Traditional Wedding: Three-Day Event for Muslim Couple, Family

Ali Khan and Nida Mannan, center, of Pocatello are joined as husband and wife during a traditional Muslim wedding late last month.The event took place at the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Event Centerin Fort Hall.

Getting married is a life- changing event, and a Pocatello couple recently marked that milestone with a three-day celebration.

Ali Khan and Nida Mannan were joined as husband and wife during a traditional Muslim wedding late last month. The event took place at the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Event Center in Fort Hall.

"Many Muslims still have traditional weddings," Nida said, adding that they feel it's important to continue the traditions that create strong bonds and good memories, and build on a family's identity. "Family traditions bring a sense of belongingness, commitment and familiarity with each other."

Nida said traditional Muslim weddings include three-days of activities focused on family bonding and unity.

On the first day of their event, a Rasm-e-Hina ritual meant to bring good luck and longevityto the couple took place, Nida said. The pre- wedding celebration included a fun song competition between the bride and groom's side along with other musical, acting and dance performances, she said.

On the secondday, the bride's family welcomed the groom during a Baraat procession; they gave flower garlands and threw rose petals, Nida said.

The Islamic wedding ceremony, known as Nikkah, also took place. The bride and groom signed a marriage contract at that time.

On the final day of the wedding celebrations, Mr. and Mrs. AliKhan hosted their first dinner as a married couple.

Nida said she loved having time to spend with their guests during the events.

"We really enjoyed having our family and friends fly out to Idaho for our wedding. We had family and friends from Montreal, Toronto, Dubai, New York, Florida, California (and other locations)," she said. "We also really enjoyed having a wedding weekend where we could really spend a lot of time with our family and friends."
As most brides would, Nida described the wedding celebration as unforgettable.

"For us, we were blessed to have the opportunity to share our culture and our traditions with our friends and community here in Idaho," she said.

By Kendra Evensen

*culled from www.idahostatejournal.com