Cultural Guide - TO HAVE AND TO HOLD

Be Wedding-Ready with our lowdown on all the rituals and traditions celebrated at Asian weddings with our ‘go-to’ Cultural Guide

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Pakistani Weddings

An intimate celebration showcasing everlasting, binding love

1. Inital Meetings

The prospective groom and his family will always approach the bride and her relatives first at a primary meeting. The groom’s parents will propose on behalf of their son and bring sweets and gifts for their future daughter-inlaw. The bride’s parents must give their word that they honestly accept the proposal, also known as zabaan.

2. Engagement Party

The bride and groom’s families come together to throw a joint engagement party. It’s normally on a small scale, and the groom will formally ask for the bride’s hand and present her with a ring. The families will also decide on a date for the wedding and Nikkah, and the planning can officially begin.

3. Mayoon Ceremony

The Groom’s mother brings turmeric and this is applied on the bride’s skin to give it a healthy glow. The bride will usually wear a casual, salvwar kameez during the ceremony. It’s a small gathering for intimate family members, and traditionally just the ladies, to make the bride feel relaxed and pampered before her Big Day.