marathon wedding!

Ah young love...
Fatih's cousin decided to drop the bachelor part of his life and ask a young nurse to marry him.
There's going to be a wedding!

However there is a catch....Turkish traditional weddings combined with the Muslim traditions are somewhat different and more complicated then i'm used to..there are about 4 different stages to go through before the happy couple can say they are actually married.

Luckily for me i'm coming in at a perfect time, the beginning of the process is going to be tomorrow for Fatih's cousin (Firat) and i'm invited...which by default means you are also invited dear reader because i will tell you every detail.

However, i will give you a brief overview of the stages right now...partially because i'm bored and have nothing to do, and partially because i have been so very neglectful this month with my blogging...for which i sincerely apologize :)

Tomorrow Firat, his father, mother, Fatih and other family members...and me...will go visit the young nurses home to ask her father and mother and i quote "Our son, Firat, is in love with your daughter and we wish to take her into our lives and our family with love". [this is a translated version of what Fatih told me would happen...however as any woman knows...men pay minimal attention to the matter of weddings and things like this...so i am very flexible with his rendition]
The young nurses parents can answer however they like, and if they accept there is much happiness and drinking of tea and talking happily about the future and beginning to plan the next stages.

The next stage is to find the Imam and have him bless and marry the couple. This is the woman's oppurtunity to make stipultations...such as, if she will be a housewife and fears divorce then she may ask for the house in case of a divorce or ask that the husband pay for food and livelihood for her until she can find other arrangements...kind of like a church led prenup. at this point they are officially Fiance-ed

Then there is a "bachlorette party" but not in the American sense of the word. The women from both sides of the newly united family gather together and give the bride henna tatoos and jewlery and other girly things...and i'm sure they discuss men and give advice.

The next stage is a dance party. I honestly cannot think of another way to explain it except that all of the family members from both sides gather together and dance, and eat etc. here the couple continue to receive gifts and nice trinkets.

The final stage is the wedding and the official paper signing and all of the good stuff that makes the couple actual legally husband and wife.

This can take years or it can take months...depends on how eager the groom is to "put his neck in the noose"...{and that is also Fatih's rendition}

Ah young love...you have to appreciate a couple willing to go through this long process at 23 years of age...many chances for embarrassment...but then that is what families are for!

Ciao!