💬 My first Saudi wedding, what I got right and what I nearly got wrong

Last December my Saudi colleague Faisal invited me to his wedding in Jeddah, my first in eight years here. I said yes and then spent the whole week asking people what to do. The card said 9pm, so I reached at five to nine in a new thobe my roommate helped me pick. The hall was nearly empty, and the family didn't really start receiving people until almost eleven. Nobody was late, that's just how it is, so eat something before you go. Dinner came after midnight, and it was the best lamb and rice I've had in Saudi. Men and women were in separate halls, which I knew, but the two entrances looked almost the same. Faisal's cousin waited outside for us colleagues, otherwise we might have walked into the wrong one. I didn't take any photos inside, and I'd say keep your phone in your pocket unless the family says it's fine. The gift worried me most. An older Saudi colleague said cash in an envelope is normal, or just coming is enough. I gave a small envelope to Faisal's brother quietly and nobody made a fuss. The best part was how welcome they made me feel, uncles I'd never met kept pouring me coffee all night. My nerves were for nothing, people just want you to be respectful. What was your first Saudi wedding like?

The women's side at the one I went to was much bigger than I expected, live music, lights, a whole different mood. My husband said the men's side was quiet. We compared notes on the drive home and it was like two different weddings.

Same with the start time at my first one. I came close to the time on the card and sat for almost two hours before anything started. Should have eaten before going.