My mother and I traveled through the Middle East and South East Asia while we shopped all over in order to prepare for my brother’s upcoming wedding in January 2010.

Our shopping list included:

-the wedding sari– check

-saris for the bridal trousseau– check

-bridal jewelry–check

-items for decor–check

We had managed to remember every little item needed for a fabulous Bangladeshi Muslim wedding…minus one important factor–the rakhis! We almost became frantic at the thought that we had forgotten such a crucial aspect.

The wedding rakhi is a bracelet that is put on by the mother-in-law of each respective bride and groom during their Holud ceremony.  It is symbolic of the upcoming union of the bride and groom and is meant to be kept on until the day of the wedding (i.e. until the nikkah/akth).

When realizing we had forgotten to purchase rakhis–we resorted to our brilliant plan–why not make our own?!  My mom and I ventured into our favorite shopping center–the craft store and bought everything we needed to make our DIY rakhis!

We bought cardstock that was flexible so it would be able to be tied around the wrist, rhinestones, and beads to ensure that our rakhis would look legitimate.  Also, we used fabric paint to inscribe “Allah” on the rakhis as they symbolize a religious union of two individuals.

And viola! This is what our final product looked like:

DIY Rakhi

DIY Rakhi

For more information on Bangladeshi wedding customs, click here.

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