Wedding Rituals and Traditions - Dress

Only certain "lucky" days which were suitable for cutting and sewing of a wedding dress. The well-being of the bride depended on this to the great extent. A dress was sawn in the house of the bride from the fabric presented by the groom.

The most respected woman of the village, a mother of many children, along with the bride's dear friends, was to cut the dress. They were allowed to take away scraps of fabric - for good luck.

A Turkmen wedding dress is distinguished by rich ornamentation and decorations. The dress turns into a magnificent piece of art due to silvery light of pendants which tinkle melodiously as the bride is walking (to drive away evil spirits). The majority of pendants served not only as decorations but also as symbolic talismans and amulets.

During the first day of the bride's "kaitarma" the relatives arranged a feast in her parental house (kaitarma is the young wife's comeback to her father's home after the honeymoon before full payment of kalym (bride-money) by the family of the young husband). The bride was dressed in different outfit - a red pin-striped dressing gown. She returned to her husband's home wearing a dark green-olive cape.