Walima Option #1

K, so one of my options, is to have the walima for my family at the beach. We have pretty beaches here. Beach location= free. Boxie and me could get a tonne of clear ballons blown up with helium in the morning, we could pick up the cake, a portable CD player (with CDs I approve of). My family could set up that morning at the same time, making driftwood stumps into tables, placing cheap dollar store votive candles in pieces of coral my father salvaged on beach vacations long ago that I will later in the afternoon, arrange flowers into (as I make my own bouquet out of beach wildflowers and flowers from my Aunt's garden). Bouquet= free. Votive candles=$3.00. We could even splurge on the non-tacky looking tiki torches but not light those until later. We'll arrange place settings out of scrabble chips (inventive--I know). Boxie and I will hang up the balloons on the entrance to the part of the beach we want the guests to show up, and then we head off back to my Aunt's house to change, while the family starts cooking all the yummy grilled beach food. I change into something very simple but pretty.
At about this time in the day (picture above) we arrive at the balloon markers, sign the Canadian marriage documents, bid adieu to the civil officer whatever dude, and sit at our tables to eat, huddled under warm beach blankets while my daddy lights a beach fire for us all to sit around and just enjoy the night. Blanket=$50.00. (unless we can get people to bring their own). Food= rest of budget. If we have money left over rest of budget, my Uncle can light off some fireworks.
I'd totally prefer it to sitting on some big old stage while the dance floor is turned into a hunting ground for spouses, and someone waves a Qu'ran over my head (what weirdo biddah is that one?!). The Muslims, we can all pray our salat on the beach, and it will just be a lovely night. This is walima (mixed and majority non-muslim guests) option number one for me. It is public enough no drinking is allowed so I don't have to deal with forcing my relatives to be sober, and it is pretty, and fun, and cheap. So what do you think? Is it a good option?

Comments

Majda said…
I like this idea but I've yet to see any other options. :P

It seems really home-y.

On an unrelated note, what are some of your favorite sites to get abayaat?
Boxie said…
i like it, sounds good.
ellen557 said…
That sounds beautiful! It might be a bit windy on the beach though?
And I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think that here in Australia we might have to ask permission from the council or something... maybe you might have that sort of thing there?

Apart from those things though, it sounds absolutely perfect <3
Mina said…
I simply love the idea, sadly theres no beaches no where near us...
Ange said…
i love that pic of the fire on the beach. i wanna be there sitting around it.
Pixie said…
Majda: I will list them and abaya stores:D
Pixie said…
ellen557: it will be windy so we have a fire and blankets and a dress none to expensive too so expensiev so wifey (me) can sit near the fire without worrying of ruining it.
Pixie said…
Mina: you live inland?
Pixie said…
Ange: nothing better than a beach fire. We might need a permit for the fire and fireworks but those are easy to get. You can have a wedding on any beach in my hometown that you can camp on without a permit.
Sarah said…
awww! u must still be a newlywed :) i love that beach, its beautiful at night. Plus u dont have to rent a hall, i like the idea.
Anonymous said…
silly question: what is walima?:s me don´t know
Nina
Anonymous said…
Great idea! Sounds like way more fun than the usual sort of walima :D
Anonymous said…
did you get married soon coz im kinda confused i awt you wer married for a couple years now....lol ;o)
miss sa
Pixie said…
Sarah Plain & Short: LOL, not a newly wed. Married for more than a few years now:D But still in love like a newly wed.
Pixie said…
Nina: walima is the Sunan wedding meal after the nikah. It is like the reception after the wedding service. It can happen the day after but usually its a little more than that.
Pixie said…
Megan: if you are still here, you'll be invited of course. It will be mixed with non-muslims though alas. So dancing will be out though I have a plan if I get my ideal location. The men can go off for a few hours to set up the fireworks so then we ladies can let our hair down. My uncle can ring his crazy horn (salvaged from a lighthouse) to announce their short return:D That way my female relative get to see us be how we are at home:P
Pixie said…
Miss SA: I have been married for a few years but I never had a walima and my family never knew I was married, and for one of those years, actually, my marriage was a secret from absolutely everybody but my boss at work, an Imam, an elderly Muslim neighbor who was my wali, and my husband's bestfriend. Even my girl Aalia didn't know when she first met me:D So I didn't get to celebrate. In fact, I went to work the very next day cuz I could only get one day off. So since we've finally decided to make our marriage legal in this country, we thought we'd let my non-muslim relatives and a few close friends celebrate with us for a very belated walima.
Yasemin said…
I love the idea! Very Tori Spelling who married on a Fiji beach :) And including the little boombox was such a cute addition! You guys have the best ideas Pixie. Don't know about the white dress here, you guys are too gorgeous for it :) Love you.
Umm ML said…
Masha'Allah nice idea :D I live on the mainland and we've got some nice beaches here too... such a relative post actually cus I am brainstorming all sorts of ideas for my upcoming walima - trying to make it simple but nice celebration for me and my friends and non-muslim family, as well as a kinda dawah situation. Jazaki Allah khair for some more ideas ;D