Persian Wedding

The legal Persian wedding ceremony where the marriage contract (ghabaleh) is agreed upon and signed is called Aghd...

The altar where the wedding ceremony is performed features representations of a prosperous righteous life according to traditional Persian values. A fine hand-sewn wedding cloth is spread out before the "mirror of fate" (ayeneh-ye bakht). The bride and groom sit facing a mirror, which is lit by two candelabras. As the ceremony begins, married women, relatives or friends are invited by the bride's mother to gather around the couple. Two of them hold a square of white silk over the couple's heads while others sew a piece of tissue using seven coloured threads, and another rubs two sugar loaves together to symbolise joy and happiness raining down upon the bride and groom.

A holy man, chosen by the couple, reads the marriage contract and recites the traditional prayers. After exchanging wedding rings, the bride and the groom kiss and dip their fingers in honey and place them in each other's mouths. This intimate gesture symbolises the hope that hey will make each other's life sweet.

Friends and relatives then shower the married couple with sweets and coins before offering them their wedding gifts. At this moment, the mother of the bride takes off the bride's right shoe and puts out the candles with it. This symbolises the control of her fate.

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