The First Move

The first part of any wedding around the world is an engagement where the couple are officially getting married. In Pakistani culture, a “Baath Pakki” takes place. A Baath Pakki is when the groom’s side of the family goes to the bride’s house to ask permission for the son to marry their daughter. On this day the groom’s family takes a small token for the bride-to-be to welcome her to their family. The bride’s family is supposed to give a small token to everyone who comes to this event. It could either be money or a small trinket to commemorate this day.

After the baath pakki, the brides family hosts an engagement where they invite close family and friends from both sides. We begin this event by welcoming the grooms family to the venue. Then the bride and groom enter together and sit at the stage. The program begins with a prayer and then rings are exchanged by the couple. Some grooms don’t want to wear an engagement ring and rather wait till the wedding for a bad. So instead the brides family gives him a watch instead. After the rings are exchanged the families congratulate each other and then dinner is served. In recent times, the families provide entertainment by giving speeches, skits or dances.