About African Weddings!

Weddings take place every day around the world, celebrating the union of two people. But from country to country and couple to couple, each wedding ceremony is always uniquely special thanks to cultural traditions, rituals, and personal preferences. The vision of a bride walking down the aisle in a white dress is just one of many bridal traditions, and our Enzoani Africa office is sharing a few interesting looks into various types of African weddings with the help of Africa Facts:

• There are three types of weddings in Nigeria: religious weddings, civil weddings and traditional weddings. Nigerian couples often participate in one to all three of these.
• Weddings in Senegal are mostly traditional, with pre-arranged marriages being the norm.
• Ethiopian weddings take place over two days. The first day is the Western wedding and the second day the Traditional wedding where the bride will braid her hair, have African symbols Henna tattooed on her hands, and wear traditional attire.

Photo (above) by: Stephen Sanderson Photography

• Tunisian weddings are a seven-day feast that will showcase the wealth, charm and beauty of the bride and groom.
• Ethiopian brides are paid a housekeeper’s salary and are not eligible to receive inheritance, however, children from the marriage are legally recognised and are able to inherit.
• The Ghanaian weddings includes a “knocking” ceremony where the groom, with the father and elder family members, knocks around the bride’s house to announce their relationship intentions.

Photo (above) from: Africa Facts

• In South Africa, traditionally a groom has to pay "lobola,” or a dowry, to the father of the bride in order to ask for her hand in marriage. This normally is in the form of cattle.
• In Kenya, as part of the ceremony, the father of the bride or brother will spit on the bride’s head as a blessing.
• In certain parts of Namibia, a bride will be accepted into a family after they first "kidnap" her before the ceremony and dress her in a leather marriage headdress with beautiful jewels. After the ceremony, she will be taken to her father’s house where she will be told about her responsibilities as a wife before being anointed with butterfat from cows.

Photo (above) from: Africa Facts