Albanian wedding traditions in Kosovo: the customs in the order a family lives them

The short answer: a Kosovo wedding is usually several celebrations. It starts with the engagement (fejesa). Shortly before the wedding comes the bride's henna night (kanagjegj), and on the wedding days the groom's family comes to take the bride from her parents' home. Many brides wear two or three looks on different days, often the dimija and a white dress. How each step is done varies by region and by family.

We are a mother and daughter salon in Pristina, and we get brides ready for exactly these days. What follows describes customs as many families practise them today. It is not a rulebook. If you are unsure how your family does it, ask your mother or your mother-in-law. They usually know every detail.

The engagement: fejesa

In the past an engagement was often arranged through a go-between who spoke for the two families. Today most couples meet on their own, and the families make it official afterwards. A typical engagement is a visit by the groom's family to the bride's family, with rings, gold and gifts for the bride. Then comes a party with music and guests, sometimes at home, often in a restaurant.

There is no fixed gap between the engagement and the wedding. For diaspora families the two are sometimes a year apart and sometimes on the same trip. For the bride to be, it is the first big evening in front of both families, and those photos stay. More on that on our engagement page.

The henna night: kanagjegj

The kanagjegj is the bride's evening at her parents' home, usually shortly before the wedding day. It is mostly a celebration among women. Mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins and friends sing the old songs, the bride has henna put on her palm, and the dancing goes on late. Who attends, and whether henna is applied at all, differs from family to family.

For many brides this is the night of the dimija or another traditional costume. It is a long evening spent mostly on the dance floor, and the hairstyle has to survive it.

The wedding days and taking the bride

A Kosovo wedding used to last several days. Today it is usually two or three: one celebration with the bride's family and one with the groom's family, which is often the bigger of the two. The best known moment is taking the bride. The groom's relatives and friends, the krushqit, drive to the bride's home in a convoy of cars with music. There she says goodbye to her parents. For many families this farewell is the most emotional moment of the whole wedding, and there are tears.

When the bride arrives at her new home, some families keep small customs at the doorstep, such as honey or sweets for a sweet life together. Which ones depends a lot on the region.

The dimija and the white dress

The dimija is a wide traditional trouser in fine fabric, worn with a blouse, a vest and jewellery, often with a headpiece. Many brides in Kosovo wear it for the henna night or for part of the wedding and change into the white dress later. Others wear the costume of their own region, or an evening gown as well. The family decides which outfit comes when. We plan the hairstyle around that.

The dances

There is dancing at every one of these events, for hours. Guests dance in long lines and circles to folk music, often with the lodra drum and a wind instrument, or with a band. The bride dances with her own family, with her new family and with her friends. For hair and makeup that means heat, movement and a lot of hugs.

Albanian bridal hair and makeup for several days

This is the part that matters for your planning. You will often need more than one look, and each evening asks for something different.

With the dimija, the hair has to carry a cap, a scarf or jewellery for hours. Besire, who has done hair for more than 20 years, builds that style firmer than the white dress style and asks beforehand which headpiece you will wear. You can see examples on our dimija bridal hairstyles page. For makeup across several evenings, prepared skin helps. Biondina does a facial a few days before the first event so the makeup holds the same way every night.

Our bridal prices are public: bridal hairstyle 100 € with a trial, bridal makeup 100 €. If you also want a separate look for the engagement or the henna night, send us the list of events and we tell you the price of each appointment before you book.

Mothers and sisters get ready too

The whole family is in the photos on each of these days. Mother, mother-in-law and sisters usually want to be ready at the same time as the bride. For guests, a hairstyle costs 25 € and makeup 25 €. Our guide to hairstyles for the wedding family covers what works for mothers. For the trial and the timeline when you live abroad, read our post on getting married in Kosovo from abroad.

What to send us on WhatsApp

Message us on WhatsApp or Viber, in English, Albanian or German. Send us the date of each event, meaning the engagement, the henna night and the wedding day, plus a photo of your hair in daylight and photos of the white dress, the dimija and the headpiece. Tell us how many women from the family are getting ready with us. Send your booking request here. We are on Rr. Jakov Xoxa in Pristina, Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 18:00.