African Wedding Tradition & Attire

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How do you adapt African traditions and attire for your wedding?

African Wedding Tradition & Attire

Africa is a beautiful continent that is comprised of multiple religions and cultures. There are Muslims, Christians, Hindu, Baha'i and more. There are many African wedding traditions and choosing African wedding attire for your ceremony can add color, culture and more to your ceremony.

Among the African wedding traditions you might choose from include Ankole, Pygmie and Nile traditions. The colorful garb of African wedding attire is a beauty in its own right, so don't feel like you have to use these traditions in order to wear it. Your Christian, African American family hosting a wedding in a Catholic chapel can still wear African wedding attire for the bridal party, the guests or all of the above if they choose to. That being said, here is a little about each of these African based wedding traditions:

  • Ankole – Known as a lake kingdom, Ankole's King owned the cattle and in theory, the women as well. Fathers of daughters wanted to bring them to the King's attention because he gave such great wedding gifts. It should be noted that slimness is not prized in Ankole wedding tradition, whereas round and heavy is.
  • Pygmie – In this tradition, the groom brings a gift of game or arrows to his in-laws and then takes his bride back to his family. He is only required to provide for his new wife's family a girl willing to marry the brother or male cousins of the wife.
  • Nile – Along the Nile if a man wished his sons to be married well, he would need a large herd of animals. To marry, a groom must present livestock to the many members of the bride to be's family. As a part of the invitation, the groom would travel among his own family, gathering up gifts of more herd animals in order to present the bride's family with the best he can while still maintaining enough to support his bride.
While you may not be interested in incorporating these African wedding traditions into your wedding ceremony, you can reference them – call them to mind with your choices in African wedding attire.

   

Comments

12/11/2008 4:35:37 AM
ANA said:

hey.. what can you recommend for me and my friends an alternative attire for these weddings but as much as possible a similar one. because we're going to have a skit about these weddings. thanks!!




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