Assalam o alaikum everyone! Today Im here to present the topic marriage in Pakistan.

In today
presentation Im going to cover the marriage concept in Pakistan, arranged marriage concept in
Pakistan, marriage process of typical Pakistani marriage which includes various traditions and
customs.
Marriage concept in Pakistan
All countries have their own culture and Importance of marriages but adopt
different ways to get married. Pakistan is an Islamic republic state which is rich of customs and
culture. Marriage is one of the essential part of Pakistani culture. Its a tradition that has been
followed from late history when Islamic culture gained awareness and importance in the society.
Marriage is not only a wedlock between the bride and groom but also bring their family closer.
Marriage is consider as a big day in the life of bride and groom, because it brings two families
together and closer. Marriages in Pakistan is a day which is celebrated feasts full of joy and fun.
The importance of marriage can be understand from the fact that before deciding for getting
marry, man and woman and their families tries to get to know each other family. It is consider to
be a very important decision for their life. Marriage can make someones life and can also
destroy their lives. Once the decision is made for getting marry, preparations for marriage
initiated. Bride and grooms family start shopping for clothes, jewelery, furniture, utensils and
other item that can be of need while marriage. Families decide and rent a venue for the event. All
these preparations involved great amount of money.
Arranged marriages concept in paksitan:
Arranged marriages have been an integral part of Pakistani society for years and are still
prevalent. Marriages are often arranged within the family or within the same community or
ethnicity. Social and educational status are very important in arranged marriages. However
nowadays, love marriages are slowly becoming more common and acceptable in Pakistan.
Arranged matches are made after taking into account factors such as the wealth and social
standing of their families. A marriage can also be made within the extended family such as
between cousins.
There are two types of arranged marriages in Pakistan. Under semi-arranged marriages, the
couple makes the final decision. In a completely arranged marriage, with no compromises made
by the potential bride and groom, the parents decision is final. The most liberal and educated of
Pakistan undergo semi-arranged marriages in the urban parts of the country, and fully arranged
marriages are seen mostly in rural areas which hold the least educated people.

Marriage process:
Arranged marriages in Pakistan often take long periods of time to finalize. The time from
preparation until wedding day may be more than a year. When the wedding date approaches, all
close relatives are invited for a typical Pakistani wedding that requires a considerable budget in
order to accommodate them. The wedding customs and celebrations also differ significantly
depending on the geographical location as well as the families involved. However, a typical
Pakistani wedding has at least three main customs involving the Henna ceremony (Rasme
Henna), the vows or the Nikah which is a part of the actual wedding or Shaadi ceremony, and a
subsequent Walima offered by the groom's family.
Now Im going in detail to elaborate various marriage functions that any typical Pakistani
marriage contain.
Proposal party
A proposal party is a reception held at the bride's house, where the groom's parents and family
elders formally ask the bride's parents for her hand in marriage. In religious families, once the
wedding proposal is accepted, the families read Surah Al-Fatihah, and then tea and refreshments
are served. Depending on individual family traditions, the bride-to-be may also be presented with
an item of jewelry and a variety of gifts.
Engagement
An engagement is a formal ceremony to mark the engagement of the couple.[4] It is usually a
small ceremony that takes place in the presence of a few close members of bride's and grooms
families. Rings and other items of jewelry among families are exchanged between the potential
bride and groom. Traditionally, the bride and the groom were not seated together, and the rings
are placed on the bride's finger by the groom's mother or sister, and vice versa. In recent years,
however, segregated functions have become a rarity and rings are usually exchanged between the
couple. Prayer and blessings for the couple are then recited, and the wedding date is decided.
Dholki
The Dholki or Dholak celebration takes its name from the instrument Dholki, which is featured
heavily during this wedding celebration. Traditionally, many days or even weeks before the
actual wedding day, women will gather in the house of the bride at night to sing and dance while
accompanied by instruments. Today, this ceremony has also been reduced to a single night of
singing and is often combined with Mehndi or Henna ceremony.
Mehndi:
Mehndi the Henna ceremony, or the Rasm-e-henna ceremony, typically takes place one or two
days prior to the main wedding day. The event is traditionally held separately for the bride and
the groom. The henna is symbolically placed on the couple's hands. The groom's friends and
family bring along sweets and henna for the bride, and the bride's family does the same for the
groom. In the bride's ceremony, the groom normally does not participate, and similarly on the
groom's event, the bride stays at home. Female guests are sometimes offered mehndi at the host's
discretion.

