Somali wedding video editing, from the nikah to the aroos
A Somali wedding is usually several gatherings rather than one: the nikah, the Islamic marriage contract, often small and led by a sheikh; the aroos, the big celebration with the couple's entrance, dancing and ululation; and in many families a henna gathering before and a shaash saar afterwards, where the bride receives the headscarf of a married woman. Families decide which parts may be filmed. With WeddingEditor you upload what you filmed, say who and what matters, and WeddingEditor's AI editing makes a Highlight Reel of about 5 minutes or a Social Teaser.
Some families separate men's and women's celebrations or limit filming; ask before the day and brief the edit on what may be shown.
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Last updated October 2026
How to get a Somali wedding edited
- 1
Upload each gathering you filmed
Create one project for the aroos if that is the film the couple wants, and separate projects for the henna or the shaash saar if they should be their own films. Upload every camera's files without renaming or sorting them; there is no limit on the number of files, and each file can be up to 5 GB.
- 2
Brief the edit on people and privacy
In the optional questions, name the people to feature and what they wore, list the moments that must be included, and be clear about anything that must not appear, such as guests who asked not to be filmed or parts of a women-only celebration the family wants kept private.
- 3
Start the edit, then review
Once the aroos footage is in, pay with One Wedding or a plan credit and start processing; expect it to take typically 24 to 72 hours. The edit is made by WeddingEditor's AI editing and delivered to your project. Watch it, download the 1080p MP4, and send up to two rounds of notes by email.
Preference notes videographers write for a Somali wedding
Clear instructions about privacy matter as much as instructions about moments.
The couple
"Bride in a white gown with a gold headpiece for the aroos entrance, then a red and gold dirac later. Groom in a navy suit. Feature both mothers at the head table."
The entrance
"Must include the couple's entrance with the guests ululating and the women's group singing as they walk in."
Dancing
"Keep the dhaanto circle with the bride's cousins and the moment the groom's brothers joined in."
Privacy
"The family asked that no guest without a hijab appear in the film. Please use only clips where women guests are covered, or leave those parts out."
Sound
"Keep the poem the bride's aunt recited and the sheikh's short blessing; the DJ can be in the background."
Leave out
"Avoid the side room where the men ate, and the uncle in the grey suit who asked not to be filmed."
What Somali wedding footage usually includes
The nikah
The Islamic marriage contract is often a small gathering led by a sheikh, with the bride's guardian and witnesses. Some families film it, some do not; always ask.
The aroos
The aroos is the main celebration: the couple's entrance, often with ululation from women guests, food, speeches, dancing and photos with family.
Henna and shaash saar
Many families hold a henna gathering for the bride before the wedding, and a shaash saar afterwards, where women place a headscarf on the bride to mark her as married. Both are often women-only.
Traditional dress and dance
Women often wear the dirac, a light flowing dress, and guests dance traditional dances such as the dhaanto alongside modern music. Practice varies by family, region and community.
Your notes decide what is shown
The AI editing follows your preference answers, including what to avoid, so privacy limits the family sets can be written into the brief.
Your audio, with music in support
Songs, poems, ululation and speeches stay as recorded; music supports the real sound, balanced by your audio preference.
Parts of a Somali wedding and what to note in the preferences
| Part | What to film or flag | A preference note for it |
|---|---|---|
| Nikah | The contract with the sheikh, guardian and witnesses, if the family allows filming | "Only the handshake and the dua, nothing else." |
| Henna | Henna applied to the bride, women singing; often women-only | "Separate project; women filmed by the female videographer only." |
| Aroos entrance | The couple walking in, ululation, singing | "Must include the entrance and the ululation." |
| Dancing | Dhaanto and other dances, family joining in | "Feature the cousins' dhaanto circle." |
| Speeches and poems | Elders, parents or relatives speaking or reciting | "Keep the aunt's poem audible." |
| Shaash saar | Women placing the headscarf on the bride after the wedding | "Separate project; keep it short and private." |
What is a Somali wedding video edit?
A Somali wedding video edit turns footage of the aroos, and of other gatherings if the family allows, into a short film the couple can keep. With WeddingEditor it is a Highlight Reel of about 5 minutes or a Social Teaser, made by WeddingEditor's AI editing from your footage and your notes.
The nikah and the aroos are different events: the nikah is the religious marriage contract, the aroos is the celebration. Many families film one and not the other.
Somali wedding editing questions
Can I keep women guests without hijab out of the film?
You can ask for it. Write the rule into the question about things to avoid, as precisely as possible. The AI editing sees everything you upload, so if the family does not want those clips seen by anyone outside the family, leave them out of the upload rather than relying on the avoid note.
Can the henna and the shaash saar be separate films?
Yes. Give each its own project and upload only that gathering's footage. The henna film and the shaash saar film each count as one edit, with one purchase or plan credit apiece.
Will the poems and songs be heard?
If your cameras recorded them, yes. The edit keeps the original sound, and you can ask in the audio question for speech and recitation to be favored.
Does WeddingEditor know what is appropriate to show?
No. The AI editing follows your instructions; what may be filmed and shown is the family's decision, so agree it with them and write it into the brief.
Who works on the footage I upload?
WeddingEditor's AI editing, which works on everything you upload, so leave out of the upload anything the family does not want seen outside the family. WeddingEditor never sends the film to the couple; you decide what to deliver.
How much is a Somali wedding edit?
One Wedding is $119 one-time for one wedding, or one credit from a monthly plan.
More for Somali weddings
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