Style Features
When choosing an oriental wedding style, newlyweds should imagine what they want to get as a result and how they can achieve it. The main features of the theme are luxury, grace, at the same time modesty and emphasized natural beauty. Eastern men and women always look attractive, proud and with self-esteem. The architecture amazes with its soft lines, abundance of color and light. You should try to achieve the same effect when decorating a wedding.
If future newlyweds are planning a celebration in an oriental style, they need to think through not only the external design and images of everyone present, but also the entertainment program. This could be live oriental music, traditional dances performed by professional groups, an extreme show with fire casters, sword swallowers and yogis, etc. In the East, they are extremely concerned about the well-being of guests, so special attention should be paid to entertainment.
Both the bride and groom and their guests will want this special day to be remembered in the smallest detail, and for this you need to organize a stylized photo zone. Here everything will depend not only on imagination, but also on the financial capabilities of the newlyweds.
The simplest option is a small sofa against a backdrop of bright drapery, and in front of it a low wooden table with a large vase of fruit or oriental sweets. Additionally, you can decorate the space with stylized lanterns, candles in openwork candlesticks, fancy-shaped teapots or even “magic” lamps, as in the fairy tale about the genie.
In general, the oriental style involves the presence of many soft, bright, laconic and precious things. Such attributes cannot be picked up by chance, gradually collecting what the eye comes across. Loved ones will have to spend a long time choosing the necessary decorative elements in stores if they want to decorate the celebration themselves. The style and color of such items must be identical to each other.
In order not to waste your time creating the right atmosphere, you can contact a professional wedding planning agency. Specialists will select a suitable place for the celebration, find the necessary decorations and decorate the space themselves. The newlyweds will only have to evaluate the result and enjoy themselves throughout the special day.
Wedding celebration
After the Nikah ceremony takes place, the wedding celebration begins. Close friends, relatives, and neighbors are already invited to the holiday. Festive tables are set according to religious custom. For example, drinking alcoholic beverages at the table is strictly prohibited and is considered a sin. But since there has been a fusion of different cultures and traditions, drinking alcohol is permitted.
Women and men are not allowed to celebrate at the same time, so for this purpose it is planned to set tables in different rooms, and everyone will have their own interesting entertainment program. And if you follow all the rules, then the wedding must be celebrated on different days. But now this is rare.
Often a lot of people are invited to a wedding, their number can reach 1000 people, so Muslim congratulations will be heard throughout the wedding.
An interesting video can be watched here:
Decor in detail
First you need to decide on the location of the celebration. If the wedding is planned in the warm season, the ideal choice for organizing it is a picturesque corner of nature, preferably near a pond. In this case, you can put up a large tent for guests made of light, bright fabrics with fancy patterns in an oriental style. Under this tent there will be low dining tables, and low sofas or even separate soft pillows should be used as chairs.
The painting itself should be carried out not far from this place. The wedding altar should be marked with a stylized arch; its shape may resemble the silhouettes of buildings in oriental architecture. It should be decorated with gilding and other bright and shiny elements. It is advisable to mark the path to it with a red carpet, on both sides of which there will be chairs with soft backs for guests of the celebration.
There is another option for an oriental wedding - renting a country house with a pool or pond in a garden with flowering trees. In this case, the tent and arch can also be used for an outdoor ceremony, or the newlyweds can sign at the registry office, and then, together with the guests, come to the celebration site, where the dining room will already be decorated in an oriental style.
When it gets dark, everyone present can go to the pond, where they will launch artificial lotus flowers with small round candles in the middle.
Another way to create a fabulous atmosphere is to launch multi-colored sky lanterns. Such a simple action will symbolize the wish of the newlyweds from all those present for a strong, unbreakable marriage.
It is not always possible to hold a celebration in the warm season; some beloved couples have to organize an oriental wedding in winter. Despite the fact that this is more difficult to do than in summer, creating the right atmosphere is still possible. Instead of an open area, a celebration in the cold season will need to be held indoors - a restaurant or banquet hall, decorated in the appropriate style.
In this case, you need to try to soften the city atmosphere as much as possible. It is better to replace massive furniture with low tables and sofas. To create a cozy look for the entire room, you can hang carpets and oriental lanterns on the walls. The light should not be too bright; it is better to dim it a little to add a touch of intrigue and mystery.
The oriental style wedding decor in the photo above is simply magical. You can take note!
Let's finish the ritual
And here is the most delicious moment of the wedding. Valim is a festive table. The abundance of a wide variety of dishes can really overwhelm the table. Well, the fact that there are no pork treats there can still be accepted by the Slavic people. But think about how unfortunate people live in the East if, according to Muslim customs, they do not have the right to drink alcohol? And if there is no vodka, then there is no traditional wedding fight. Oh, this culture!.. But there are sweets! It will be possible to eat grief.
