Nigerian weddings are full of color, vibrant, and are flashy. The color and flair of traditional ceremonies give brides and grooms a way to express a vibrant cultural heritage. Lavishly planned, this event is accompanied by beautiful attires, mouthwatering dishes, blaring music and sophisticated accessories. The couple’s families get the chance to unite and interact with each other. These ceremonies though expensive are becoming a growing trend. Asides the bride price, planning and executing this ceremony can be time-consuming, expensive but fun!
Biggest Party in the World!!! Nigeria has always been a culture of celebration, and famously so. In the case of weddings, this has meant huge, extravagant parties lasting till the wee hours, with open invitations and over-the-top decor. Modern young couples often opt for both a more traditional wedding on top of a separate religious ceremony – and when the bride and groom come from two different tribes, even more layers of rejoicing (and complications) are added.
There are thirty-six different states in Nigeria, each with its own set of
tribes, individual family customs, community and ideologies.
‘Igba Nkwu’ meaning Wine carrying is the official traditional
wedding ceremony practised by the Igbos. The Bride carries freshly tapped
palm wine in a ceremony called ‘Igba Nkwu’ as she weaves through the crowd
in search of her groom amidst feign distraction from the crowd of men. On
getting to her groom she kneels and gives him the wine, the groom drinks
up the content signifying acceptance.
The Igbo women wear different styled embodied tops over two George
wrappers (Akwele), a headgear (gele) and coral beads for the traditional
wedding ceremony. Others use the ‘George fabric’ to make a long dress and
style their heads with coral beads. The isi-agu top paired with the George
wrapper, a cap, and a walking stick is worn by the men.
Traditional weddings by the Yorubas begin with the arrival of the groom’s family. The grooms family must come early or pay a fine. The groom dances in with his friends and proceeds to prostrate twice with his friends.An elaborate proposal ‘letter’ is presented by the grooms family and read by the youngest member of the brides family. An acceptance letter is given by the brides family. The ‘veiled’ bride dances into the hall with her friends (Asoebi Ladies). She kneels before her parents then the groom’s parents for prayers. She proceeds to put the groom’s hat (Fila) on his head demonstrating her acceptance of his proposal.
Hausa wedding is simple yet elegant. The groom is expected to pay bride price. A generous amount of perfumes and scented flowers are rubbed on the bride. Traditional body art (Lalei or Henna) with unique and attracting designs are applied on the bride’s arms and feet. Hausa brides wear stylish dresses or skirts and blouse made from beautifully coloured African prints. With the head properly wrapped with turbans or gele, the makeup is mostly subtle and attention is paid to the jewellery. The men wear heavily and richly embroidered caps and agbada, unlike the Yorubas.
Guest lists can number in the hundreds, open to close relatives and loose acquaintances. With such a big audience, a bride aims to impart regality, vibrancy and thoughtfulness in each of her bridal looks.Many brides spare no expense in making what the Yoruba people call their aso oke or top clothes, made of a matching buba blouse and iro, a swath of fabric wrapped around the waist. A heavy sash of complementary fabric, called an iborun, is draped on one shoulder. The bride’s ensemble is matched to her husband’s tunic and pants set, along with his agbada draping and fila hat.
But perhaps the most important part of any Nigerian bride’s look is her gele, a scarf or fabric folded into an ornate shape atop a woman’s head. The gele is standard in African women’s wear, although called by different names throughout the continent. A bride’s look is incomplete without it. Tying gele requires artistry, nimble fingers and a touch of originality; no two geles are tied the same. “Geles are art — it is your crowning glory", It’s as important as your hair. Your gele is the focal point.”
Aso ebi is a Yoruba word meaning "family cloth" - is the Nigerian tradition of wearing a shared family print to social events, especially weddings to designate your relationship to the celebrants or solidarity with a larger group. Although the fabric is the same, women are normally given the freedom to design the dress style with matching gele.
After the vows, when newlyweds step onto the dance floor for the first time, tradition calls for guests to throw cash at the bride. This is a longstanding, wide-spread Nigerian wedding custom and continues to be very popular with bridal couples. Although it's not mandatory for guests to take part in the "spraying" of bills, it does add to the fun. The bridesmaids retrieve the cash for safekeeping, and the entire assembly then takes to the dance floor. Nigerian wedding dances are lively, sometimes involving playful competitions amongst attending families. To get the hang of such dances as the zanku, shaku-shaku and gwara-gwara etc, you can check out the moves 👉🏽 here.
coded by Zainab Oyeniran