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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