In northwestern Pakistan, marriages are usually arranged by parents and families. The lavish weddings are a time of joy and celebration for the families, friends and relatives of the bride and the groom. RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal correspondent Majeed Babar recently attended a traditional Pashtun wedding in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar Valley.
A Pashtun Wedding In Peshawar

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Bridesmaids walk the bride toward a Henna ceremony, in which her hands are dyed with henna. The traditional colorful covering held over her head is Banrasy.

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The bride getting henna tattoos on her palm.

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The groom also joins in to get henna tattoos.

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Women relatives celebrate the beginning of the wedding with a traditional dance called Shadoola.