What Do Egyptian Brides Wear?

Egyptian brides traditionally wear a variety of attire on their wedding day, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the country. The headdress is an iconic element, often crown-shaped or tiara-shaped, adding a regal touch to her ensemble. Egyptian brides typically wear high-cut, low-cut dresses with lace on the back and an embellished neckline. The groom usually dresses up in a formal suit or traditional Egyptian garment known as a “gallabiya.”

Egyptian wedding traditions include El Shabka, which is the jewelry the groom gives the bride, and El Mahr, which is the gold shabka. On the day of the wedding, the bride typically dresses in a jewel-toned gown with a veil, while the groom wears a ceremonial tribal costume.

The night before the wedding is the Laylat Al-hinna, or night of henna party, where all the women gather for the bride to decorate her hands and feets with intricate, traditional henna designs. The bride is often adorned in a beautiful pink dress, made of cotton or silk, symbolizing femininity and grace.

The wedding ceremony usually takes place in a mosque or a church, depending on the couple’s religious affiliation. The dress code in Egypt is generally conservative, with many women choosing to cover themselves from head to toe. Traditional garments like the abaya or jilbab are commonly worn, and many Egyptian women wear a headscarf or hijab to cover their hair.

In Egyptian weddings, guests are not typically limited in what they can wear, as long as it is seen as dressy or semi-formal attire. The traditional Egyptian wedding dress is usually brightly colored and woven with small gems and jewels, and the groom usually wears a ceremonial tribal costume.

What did ancient Egyptians wear for weddings?

Wedding attire through the ages. In ancient Egypt, brides wore white linen tunics and long beaded veils. They also wore jewelry. In ancient Rome, the groom led a procession to the bride’s home, where she was met by her bridesmaids. She would wear a white tunic with a knot of Hercules, symbolizing chastity and fertility. Gold Hercules Knot, 4th century BCE. The bride wore an orange veil and orange shoes. At the end of the wedding day, the bride would be carried over the threshold to ensure she didn’t trip, which was bad luck.

What to wear to a wedding in Cairo?

This one usually raises the most questions because people worry about being overdressed or underdressed. Cocktail dresses and jumpsuits are safe. Or wear dressy separates like a full skirt or palazzo pants. Bring a blazer or wrap in case you need to cover your shoulders.

Blue jumpsuit, Bershka, visit Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif, City Centre Deira, City Centre Alexandria, City Centre Muscat, City Centre Bahrain and Mall of Egypt. Floor-length is usually preferred, but you can get away with a smart midi-length frock or tailored suiting. If the wedding is on grass or cobblestone, wear smart wedges over heels. Your soles will thank you the next day.

What not to wear to an Egyptian wedding?

What to Wear (Bride and Groom). In an Egyptian wedding, the bride wears a brightly colored dress. The groom wears a traditional costume. Guests should dress appropriately to show respect for the couple. Women can wear a traditional Egyptian dress. Egypt is mostly Christian and Muslim. Both religions frown on women showing too much skin. Don’t wear shorts because they’re underwear! Go for a long skirt that falls below your knees. You can also wear loose-fitting cotton trousers instead of tight clothes, which are considered disrespectful and provocative in Egypt.

Cover your chest, shoulders, and belly with a button-up top and t-shirt. Men can wear trousers or cotton trousers with a polo or cotton button-up shirt. If you feel out of place without a suit, bring a sports coat. You can’t wear shorts, even if it’s a casual wedding. If you have kids, dress them like you. Who pays for what? In an Egyptian wedding, families decide who pays for what. The groom usually buys expensive gifts like shabka, a house, electronics, kitchen and bathroom equipment. Brides pay for the engagement party, kitchen utensils, and fancy furniture, which is usually covered by the mahr. When the groom proposes, he should give his future wife and her family expensive chocolates on special occasions.

Can an Egyptian marry a foreigner?

