Uzbek wedding traditions

In Uzbekistan, a wedding is not only a union of two people but of two families and their communities. Families save for years, and the celebrations can involve the whole neighbourhood (mahalla). Weddings take place mostly in spring and autumn, and during these seasons you will see wedding parties everywhere: brides in white dresses posing in front of the Registan or the walls of Khiva, decorated cars and musicians.

Traditions vary by region and family, and modern weddings combine old customs with new ones. In recent years, rules have at times been introduced to limit the size and cost of weddings.

Traditionally, the groom’s family sends matchmakers (sovchi), usually older women, to the bride’s family to propose. If both families agree, the engagement is sealed with the fotiha to‘y ("blessing celebration"), when the families meet, recite a prayer and break bread together, a symbol that the agreement is binding. The date of the wedding and the gifts are discussed.

The bride’s family prepares a dowry (sep): clothes, bedding, quilts, furniture, kitchenware and, traditionally, embroidered suzanis. Before the wedding, the dowry is displayed for relatives and neighbours to see, and then carried to the groom’s family home. See suzani embroidery.

On the morning of the wedding, the groom’s family hosts the nahor oshi, the "morning plov", for the men of the community. It starts very early, often at dawn, and hundreds of men may come to eat plov, cooked overnight in huge cauldrons by a master cook (oshpaz), drink tea and listen to music and speeches. It is a remarkable sight, and foreign visitors are sometimes invited. See Uzbek plov.

The religious ceremony, the nikah, is performed by an imam, usually in the bride’s home or a mosque, in the presence of close family. The civil registration takes place at the registry office. The bride then says farewell to her parents’ home, often an emotional moment, and is taken to her new home, accompanied by music and singing.

The main celebration is held in a large wedding hall (to‘yxona) or in a courtyard. Guests sit at long tables covered with salads, fruit, sweets, bread, nuts and drinks, followed by several hot dishes, including plov. Musicians and singers perform, guests make toasts and speeches, and everyone dances, including the elderly. In Khorezm, the dance is the energetic Lazgi.

The bride and groom sit at a table of honour. The bride often wears a white dress, and sometimes changes into a traditional costume during the evening.

The morning after the wedding, the new bride performs kelin salom, "the bride’s greeting": dressed in traditional clothes and a veil, she bows deeply to each relative and guest of her husband’s family, who give her gifts and blessings. It symbolises her welcome into the new family. Traditionally, the bride and groom also spent the first nights behind a decorated curtain, the chimildiq, in the groom’s home.

Uzbeks love to invite foreigners to weddings, and it is a wonderful experience. A few tips:

• Accept if you can; it is a great honour for the hosts.
• Dress smartly; women should cover shoulders and knees.
• Bring a gift: money in an envelope is the most common.
• Eat and drink what is offered, and expect many toasts.
• Dance when invited; enthusiasm matters more than skill.
• Ask before photographing the bride and family, though usually it is welcome.

See our guide to etiquette in Central Asia.