Beautiful Kazakh Wedding

We attended a beautiful Kazakh wedding back in September 2012.  It was simply amazing!  We got to enjoy Kazakh culture up close and so soon after our arrival.  As you can see it's taken me quite a long time to catch up to posting about this, but it's still worth sharing.  Most of the delay was because I made sure all of the people who appear in these pictures are okay with their appearance on our family blog.  I had also forgotten to bring our camera, so I gathered pictures taken from a variety of sources.  Thanks to everyone for sharing and allowing us to tell about this experience.

The wedding couple.  Just look at that gorgeous dress!

First, I should explain that we were attending a party given by the bride for her friends and extended family.  After the wedding ceremony took place there would be another reception for the groom and his extended family.  Throughout the celebration we had a friend explaining the various elements of the reception since most of it was conducted in Kazakh.  At this point, Nils and I were equal in our understanding what was going on.  The program was conducted by a Master of Ceremonies, a well-dressed young man in a navy blue shiny suit.  He would call up groups of guests and allow them time to publicly shared with the couple their advice and good wishes.  Mixed among the well-wishers' words, the evening included singers and dancers who performed traditional dances and modern songs.  We also played a few games, one in which Nils was called upon to participate as a "camel" where the emcee asked him to pantomime riding a camel and then produce a "camel sound" for the couple.  Other animals included a horse, a bull, and a donkey.  There was a small dance competition between couples selected randomly by the emcee.  Two of the contestants were family members of the bride and it became quickly clear that her family has a talent for dancing!

The Emcee demonstrating how to ride a horse... or was it the donkey? 

Nils, receiving his instructions and giving responses to various questions.

You can see behind us the beautifully decorated platform where the wedding party sat.

 The food was very delicious.  Upon arrival the tables had a wide variety of hors d'oeuvres including pickled herring, salmon, carrot salad, and vegetables and vinaigrette.  Once the wedding party arrived and were seated, and after a few toasts, the servers brought out the traditional Kazakh feast of Besbarmak, boiled horse with noodles and onions.  They also brought out huge pitchers of milk - mare's milk that is.  Because mare's milk is so strong, the only way to drink it is fermented.  Nils and I tried some.  It's definitely an acquired taste.

As we left the sister of the bride gave us parting gifts and explained that traditionally you also send guests home with a package of leftovers from the dinner.  We had to leave early because of the children's bedtime, but I was quite impressed with the hospitality and generosity surrounding their wedding.

Jane had a great time dancing and attracting lots of attention.

These hats were the gift for each of the guys.  The ladies received a beautiful scarf.