Traditionally, since there were separate functions for both the bride and the groom, the groom's
function was called 'Tael' (oil) where female guests put some oil into the groom's hair. With the
ceremony now held simultaneously for both the groom and the bride, the use of the term 'tael'
has diminished greatly. In some cases, the entire ceremony is instead referred to as "Tael
Mehndi" (Oil and Henna) ceremony.
The bride normally wears a green, yellow, or orange dress for the Henna celebration and uses
only light, or mostly, no make-up. The groom will typically wear a casual Shalwar Qameez. The
bride and/or the groom are brought forward in the ceremony under a decorative dupatta by their
close relatives.
Sometimes elaborate musical and acting performances are part of the Mehndi celebrations.
Elaborate dance sequences and competitions between the bride and groom's families are also
quite common these days.Traditionally, the Mehendi was considered a women's event and men
did not participate in it.n. However, this has changed substantially in recent times with males
featuring prominently in the Mehndi celebrations as well.
Wedding:
A Wedding is when the bride's reception formally takes place. The event takes place at
the bride's house where large wedding tents may be set up in the garden or a nearby place. It has
also become very common to hold the event in a marriage hall or hotel. The bride's family is
responsible for the reception and arrangements of the day.
The bride traditionally wears a red,pink or purple gharara, lehenga or shalwar kameez which is
heavily embroidered. However, other bright colors may also be worn. The dress is always
accompanied with heavy gold jewellery. The groom may wear a traditional dress such
as sherwani with a sehra or turban though some may prefer to wear a western inspired suit.
A dinner is served which consists of several dishes with meat featuring heavily in the meal.
Some of the well represented dishes in a wedding meal include pullao, biryani, chaanp, chargha,
various forms of roasted fowl and lamb, various forms
of kebabs, naan, Shirmal, Taftan, Falooda, Kulfi etc.
Baraat:
Baraat is the procession of the family, relatives, and friends of the groom and they accompany
the groom to the brides home for the official wedding ceremony. The groom makes his way to
the bride's home on a richly decked horse or car and the baraat follows in different vehicles.
Usually they are also accompanied by a band playing wedding songs. The groom is given a
warm welcome by the brides family with flower garlands and rose petals thrown upon the
procession by the bride's sisters, cousins and friends
Nikah
Nikah is purely Islamic official wedding ceremony that usually takes place at the brides home.
Nikah is attended by close family members, relatives, and friends of groom and bride. Usually,
the men and women are made to sit separately, in different rooms, or have a purdah, or curtain,
separating them.
Nikah-naama (document of marriage contract) is registered in Nikah. The Nikahnaama contains
several terms and conditions that are to be respected by both parties (bride & groom). It includes

