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Written by Bridal Online Store
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Below is a list of things you will need to do to for a Muslim wedding, along with a
time line when each task should be done. These tasks are in addition to those
outlined in the Complete Wedding Schedule checklist.
12+ months before the wedding
• Begin to envision your ceremony. Should it be long and symbolic? Short
and sweet? Do you want to include all the rituals or just the highlights?
• Pick wedding date and time preferences. Muslims favor weddings during
the month of Shawwal and avoid weddings during the sacred months of
Muharram and Ramadan. Sunday is favored for weddings because it's the
start of the week. The Islamic year follows a lunar calendar, so
corresponding Gregorian dates vary from year to year -- consult your local
mosque to determine when dates will fall.
• Choose a location and officiant. The wedding needn't take place in a
mosque, and any Muslim who understands Islamic tradition can officiate.
However, many mosques have marriage officers, called qazi or madhun,
who can oversee any marriages held there and confirm appropriate civil
documents.
• If either you or your mate isn't Muslim, consult your mosque about
intermarriage and possible conversion. Because Islam is a patrilineal
religion (passed down through the father), a Muslim man may marry a
non-Muslim woman of another monotheistic faith (such as Christianity or
Judaism) without a conversion. However, a Muslim woman may not marry
a non-Muslim man unless he converts to Islam.
• If this is the second wedding for either of you, contact your mosque about
remarriage requirements. While divorce and remarriage are allowed in
Islam, you'll need legal documents proving the divorce is final, and there
may be a three-month waiting period.
9 - 11 months before the wedding
• Decide if you want the wedding feast to be halal (following Islamic dietary
requirements).
• Meet with your officiant to discuss ceremony structure and marriage
requirements. Talk about the different elements of Muslim weddings and
decide what you want to include. Will you observe gender separation rules
requiring men and women to remain separate.
• If the wedding will be held in a mosque, find out about dress requirements,
such as removal of shoes and veiling for women.
9 - 11 months before the wedding (continued)
• Make arrangements if you plan to have any pre-wedding ceremonies held
in a mosque, such as fatha, an engagement ritual that honors the to-beweds'
fathers.
6 - 8 months before the wedding
• Discuss required marriage documents with your officiant. You'll need a
Muslim wedding contract that includes a meher, a formal statement
specifying the monetary amount the groom will give the bride. In addition,
you may need a marriage license from your state or country.
3 - 4 months before the wedding
• Decide who will be part of the ceremony. You need two male witnesses to
sign the marriage contract. If the wedding will be held in a mosque, you
may need a wali (a male representative) to act on the bride's behalf during
the ceremony.
• Start planning pre-wedding celebrations -- many rituals serve to prepare
and purify the to-be-weds and their families.
3 – 4 weeks before the wedding
• Have a final meeting with your officiant.
• Finalize vows (if you have any), readings, and special ceremony details.
• Make sure each participant in the ceremony understands what's involved.
1 - 2 weeks before the wedding
• Touch base with your officiant.
• Partake of pre-wedding rituals such as henna parties, turmeric ceremonies,
and ritual baths.
Day before the wedding
• Entrust all the ritual elements to someone very reliable: the marriage
contract and pen for signing; the rings; the flower garlands; and an egg for
stomping..
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