Daily Diary: I am off for a "Wedding Weekend"

First up, the henna party night. Cocktail dresses or traditional dress tend to rule the dress code.

Day two, all about the bride. Omanis call this the "urs: meaning family" and Muslims call it the "walimah". This is where the women dress up and not a man is in sight and nothing is too much. I am talking about the hair, the clothes, the jewels, and the makeup. In Islam it is a celebration feast usually given after the consumation of the marriage, the wedding ceremony already having taken place, but in Omani culture it is generally the party before the consumation. Generally, it is to make the marriage known and give the bride a chance to celebrate with her close family and friends. For Muscat hotel weddings, I tend to wear a floor length ballgown that makes me feel like a beauty pagent contestant, haha, still strange as it is for me with my Western background, seeing girls in getups that almost out-do the bride.



And the last night is a day for family and friends who have travelled from afar, very cosy. Way less formal. We all need a break from the sequins and hairspray and being made up to the nines.