Misba and Hannan is the first pakistani wedding I’ve ever had the opportunity to cover. It took place in France near Paris and was spread over three days. Somehow similar to Indian weddings — especially the punjabi ones, the celebration had its own character and I was very thrilled to discover rituals I haven’t seen before. It all started with the Mehndi. The Henna Ceremony is the ladies night and it involved eating, traditional pakistani dancing, and performances. Green, yellow and orange are the usual colors of the bride’s dress for the evening.
The wedding day started with the Barat, which is the procession of the family, relatives and friends of the groom. Hannan made his way to the ceremony in a convertible car under rose petals and loud music. Then the official Islamic wedding ceremony is called the Nikah. Misba and Hannan were sitting seperatly in different rooms when the Imam read the prophetic sermon and until the wedding was legally announced. The end of the celebration is symbolized by the Rukhsati (= the equivalent of the Vidai for Hindu weddings) At this stage, Misba was ready to leave with Hannan’s family. As a blessing, the Coran is held over her head during the entire walk to the exit. The last day of the wedding is a reception called Walima where Misba and Hannan were the host of their first dinner as husband and wife.
