I need to dress for a traditional Pakistani wedding.

[Nanda]

Does anyone have any idea what appropriate dress would be for a traditional Pakistani wedding? The bride told me "bright colors," but neglected to mention what cut or style is appropriate. It's my first Muslim wedding and I don't want to offend anybody.

 

[Sahar]

Well, I don't know how Pakistani weddings look like but I can speak generally about a Muslim wedding. Well, you can see in many "Muslim" weddings the most revealing clothes.....
But if I were you, I would wear a kind of modest dress, long dress with long sleeves...you know..no cleavage...etc. to be on the safe side...

 

[Nanda]

That's what I figured. Thanks.

 

[mrscardero]

You've probably been to the wedding, but here are the colors of Pakistan wedding guests.

 

[Nanda]

I just got back from the wedding five minutes ago, actually. I found a really nice floor-length cotton dress in orange and pink. I fit in well.

Edit: This one, actually.

Torrid.com - Plus sizes - Product Details Page - Orange and Pink Geometric Print Maxi Dress

I made the halter into straps that criss-crossed in back, and wore a little white shrug to cover my shoulders.

 

[Sahar]

Coool!!
Was the bride wearing a white dress and such? And the guests' clothes were like those in the pic that mrscardero posted or what?
How did you find the wedding? (many questions I guess )

 

[Peace]

How did you find the wedding?

I am curious to know too

 

[zenzero]

Friend Nanda,
Since you are already back from the wedding, the problem of *What to wear, no more remains, correct?
Loud music and dances there?
Love & rgds

 

[Nanda]

Coool!!
Was the bride wearing a white dress and such?

No, her dress was red. It was gorgeous. It looked a little like this one:
Katan Silk Lehnga | 786Shop.com

Not exactly like that one, but you get the idea, and she wore a heavily decorated sari of the same material over her head, lots of sparkling jewelry, and her hands and feet were decorated in intricate henna designs. She was the brightest thing in the room.

And the guests' clothes were like those in the pic that mrscardero posted or what?

For the most part, yes. Lots of saris, lots of colors.

 

[Nanda]

As for the wedding itself... I'm not sure. The clothing was beautiful, the food was spicy, and the people running it were very polite. It seemed a very serious, solemn occassion. Very religious. No loud music or dancing, no alchohol, several readings from the Koran.

And I don't wish to offend anyone, but I feel very conflicted about the entire thing. It was an arranged marriage, and while I'm a friend of the bride, and I know she was very happy, from an outside perspective, parts of the ceremony really did have the feel of a business transaction. I know there's a lot more to it than that, and she did have a large say in who she married, but I guess it was just very different than what I'm used to. There was little mention of love, only the virtues a man should look for in a woman, and no mention at all of the virtues a woman should look for in a man - in fact, the bride wasn't present until the groom had sworn to take her, and then her family brought her in. And they both looked so incredibly nervous... I don't know. I'm very happy for her, and I hope her new life will be everything she's ever wanted, but I definately left with mixed feelings.

 

[Hema]

And I don't wish to offend anyone, but I feel very conflicted about the entire thing. It was an arranged marriage, and while I'm a friend of the bride, and I know she was very happy, from an outside perspective, parts of the ceremony really did have the feel of a business transaction. I know there's a lot more to it than that, and she did have a large say in who she married, but I guess it was just very different than what I'm used to. There was little mention of love, only the virtues a man should look for in a woman, and no mention at all of the virtues a woman should look for in a man - in fact, the bride wasn't present until the groom had sworn to take her, and then her family brought her in. And they both looked so incredibly nervous... I don't know. I'm very happy for her, and I hope her new life will be everything she's ever wanted, but I definately left with mixed feelings.

I also have mixed feelings about marriages which don't start out based on love. Yes they can work but to me, it's like gambling with your future and your happiness. For my wedding, my husband and I were both happy, smiling and chatting throughout the ceremony. We weren't nervous because we knew that we would be happy with each other.

Oh in Hindu weddings the bride wears red as well.

 

[Sahar]

And I don't wish to offend anyone, but I feel very conflicted about the entire thing. It was an arranged marriage, and while I'm a friend of the bride, and I know she was very happy, from an outside perspective, parts of the ceremony really did have the feel of a business transaction. I know there's a lot more to it than that, and she did have a large say in who she married, but I guess it was just very different than what I'm used to. There was little mention of love, only the virtues a man should look for in a woman, and no mention at all of the virtues a woman should look for in a man - in fact, the bride wasn't present until the groom had sworn to take her, and then her family brought her in. And they both looked so incredibly nervous... I don't know. I'm very happy for her, and I hope her new life will be everything she's ever wanted, but I definately left with mixed feelings.

Nanda, arranged marriages are very common here. The son says to his mother "mom, I am looking for a bride". Through her friends, she finds the girl who seems suitable to her son then they meet, some people prefer if they would meet in a club or cafe shop the first time, then if they find themselves comfortable to each other, the groom will go to the house of the bride meeting her father with or without his parents, but his family must come and visit the bride's parents later....after they see each other several times and become more convinced that the other one is suitable to them then there would be engagement, engagement may last for more than a year and at this period they get used to and love each other. Also engagement is important to know the character of each other and test it, in other words they know each other during it.
Suppose a guy saw a girl in his job, college...etc. and liked her, he would propose first, she may say "I want to know you first"....they meet and so on....the same scenario happens (I am talking here about the right thing to do from a religious point of view which is common, of course some people live a love story first then they start talking about marriage).

 

[Nanda]

I don't have a problem with arranged marriage as long as everyone within the arrangement is happy with it. That wasn't my criticism - I just disliked certain aspects of the wedding where it seemed very much like the bride was property changing hands, and not a person. To be fair, this happens in some western weddings.

 

[Sahar]

Oh I see....I guess it depends on their families, the way they think.....the nature of the wedding arrangement, the culture.....
Actually you can attend different Muslim weddings that vary like east and west.

 

[Nanda]

Actually you can attend different Muslim weddings that vary like east and west.

Yeah, I figured.

 

[OutOfTime]

i'd wear an invisible cloak