Mass wedding brings joy to 104 ‘special’ women

RIYADH: A total of 104 women with disabilities got married in a mass ceremony held at a luxury hotel here on Sunday, the sixth such event organized by a local charity.
The event, organized by the Society for Physically Disabled Adults (Harakia), was attended by Princess Hussa bint Salman bin Abdulaziz. The ceremony followed one for the men at King Fahd Cultural Center under the patronage of Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar.
Nasser Al-Mutawa, chief executive officer of Harakia, said the presence of Princess Hussa and the governor was a pleasure for all concerned.
Meanwhile, a local publication has reported that wedding parties these days are limited to only a number of "elite" people selected by the families of the groom and the bride. Till 40 years ago, invitations to wedding parties used to be open to public, and the party would begin in the afternoon and continue until midnight. Now, the wedding parties are held at night and only invitees are allowed into the hall after they show wedding cards.
The report said society’s elders regard this as shameful and believe that nobody can prevent the presence of any guest at such parties. The elders, however, agree with the ban on mobile cameras inside wedding halls.
The mention of "please confirm" and “RSVP” on the wedding cards has led some guests to believe that they have only received the card out of sheer politeness or a sense of forced obligation.
The cards themselves contain a number of prerequisites for attending the party, such as desirable outfits and instructions on certain ways to dance. Some hosts also mention the exact duration of the party and even the time when meals will be served.
Some guests consider this as interference with the personal freedom of guests, while others say it is only a polite way to keep guests away or discourage them from coming, so the party ends up being limited to the close family members.