Each culture has unique marriage and wedding ceremonies and traditions, and the southeast Utah area is home to many unique cultures.

William Sohveymah, a member of the Hopi tribe and a frequent visitor to Moab, recently shared a look at marriage and wedding customs among his people.

“Everything is part of the wedding, from the first agreements of the bride and groom to the preparations, rites and rituals,” Sohveymah said.

In Hopi culture, bridal preparations can take months, even years, to complete, he said. One of the many time-consuming steps is the creation of a wedding robe, woven by the groom’s uncles, father, brothers and other male members of the family, Sohveymah said.

“The wedding robe is white, representing purity and the goodness and purity of the creator, because marriage is sacred,” he said.

The men also weave a wedding sash, which is viewed as a ladder into another life and allows the bride to eventually return to the spirit world.

“This woman’s wedding sash is called a ‘hah-how-pih,’ meaning ‘ladder to help you down,’” he said.

Because the preparations are so time consuming, the families of the bride and groom often have to make personal sacrifices, Sohveymah said.

“To be married in the Hopi way is very expensive,” he said. “When there is a wedding, the whole village is involved, and if the bride and groom are from different villages, both villages are involved in the process.”

Along with weaving the sashes and robes, the groom’s family will complete most of the wedding preparations before the marriage ceremony. After the wedding, the bride’s family prepares to complete “payback rites,” Sohveymah said.

The wedding ceremony in Hopi culture involves the washing and braiding of hair. First the bride’s and groom’s hair is washed separately, and later the two are washed together. After their hair is clean, the couple have their hair braided together, literally connecting them through the braids. Even if the groom’s hair is short, the braiding will still be performed, although with difficulty, Sohveymah said.

“The washing and braiding of hair represents the anointing and sealing for all time and eternity,” he said.

The mothers of the bride and groom always perform the washing and braiding, he said.

Despite cultural differences, the love between the man and woman getting married is a common link between all marriages, Sohveymah said.

“The rites are always conducted with the sacredness of the bonding in mind,” he said.