JEDDAH: Weddings in Saudi Arabia — typically lavish gatherings stretching from the evening until dawn with a singer booked to entertain the guests — are starting to shake off their traditional trappings and adopt global trends. The multi-billion riyal industry is growing at 20 percent per annum. It is one of the most affluent markets in the world where weddings are of great importance and no expense is spared. Now with the developments in the Kingdom and the diversity of cultures, Saudi weddings are reflecting global influences, not least because of the rise of social media. All over the world brides are using Instagram, and brides in the Kingdom have also embraced new media. In the past weddings used to be very similar, following a set pattern. All had a woman singer and the celebration stretched from 8 p.m. until dawn. But now there is much more variety and it has become popular for a bride to choose an elaborate theme for the wedding, or even to use a wedding planner. And there is a change in where the weddings taking place. Weddings being held outside by the sea in the afternoon is a very new concept for weddings. Another change is in the gifts distributed to guests. The tradition in the Kingdom, also practiced in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world, is to give guests almond sweets wrapped in a colored sack, known as mulabas in Arabic. But guests at a Saudi wedding today may well be given a small shawarma — a Levantine kebab of chicken, lamb, turkey, beef, veal or a mixture of meets — cupcakes or small perfumes to take home as keepsakes. The theme selected is likely to be lavishly interpreted and run through the choice of flowers, cake and decoration of the venue. This theme might even be extended to the trip the newlyweds take on honeymoon. The most elaborately designed part of the wedding will be the “Al-Kusha,” the platform where the bride and groom sit during the wedding, which will also fit in with the theme. Another highly popular theme among Saudi brides is to use opulent royal styling. Here the most luxurious decorations abound, and white and beige fabrics are accompanied by natural white roses. This look often has a fairytale quality. Here brides are going for the Disney look, choosing Cinderella-style dresses and wearing crowns or tiaras. Sometimes the bride’s dress may even be inlaid with diamonds. Saudi wedding coordinator Ouhoud Abdullah, who has more than 77,000 Instagram followers, and more than seven years’ experience, told Arab News that popular themes were the use of pastel or classic colors, or a wood theme where all the decorations are made of wood. Abdullah added that also hot now is the garden and birds theme where the venue is decorated with two or three shades of flowers, and models of birds are scattered on tables. The Kusha — the raised plinth that the bride and groom sit on — may feature birds, including doves, and candles. “Many brides often demand classics like gold, silver and white,” said Malik Al-Hussein, weddings coordinator at the five-star Sunset Hotel in Jeddah. She added: “Many brides are now fully aware of all the wedding arrangements and are able to organize everything themselves thanks to social media, but decorating the venue with roses adds to the elegance of the wedding.” Saudi women today often photograph and publish their arrangements via their Instagram social media accounts, giving their followers updates on their progress and news on what is trending. The growth of the wedding market in the region is mirrored in the growth of the jewelry market in general, and the gold market in particular. The Gulf weddings market is estimated to be worth about SR10 billion ($2.67 billion). On average, bride, groom and guests spend SR100,000 on jewelery. The wedding market also contributes to the development of beauty products and this market has achieved unprecedented growth in the Middle East. Currently the beauty market is growing by 15 percent a year, with consumers in the Arabian Gulf being some of the highest global users of perfumes and cosmetics.