Wedding traditions of Beirut
A city of eighteen recognised religious communities, where a couple's marriage depends on the faith of the couple.
In Lebanon marriage is governed by the religious courts of each community, so a Maronite, a Sunni, a Shia, a Druze or an Orthodox couple marries under different rules. Interfaith couples often marry abroad, in Cyprus or Turkey, and register the marriage in Lebanon. Beirut also has a reputation for glamorous receptions and the zaffe, which is a staple of Lebanese weddings.
A wedding here
The zaffe leads the couple into the hall with drums, a mizwad bagpipe, sword dancers and dabke. Sugared almonds are offered to guests in small bags. Church or mosque ceremonies are followed by a large hotel dinner.
Law and change
There is no civil marriage law in Lebanon, though a civil marriage contracted abroad is recognised. A first civil marriage was registered in Lebanon in 2013 on a legal interpretation. Same-sex marriage is not recognised, and child marriage is permitted through religious courts in several communities, which activists oppose.
Wedding customs of Beirut
Also part of it, and being written: Zaffe (The wedding procession.), Jordan almonds (The sugared almonds given as favours.), Marriage in Lebanon (The legal framework.).
Communities and their weddings in Beirut
- Maronite and Catholic families A church wedding with the crowning in the Eastern rite.
- Sunni and Shia families A katb al-kitab contract, and a mosque or home ceremony.
- Druze families A ceremony according to the Druze faith, with limited intermarriage.
A wedding trail idea for Beirut
- Downtown Beirut and Martyrs' Square Churches and mosques side by side.
- St George Maronite Cathedral A Catholic cathedral at the centre.
- Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque A large mosque in the downtown.
- Souks and Hamra Street Shopping for bridal gold, dresses and gifts.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, venues and wedding-season dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Dabke: Sarah Canbel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source