Although they met here in Latvia, Jordan is a link that unites Husam and Justina from the very beginning. Husam is from Jordan and has just received a master’s degree at Riga Technical University, while Justina, according to herself, is a simple Latvian girl who’s everyday life is children – she works in kindergarten. Husam has been living in Latvia for only 2,5 years, and the couple met only a year before the wedding, but their love story developed rapidly and truly.
Typically today, newlyweds met on social networks. Justina, browsing through the posts on Facebook, had noticed a post about the daily life of a Jordanian guy in Latvia. Justina was interested because she visited a friend in Jordan who is also married to a Jordanian. Even before meeting Husam, Jordan had fascinated Justina with its culture and people, so without really thinking about it, she wrote a message to Husam. Husam, pleasantly surprised by Justina’s knowledge of Jordan and its capital, Amman, decided to invite the girl for a coffee. Justina was addressed by Husam’s purposefulness and seriousness, because these were the values she was looking for in a man. This was followed by many dates, and Husam often invited Justina to a dinner with Arabic delicacies.
Although in Latvia mostly couples get married after several years of living together, Husam proposed to Justina much earlier. Such traditions are typical in Jordan – men decide in 4-6 months whether a woman will be the one, but after the engagement, the couple is given another half a year to understand whether the living together will succeed, followed by the wedding. As Husam said, “It didn’t take long to realize that this lady is the only one.”
The traditions of engagement in Latvia differ from Jordan, however, considering that Justina is Latvian, Husam stuck to the usual way. It is traditionally accepted in Jordan that the bride’s father determines how many male members of the groom’s family will come to ask for the daughter’s hand. Afterwards, the groom’s representatives visit the bride’s family, where both parties stand on different sides and 2 cups of coffee are served in the middle, and a representative is chosen from each side (usually senior or senior in society). The groom’s representative asks for the bride’s hand, and if the bride’s representative agrees, he invites him to drink coffee, then joins himself. When the arrangement is complete, the rest of the family joins in and the engagement is celebrated with coffee and sweets.
Before proposing to Justina, it was important for Husam to introduce her to his family and friends, so the couple went to Jordan. Justina immediately was on one wave with everyone, both family and friends liked her. Although the time in Jordan was stressful, because a lot had to be done, Husam, encouraged by his relatives, proposed to Justina. One morning the couple went to a restaurant, but Husam didn’t feel any romance there, and the waiters served so quickly that he didn’t even have time to say anything, so before the meal he said he had something to say and simply said, “Will you marry me?” Justina was shocked, but of course she answered “Yes”. Although it all happened in a hurry, Justina would not change this moment for anything.
The engagement was celebrated with Husam’s family and friends. In Jordan, relatives are of great value and ties are especially close compared to the reserved nature of Latvians. There is a lot of love in families in Latvia as well, but while in Jordan, Justina realized that the connection with the family and its values can be even closer. When visiting Husam’s family for the first time, Justina was unable to control the tears of emotion: “For the first time, I experienced such real and true love and respect for family.”
The couple decided in favor of the wedding in Jordan because Husam has a large family. The wedding was also celebrated in Latvia with Justina’s family, but Justina’s mother and some friends went to Jordan to attend the wedding there as well. Justina didn’t have to worry about wedding planning, because it was done by Husam’s family. The only thing that had to be prepared was a wedding dress and a dowry, which mostly consisted of new outfits to welcome guests after the wedding, according to Jordanian traditions. In Jordan, a woman must always look beautiful, it is customary to dress well both on holidays and in everyday life.
According to tradition, guests must be welcomed every day for 7 days before the wedding. During this time, there is also a bachelor party, where the groom takes care of himself and prepares for a new life – a barber is invited and new clothes are prepared. During the event, the groom receives slaps on the neck or back from the men attending the party. This process means: “If you can’t bear this, then you’re not ready for a married life because it’s hard.” It is worth noting that all these events are accompanied by poetry, music and dance. There is also a bridesmaid party for the bride, in which she is decorated with henna drawings. At the party, the bride has to dance with a crown of flowers and candles on her head, then the groom, dressed in traditional clothes, joins the dance.
On the wedding day, the bride goes to the beauty salon early in the morning to prepare while the groom prepares at home. When Justina was in the salon, she was overwhelmed by different thoughts, but a American-Jordanian woman, like an angel, came to her, giving her peace and encouragement by telling stories from the Bible. Justina is still in touch with the woman who came at the right time and gave confidence in the marriage.
When the young couple is ready, the bride traditionally has to go to her home, from where she will be taken away by the groom’s family. Justina was taken to Husam’s brother’s house, who also led her to the altar. When the bride is handed over to the groom’s family, the two sides exchange good words and wishes, and then everyone goes to church, accompanied by songs and music. Both young people are Christians, but decided to hold the ceremony in the Orthodox church according to its traditions.
The beautiful ceremony is followed by a party where the newlyweds arrive last when everything is ready. The young couple is invited to the first dance, followed by champagne, cake and dinner. This part of the event is similar to how it is celebrated in Latvia, only Justina noted that it is much louder and more powerful in Jordan. Rice with a goat’s head is served at the wedding table, which traditionally symbolizes the best of intentions, thanks for coming with the thought: “We serve the best we have – we prepared a whole goat for the guests”. After dinner, the party continues for Husam and Justina until almost dawn. Justina was surprised that at the wedding, the newlyweds, especially the bride, are gifted with gold or money, thus showing how dear and important the bride is.
Husam admitted that he lacked time a little, because he wanted to take care of the Latvians who had arrived and to show a little bit of Jordan during that time. Some time was also spent introducing Latvians to cultural differences and the way to behave in Jordanian society.
But neither Justina nor Husam has any regrets – the wedding time was wonderful and the memories will warm their hearts for a long time. Justina advises every bride to trust her groom – he can do things too! Don’t be afraid to ask your family and friends for help planning your wedding. And most importantly – do as you both want!
For the wedding, Justina had chosen a dress from our salon Magical Beauty, and she is grateful because she felt like a queen. In turn, we thank Justina and Husam for entrusting us with their love story. We wish you many beautiful years together, endless love and happiness that grows stronger every day!