Wedding Celebrations in all Middle Eastern countries have included the presence of a dancer acting as high priestess in pre Islamic times with ceremonial functions blessing the Bride and Groom. This ceremony was linked to Fertility and Abundance, basically good luck and prosperity. To this day, the people present a dancer to bring the Wedding Couple into the reception room to their guests. This has nothing to do with current religions, it is a social custom that the people love. The dancer and the quality of the wedding show is a mark of prestige just like thousands of years ago. Everyone has a favorite dancer and wants her at the wedding.

This entrance procession is called a Zaffa. It has the dancer, the bride and groom, a group of musicains playing the zaffa rhythm on percussion instruments, a mizmar, brides maids with candles, or a boy with inscence. The zaffa procession with the dynamic Arrousa Rhythmns create an unforgetable occassion that introduces the Newly Married Bride and Groom to the Wedding Guests in the reception room. In the Middle East the Bride and Groom sit on a raised small stage in decorative chairs surrounded by flowers. They may also be seated at a head table with their parents.

In addition to the entrance procession at the wedding ceremony, the dancer will also perform with her orchestra. There are special songs and the Bride and Groom will be brought up to be introduced and congradulated and they will dance together for their guests.. She then gets all the relatives and friends up to dance and should make an atmosphere that everyone will remember and treasure forever. Videos are made of the event and pictures to record the occassion.

Asmahan has a group of musicians and singers who perform the traditional Zaffa for weddings. They also provide the Raks Sharqi show as part of the wedding ceremony. Each wedding is unique and a show can be created to suit the occasion. A wedding reception can have a dance show with a CD accompainment which will include a veil dance, taksim, beledie, songs, getting the bride and groom up to dance, and bringing the relatives and guests up to dance.