An Iraqi wedding

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

I went to Birmingham for an Iraqi wedding this time. I didn't know what to expect because I've never been to any Arab wedding before and this time, I am asked to be the official photographer for the bride's family. Of course there is no payment charged because I am not a skilled and professional photographer, not even a part-time photographer, not even a single photography lesson or course. I was very involved on the day, not just taking photos, but also helping.

My friend basically wanted a female muslim who can help take picture on her wedding because it is a segregated wedding. The bride and all the women in the segregated-women-only hall didn't wear hijab and they wore very beautiful dresses. The bride and bridemaids wore proper English-styled wedding dresses. The groom and male family wore ties and suits and top hats. They were in the men hall.

This couple basically have done their nikkah 2 years ago but according to the Arab tradition, that is what they call engagement, wedding is after this kind of walimah. They are legally husband and wife according to Shari'ah but can't live together according to the tradition. They also have yet registered in the UK law. So, this wedding was really well-planned and run smoothly. The groom is an Algerian.

We went to the function hall at 12pm to set up the halls, one for men and one for women. The bride went straight to the make-up room and stayed there. At 3pm, guests started to come and food was served at 4.30pm. At 6pm, when the bride was ready, she came in with the bridemaids to meet the female guests. She is mashaALLAH very beautiful. She sat on a stage and everyone came up to greet her. Later, arab wedding songs were played and they started dancing. There was this one Egyptian wedding song that stuck in my head until today - 'arisna, 'arisna; 'arustuh, 'arustuh - which means our groom, our groom, his bride, his bride.

At 8pm, all the ladies put on their hijab and jilbab except the bride and the groom's family, to welcome the groom entering the women hall. By then, many guests have gone and only close families and friends left. They took photos and went up the stage for cake-cutting. Then, the bride were dressed by the bridemaids with a few pieces of cloth to cover her so that she could get into the groom's car without letting other men notice her outfit and make-up. They then went straight to a hotel.

By the time we got back home, it was midnight and we were all hungry. The bride too had to ask her brother to buy her dinner at the hotel before we went home. Alhamdulillah, everything went so well and halal because these 2 families are very practising and well-known among the arab muslim community in Birmingham.

I thought my job is just there but the next morning, we went to the hotel to take out-door photos for the couple. It was a lovely day and the garden at the hotel was massive and beautiful. In the evening, they went to their new flat. The husband was so romantic that he asked his sister to decorate the flat with rose petals to welcome her to the new home. There is this tradition for the newly wedded couple to drink milk and eat dates. The next day, they went to Morocco for honeymoon.

May ALLAH bless their marriage with happiness until they enter the Paradise with their offsprings. Amin.

Wassalam.