and all guests can enjoy Bangladeshi cuisine.
Bidai
When the reception comes to an end it is time for the bidai ceremony. The bride and groom will slowly walk out of the venue. Sometimes the bride will be helped by her brothers. A Quran is also sometimes held above bride’s head during the procession. This is a very sad moment during the wedding as the bride is now leaving her father’s and mother’s house and goes permanently to live in the groom’s house.
We have been very lucky to witness all of these wonderful Bangladeshi muslim traditions in a recent wedding our team photographed and captured on video in the town of Slough, Berkshire, UK the photos of which you can see here.
