These are the dos and don'ts of a Jordanian wedding

Signing the marriage certificate is the most emotional moment of any Jordanian marriage.

Ladies and gentlemen, do hold your breath. It is the moment the Sheikh proclaims your beloved couple as husband and wife and the gun-shot that declares the beginning of the Zaghrouta (Ululate) battle.

There are no don'ts when it comes to Zaghrouta. Just do it and join the flock; don't worry, it will be right as it is.

Ngoot is the money given to newlyweds as a simple gift to propel their new life with some cash in the bank account.  

Do you remember when you got married six years ago and your uncle handed you an envelope with JOD20 ($28) in it? You have to do the math and return the corresponding amount of money to that same uncle’s son. 

You don't want to be the next penny-pincher of the family.

If you don’t have an exchange history with the new couple, don't scale up your Ngoot cap. At the end of the day, you are Jordanian with at least 20 cousins.

Ladies, there is no chance the bride won’t make it to the wedding. 

Don’t wear white, at all. It brings bad luck. You will have your moment of glory eventually, but not tonight.

One does not simply attend a Jordanian wedding without having their overdose of Mansaf - the most desired food in such events.

 You actually need to know the don’ts before the dos when it comes to Mansaf:

- Don’t get seated at the table if the elders haven’t seized their spots yet.

- If it's your first time "mansafing", please don’t even bother asking what it's made of, how it's made, or anything related to the components.

- No spoons allowed. Don’t even think about bringing your own.

- Grab a self-made ball of Mansaf with only three fingers. Don’t let the food touch the palm of your hand, your beard, your chin, and most importantly, your forearm.

- Don’t make a mess around the plate, the table, or your spot.

- Last but not least, don’t risk your health. Seriously, Mansaf is a source of addiction. Having more than enough of it can cause a severe case of nausea, dizziness, and tummy ache.

Jordanian car parades are so much fun to join. Everyone starts honking as cars head toward the bride’s house. 

Even other drivers, total strangers, join in by maxing up their car's radio volume and waving at the newlyweds.

There are no don’ts with the fardeh, just honk and enjoy the show.

The bridal entrance to the ballroom is quite emotional and festive. To welcome the couple, ladies stand on the left and gentlemen on the right. 

Please, don’t stare at people trying to look for a future partner. Your mother in the back will do the job for you.

In a Jordanian Zaffeh, the newlyweds' families start singing to each other, praising the marriage and their new slotted kinship. 

It is usually accompanied with darbuka and rebec, sometimes lasting for up to half an hour. 

Unless you’re a close family member or a friend, don’t stand close to the zaffeh or you’ll feel like an outsider.

We enjoy any type of Arabic music in our weddings, but the last hour of the night is always dedicated to local Jordanian music, dabkeh, and deheyeh.

If you’re not familiar with Jordanian dabkeh, you may join your friends and try to follow their steps. Just don’t take the “dabbeek” position - who leads the dabkeh - or try to break the chain. 

To make sure you won’t interrupt anyone, do keep your position at the end of the chain and just walk with the rest. If you’re the mastering type of dabbeekeh, don’t hesitate to grab your napkin and lead the night.

Omar Al-Abdallat and Hussein Alsalman are the stars of every Jordanian wedding; their music is known for spreading energy and love. 

Don’t let out that dance monster inside of you. Keep in mind that your western dance moves are not all that welcomed here ... unless you want to be the joke of the night.