Persian Wedding

[Rasputin]

Khob ki hast ke az aroosieh irani badesh biad va ya chizi naduneh ? chand vaght pish maghaleh jalebi resid beh dastam az yeki az dustan dar France (Khanoom-e Jahanbani) keh delam nayumad uno inja nazaram,montaha,maghaleh beh french hast va injur keh fahmidam kam kasi hast ke french inja beduneh,pas uno beh english tarjomeh kardam keh kam kam mizaramesh inja ta hameh bekhunan va ba in sonateh ghashang-e irani ashena beshan,chon midunam keh hodudeh 90% shomaha az in chiza info kafi nadarin,bad nist bekhunid va lezat bebarid.

Mamnun az hameh shoma.

[Rasputin]

The first Part.
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 cultures keep to show 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.

History of Persian Wedding

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.

[Cop]

aroosi irani endeshe merci redwine

[ToXiC]

man az khastegariash badam miad ..
man khodam tahala aroosi kese irani naboodam vali too tv ke neshoon mide zanoone mardoone jodast kheyli zayast ..

[Rasputin]

The 2º part.

Khastegari - Proposing

Traditionally this is called the “Khastergari” where the suitor or the “Khastegar” accompanied by his parents, guardians or elder family members calls upon the bride’s family to ask for her hand in marriage. The bride’s family receives the guests warmly offering tea and sweets “shirini”. In the olden days, when the couple did not know each other too well, they would be allowed to go on a date. Today, arranged marriages are not typical in Iran or within Iranian culture. Most couples have met and fallen in love and are ready to make the commitment. It is always polite and respectful to ask the parents for the daughter’s hand in marriage. If you are about to ask someone to marry you and you want the correct phrase or pronunciation for "Will you marry me?" in Farsi


Shirin Khori - engagement party

This is the official engagement celebration where the couple exchanges “Namzadi” rings. The Namzadi means engagement and they are “Namzad” or fiancé/e to each other. This celebration usually takes place at the bride’s home although these days you can celebrate your engagement anywhere you wish. The couple is blessed by both parents and the guests proceed to eat loads of sweets and pastries, the “Shirini”. Among the shirini, typical cookies and candies, you could include Zoolbiyah Bamiyeh , Noon-e Berenji, ajil, pistachios and chocolates. The sweetness signifies the happiness and joy which will be brought into the new couple's life. After the engagement party, the couple is officially engaged and introduced as “namzad” which also means spoken for.

Baaleh Borun -the terms

After the engagement has been announced the parents of the bride negotiate the financial matters. Legally, the marriage is a contract and they want to make sure that the bride is getting a good deal. This consists of the Jahaz which is the dowry she gets and the mehr which is the gifts that are to be included in the contract. The official contract is known as the ghabaleh or aghdnameh. The discussions are in good humor and done pleasantly between the parties. Modern couples who are aware of the commitment often times do not follow these more traditional and old-fashioned procedures. It is always nice to be aware of the history and the place of marriage in the Iranian culture.

[ToXiC]

how cool

[I.M.M]

Toxic alan bazi ha joda migiran bazi ha makhlot.

bastegi dareh be eteghadat mazhabit and aghayedet.

[I.M.M]

arosi Irani akhar khoshgozaronieh wa khili ba haleh.
merci Rw jan

[Nazanin]

Merci Red joon

Man ba hameye in barnameha movafegha nistam, baziya hastan ke I personally would do differently (I'm not even gonna start on the arranged marriage topic), vali rooye ham rafte I like the whole idea.
Albate ba in movafegh nistam ke dokhtar-pesare masalan 1 bar baham harfe ezdevaj ro bezanan bad dige hichvaght nemtionesh nakonan ta in ke pesare bere ba khoonevadeye dokhtare harf bezane, I'm not down w/ this.
Tori ke I would do it ine ke WE discuss it together 1st, WE decide what we wanna do, how we want to do it, etc... & then he comes & talks to my family out of respect & also because in chiza vase man shakhsan mohemman. I don't like it "khareji" style at all, ke hame kara ro mikonan, bad be fak o famileshoon wedding date ro midan.

[Cop]

man az khastegariash badam miad ..
man khodam tahala aroosi kese irani naboodam vali too tv ke neshoon mide zanoone mardoone jodast kheyli zayast ..

bastegi be eteghadate khanevade dare... aghlabe aroosihaye irani ghatiye

[elly khoshkele]

man eki ke fagaht 2 ta arusiye iruni raftam!! vali asheghe rasmo rusama hastam!! not the arranged marriage part vali kolan!!(hamun juri ke nazi jun goftan)


vali eki az arusiyayi ke raftam... kheyli bad bud!! hame fagaht mast karde budano mikhnadidano miraghsiadan!! fagaht shode bud kesafat kari!! hey 2ta 2ta miraftan tu otagho miyumadn birun!!! nemigam ke hameye arusiyaye ghati injuiriyan!! na!! aslaan intor nist!! vali lets look at it at another view!! man maslaan ba hejabam va buye mashrub hatta halam be ham mikhore(daste khodam nist yooh bal miyaram(soory))