brides right to divorce her husband. Nikahnaama specifies Meher, the monetary amount the
groom will give the bride.
The fathers of groom and bride (Walis) act as witnesses to the wedding. If father is not available,
the senior male, brother or uncle performs the ceremony.
After the wedding is legally announced, dishes of dates and misri (unrefined sugar) are served to
the groom's family.
.Rukhsati:
The Rukhsati takes place, when the groom and his family will leave together with the bride. The
Qur'an is normally held over the bride's head as she walks from the stage to the exit in order to
bless and protect her. This is a sad occasion for the bride's parents as it marks the departure of
their daughter from their home. The departure of the bride becomes a very emotional scene as
she says farewell to the home of her parents and siblings to start a new married life.
Traditionally, the groom travels by a decorated horse to the bride's house and after the wedding
ceremony takes his wife in a doli (palanquin) to his parents' house to live. The horse and the carts
have now been replaced by cars; it is typical to see a quiet bride with wet eyes as she sits in the
car beside her husband leaving for her new home.
Walima:
Walima is the final day of the wedding held by the couple as they host their first dinner as
husband and wife. This is traditionally organised by the bridegroom and/or his family thus,
without his parents, this ritual normally cannot be performed. So to make Walima valid, the
parents' blessing and presence is the most important factor.[6] The groom's family, specifically
his parents, invite all of the bride's family and their guests to their home for a feast. More
commonly nowadays, this is held in a marriage hall or hotel instead. The Walima is typically the
most festive event of the wedding ceremony and intends to publicize the marriage.[7]
The bride wears a heavily decorated dress with gold jewellery provided by the groom's family.
The groom normally opts for a formal Western suit.
Other customs
Pakistani wedding customs can be quite varied depending on the ethnic and geographical origins
of the bride and groom. Some of these customs are listed below
Bari Normally on this night the mother will also showcase the Bari, this is a set of gifts for the
Bride which include clothes, jewellery, homeware and toiletries. The idea behind this is to make
the Bride feel welcomed and in place as soon as she arrives.
Jahez This is a set of presents from the Brides family, it is usually homeware gifts for the
couple for when buy their own place. From a mothers point of view, she wants to ensure the
daughter is fully equipped with household goods for her new home.

Dastar Bandi or the "Wearing of the turban" is a ceremony which is performed in parts of Punjab
and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The ceremony marks the start of manhood for the groom. Elder men
in the groom's family place a turban on his head and formally include him in the 'circle of men'.
Doodh Pilai is a ceremony which is prevalent in many Pakistani weddings. On the actual
wedding day, sisters, cousins or friends of the bride will bring milk for the groom. After he
drinks the milk, he is supposed to present them with money and presents.
Maklava is a predominantly Punjabi custom. Traditionally, the marriages were arranged and
often contracted between people from different cities and villages. This often meant that the
bride was unfamiliar with her new family. To ease her into the new life and surroundings, she
was brought back to her parents' house a few days after the wedding. She then spent some time at
her parents' house before heading back to her new husband's home. This practice is still prevalent
in most rural areas of the Punjab.
Chauthi or the fourth day after the wedding the brides parents host a dinner for the immediate
family members of the groom, often this is marked with playful traditions like hiding the shoes
of the groom and a lavish feast.
Guthna Pakrai is a Punjabi custom in which the younger brother of the bridegroom hold the knee
of the bride and don't let go until some acceptable monetary gift is given to him.
Darwaza Rukai (dooway blocking)
Juta Chhupai (shoe hiding)
Sehra Bandhai (garlands dressing)
Mayoon
Gharoli
The Night before the Baraat, the family will hold a Gharoli event where the Groom is prepared
as a Mahraj (Bride Groom). The mother will begin by tying a turban. The sisters will then take
him for a walk whilst taking turns to wave flowers (chatiyah) on his head and carry a water pot
(khara) on their heads. The remainder of the family normally sing songs or drummers will be
called to keep the momentum going.
Once the Groom steps back in to the house, out of happiness, he normally gifts his sister with
money.

Conclusion :
Finally, may I remind you of some of the main points we've considered Marriage in
Pakistan is a legal union between a man and a woman. Culturally, it is not only a link between
the husband and wife, but also an alliance between their respective families. Because about 97%
of Pakistan's population is Muslim the Islamic law is usually observed. According to Islam, it is
considered both a religious duty and a social necessity to get married. The ceremony of marriage
is generally a well-attended affair, though only two male witnesses are required to make it
official. Every typical Pakistani wedding contains has at least these main customs involving the
(Rasme Henna), Nikah which is a part of the actual wedding or Shaadi rukhsati,Walima offered
by the groom's family.
Pakistan, an Islamic country located in South Asia and the Greater Middle East, has a great
culture with rich customs. A Pakistani wedding is a great feast of fun, merriments, and
celebrations. It is celebrated with great fervor. A Pakistani wedding is followed by several prewedding customs and rituals.
It is important to note that some of the customs followed in Pakistani weddings have no
foundation in Islam. However, the Pakistani culture has adopted those ceremonies and traditions
from the Hindu culture.