The grand Kirgiz wedding ceremony consists of two steps: engagement and wedding. At the engagement, the boy’s family carries gift to the girl’s home on horseback, with some pure white cotton on the horse head as a symbol of engagement for marriage. The girl’s parents treat them to their best food.
The Kirgiz wedding is held in the bride’s house. In the morning, the mother bathes the bride and, together with her sister-in-law, dresses her up. The mother combs her hair for her and changes the small braids into two big ones and sings “the song of weeping for marriage”, which contains the mother-daughter sentiment of departure and the mother’s deepest blessing. In the early morning, the bridegroom, together with a group of elders and youths, sends the wedding gifts on horse back under the accompaniment of music in a grand procession. The bride’s elder sisters stand off at the entrance and check the gifts piece by piece before accepting them.
Then the bridegroom eats the first meal his mother-in-law prepares for him in company of his best man. Then the imam conducts the ceremony, and reads out the marriage certificate issued by the government. On the next day, both families hold some traditional activities for celebration such as horse racing, sheep snatching and wrestling.