The customs and traditions of Muslim countries prohibit people of other faiths from being present at weddings. But during Valima they are allowed to eat with others. True, at a different table. In addition to food, this ritual includes singing songs, dancing, and games.
Outfits
Despite the fact that the basis of an oriental wedding will be set by the surrounding decoration, the newlyweds will have to spend most of their time selecting suitable costumes. To fully match the chosen style, it is advisable to find traditional outfits, but this is not always possible. The second possible option is to order the tailoring of the necessary items from a private master, describing to him the desired cut and style of a dress or suit. If this option does not seem the best, you can decorate ordinary wedding dresses yourself, making them look like oriental ones.
A bride at an oriental wedding should be the embodiment of luxury, modesty, beauty and grace. The dress should have a closed back and shoulders, ideally it should have long sleeves down to the wrists, and the neckline should not be emphasized.
The shades can be anything, from classic snow-white to all the colors of the rainbow; it is not recommended to use only black outfits. A burgundy, blue or green dress will look good on dark-haired girls. All outfits should have one thing in common - decoration with patterned embroidery and stones stylized as precious ones.
The bride's hairstyle should be simple but elegant. It is not recommended to leave your hair down; it is better to style it in a cute, relaxed composition. Oriental style allows for both large curls and straight hair. Instead of a veil, it is better to use a thin headscarf made of flowing fabric. You can decorate your hair with tika (lalatika) - a traditional attribute for the head in the form of several strands of precious stones or pearls, converging on the forehead in the form of a large decorative element.
Makeup should complement the image of the bride, for this you need to place the main emphasis on the eyes. In most cases, it is enough to highlight them with black arrows, but sometimes it is necessary to apply bright shadows to match the color of the wedding dress. It is better to make your lips a natural shade; for this you will need a matte lipstick. The manicure should be simple, a classic French style will do. Shoes should be chosen with low heels or flat soles.
Some girls decide to take a bold step - wear nat. This is Indian jewelry in the form of a chain that goes from the ear to the nose. Another distinctive feature of oriental brides is body painting with henna. Black patterns with many small elements are drawn on the girl’s arms and legs. This kind of temporary tattoo makes the image mysterious and attractive.
Interesting! We have a detailed article on choosing flat shoes. The tips in it will help you feel comfortable and at the same time match the theme of the celebration.
It is advisable to make the bride’s bouquet from one type of flower, supplementing it with several ornamental plants. Roses, peonies, orchids, lilies or callas are well suited for this. The shade is selected depending on the color of the dress - they should contrast with each other. Flower stems can be wrapped in satin ribbon and decorated with a large brooch.
The image of the groom should also not be ignored, but the suit should be selected after the bride has bought her wedding dress. If it is of a simple cut, with self-made decor, then the groom can wear a regular classic suit, complementing it with a themed boutonniere made of the same flower as his beloved’s bouquet.
If the bride has chosen a truly oriental outfit, then the man must match her. The basis of his image should be trousers, a loose shirt in a neutral shade, a robe with a belt and a turban. All this should be richly embroidered with golden threads and “precious” stones. The groom can wear mojari on his feet - stylized shoes with upturned toes.
Guests at the wedding should also be dressed in oriental style, but their outfits should not overshadow the bride and groom. Girls can choose dresses of a simple cut with a minimal amount of embroidery.
The preferred shades will depend on what dress the hero of the occasion will wear. Men can wear trousers, shirts and robes, but less luxurious than those of the groom.
Muslim wedding ceremony
The ceremony can be held either before registration or after. It consists of several stages: reading a fragment from the Koran, concluding a contract and exchanging rings. Nikah is performed by a mullah. 2 witnesses and the bride's guardian have the right to be present at the ceremony. Moreover, they must be male.
The clothing of the spouses must comply with Eastern traditions. Wedding dresses for Muslim women are distinguished by rich patterns, ornaments and mysterious closure. Many people know that a dress should cover all parts of the body, with the exception of the hands. In this way, the bride demonstrates her preserved honor and dignity. Wedding rings in Islam are only allowed to be made of silver. The Koran prohibits wearing gold jewelry, especially a wedding ring. The ban generally applies to men.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the mullah reads a fragment from the Koran. It talks about the duties of a wife and duty to her husband. A gift is the groom's payment to the bride. On Nikah, he announces the amount of this gift and undertakes to pay it during the entire life together. At the end, the newlyweds are given a certificate that proves their marriage. Such a document is considered official and is accepted in several countries around the world.
