In England I’m used to rocking up to a wedding in my cute outfit for the day, and if I'm lucky getting fed. Boom, Bam, finished! But in Tunisia weddings are a whole different vibe.

Trust me they are truly amazing and it really goes down on the dance floor. Having had the opportunity to attend a few weddings, the most recent being last month, I’m giving you the lowdown on what happens at a Tunisian wedding. Typically, Tunisian weddings are made up of 5 events. Some people are fully involved and attend all 5 of them and some people choose a smaller selection.

Hammam

On this day family and female friends go with the bride to be to the steam room. On the way to the hammam, the bride walks alongside her loved ones in traditional Tunisian wear, whilst her hype women sing all around her. The bride leaves the hammam looking so fresh and so clean.

My homegirl Rah, who got married last month, absolutely despises going to the Hammam, so she broke the rules and made her Jacuzzi bath her steam room. Imagine 20 women walking her into her bathroom whilst cheering, singing and lighting candles. Everyone is dressed casually on this day.

Legal signing

The official legal document signing is the quickest part of the wedding. It lasts about 30 minutes. Females sit on one side of the venue, and men on the other. Generally, people then queue up to congratulate the bride and groom saying “ma-brook” which means congratulations in Arabic.

You know that outfit that isn’t really comfortable or them shoes that look really banging but you can’t wear for long. Now is the time to get them out.

Small Henna

Henna is a big deal in Tunisia, it’s associated with bringing good fortune to a bride, so on this day henna is put on the bride-to-be in her house. The bride’s family also generally provide food for guests. Usually a nice hearty Tunisian dish- Couscous, beef and salad.

Even this day varies depending on individuals. On one occasion it was a very small event with only close family and on another, a tent appeared out of nowhere after dinner with a fully formed band playing live music until 1 a.m.

Big Henna

For women, this is one of the biggest days. It generally happens in a rented venue like a hall. This is what you can call the bride’s personal celebration. Bride’s take centre stage and carry out traditional rituals, such as swaying their shoulders from side to side with their eyes closed and stepping over a “fish”. There's always a large live band and a big dance floor of course! I’ve seen the bride’s change their outfits an average of 4 times on this evening. Big extravagant outfits come out and at the end, the groom arrives and joins the bride on stage. Many people who cannot make all the 5 celebrations come specifically for this day. I personally love this day so much because lots of Tunisian pastries and fresh juice get given to guests. Dress all the way up. Think prom night and ball gowns.

The Final Celebration

“Here comes the bride all dressed in white.” Yes, the bride puts on her beautiful white dress and effectively sits on a cute sofa on display until the groom and his hype men turn up to take her away. The groom and his family turn up to the bride’s house around 2 hours after the event begins. On the main road outside the bride’s house, the groom’s entourage will announce their arrival. My homegirl's husband announced his arrival in a large white limousine and Porshe Cayenne (not bad at all). After exchanging rings inside and about 500 hundred pictures, the newly-weds head to the groom’s house followed very closely behind by both the bride and groom’s loved ones.

Cars put on their hazard lights and beep regularly throughout the drive. Imagine the film 'Fast and Furious' and you’ll have an idea of what to expect during the journey. On one occasion, I witnessed my aunty pass out as she was so overwhelmed with the driving styles used. The night ends early, compared to the majority of the other nights, outside the groom’s house where loved ones celebrate one last time the joining of the married couple.

Small small tips

I'm not even joking but make sure you carry earplugs around with you because the music is really loud and at times distorted. When planning outfits prep for at least 1-2 more outfits than you think you'll need. I'm telling you at least one un-official event will pop up. And last but not least, bring some cash in notes to the big henna. (You'll have the opportunity to go on stage and give some to the bride.)

Tunisian Wedding Outtakes

At one wedding, a friend brought me outside to see a “surprise” and when I walked around the corner there was a cow tied up on the floor bleeding out. It turned out to be some of the finest beef I had ever eaten the next day when I ate it with my couscous, but I froze when I saw it initially.

On the last night of Rah's wedding, after heading home exhausted, we had to go all the way back to the groom's house after to deliver her suitcase as it had been left in the boot of her mum's car, and she was heading off to her honeymoon hours later.

On the fourth day of the first Tunisian wedding I’d ever attended, I fell asleep on a sofa in the bride's house. I was so tired. The closer your family relation to the bride the more you're supposed to be present and we were at the bride's house every day from the afternoon until the early morning.

Tears of joy

I feel really privileged to have been invited to weddings in Tunisia, especially Rah's wedding. The night before the final celebration she had a hen do where all of the young-ish girls closest to her, came together and had a party. What happens at a hen do, stays at the hen do.

And on the day of the final celebration, I spent the morning with the bride and we got our harkous done by a woman who came to her house.

Everything You Need To Know About Tunisian Weddings