So I ended up at a village wedding outside Cairo. A really simple one. And it's VERY strange stuff.

No toasts, speeches, contests, or any of that dancing. The guys were partying separately from the girls. Literally in different places. Really curious what was going on at the women's celebration :)

There was no set table. Women walked around selling sunflower seeds and peanuts. They'd just dump a handful on the tablecloth and wait a minute to see if anyone would pay. If no one paid, they'd take it back. After a while, they'd repeat the whole ritual. For extra money, you could buy hot food.

The music was pretty unusual. You should hear it yourself. And it blasted like that all night long. You get tired super fast.

For some reason, the party was on a Monday night going into Tuesday. Things got going around 11 PM. They told me it usually goes until 4-5 AM. I bailed way earlier.

What surprised me was the beer. Actual alcohol. The bottles were sitting out in the open, but they were pouring it under the table like it was some kind of secret. And people drank it from tea glasses. I didn't see any other alcohol.

But there were crazy amounts of hookahs. I've never seen that many in one place. People weren't just smoking tobacco. A lot of guys had hand-rolled cigarettes with weed in them.

I was asked not to photograph people in close-ups, unless they specifically asked me to. At first, not many people wanted that, but later on folks loosened up a bit, though they were still a little shy.

Off to the side, there's this guy sitting with a book. People record how much money each person gave to the newlyweds. When that person or their kids get married later, they have to give back at least that same amount. Kind of like wedding accounting.

Not all weddings look like this. Wealthier guys rent out restaurants, set up proper tables, hire better entertainers. And traditions vary a lot depending on the region anyway.