The Basics of a Persian Wedding
Persian Weddings are
usually beautiful and elaborate functions that consists
of many different traditions and parts. Before the Wedding
ceremonies and parties begin, the couple needs to get
engaged. In modern times, couples decide to get married
and usually the groom-to-be will ask the father of the
bride-to-be for her hand in marriage. This is a tradition
that many culture keep in showing respect for the elderly.
The typical Iranian
Wedding these days consists of two parts:
1. The
Aghd. The Aghd is the legal ceremony that takes
place where the officiant declares the couple husband
and wife and a legal contract is signed.
2. The
Aroosi. The second part of a Persian wedding
is the Aroosi, which is the wedding party that follows
the Aghd, either immediately or some time later.
Here families and friends gather to celebrate the
couple's union.
To read about every
section of this joyful event, please refer to the different
sections that we have outlined in our Persian Wedding
Guide.
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History of PErsian WEddings
 The
history of Persian weddings goes back to times of Zoroaster
and traditions that have been celebrated for centuries.
The union of man and woman is considered sacred and exemplifies
the ultimate joy and the greatest form of partnership.
Man and woman are told to respect, love, and protect
each other as described in this exerpt from an ancient
Zoroastrian text:
"I say (these) words to you, marrying brides
and bridegrooms! Impress them upon your mind: May
you two enjoy the life of good mind by following
the laws of religion. Let each one of you clothe
the other with righteousness. Then assuredly there
will be a happy life for you".
[Yasna 53.5, ancient Zoroastrian textbook"]
Persian weddings have
also been duely influenced by the legal protection that
is provided in Islam to the woman in the form of a “Mehr” which
is the financial protection provided. Iranian weddings
are celebrated with glory, distinction, and a large assembly
of family and friends. Iranians consider this to be one
of the most important of all occasions. In the past marriages
were mostly arranged by the parents and older members
of the family. This tradition is very dated and has not
been practiced for over 2 generations, although family
consent, as in any culture, is still valued. In ancient
times, musicians announced the wedding to the town by
playing the drums. The group that gathered for the marriage
was called the assembly for the queenly bride. Traditionally,
both the bride and the bridegroom dressed in white with
garlands of flower on their necks. The color white is
a symbol of purity, innocence and faithfulness. There
are variations and differences in smaller villages and
older towns, where some tribes hold on to older traditions
and rituals, which may vary from the modern wedding.
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