Re: Nikkah - proper procedure?
i've seen it both ways. in pak it's nearly always method 1. been to one or two wedding's in the UK where it was method 2.
my nikkah was in pak and segregated and i was really against being some room where i had no idea what was going on and that the ladies would have no idea either.
i begged my dad to get a loudspeaker set up and let me sign in front of the guests (ladies). first he was like 'noooo i can't, that's not what they do here'. but he came through in the end.
first i was sitting in a room with my mum, sis and bro's, accepting my fate that i would have to sign there. then my dad came to ask me about the mahr and disappeared. when he came back he was like, 'ok, we're taking you out'. My mum and dad holding my hands, with siblings behind, waked me to the entrance of the ladies side, where the men left me and i was walked up to the stage by my mum and MIL. i sat there with my mum and sister and other close relatives. eventually, my dad and taia came over to take my sig. then my side got to hear what was happening on the groom's side.
people thought it was unorthadox but the ladies knew a marriage was taking place as they could hear it and had to chup. so, afterwards quite a lot of people said that was really nice. after dinner when all the non-family men had left, we sat together for rings and photos etc!
ok, that's the first time i've told all that. i didn't have my perfect wedding by any stretch of the imagination but the fact that my dad did all he could to let me hear hubby say qabool and the dua made up for everything.