Although not all Persian weddings are alike, most of them are steeped in tradition that goes back to ancient times. In ancient Persia, which once encompassed the area where Iran and Pakistan are today, weddings were performed and celebrated according to Zoroastrian beliefs and traditions. Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion of the ancient Persians, before it was replaced by the Islam tradition in later times. Zoroastrian beliefs and Islamic beliefs are different in many ways, but today’s Iranian wedding ceremonies still emulate the older Zoroastrian wedding ceremonies.

Persian weddings are rarely ever one-day affairs. Though the wedding ceremony itself is not usually long, the celebration afterward can go on for days. For the Persian wedding ceremony, the color white stands for purity, just as it does in many other wedding traditions. Instead of only the bride wearing white, however, both the bride and the groom traditionally wear white, although in many modern day Iranian or Pakistani weddings this isn’t always the case. In a traditional Persian wedding, the ceremony usually takes place at the bride’s parents’ home. Guests are invited to be witnesses to the ceremony, which takes place upon an elaborately decorated fabric floor covering that is usually passed down from mother to daughter. After the guests are seated, the bridegroom enters and sits at the front of the room, and then the bride enters and sits to the left of the groom. The groom being on the right signifies that he holds a place of respect.

The bride and groom sit in front of a mirror, which has two candles placed on either side of it. A tray with several spices is placed next to the bride and groom. Each of these spices has significance in that they represent protection for the bride and groom from such things as evil spirits. There are also specially prepared plates of food and other traditional items that will be shared after the ceremony that also have significance, and that represent such things as prosperity, spirituality, and protection from the interference of others.

The Persian marriage ceremony is like traditional western wedding ceremonies in many ways. Both the bride and the groom have special witnesses that stand with them during the ceremony, just like the maid or matron of honor and the best man in traditional western wedding ceremonies. The person presiding over the ceremony, which today is usually a Moslem Priest or other person of authority, recites a speech about marriage, and offers blessings to the couple. Both the bride and the groom are asked if they truly want to marry the other person, and there is a contract for both of them and their witnesses to sign.

The celebration that follows a Persian wedding is filled with loud, happy music and a lot of feasting and dancing. Food is abundant, and of course there is a traditional wedding cake.

The Persian wedding is a colorful and joyous celebration, and many couples in the western culture choose to adopt some of the traditions from it for this reason. Though the influence of Islam has changed some aspects of wedding ceremonies in that region of the world, much of what makes the Persian wedding ceremony still remains, since so much of it is very positive and filled with hope and the celebration of love between a man and woman. Persian weddings are really unique in many ways! You might actually feel that they are ‘cooler’ than the classic Western weddings. The only problem is that you can only appreciate them if you have the chance to be present when they take place!