Like all over the world, marriages in Pakistan are full of hues, music and lot of food. Marriages are generally arranged by the parents and the would be partners, however, the trend is changing but at a much slower pace where marriages of own choice and choosing are allowed.
Sometimes the formal engagements may last from a few months to many years, depending on the age of the couple. In most of the cases, the bride and groom meet for the first time on their wedding day. It can be said that marriages in Pakistan are not a union of two individuals, but a long lasting relation of two families.
Wedding rituals are elaborate and usually take four to five till the actual wedding day. The initial two days are generally meant for the ritual of "Mehndi", wherein Hina is applied to both the groom and the bride by the female friends and relatives of both sides.
The friends of the bride and groom also dance at "Dholak" (indigenous drum, to which use of electronics and play back on cassete palyers is also on the increase. Then is the wedding day, when a cleric gets a "Nikah Nama" (the marriage contract) signed by both the partners in the presence of witnesses of both families. A man and a woman must repeat thrice that he / she is willing to enetr into the matrimonial bond on his/her own will.
After the ceremony, sweets are distributed as a omen of good will, followed by a sumptuous meal. The bride usually wears a decorated red dress with lot of jewellary, while the groom normally attrires in "Sherwani" - a long closed collar coat.
The next day, the groom hosts a luncheon/dinner called "Walima" to introduce the bride to his entire family and friends. On the wedding and Walima days, the bride wears heavily stitched wedding dress, normally red in colour and heavy gold ornamanets and bangles.
Food and Eating Habits:The Pakistani cosines are rich in oil and chillies. Unlike the Indian food, Pakistani dishes must include meat, chicken and beef, though pork is totally forbidden as per Islamic teachings. Although eating habits differ from regions to region, the mainstay of the Pakistani diet is "chapati or roti" made from flour.
"Lassi" a usual drink made like a milkshake in a home made utencil from curd/yogurt and water is usually taken at lunch time, specially during the summers as it beats the effects of hard weather. It is usually customary to eat a dessert after the dinner, which mainly comprises "Kheer" (made from rice and milk) and sweetened rice "Zarda".
Rice though scarcely eaten in many parts, pulla�o (lightly fried rice with vegetables) and biryani (rice with meat or vegetables and spices) are the tw very favourite dishes of rice, specially on marriages. "Mithai" a kind of sweet made of corn flour, sugar and milk is the favourite sweet for all ages.