The Druze Wedding

The Druze wedding is quite peculiar, as is almost everything the Druze do. They're a very secretive sect, and see themselves as descendents of Moses' father in law Jethro. They have an ingenious religious social structure that allows a Druze to be either secular or religious, and the choice is totally up to him. Only religious Druze are allowed to learn their holy texts, which are guarded with great secrecy. No one can convert in or out of the religion, and they believe in reincarnation fiercely, citing the evidence that their numbers have not grown or shrunk in all the years of their existence.

The Druze wedding is surrounded by a week of fanfare, where entire villages follow the groom around in a giant procession. Since the Druze are so secretive and arguably xenophobic, it is hard to come across much information about their weddings, though I was able to make out that besides the dowry, the only jewelry involved in a Druze wedding is a chain of cloves given to the bride by her friends several days before.

Besides that, one of the oddest of their customs involves flower with silver coins in it, which, several days before the wedding, the bride sticks to her future in-laws' door.

There is no bridal jewelry on the bride, though modest dress is required of both bride and groom. Anything a groom gives his bride in terms of jewelry is optional, though they may have some hidden law that mandates some sort of transaction. Being that their religion is closed, it is hard to tell.

The wedding ceremony itself is called the dohalla which is when the bride does her flour sticking schtick. The groom then comes and does the same thing, lifts her veil, and says, basically, "Hi there." Then they're married.

If you're a minimalist on jewelry and diamonds, then maybe you should be a Druze.

But oh well, you're probably not, and therefore you never will be.