152
Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s
Spouse
effect that: “We should open all doors before females as
long as this does not run counter to Islamic teachings and
national morality”.
During the years of my stay with my husband in the
Kingdom, I had occasions to attend many Saudi weddings.
Thus I have witnessed the luxurious weddings of princesses
of the Royal Family and weddings of notable and rich
families and even rural weddings. For celebrations of
such such pleasant occasions, the State spends huge sums
and invites first-class foreign architects to build exquisite
palaces. There are also many special wedding halls that
can accommodate several thousand persons at one and the
same time.
There are wedding parties for women and others
for men, both occurring simultaneously but at different
places. As far as I know, on such occasions, men meet
behind tables that abound in all kinds of delicious food,
singing collectively and listening to national hymns. As to
women, I can be more specific and give first-hand details.
Thus irrespective of financial conditions, the wedding
parties are quite similar. Thus within one and a half to
two hours before the actual ceremony starts, the guests
assemble and are seated round tables or on rows of seats
that are carefully arranged. This is a good occasion for
them to indulge in conversation covering all sorts of
topics, while observing each other’s clothes, partaking
of cookies, sweets and chocolate, drinking refreshments,
smelling incense and perfumes, observing the lasses
participating in the ceremony. All this lasts for two more
hours. Then the sound of tambourine is heard, and the
153
Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
wide doors are opened slowly and the bride appears
together with the bridegroom, flooded with spot lights, in
conformity with the customs of the family (in some parts
of Saudi Arabia, trilling cries of joy would fill the air at
such moments). The couple advance slowly with regular
steps, treading on the carpet that crosses the hall from the
middle. On the opposite side, on a platform glittering with
lights, two chairs decorated with flowers await the arrival
of the couple (in case the bride appears alone without the
bridegroom there would be one chair only). Before the
couple, children in beautiful clothes lead the way, carrying
censers from which the vapors of incense rise upwards
and fill the air with the smell of very expensive perfume.
In the rear of the procession, children hold the bride’s
wedding dress, all walking in measured steps, stopping
for a few seconds every now and then, so that crossing the
distance between the door to the chair takes almost half an
hour, thus giving the guests an ample opportunity to look
and minutely examine the exquisite sight of the couple.
It is not difficult to imagine what the couple feel during
that time, as they are exposed to the piercing eyes of the
greatly interested spectators and to the dazzling lights that
reflect the many jewels worn by the bride, her beautiful and
original hairdo, the bride’s dress, heavy with decoration
and
colored beads, the lot weighing several kilograms.
Eventually, the procession ascend the platform and
occupy the places appointed for the participants, a few
lasses standing at the feet of the couple on the steps
leading to the platform. The couple also are exposed to the
dazzling spot lights and feel a bit embarrassed amidst the