Iranian

The Iranian wedding

Marriage in Iran has customs and habits that have undergone various changes throughout history and adapt each time differently according to ethnic groups, religions, and even various social levels. Today the customs are more modern, but still retain much of the traditional aspects.

The wedding traditions according to Iranian culture

According to Islam, the wedding is a contract where the woman through her guardian – the father, a male relative or the judge – expresses her consent to marry. Before the wedding, families must agree on the sum, mehr, that the husband must pay to the woman in the event of divorce or invalid marriage.

This is a guarantee for the bride, who can take advantage of it when she deems most appropriate. Following the most ancient tradition, the Iranian wedding is an event that consists of several stages.

The first phase, that of the marriage proposal, takes place at the home of the future bride, in the afternoon or at sunset and consists in finding an agreement (social and cultural) between the two families. Then is set the date for the wedding and the date for the next phase, called bale boran (consensus ceremony). In this ceremony, the groom’s family brings gifts like a piece of cloth, a gold ring and sometimes a sugar cone to the bride, meaning that the girl is engaged and belongs to their son.

The speeches and agreements made are written on a sheet and signed by those present as witnesses. The next stage is the engagement party which usually takes place in conjunction with a religious holiday, in which the boy and the girl announce their union in a more official way.

Then there is the hana-bandan ceremony, bachelor and bachelorette party in the house of the newlyweds, in the presence of the youngest: the hands of the spouses and guests are painted with henna and the celebrations continue until late. The phase preceding that of the wedding is the preparation of the wedding trousseau, consisting of furnishings and household items necessary for the life of two or three people.

The aghd-kanan ceremony, i.e. the signing of the marriage contract, takes place in two phases: the first, consists of the aged (the officiant) reading the contract to the couple who sit next to each other in front at the wedding banquet adorned with symbolic objects, such as the Koran, a mirror, a candlestick, bread and cheese, etc. At the end of the reading of the contract, the spouses and some witnesses sign the document on all pages. The second phase consists in reading the contract in private between the families and the spouses, making this legally official. The ceremony continues, offering valuable gifts to the bride.

After the conclusion of the contract, the father and mother of the couple organize the Pa-gosha ceremony, parties and receptions among the closest relatives, where gifts are generally offered to the couple. The penultimate phase consists of the feast of the wedding ceremony, a sumptuous and joyful feast entirely dedicated to guests, attended by almost all distant and close families of the couple. This is an expense totally borne by the groom. At the end of this party, the newlyweds are accompanied to their new home.

The last phase, the patakhti ceremony, takes place the day after the wedding ceremony. It is a party attended by only the women of the closest relatives. Finally the bride and groom leave for the honeymoon.

Iranian wedding in Italy

Even for traditional Iranian weddings, it is possible to celebrate the ceremony and celebrations abroad! Usually, when we talk about destination wedding in Italy for Persian weddings, one of the main functions that cannot be missed and that characterizes the wedding ceremony is the Sofreh-ye Aghd (wedding banquet), a very low and richly laid table whose preparation is particularly accurate as it is believed, and hopefully, that it brings good luck to the couple.

Tradition has it that during the ceremony, the bride and groom sit in front of this table on which a cloth is placed, above which lie objects with symbolic meaning. Among the most important, the mirror, which symbolizes light and brightness for the future, two candelabra representing fire and energy, a tray of 7 different spices to protect against the evil eye, gold coins as a sign of wealth and prosperity and many others.

Usually it is the mother of the bride, together with the bridesmaids, to take care of adorning this table. During the ceremony the officiant begins by reading some verses from the Koran, while the married women of the family or the bridesmaids hold in their hands a white canopy over the heads of the couple, on which, in the meantime, one of them crumbles a sugar cone, to wish happiness to the couple.

After the request for consent from both, the groom removes the veil and kisses the bride. One of the bridesmaids carries a bowl of honey in which the couple should dip the little finger and put it in the other’s mouth. Subsequently the contract is brought to the couple, who must sign it together with 4 other witnesses. It continues with the reception full of dishes and desserts and the celebrations and dances continue until late at night.

Islamic Iranian ceremony in Florece

We had the pleasure and privilege of savoring Iranian culture by organizing a beautiful Islamic wedding in Florence, in the location of Villa Cora.

Taking part in the Sofreh-ye Aghd, the wedding banquet, has fascinated and opened our minds to a completely new culture for us. An experience that we will not easily forget.