Muscat: The end of summer means the end of wedding season. But in Seeb, the community is getting ready for a mass wedding in November. A total of 48 bridegrooms and brides are readying for the special occasion. According to Mohammed al Subhi, the number 48 is to commemorate the 48th National Day Anniversary. Hilal al Sarmi Member of Majlis Ash’shura, said the team is focusing on raising RO 20,000 for the event.
“We are preparing food for 5,000 guests. It will have traditional Omani folk music and dance,” said Al Sarmi.
In most cases, the focus tends to be on bridegrooms. This time around, there is a difference. “The brides will be assisted by bridal makeup artists and hair stylists,” he added.
There have been many mass weddings in different parts of Oman in recent years and youngsters welcome it.
“Mass wedding is a healthy phenomenon, which makes the wedding day joyful as thousands of relatives gather together. I support this kind of initiative. It is known to solve many issues compared with individual weddings, where the groom usually has to bear all costs,” said Talib al Wahaibi from Al Amerat.
It has been observed young men tend to delay taking the big step towards marital life.
According to the potential bridegrooms, one of the main issues is the Mahr, the dowry given to the bride’s father.
“Mahr is the fund used for the bride’s gold jewellery, cosmetics, accessories and clothes. Melkah is the day when men host their celebration besides the wedding day,” said a bride-to-be.
“The families contribute towards furnishing of the house as well as other household essentials,” she added.
“If the wedding is on a Friday, celebrations at the bride’s house begin by Sunday. Prior to the wedding day, the henna ceremony is very important for some families,” said her friend.
As for the Seeb mass wedding committee members, they are not involved with the Mahr aspect.
They will soon present a lecture to spread awareness on Mahr. “We are conducting the lecture as part of awareness to bring the Mahr amount to a fair amount, ranging between RO 3,000 and RO 4,000.”
Last month, 57 couples took part in a mass wedding in Rustaq. “It was supported by the business community and grooms had to contribute only a nominal amount to the fund,” said the sister of a bride who didn’t want to be named.
She said the Mahr amount varies from region to region. “RO 4,000 may be acceptable to some families, but most would insist on RO 7,000. In some regions, Mahr could be as high as RO 15,000,” she said.
Lakshmi Kothaneth
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