JEDDAH, 13 August 2005 — Ask any couple about to get married about some of their main expenses and the wedding party is most likely among the top on their list even if they are going for a simple ceremony.

With the bride wanting to have the wedding of her dreams, she might rack up a bill beyond her family’s or her groom’s means. Besides the wedding gown, wedding hall, and invitations, one of the major expenses is the flower arrangement especially the seating area on stage for the bride and groom called “kusha.”

Although it might seem like a non-essential feature of the wedding, the kusha for brides is a beautiful “must” for the wedding hall to give it the distinction and glamor that reflects the bride’s taste and style.

“It is the focal point for the guests,” said Huda. “Besides the gown and jewelry worn by the bride, the kusha is one of the things people talk about most during and after the wedding especially if it was unique. Each bride tries to make hers unique,” she said. Manal pointed out that it is one of the things that appears the most in photographs. “In the wedding album and years after the wedding, in the photographs you notice and comment on the dress and the kusha,” said Manal.

Prices for the kusha could be as much as SR1,000 to as high as SR40,000 and above depending on the flowers used and the decorations.

“Preferably the bride comes in two months before the wedding to choose the design, the type of flowers and other extra decorations like lighting or peacock feathers as is the fashion this season. Sometimes a bride comes in three days before the wedding and chooses one of the ready-made designs,” said Haitham, manager of Sindian flower shop. It takes them about two weeks to work on a design of fitting the wooden frame and wires and arrange for the flowers and other elements.

Professional establishments are familiar with all the local wedding halls and the size and shape of the stage area to place the kusha.

To reduce or assist in wedding expenses, some charity organizations and companies came up with a variety of loans and installment programs. For many charity organizations, group weddings have proven successful and attractive option for limited income families. Some brides choose to rent their dresses, which is becoming a popular idea with many stores renting clean, affordable dresses of a variety of designs.

Unilever Company through its Fair & Lovely product launched a campaign last month to finance the kushas of six brides. The brides fill up a form found in grocery stores selling Fair & Lovely, without having to buy the product, expressing their future goals and a committee from the company reads through the applications and choose the one who impressed them the most with her ambitions.

During the past three weeks they have already chosen three brides and paid for their kushas. The brides sat with designer Marwan Hamza and together decided on the kusha design. “The campaign has been very successful so far. We hope that our campaign would encourage and inspire other companies to help newly weds,” said Khalid Shakhshir of Unilever public relations.