Weddings are ceremonies that bring two people together as spouses, these ceremonies are filled

with emotions, fun and lots of preparations also what makes them special is being surrounded by
loved ones throughout the journey. Sudanese weddings and American weddings are very different
but equally beautiful.

A Sudanese marriage has many beautiful ceremonies until the the final wedding reception and
honeymoon. Sudanese couples do not live together before marriage. The man asks the father of the
girl for her hand in marriage. If she agrees then they will host an engagement party, where
engagement rings are exchanged. Then there is the ‘tying the knot’ ceremony or the Islamic
wedding. It is then followed by an event called ‘sd al mal’, in which the bride receives her dowry and
many gifts including traditional cookies and biscuits, gold, clothes, consumer goods (rice. floor, oil,
sugar, vegetables, etc in large amounts), traditional perfumes prepared by mothers and skincare
products. This is then followed by lots of henna parties which includes close family members. After
that is the bridal dance day in which the bride dances with the groom to old Sudanese music in the
middle of a circle surrounded by female relatives. Finally, the wedding reception is a big event that
has all the friends, family members, neighbours and distant relatives. At the end of the wedding
reception day is the ‘jirtik’ in which the bride wears a red tob (a piece of cloth worn by Sudanese
women), the newly wedded couple get the blessings of their grandmothers and mothers while the
girls are singing traditional wedding songs. After that the couple travel for their honeymoon for
around 3-4 weeks.

American couples live together before marriage. The man kneels on one knee and proposes to the
girl and if she says yes, they become engaged. Then the couple start preparing for their wedding.
Close family members and loved ones to the bride come together for the bridal-shower (usually a
girls-only event) where the bride receives a lot of gifts from her family. Then the bride and groom
have separate bachelor parties with their bridesmaids and groomsmen. Then there is the wedding
rehearsal followed by the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. On the wedding day,
people go to the church in which the couple get married in the presence of a priest. After they are
announced ‘husband and wife’, everyone goes to the wedding reception to party and have fun. After
that the couple travel to their honeymoon for 2-8 weeks.

Both American and Sudanese brides wear a white dress in their wedding reception. American
couples are usually engaged for a long time unlike Sudanese couples. Sudanese weddings tend to be
huge with over 1000 people invited whereas American weddings have around 150 guests. Being
surrounded by family and loved ones is equally important in both cultures.

Both American and Sudanese weddings are very unique and very different. Weddings bring families
together and it is a great time for distant family members to connect. The engagement, wedding, all
the events in between and honeymoon are all steps to prepare adults for their happily ever after.