Palestinian Wedding at The Devyn
Stunning Bride on Palestinian Wedding at The Devyn
Pre-Wedding Pictures at The Hyatt Regency Sarasota with Ritz-Carlton in background
Stunning is a word that is so over-used, however I have to say that the bride on this Palestinian Wedding at The Devyn. This is the Henna & Wedding Celebration of Dalal & Suhibe Dartawill shot by our Sarasota Photographers, Jamie & Joe. The higlight video above is the Wedding Celebration and the video below is the Henna Celebration the night before.
The Devyn is quickly becoming a popular wedding venue in Sarasota with it elegant atmosphere. It has beautiful chandeliers, decorative wooden floors, and old world brick walls which provides a great background for wedding photography & video. It was a perfect venue for this Henna & Wedding Celebration and easily accomodated 350 guests.
In Old Palestine, the henna night was a night used to prepare all the necessary wedding decorations and last minute arrangements. It was also a chance for the families to celebrate together before the wedding. The groom’s family would sahij or dance through the streets of the village until reaching the house of the bride. Once there, the family would mix henna together, which would then be used to decorate the bride and grooms hands (with the groom’s being merely the initials of his bride and himself), and then offer the bride her mahr (usually gold as it does not decline in value like other wealth). The families would then dance and sing traditional Palestinian music.
In modern times, particularly those not living in Palestine, the henna night remains traditional in customs, but is very similar to a bachelorette party; the bride’s female friends and relatives join her in celebrating, which includes food, drinks, and a lot of dancing. A women’s group plays Arabic music, sometimes Islamic music, while everyone dances. A woman draws henna or mehndi, a temporary form of skin decoration using henna, on the bride and guests’ skin — usually the palms and feet, where the henna color will be darkest because the skin contains higher levels of keratin there, which binds temporarily to lawsone, the colorant of henna.
The men will also have a party, in which the groom’s family and friends will dance to traditional Palestinian music. In some village customs, the groom’s face is shaven by a close family member or friend in preparation for his wedding. The tradition of giving the bride her gold is also still used. The groom will enter where the bride is, they well both get their henna done, and the groom will then offer the bride her mahr. Thus, the wedding being merely dancing and celebration.
An important element of the henna night in both traditional and non-traditional henna parties, is the dress adorned by the Palestinian women and the groom. The women dress in traditional (usually hand embroidered) gowns, known as Palestinian ithyab. The brides thobe would be extravagant and exquistely embroidered. The groom will wear the usual traditional Arab men’s thobe and hata (head covering).