Mixed marriage. Egyptian law allows mixed marriages between Egyptians and foreigners. Foreigners can only get married in Egypt in a civil ceremony at the Civil Marriage Registry Office in Cairo or Alexandria. You can arrange a religious ceremony separately, but it is the civil ceremony that establishes the legal marriage. An ‘Orfi marriage is when a man and a woman agree to marry without giving or receiving any legal rights. The man and woman agree to marry in front of two witnesses. It’s an unofficial, unregistered marriage, so the relationship isn’t legally protected. You can’t register your marriage at the registry office without a civil marriage contract.

Can a woman wear shorts in Egypt?

Can I wear shorts in Egypt? You can, but it might not be appropriate. If you’re in a beach resort town like Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada on the Red Sea, shorts are fine. People don’t wear shorts outside resort towns. I saw one couple in shorts in Cairo, and they were tourists. Can I wear a bikini in Egypt? Yes. It’s not unusual to see women in bikinis at the beach or pool, but people don’t wear swimsuits in town. I spent two weeks in Sharm el-Sheikh, a beach town on the Sinai Peninsula. I wore a one-shoulder one-piece I bought in Italy before the pandemic and a cute cover-up I bought in Vietnam. We may earn commissions when you buy through our links, but that’s not why we share them. If I love it, I want you to love it too.

What age did Egyptians marry?

Once a young man was old enough, he could get married and start a family. Girls were probably ready for marriage after their first period. Males probably married at 16 to 20 because they had to support a family. It was not necessary to be a virgin to get married. Having sex before marriage was socially acceptable. Once married, couples were expected to be faithful to each other. Egyptians were supposed to be monogamous, and many records show that couples loved each other. They were sensual people and their religion was about having children. Two New Kingdom love poems show this sensuality. Your hand is in mine, and I’m happy. She’s more beautiful than any other girl. She’s like a star rising… with beautiful eyes for looking and sweet lips for kissing.

Marriage was just a social agreement about property. Religious and state doctrines didn’t affect marriage. Unlike other economic documents, marriages weren’t registered. Once a couple lived together, they were considered married. As the story of Setne says, I married Naneferkaptah that night. The pharaoh sent me a present of silver and gold. He slept with me that night and liked me. He slept with me again and again, and we loved each other (Lichtheim 1980: 128).

What age do girls get married in Egypt?

