If both individuals who are getting married are Muslim, they normally have an Islamic marriage ceremony that precedes a reception celebration. During this ceremony, the groom presents the bride with a mahr (bridal gift--in the form of money or any other valuable asset). No, the mahr isn't exactly what we commonly understand as a "dowry". The Muslim man never purchases his bride nor is the mahr given to the bride's family. The mahr is a gift to the bride from the groom. We can compare the function of the mahr to that of an engagement ring--it's a gift. More specifically, the mahr is intended for the bride to use to prepare herself (in any way she chooses) for the wedding.
In some traditions, the bride and groom also exchange rings. Musaad and I will be doing that at the nikah.
After the groom presents the bride with a mahr, she will either accept it or decline it. If she accepts it, the bride and groom will be asked by a Muslim officiate if they both mutually consent to join in marriage. The bride has to consent and the groom has to consent. They consent in front of at least two witnesses.
Once the two parties consent, they are Islamically husband and wife. The bride and groom, however, should have their marriage license notarized in order to be legally married as well.
That's the summary.
Musaad and I will have a private Islamic ceremony next Sunday (October 30th), insha'Allah, at The Biltmore Hotel. This will be followed by pictures and some sweets--of course! <3
Why a private Islamic ceremony? For many reasons. Mainly, the nikah will serve as an "exchange of rings" ceremony. This will be like an engagement period before the celebration in December. Making the ceremony private also helps with the pre-wedding anxiety. Get the legal and religious stuff out of the way, organize ourselves financially, and enjoy the last days of our bachelor(ette) lives before a wedding party.
I also decided to wear a headscarf for the nikah with an orange silk tunic and brown linen pants (think Miami; feel autumn). After the nikah, I will change into another dress (pictured below), but in dark green for sexier pictures.
Oh, and Musaad just bought two new suits. When I asked him "why two suits?" He answered: "Well, for future events...like you know, to celebrate your PhD, or something like that." I haven't even been accepted to the PhD yet and he's imagining a celebration for me. This is why he's wonderful. Teeeheeee :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment