Even though we are currently facing a disease outbreak that has forced gatherings and celebrations to adapt and shrink in size, one thing is undeniable: the love, happiness, joy, and goodwill people have for one another have not disappeared because of this. And the nikah, or Islamic wedding, is the gathering place where all these feelings come together.
The current situation makes large gatherings impossible. Parents and couples who love each other and want to hold a ceremony that is correct according to Islamic principles now have to consider a small-scale nikah to meet these needs. However, a rushed nikah that lacks participation can bring difficulty and misunderstanding to both families involved.
A small-scale nikah combined with online participation, or Nikah Online, is a concept that the Araya team developed and tested with a wedding within the Araya family itself, and it seems to have worked very well. The core concept is to remain correct according to religious principles while the event size is greatly reduced (down to just 5 people) to lower the risk of transmission, while still preserving the participation of family and loved ones of the bride. In this event, even though only 5 people attended in person, more than 200 people joined online. Parents of the bride and groom who could not attend in person were still able to give blessings, offer guidance and advice, and share warm words, just like friends and other relatives, as part of a carefully planned sequence of the ceremony.
However, organizing Nikah Online is no less complicated than a large-scale event. When the event size is reduced, understanding what is essential and what can be cut becomes far more critical. Managing people also has an effect. Discussions about participation among the imam, the family, and the couple need to be planned carefully. Deciding to forgo certain things, such as a makeup artist or photographer, and using other methods instead to reduce the number of people involved in the process seems unavoidable in some cases. The couple and their families have to improvise more things themselves and must truly understand what they are doing. In practice, it is quite rare for things to run exactly according to plan, especially for couples whose families live near each other, as well as new couples, almost all of whom have no experience with weddings.
What makes Araya’s version of Nikah Online different from simply getting the religious ceremony done and over with is the creation of participation — making happiness, goodwill, congratulations, blessings, laughter, and tears happen even when people are nearly a thousand miles apart. That difference is what turns an event into a day that stays in memory forever.
Nikah Online requires understanding the difference between the Live concept and the Online Meeting concept, and how they differ, as well as which system suits which wedding situation. The couple needs guidance, or a friend or relative skilled in handling these systems — someone who is not the same person managing things on-site — so that the event runs smoothly. Planning the system also needs to be accessible and easy to use for both online participants and those attending in person. To succeed, the designer must understand both system planning and nikah design together. Importantly, it doesn’t need to be an elaborate system — it just requires knowing how to make good use of the devices already on hand, such as the couple’s own laptop or phone.
In addition, Nikah Online needs to give a sense that compensates for the loss of a full-scale reception, which traditionally involved food and catering for guests. For those attending in person, even without a full catered meal, something must be created to replace it so that guests present at the venue, such as the officiant and close representative relatives, still feel honored and cared for by the couple.
In the end, a small event done just to get it over with and a truly meaningful nikah mean two different things. A truly meaningful nikah is one that is correct according to religious principles and brings happiness to everyone who takes part, no matter how far away they are. The love and goodwill between people do not change. Make your nikah simple, and don’t forget to share the happiness and joy of those moments with the people who love you and whom you love. Whatever happens, these things will last forever, throughout married life from here on and always.
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