• Under the Persons and Family Law No. 126 of 2008, the minimum legal age of marriage is 18 years for both men and women. The minimum legal age of marriage is also highlighted under the Egyptian Child Law No. 126 of 2008. This 2008 amendment changed the legal marriage age from 14 to 18 years. Despite the legal change, and lack of criminal penalties, families are able to bypass the law and conclude child marriages through religious ceremonies and then wait till the bride turns 18 to have the marriage legally registered. *However, underage girls are frequently married in urfi, an unofficial customary form of marriage. *Data sources. African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, website, 2018, achpr.org/legalinstruments/detail?id=46 (accessed January 2020).
• African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, website, 2018, au.int/en/treaties/protocol-african-charter-human-and-peoples-rights-rights-women-africa (accessed January 2020).
• Association of the Egyptian Female Lawyers, Press Release Launching the Campaign “#1000 جمعية” (#1000 associations#) to call the President and the Egyptian Parliamentarians to Criminalize Early Marriage, 2021, aeflwomen.com/en/launching-the-campaign-1000-%d8%ac%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%8a%d8%a9-1000-associations-to-call-the-president-and-the-egyptian-parliamentarians-to-criminalize-early-marriage (accessed November 2021).
• Bassem, R., Emara, R., El Domy, S., El Hagry, Y, Curbing Child Marriage in Egypt, 2018, fount.aucegypt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1064&context=studenttxt (accessed October 2021).
• Child Law, 2008, nccm-egypt.org/e7/e2498/e2691/infoboxContent2692/ChildLawno126english_eng.pdf (accessed March 2020).
• Egypt Independent, Child marriage in Egypt reaches 117,000 children: CAPMAS, website, 2018, egyptindependent.com/child-marriage-in-egypt-reaches-117000-children-capmas/ (accessed March 2020).
• Egypt Independent, Head of Egypts NCWR calls on Parliament to ratifies 21 as legal age of girls marriage,website, 2017, egyptindependent.com/head-egypts-ncwr-calls-parliament-ratifies-21-legal-age-girls-marriage/ (accessed March 2020).
• Human Rights Watch, Egypt: New penalties for Female Genital Mutilation, 2016, hrw.org/news/2016/09/09/egypt-new-penalties-female-genital-mutilation (accessed November 2021).
• Girls Not Brides, Child marriage in humanitarian settings, 2018, girlsnotbrides.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Child-marriage-in-humanitarian-settings (accessed January 2020).
• International Centre for Research on Women, More Power to Her – How empowering girls can end child marriage, 2014, icrw.org/publications/more-power-to-her-how-empowering-girls-can-end-child-marriage/ (accessed March 2020).
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Joint statement on child, early and forced marriage, HRC 27, Agenda Item 3, website, 2014, fngeneve.um.dk/en/aboutus/statements/newsdisplaypage/?newsid=6371ad93-8fb0-4c35-b186-820fa996d379 (accessed March 2020).
• Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt Demographic and Health Survey, 2014, 2015, dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR302/FR302.pdf (accessed March 2020).
• Ministry of International Cooperation, Egypt National Review Report for Input to the 2016 HLPF, 2016, sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/10738egypt.pdf (accessed March 2020).
• National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, Ending Violence Against Children in Egypt National Strategic Framework, 2018, http://nccm.gov.eg/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/إستراتيجية-مناهضة-العنف.pdf (accessed March 2020).
• The Caravan, Egypt Takes Steps to Eradicate Child Marriage, website, 2017, auccaravan.com/?p=6636 (accessed March 2020).
• The Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement, Second Shadow Report for the CEDAW Coalition, Egypt, 2009, wluml.org/sites/wluml.org/files/Shadow%20Report%20CEDAW%20EACPE.pdf (accessed March 2020).
• The Guardian, Senior Islamic cleric issues fatwa against child marriage, website, 2019, theguardian.com/global-development/2019/jun/21/senior-islamic-cleric-issues-fatwa-against-child-marriage (accessed March 2020).
• The National Council for Childhood & Motherhood Child Rights Observatory, Policy for Action: Ending Child Marriage, 2018, unicef.org/egypt/media/3586/file/Policy%20Brief%20Final%20(Child%20Marriage).pdf (accessed March 2020).
• UN CEDAW, Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, 2010, p.7, tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CEDAW/C/EGY/CO/7&Lang=En (accessed March 2020).
• UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 44 of the Convention, 2011, p.18, tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRC/C/EGY/CO/3-4&Lang=En (accessed March 2020).
• UN General Assembly, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Egypt, 2014, p.22, ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/EGIndex.aspx (accessed March 2020).; UN General Assembly, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Egypt, 2019, p. 23-25, ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/EGIndex.aspx (accessed March 2020).; UN Women, Multi-Country Analytical Study of Legislation, Policies, Interventions and Cultural Practices on Child Marriage in Africa, 2018, www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20africa/attachments/publications/2019/multicountry%20analytical%20study%20of%20policies%20interventions%20%20cultural%20practices%20on%20child%20marriage%20in%20afr.pdf?la=en&vs=2727 (accessed November 2021).; UN Women, Women´s needs and gender equality in Egypt´s COVID-19 response, 2020, www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20egypt/attachments/publications/2020/04/unwomen_brief_covid-19_egypt_response.pdf?la=en&vs=5554 (accessed November 2021).; UNICEF, Egypt MENA Gender Equality profile, Status of Girls and Women in the Middle East and North Africa, 2011, unicef.org/gender/files/Egypt-Gender-Eqaulity-Profile-2011.pdf (accessed March 2020).; UNICEF Egypt, In a journey of girl empowerment, website, 2020, unicef.org/egypt/stories/journey-girl-empowerment (accessed April 2020).; UNICEF global databases 2020, based on Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), and other national surveys. Population data from United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects 2019, Online Edition. Rev. 1.; UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office and International Centre for Research on Women, Child Marriage in the Middle East and North Africa, United Nations Childrens Fund, 2017, unicef.org/mena/media/1786/file/MENA-ChildMarriageInMENA-Report.pdf.pdf (accessed March 2020).; UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, Egypt Country Brief UNICEF Regional Study on Child Marriage in the Middle East and North Africa, 2017, unicef.org/mena/media/1796/file/MENA-CMReport-EgyptBrief.pdf.pdf (accessed October 2021).; UNICEF, Policy for Action: Ending Child Marriage, 2018, unicef.org/egypt/sites/unicef.org.egypt/files/2018-06/Child%20Marriage%20Policy%20Brief%20EN%20FINAL.PDF (accessed October 2021).; UNICEF and The American University in Cairo, Policy Brief Curbing Child Marriage in Egypt, 2018, documents.aucegypt.edu/Docs/GAPP/Public%20Policy%20Hub%20Webpage/8-%20Curbing%20Child%20Marriage%20in%20Egypt%20Policy%20Brief%20-%20En.pdf (accessed October 2021).; UNICEF, The State of the Worlds Children 2021, 2021, unicef.org/media/108161/file/SOWC-2021-full-report-English.pdf (accessed October 2021).; United Nations, Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform, website, 2017, sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg5 (accessed March 2020).; United States State Department, Trafficking in Persons Report, 2015, 2009-2017.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2015//index.htm (accessed March 2020).; World Bank and International Centre for Research on Women, Economic Impacts of Child Marriage: Global Synthesis Report, 2017, documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/530891498511398503/pdf/116829-WP-P151842-PUBLIC-EICM-Global-Conference-Edition-June-27.pdf (accessed March 2020).

