Different faiths to share wedding custom stories

"Every culture does weddings", say organisers of this weekend's events

People are being invited to have "really honest, open conversations" about the marriage traditions of different faiths as part of a series of events in Bradford.

During the Sacred Vows and Sacred Spaces events, to be held in two places of worship this weekend, visitors would be able to have a short tour of the building before sitting down to a "chai and chat" session, according to organisers.

The Ramgarhia Gurdwara would open its doors on Saturday and the Urdu Hindi Beacon Church would open on Sunday so people could get involved and have their say, they said.

Organiser Rahila Hussain said: "All the events are open to everyone because it is all about sharing and connecting."

The Sacred Vows and Sacred Spaces sessions are being jointly held as part of the Bradford South Asian Festival and the national Heritage Open Days Festival.

Ms Hussain, co-director of Bradford South Asian Festival, explained: "We are hoping to offer people a warm, community-led, inclusive experience rooted in storytelling and shared connections, because every culture does weddings."

The events are being held as part of the national Heritage Open Days event

As part of the events, visitors were being encouraged to bring along items of memorabilia from their own, or a loved one's, wedding, to help the story-sharing, organisers said.

There would also be a discussion around some of the unique rituals and creative traditions linked to particular wedding ceremonies, as well as as those shared across South Asian heritage communities.

Those might include the symbolism of henna and haldi, and rituals like the Joota Chupai, a shoe-stealing game where the bride's family tries to hide the groom's shoes for a ransom, they said.

Other rituals include Door Rokai, where the groom's sister blocks the entrance to the home, demanding a bribe before the couple can enter, or Aeki Beki, a game where the couple searches a bowl of milk and vermillion for a ring to win "head of household rights".

Wedding traditions will be discussed, including henna hand decorations

Ms Hussain said: "It's about weddings, marriage customs and culture, which are the main themes of our festival this year.

"Because marriage and places of worship are still really tied together for many people, we have planned it across the Heritage Open Days period.

"A Sikh gurdwara, a Muslim mosque, a Hindu mandir and the Urdu-speaking Christian Beacon Church - those are the four main religions practised in the countries across the sub-continent and that wider region, but also by many people in West Yorkshire and the UK."

Ms Hussain added: "All the events are open to everyone because it is all about sharing and connecting."

One Sacred Vows and Sacred Spaces event was held at Hilton Road Mosque last week, while another is planned at the Shree Prajapati Association at a later date.

Heritage Open Days is England's largest festival of history and culture.

Every year, more than 5,000 places open their doors across the UK as part of the national programme, with this weekend marking the final days of the 2025 festival.

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