bad eki mesle man va khunevdam..(ke majburim be khater inke arusiye eh khunevadeye nazdik bud berim..) che hali behemun dast dad?? akhe pesara miyumadan jolye hame be mani ke ba hejab budam migoftam peyk nemizani?? man be nazaram kheyli behem tohin shod!!(khob un khar bude vali az in jur adam ha ham hastan ke az bahejaba badeshun miyad va maskharashun mikonana)

baraye hamin man believe mikonam ke har jofte arusiya ghashangan!!(fagaht be ghole IMM jun be aghayedetun rabt dare) pas nagin ke zayast baba!! baraye man arusiye joda bahal tare chon ham mitunam beraghasam ham mitunam khosh begzarunam!!!!!!!!!

[Rasputin]

SOFREh aghd - The Wedding Spread

The Persian Aghd, which is the legal ceremony of the Iranian wedding, is a beautiful and joyful event celebrated with lots of music, laughter, food and love. For Moslem weddings, the Aghd is a legal contract between the man and the woman and extends many rights to the woman that are not common in other legal marriage contracts. Because of the diverse background of the people of Iran, not all Persian weddings are Moslem, and therefore depend on the chosen faith of the couple. Regardless of the faith, the Sofreh Aghd is usually present during a Persian wedding ceremony. These days, with lots of bicultural weddings, this cultural ritual is a beautiful and elegant way to celebrate a union. During this ceremony, a spread or sofreh is prepared for the bride and groom. Like other ancient Persian traditions such as the Haft Sin sofreh during Noruz, this event has roots in the Zoroastrian faith and does not relate to the Moslem religion. The Zoroastrian faith is based on the four elements of nature: earth, fire, water, and wind, and still has a strong influence on Persian celebrations. Traditionally the sofreh preparation is taken very seriously because what it contains is believed and hoped to be in the couple’s life and marriage. The word sofreh means “spread” like a table or food spread and appears in many Persian celebrations. The spread is typically set on the floor facing the east so that the couple facing the sofreh will face the light. It is best to use a traditional cloth for the sofreh, although in modern days sofrehs tend to be made of silk or white material often times decorated with lace. This of course depends on your taste and can vary from very elaborate to as modern and sleek as desired. It is recommended to have adequate padding or carpet under the sofreh so that the spread is supported properly. Sofrehs are designed on the floor in the room where the couple chooses to get married. These days, weddings are held any where from the family home to hotels, beaches, museums, national parks or the picturesque outdoors.

[Rasputin]

The Music & The Entrance
Perhaps one of the most important things during the ceremony is the music you choose to play. There are many Persian songs that are beautiful and there are also many classical songs that will suit the occasion, especially if the marriage is a mixed one. Traditional music played when the couple walks to the sofreh is called Mobarak Bad (“Bada Bada Mobarak”). This song is a familiar, happy, upbeat tune that is recognized by most Iranians. It congratulates the couple on this joyful event and is played as the couple walks into the room and takes their seats. Some brides choose to walk out with their fathers following the more Western tradition. In this way you can have a full processional with the wedding party and have your father bring you to the groom at the head of the sofreh. Remember that this will be your day – so do as you please.
In addition to this, it is also common to burn some “Esfand” while the couple is making an entrance. Esfand is made from wild rue and is burned in many Zoroastrian ceremonies, rituals and purification rites in Iranian homes. When burned, the Esfand bits give off a pleasant odor and smoke similar to incense. The person carrying the Esfand may walk around the couple and carry the smoke near them to make sure all evil is kept away. To burn Esfand, you can place it on hot coals in a metal container called Manghal or brazier. This will burn and set off the desired effect.

[Rasputin]

The Wedding Guests

It used to be that a very small select group of people would be allowed to witness the Aghd ceremony, since it was believed that younger, unmarried women should hear the wedding readings for the first time at their own wedding. In today’s weddings, your guests will find this cultural ceremony very interesting, especially those who may not have seen it before or may not know what the signifiance of the Sofreh Aghd is. Typically seats are not provided for the ceremony as in Western weddings. In most ceremony, guests are free to walk around and mingle quietly in the party while the ceremony is taking place. You may want to provide seating and a description of the Persian events so that your guests understand the meaning behind the traditions. You may also direct your guests to sit, if you wish, or let them know ahead of time that they can do as they please.

[Rasputin]

The Couple & the Officiant
After the couple or the wedding party walks in, the couple is seated on a bench or wide chair at the head of the sofreh. They should face the sofreh and be able to see themselves in the mirror. At this point, the officiant arrives and typically sits on the right side of the sofreh, facing the couple. He proceeds to read the agreed upon vows and begins the ceremony. In this section, in a typical Moslem Iranian wedding, the officiant may be a Mullah or Moslem male priest, authorized to perform the legal part of the ceremony. If you are having a bi-cultural wedding, you may choose to have who you wish to perform this section. Some couples choose poetry readings, wedding vow exchanges or a simplified Persian reading in multiple languages to suit the occasion.