A real fairy tale
Many people know the oriental style from old fairy tales, the most popular of which is “1000 and 1 Night”. Its main character is Scheherazade, a wise and beautiful oriental girl who every night told the Shah a new fascinating story so that he would not execute her. This earned her forgiveness and was pardoned.
In order for a girl to get the image of Scheherazade, she needs to choose women's trousers and a short blouse made of expensive fabric. If you want to look more festive, you can wear a traditional Indian sari. Hair can be left loose or braided. It is advisable to cover your face with an Indian transparent veil, and wear stylized soft flat shoes on your feet.
There will be no special changes in outfits for the man and guests. The place of celebration can be decorated with many carpets, stylized lamps in which genies supposedly live, many small soft pillows and candles in candlesticks. Jewelry with peacock feathers would look appropriate.
Flowers for a wedding in the style of “Oriental Fairy Tale”
Floral compositions made up of bright flowers - roses, gerberas, calla lilies - should be placed on tables, on the floor, and everywhere. Poppies, orchids, chrysanthemums and even sunflowers are perfect! Flower arrangements can be supplemented with fruits and herbs, creating not only beautiful, but also mouth-watering “bouquets” like in a real oriental fairy tale.
An eastern wedding is a rich, luxurious celebration. Even if the guests do not sit on the floor, it is a good idea to lay out colored embroidered pillows and put out a hookah for the surroundings. Forged candlesticks are perfect for lighting, and on the tables you can add candle stands reminiscent of Aladdin’s magic lamp. Let them be surrounded by painted ceramic dishes, plates with oriental fruits: juicy pomegranates, delicious persimmons, sugary watermelons. Also, don’t forget about a variety of oriental sweets - what would you do without them?
Particular attention should be paid to the music that will accompany the evening: gentle lyrical melodies should alternate with fiery dances. Invite oriental dancers, a fire show and fakirs to perform at your wedding - they will significantly raise the level of fun and create the very atmosphere of the luxurious holiday that you dreamed of.
The celebration should be organized in the same vein if you decide to hold a wedding outdoors. For this purpose, choose a sunny place, surrounded by greenery, large enough for guests to sit freely. For an outdoor ceremony, make sure that the arch is made in an oriental style and decorated with flowers. It can be decorated with light fabrics: chiffon or organza, and you should abandon the white color, giving preference to rich prints. The road to the arch is lined with scarlet silk, and the newlyweds are usually sprinkled with rose petals. It will be very beautiful if you stock up on petals of different shades.
Additional details
In order for a wedding in an oriental style to succeed the way the future newlyweds intended, it is necessary to think through every little detail in advance. Guests should be warned in advance that the celebration will be themed, so that they have time to choose suitable outfits and think about hairstyles and makeup.
The oriental style wedding decoration in the next photo was chosen just perfectly.
The bride and groom are advised to consider the following points:
- Invitation cards. Invitations for guests should also be made in oriental style; they do not have to be ordered from a printing house; you can do everything yourself. To do this, you will need to write the desired text in ornate handwriting, and then sprinkle the paper with adhesive glitter. The postcard should be placed in an envelope decorated with oriental patterns, beads and decorative ligature.
- Musical accompaniment. You should take care in advance to create a playlist of oriental songs for the entire day of the celebration. If financial capabilities allow the bride and groom, you can hire a musical group to perform the desired compositions live.
- Menu. Pilaf or lagman with lamb can be served as a main dish. There should be a lot of fruits and sweets on the tables - halva, sherbet, Turkish delight. The cake should be appropriate for the wedding - multi-tiered, luxuriously decorated and delicious; many people prefer to make cakes with fruit - pineapple, kiwi or mango. The top of the confectionery masterpiece should be decorated with mastic in the form of oriental patterns, a peacock, or the newlyweds themselves.
- Smells. To create an atmosphere at a wedding in the style of an oriental fairy tale, you can use incense. They will not only provide a pleasant aroma for the entire day of the celebration, but will also create a light haze that will further emphasize the theme.
- Hookah. For oriental weddings, many people order hookahs, since they came from the east. This is especially true for celebrations where the younger generation will predominate.
- Wedding procession. Cars can be of any color and brand, but you need to decorate the surface using the same oriental patterns that will be visible in other decorative elements. For a photo shoot, newlyweds can rent a stylized carriage.
Decor
There is nothing complicated about decorating a wedding in this style, but it is not without reason that they say that “the devil is in the details.”
If you miss something, at first glance, insignificant, then instead of an oriental extravaganza you can get a not very attractive clownery.
