At the end of my first week in Kazakhstan, I went to a wedding! Weddings in Kazakhstan serve the same purpose as in the United States. They are ceremonies of love and marriage, an opportunity for friends and family to gather and celebrate the newlyweds' first steps into their new life together. However, there are many differences between American and Kazakh weddings. For example, it is traditional to have two wedding celebrations for each marriage: One that the bride's family hosts, and one that the groom's family hosts.
The wedding I attended was the ceremony organized by the bride's family, called Kuz Uzatu (Кыз Узату). This was a relatively small gathering of family and friends at a restaurant. I was lucky to get to tag along! The bride wore a beautiful, red dress, which is traditional in Kazakhstan, although many Kazakh brides now wear white wedding dresses. Although the wedding was small in terms of the number of guests, there was nothing else small about it.
When I first walked in, I was astonished by the spread of food on the tables. My amazement was met with laughs. I soon found out why. The full table of appetizers, main dishes, fruits, drinks and desserts was only the start. “We, Kazakhs, eat a lot. That's why we're all fat!” explained the lady sitting to my left.
