Despite the longstanding traditions, Azerbaijan weddings have undergone significant changes during the last decades. It is now widely accepted to take photos of a young couple on the wedding day and for a bride to wear a white wedding dress. The strict concealment of a young couple before the wedding has softened. Groom, or rarely a bride, can sit at a table with guests. In recent years, grooms were given the right to participate in the engagement ceremony. These changes are notably present in city weddings. It is expected that changes will continue in village weddings in coming years. One of the modern trends is the refusal of “the wedding without newlyweds”, a tradition of hiding the bride before the wedding. The length of the marriage celebration has also been shortened. Formerly a wedding could last for 3 or 7 days but now it lasts for a day.