Therefore, it is worth paying special attention to individual elements that will highlight the overall background.
Hall decor
The venue for the celebration is selected taking into account the time of year. In the summer, this can be a tent on the shore of a lake or in a country house, if, of course, space allows. It can also be a spacious terrace of a country restaurant.
In winter, a restaurant with oriental cuisine (Lebanese, Chinese, Indian, etc.) is suitable, but even if the only oriental catering establishment in the city is the Ararat restaurant, do not despair, you can choose any restaurant/cafe with a spacious room. It will be enough to decorate it in accordance with the style.
Both the walls in the hall and the inside of the tent can be draped with red fabric with golden trim, the floor is decorated with carpets with oriental patterns.
Additional decorative elements are garlands of flowers (Indian wedding), lanterns (Chinese), stylized candlesticks (Arab wedding). Despite the wide geography of the concept of the East (from Morocco to Thailand), the color palette is practically the same for all eastern countries.
Color combinations and patterns vary. Therefore, you can complement the general background with curtains with the national ornament of a particular country. The main thing is that these additions form a single ensemble. The color scheme in the decoration of a room can be very diverse; the East is characterized by bright colors - from sky blue to bright orange.
However, you shouldn’t be too zealous; it’s better to limit yourself to 3-4 colors and their shades.
Invitations, bonbonnieres and other accessories
Since preparations for the wedding begin at the stage of sending out invitations, the design should begin with them. It is advisable to choose the colors of the cards accordingly (burgundy, dark purple, scarlet).
The national carved ornament will add the charm of the chosen country to the invitations, and the text, stylized in Arabic script, will make them unique. In the same way, you need to select bonbonnieres, cards on tables, and napkins.
Candies wrapped in golden foil and piled up will become an additional decoration on the tables.
Summary
If you carefully think through a wedding in an oriental style, you can create a truly original celebration that will definitely be remembered by everyone present. This topic is one of the most difficult to execute, but the results are usually worth the effort. The bride and groom just need to show some perseverance and imagination, then they will have the perfect celebration.
Olesya Tregubova
Wedding planner, wedding blog author
Previous article
A bright solution - a turquoise bridal bouquet: choosing flowers and tones of the composition
Next article
How to decorate a banquet hall in oriental style?
What is the main thing in organizing a wedding in oriental style? That's right, you need to think through everything down to the smallest detail in order to create the desired atmosphere and ambiance of the East. The same oriental flavor that will immerse the newlyweds and guests in a fairy tale. The optimal place for a wedding could be an oriental restaurant or teahouse. As a rule, the interior of such restaurants is already decorated accordingly, the overall style is in the oriental style, all you have to do is make it more festive by adding decorations and flowers.
The specifics of the oriental style are unusual for Europeans, so take the trouble to warn your guests in advance. Tables and chairs in an oriental restaurant can be replaced by sofas and even pillows on the floor, on which you can lie elegantly. Such an interior does not fit with high heels and evening dresses; it is quite possible that thick and fluffy carpets will allow you to walk barefoot. But in order not to put guests in an uncomfortable position, it is better to warn them about this in advance.
Basic elements of oriental decor:
- carpets and silk draperies, bright fabrics, flying, flowing textures;
- aromas and incense that create the right atmosphere;
- many fragrant flowers and floral arrangements;
- attributes of the “oriental style”: hookahs, boxes, beads, figurines, vases.
The chosen wedding tone allows you to abandon traditional white tablecloths, replacing them with colored ones. They can be multi-layered, consisting of dense and light fabric, they can be decorated with ornaments, embroidery with images of flowers, birds of paradise.
How to dress a bride in oriental style
The choice of outfit depends on how far you are willing to go, following the chosen theme and Eastern traditions. The general rule when choosing a dress: it should be chic, rich, luxurious. The traditional wedding attire of oriental girls is quite closed: we are talking not only about the shoulders and arms - the image should be chaste as a whole. Satin or silk dresses are decorated with precious stones, which can be replaced with beads, rhinestones, and rich embroidery with gold threads.
Instead of a veil, the head is covered with a silk scarf or a hijab is worn. The bride's hands and neck are decorated with a large number of gold items with precious stones, emphasizing the beauty of the girl and the solemnity of the moment. Pay special attention to makeup: brightly lined eyes, long eyelashes, clearly defined lips - all this will give the image completeness and oriental flavor.
The bride's bouquet can consist of roses, orchids, lilies - the main thing is that in style and color it matches the bride's outfit. The bouquet can be decorated with ribbons, embroidered with beads or ornaments.
