Islamic Wedding Gowns

Islam is a religion based on the teachings provided by the religious book called Qua’ran that relates to Allah, the single divine entity who was revealed to the prophet Muhammad in the 7^th century. The person who adheres to Islam is called Muslim that is translated as the one who submits himself to God. This religion is predominant in countries from Africa, Middle East, as well as in major parts of Asia. Although Islam provides the foundation of common beliefs, there are Muslims whose cultures do vary in a large amount.

Most of the Islamic weddings are known to become very expensive events in the life of the Muslims, and when this event takes place there is hardly a person not to hear about it. The weddings take place in large hotels in order to accommodate the big number of guests. But at the same time we find conservative Islamic families that prefer not to pay so much money for the wedding event, instead giving the money to help the wedding couple to start their life. Some common features are found in the elements of Islamic weddings, such as painting the bride’s hands and feet with henna, but there are countries that have delimited their customs when it comes to the wedding event. Countries like Indonesia, Arabia and Sahara Deserts, Turkey, Libya, Sudan, Morocco, Malaysia, Persia present differences in that  they change the procession rituals, and some of them lasting longer than others.

As to the Islamic wedding gowns, the tendency is to pick the traditional white dress, but there are traditions (as the ones from subcontinent of Asian) that allow brides to wear shalwar-qameez (large rich in fabrics pants and tunic shirt) that is scarlet. At a closer look we can define shalwar as loose trouser that presents itself wide at the thighs and waist and flows down toward the bottom where it is narrowly stitched.  Kameez is a tunic or possibly a long shirt with its sides widely opened about the waist line level conferring the person who wears possibility in lighter motions. This kameez presents beautiful and complex stitching techniques with the purpose to offer the possibility of embroidering the necklines.

In Somali wedding dresses we find the brides to wear beautiful Guntiino that is similar to Indian Saris very colorful and fully lengthed, their head is covered by a Garbasaar and a Googaro, a slip that is worn underneath the dress. Other Islamic wedding gowns we meet in the form of long modest skirts adorned with beads covered by long cloaks called Jalabeeb or Burqa. The head is wrapped in a hair covering scarf known as Masar or a large long cloth tied at waist level named Coantino.11