A zaffe highlight, from the first drum to the couple's entrance
The zaffe (also written zaffeh or zaffa) is the wedding procession that announces the couple, led by drummers playing the tabl and often joined by singers, trumpets, sword or fire dancers and relatives clapping and ululating. In Lebanese weddings it may take place when the groom's family collects the bride from her parents' home, at the entrance to the reception, or at both. Upload the zaffe footage as its own WeddingEditor project, name the moments and people, and WeddingEditor's AI editing makes a Highlight Reel of about 5 minutes or a Social Teaser.
Zaffe bands are loud and fast. Say which clips caught the couple's faces clearly.
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Last updated October 2026
How to get a zaffe highlight
- 1
Upload the procession footage
Create a project for the zaffe alone and upload what you shot: the band gathering, the doors, the walk through the guests, and the couple reaching their table or the dance floor. If there were two zaffes, at the bride's home and at the hall, decide whether they share a project or each get one.
- 2
Describe the route and the people
Write where the zaffe started and ended, who walked beside the couple, and which performers mattered: the lead drummer, the singer, the sword dancers. Use the avoid field for anything the family does not want shown.
- 3
Get the edit back
Buy One Wedding or use a credit, start processing, and the finished edit typically arrives 24 to 72 hours later. It is delivered to your project, and up to two email revision rounds are included.
Zaffe moments to name
The band assembling
Drummers tuning and the singer calling the first verse while guests gather at the doors.
Leaving her parents' home
In families that hold a zaffe at the bride's home, the moment she steps out with her father to the sound of the drums.
The doors of the hall
The doors opening and the couple framed in the light before they walk in.
Sword or fire dancers
Performers clearing the way with swords or fire, if the family booked them.
Women's zalghouta
Relatives answering the singer with zalghouta, chanted verses ending in ululation, as the couple passes.
Arrival at the floor
The procession reaching the dance floor and the couple's first steps together before the dabke begins.
What happens during a zaffe, in order
This is a common shape; bands, routes and customs vary by family, region and community.
1. The band gathers
Drummers, and often trumpeters, singers or dancers, gather at the starting point, which may be the bride's family home, the hotel lobby or the hall entrance.
2. The couple appears
The couple, sometimes the bride alone with her father, comes out to meet the band, and the drumming and ululation rise.
3. The procession moves
The zaffe walks slowly toward the hall or the dance floor, with relatives clapping and dancing alongside and guests filming on their phones.
4. The arrival
At the floor the band plays the couple in, often straight into the first dance or the first dabke of the night.
One project, one edit
A zaffe project returns one edit, a Highlight Reel of about 5 minutes or a Social Teaser, built from the files you upload and made by WeddingEditor's AI editing.
Parts of the zaffe and what to note in the preferences
| Part | What it looks or sounds like | What to note in the preferences |
|---|---|---|
| Gathering | Band in costume, drums tuning, guests clustering | "Keep the lead drummer's first strike." |
| Bride's home | Her father walking her out, women's zalghouta | "Feature her father's face as they leave." |
| The walk | Slow procession, clapping, phones in the air | "Show the bride's sisters dancing ahead." |
| Performers | Sword or fire dancers, singers | "Include the sword dancers at the doors." |
| Arrival | The couple reaching the floor, cheering | "End as they reach the dance floor." |
What is a zaffe?
A zaffe is a celebratory wedding procession found across the Levant and other parts of the Arab world, led by drummers and singers who announce the couple to the guests. A zaffe highlight is a short edit of that procession made from the footage you upload.
It is not the dabke, the line dance that often follows it, and not the religious ceremony. Egyptian weddings have their own zaffa, often with different instruments and performers, so the details depend on the family.
Zaffe video questions
Can the zaffe be its own film?
Yes. Upload only the zaffe footage to a separate project. Each project makes one edit, so the rest of the night can be another project with its own purchase or credit.
There were two zaffes, at the house and at the hall. Should they be one project?
That depends on what the couple wants to watch. If they belong in one film, upload both into one project and say so in the moments question; if they want two films, use two projects.
The band was very loud. Will the edit balance it?
The edit keeps your recorded sound as it is, with no cleanup, and music supports the real sound, balanced by your audio preference. Note in the audio question how much of the drumming to keep against any speech or singing you want heard.
Will WeddingEditor recognize the zaffe performers?
Only from your notes. Describe the lead drummer, the singer and any dancers, and say which of them the couple cares about.
Do I need to trim the clips before uploading?
No. Upload the files as they came off the cards. You do not need to rename, sort or pre-select clips first.
Does WeddingEditor decide which part of the zaffe is shown?
No. Which entrance, which performers and which relatives matter is the family's decision; WeddingEditor does not decide it. List the moments of the zaffe you want in the preferences.
More for Lebanese weddings
Bring them in with the drums
Upload the zaffe as its own project and say where it started, who walked and when it peaked.
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