African Wedding Traditions

Africa is a large continent made up of many diverse countries. Each country has its very own unique customs and traditions.

The following are some of the more popular African wedding traditions from various cultures within Africa:

Morocco
Moroccan weddings are very impressive, as well as expensive. The engagement period can last anywhere from six months to two years, during which time the prospective groom sends the bride-to-be gifts of perfume, cloth, or gowns on feast days. The jewelry she receives is made from gold and a dowry is paid before the notary to buy the bride's trousseau and new furniture.

The Woyo People of Zaire
When a young woman marries her mother gives her a set of carved pot lids. Each lid contains a carved illustration representing a proverb about relations between a husband and wife.

If a husband mistreats his wife or she is unhappy, she will serve his supper in a bowl covered with a lid decorated with the appropriate proverb. If she chooses to make her unhappiness or complaint public, she will serve the bowl and lid to her husband when he invites friends home for supper.

Ankole
Ankole use to be ruled by a King who owned all the cattle, and theoretically all of the women as well. Thin girls were considered to be unfit for marriage to the King or kings sons, so if the king found a girl to be of interest to his sons, the girl would be force fed with milk until very heavy, barely unable to walk.

Nile
Fathers, who wished to see their sons marry well, must have plenty of sheep, goats, and donkeys to offer for the father of the bride will insist that each of her close relatives will be given livestock during the marriage negotiations.

In the weeks and days leading up to the marriage, the groom will visit relatives getting contributions for his bridal herd. He will also visit the brides homestead dressed in a leopard skin draped over a cowhide cape.

Yoruba
Many African-American weddings follow the traditions of the Yoruba. This is a very spiritual service. The ceremony may begin up to a month before the wedding and includes the groom asking the brides mother for permission to marry her daughter, as well as asking for God’s blessing and those of the ancestral spirits.

Traditional Native Attire
The brides wear a headpiece, wrap skirt, shawl, and a short loose blouse made from the same fabric. The groom commonly wears slacks, shirt, and a large pullover jacket and rounded box-like hat. The traditional color of African royalty is purple accented with gold.