What age can a girl marry in Egypt?

Egypt signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, which sets a minimum age of 18 for marriage. It also signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1981, which says that states must ensure that women can give free and full consent to marriage. However, it expressed concern about Article 16 of CEDAW and noted that Islamic Sharia says a husband must pay bridal money to a wife. In 2014, Egypt agreed to consider recommendations to end child marriage and temporary marriages of girls. In 2019, Egypt agreed to review recommendations to prevent early and forced marriages. It also agreed to review its domestic law to comply with the minimum marriage age for girls of 18 years. In 2011, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child said that tourist marriages of Egyptian girls to foreign men are being used to disguise prostitution and child trafficking. It said that monitoring by marriage clerks and a family counseling helpline were not enough to tackle the issue. It urged the Anti-Trafficking Unit of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, law enforcement, and civil society to punish the perpetrators.

What are the colors of Egyptian weddings?

There are two main styles of traditional Egyptian wedding dresses: gold and white. Egyptian wedding dresses can be very ornate with gold fabric. The dress is long with a train. All the jewelry is gold, including the headdress. What about the embroidery? The echo of that special day is the elegance of the beautiful designs. Everything is made with gold. There’s a reason for this fancy look at Egyptian weddings. Ancient Egyptians thought wives were very respectable and wealthy. Egyptians spend a lot of money on weddings. Another traditional Egyptian wedding dress is white and long. It is comfortable and elegant. Gold jewelry is usually worn with a white gown, but not as much as the other style. This style is called wealthy simplicity because the dress is simple but of high quality. White dresses often have golden embroidery or elements on top and on the hem.

What is the tradition of marriage in Egypt?

2. The mahr and shabka. The marriage agreement has two parts: the mahr and the shabka. The groom must give two gifts to the bride’s family. The mahr is money paid by the groom to the bride’s family, while the shabka is a tradition where the groom gives jewelry to his bride.

Can’t Decide Between Two Wedding Venues – Expert Tips from Clarence Houses;

3. The engagement. The engagement period lets the couple get to know each other. The bride’s family will host the engagement party at home or at a hotel with decorations.