Within the Tanzanian Muslims, as with all other Muslims, a wedding is the joining of families, of two destinies and two souls. Muslim weddings in Tanzania follow cultural traditions. Muslims are strongly encouraged to marry and Muhammad, the Muslim prophet, condemns celibacy. In Tanzania, it is a great honor for a girl and her parents when a man asks her to marry him. In spite of their opinion, girls have very little say when it comes to marriage and their parents can do as they please. Islamic law dictates that women should not be forced into a union but in Tanzania, the common practice is to put the needs of the groom first. Sometimes, the bride is not asked for her consent and she is not even needed to sign a marriage contract.
Most Tanzanian Muslim weddings take place on Sundays during the preferred time of year, which is ‘Shawwal’. Before the wedding, the bride is appointed a Sumo, her mother’s best friend. The Sumo is not supposed to leave the bride at any time before the wedding. The work of the Sumo is to decorate the bride and make her beautiful for the wedding. The beauty treatment is given for her hair, skin and nails. Her body is covered with a thick mixture of sugar and limejuice. This exfoliates her skin and removes all the hair on her body as she is only permitted to have hair on her head. ‘Mehdi’, commonly known as Henna, is very important and is used to intricately decorate the bride’s hands and feet. Her hair is set in twists and covered in oils. Her make-up is applied while perfumed oils are used to anoint her body. She then waits for the groom while decked with jewels and wearing her veil.
In most Tanzanian Muslim weddings traditions, the bride and groom have never actually met prior to the wedding, and have therefore never seen each other. Despite this, and despite the heavy preparations that the bride undergoes, she does not attend her wedding ceremony. She stays at home with her sumo waiting for her groom while her family holds a big celebration. When the ceremony is over, the sumo prepares a bed for the bride and groom and fills it with petals of aromatic flowers. The sumo then leaves after the groom pays her the agreed fee for the work she has done. She receives a great welcome from the groom’s family. After this, they reception, which can last from three to seven days, is held. Though Muslim wedding traditions vary in different countries, they are generally large joyous occasions.
For your traditional Sindhi wedding ceremony, hire Babylon for all your important wedding needs! Babylon has been servicing weddings in the GTA, and around the world, for over 25 years! We can provide many services, including:
Wedding Photography
- Our skilled photographers will photograph all of the special moments from your wedding day! They will make sure your precious memories last forever, on beautiful prints of any size you wish! You will be proud to share these quality wedding photos with your loved ones.
Wedding Videography
- Our expert videographers will capture your entire day, onto film, then edit it to your liking onto a quality DVD production. At Babylon, our videographers consider your wedding video not just a video, but a movie production that will contain special memories meant to be passed down to future generations. Our expert staff can even add a soundtrack of traditional Luhya wedding music, or any romantic ballads you like, making your wedding DVD production even more enjoyable for you and your loved ones!
Limousine Service
- We have a large, luxurious selection of limousines available for your wedding transportation needs! Arrive in style in a brand new stretch limousine, or choose from our wide selection of other options. From the classic automobile to the modern sleek and shiny style of limousine, Babylon can provide any style of limousine you wish, so that you can arrive in style and comfort to your wedding!
Entertainment
- Babylon can provide wedding DJs that play your country’s wedding songs, singers that can speak your native tongue, or even live bands that will play traditional wedding music from your country! For any traditional performance you may want at you wedding, simply ask us and we will do our best to provide.
Wedding Invitations
- We can work with you to design your wedding invitations, print them up and even send them to your guests!
Also, we can help you choose the right venue for your wedding reception, the bridal boutique closest to you for your wedding dress, and even help you plan the catering! We are also able to provide an all-female staff for the bride’s pictures, if she wishes to have pictures with her covering on or off, our female staff will take special care in photographing and editing the pictures for her. Trust the best in the wedding and wedding photography business. Trust Babylon.