{"id":1762,"date":"2016-11-26T08:38:07","date_gmt":"2016-11-26T08:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vuelveaviajar.com\/?p=1762"},"modified":"2018-09-05T16:09:25","modified_gmt":"2018-09-05T16:09:25","slug":"iranian-wedding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vuelveaviajar.com\/en\/iranian-wedding\/","title":{"rendered":"That Time I was invited to an Iranian Wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"

I already wrote about the greatest treasure of Iran which is the hospitality of its people. Iranians love foreigners and when you visit their country, locals will talk to you anytime they find the opportunity. Most conversations even follow with an invite to their homes. Or, if you are as lucky as I was, you may be even invited to an Iranian wedding. If this happens to you, be ready to say yes! Attending a Persian wedding was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Iran.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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As soon as I sat alone on the bus from Kashan to Isfahan, the smiling girl sitting next to me initiated the conversation. After a few minutes of small talk (Where are you from? Are you married? Do you have\u00a0Instagram<\/a>?), she asked me where I was going to stay in Isfahan. When I told her I hadn’t booked any room yet, she asked without thinking twice: “Do you want to stay in Isfahan with me and my family?”<\/strong><\/p>\n

At first, I hesitated. I was traveling\u00a0in Iran alone<\/a> and didn’t know anything about this girl. I also wondered if her family would be ok having me, a complete stranger, in their house. But she kept insisting, telling me how much she and her family loved guests. She said they would be really happy to host me.<\/p>\n

Had this happened to me in any other country, I am sure I would have politely declined. I would have been worried that maybe what she really intended was stealing my money (or my kidney!). But after a week in Iran<\/a>, I already knew that when Iranians say they love guests, they really mean it and expect nothing in exchange.<\/strong> So I decided to embrace the adventure and accepted the invitation. Little did I know, Razie’s family would host me like I was her own daughter. The time I was about to spend with them would be the best part of my trip to Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"Razie<\/a>

Despite our very different cultural backgrounds, Razie and I became good friends.<\/p><\/div>\n

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From Traveling Alone to Finding a Family in Isfahan<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

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When we arrived in Isfahan, Razie’s father came to pick us up. As soon as I saw his kind face, I knew I had taken the right decision staying with them! Even though he could not speak any English, he made sure to make me feel welcome. Only a few minutes after we got into the car, he asked me if I wanted to join his family in his nephew\u2019s wedding that was a couple of days later.<\/strong> I was not sure if he was serious. But I was obviously curious about attending an Iranian wedding, so once again, I said yes!<\/p>\n

The next couple of days at Razie’s home were amazing. She and her family went out of their way to make me feel good. They showed me around Isfahan, introduced me to more family members and friends, fed me with A LOT of amazing home-made Iranian food and more. They did all of this without accepting payment for anything. I was completely overwhelmed by their hospitality. I could not believe that these people, who barely knew me, were doing all of this for me.<\/p>\n

The night before the Persian wedding, I told Razie I had not brought anything sophisticated enough to wear. She opened her wardrobe and made me try some of her best dresses. Luckily for me, there was one that was exactly my size and suited me fairly well. Later that night, Razie and her sister were teaching me how to dance the Iranian way in their living room. I was ready for the party!<\/p>\n

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The Iranian Wedding<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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