Planning the Henna Night: From First Idea to Last Zaghrouta

The henna night is the party where the bride dances however she likes. No hall protocol, no dress that restricts movement. Just family, friends, a drum, and a tray of henna lit with candles. It is simpler than the wedding, but it still needs planning if it is to stay a night of joy and not an exhausting day before the most important one.

When to hold it

By custom, the henna night falls on the eve of the wedding. Many brides now hold it two or three days earlier, for good reasons:

• A late night of dancing shows under the eyes in the next day's photographs.
• Natural henna takes a day or two to reach its deepest colour.
• It leaves a day free for rest and last arrangements.

If the family insists on the night before, end it as early as you reasonably can.

Who is invited

Traditionally the henna is a women's evening for the bride's relatives and friends, and in many homes it still is. In others it has become a mixed party with the groom and his friends, or one the groom joins for the final hour only. In the countryside, Upper Egypt and Nubia, the night has its own rituals and songs and may run over more than one day.

Decide this first, because it shapes the venue, the outfits and the photography. A women-only party needs an enclosed, private space, and a female photographer and female staff if some guests will remove their hijab.

Venue

• At home or on the building's rooftop: the warmest, most economical and truest to the spirit of the night. It means rearranging furniture, a courteous word to the neighbours, and care over when the music stops.
• A garden or villa: room for dancing and décor, good for larger numbers and mild weather.
• A small hall or a restaurant's private room: no setting up or clearing away, with service on hand.
• A beauty centre or a dedicated henna venue: some offer the whole evening, with décor and entertainment included.

For anywhere outside the home, ask: is the place ours alone? Until what time? Are candles, incense and drums allowed?

Themes and outfits

Much of the fun of a henna night is dressing up. Popular choices in Egypt:

• Fallahi or baladi: a brightly coloured galabeya with a crochet-trimmed headscarf.
• Indian: a sari or lehenga in strong colours, with jewellery.
• Moroccan or Gulf: an embroidered kaftan or a velvet robe.
• Nubian or Sa'idi: traditional dress with the songs to match.
• One colour: all the guests in a single shade, with the bride in a different one.

Some brides change three or four times in the evening. A tested piece of advice: two outfits are enough, because each change takes you away from your own party for a quarter of an hour. Outfits can be bought or rented, and many henna organisers supply them as part of a package.

Tell guests the theme and colour at least two weeks ahead, so they can sort out what to wear without sudden expense.

The henna itself

This is the heart of the night and the part that needs most care.

• Choose the artist by her work. Ask for photos of designs after the paste has come off and the colour has developed, not photos of wet paste on a hand.
• Ask what kind of henna she uses. Natural henna stains a reddish brown that deepens over a day or two. So-called "black henna" may contain added dyes that cause severe skin irritation in some people. Ask about the ingredients, test a small dot on your skin some days beforehand, and if your skin is sensitive, speak to a doctor.
• Timing. A full bridal design takes a long time. It is best done hours before the party or the day before, leaving the party itself for simple designs for the guests.
• Agree on numbers. How many guests will have henna done? A small motif each, or whatever they ask for? This determines how many artists you need and what it costs.
• Aftercare. Leave the paste on as long as you can and keep water away for the first few hours. Your artist will give you her own method.

Entertainment

• The henna tray: friends carry it in with candles, flowers and zaghareet, the celebratory ululations. It makes the loveliest pictures of the night.
• Music: a DJ, or a speaker and a playlist put together by a friend. Prepare two lists: the old henna and wedding songs that mothers and aunts know by heart, and newer dance tracks.
• Drummers or a folk troupe for a short set that lifts the energy.
• A photo corner with a backdrop to match the theme and a few props.
• Light games: questions about the bride and groom, or a few words from friends.
• A rehearsed dance by the friends. As surprises go, it never fails.

Do not crowd the programme. Two or three items are plenty. The rest is dancing and laughter.

Food

A henna night is not a formal dinner. Light food that can be eaten standing suits it best:

• Small pastries, mini sandwiches, stuffed vine leaves and savoury pies
• A table of oriental and western sweets
• Juices and cold drinks, with tea and coffee for the older women
• In many families, aunts take charge of the food. Accept gratefully, and coordinate beforehand so that five trays of the same dish do not arrive.

Remember that your hands will be occupied with henna. Ask a friend to make sure you actually eat.

A short timeline

• Two months before: settle the day, the venue and the format. Secure the henna artist and the organiser or DJ.
• One month before: choose theme and outfits and tell the guests.
• Two weeks before: arrange food and décor, and patch-test the henna.
• One week before: confirm times with everyone and hand out jobs to friends: music, welcoming guests, taking photos.
• On the day: your henna first, while you are relaxed. Then getting ready. Then the party.

Common mistakes

• Dancing until dawn the night before the wedding.
• Having the bride's henna done mid-party, so she sits for two hours with her hands held out while everyone else dances.
• Henna of unknown origin with no test beforehand.
• Heavy, unfamiliar makeup on henna night. Rest your skin for the bigger day.
• An open-ended budget. A henna night grows easily into a second wedding. Give it a fixed amount within the wedding budget from the start.
• Forgetting photographs. You do not need a full crew, but ask one named person to take pictures. Otherwise you may come away without a single one of yourself.

How Gawazy helps

On Gawazy you can find henna party organisers, henna artists, decorators and caterers in your governorate, look at their work, and contact them directly to ask about packages and dates. The agreement and payment are between you and the vendor.

• Henna parties
• Henna painting
• Occasion décor
• Catering
• Makeup artists