A Traditional Wedding Procedure

I may not know much about my tribe and how other activities are done but for marriages, I do know to an extent how the traditional aspect is done. That is because I've been to a lot of traditional marriages... I love parties a lot 😉

Talking about my tribe in any way gives me a sense of pride because I get to proclaim my love for my tribe and it also make me learn more about where I'm from.

I'm a native of Urhobo from delta state in Nigeria. The Urhobo are known for unique activities including their marriage. I'll be using some pictures I took at a traditional marriage I attended some days back to explain what Iknow about how traditional marriages are done in my tribe.

The Preparations

This is the most tiring but exciting part of the marriage, where most people prepare their traditional wears especially the couple getting married. This is also the time the marriage ceremony venue is decorated especially where the couple will be seated during the ceremony.

I've seen different amazing designs in different traditional marriages and I'm must say this design was so cool that I couldn't stop taking pictures of it even though it was from a far angle.

In the past, it wasn't very important to decorate such beautiful place for the couple but nowadays, it's a must aspect for marriage to be complete.

Most at times, the colour of the couple wears is the design colour of the couple castle.

While all the preparations are going on, we see all the invitees getting seated and waiting for the ceremony to kick off. I was one of them and I sat at a place where I could see most of what was going to happen at the ceremony.

At this time, the bride was being taken care of by making her up and help her wear her traditional attire. The groom was already seated at the venue waiting to see his bride... It's tradition that he only gets to see her when she's dressed and escorted to the venue by some women.

The Marriage Registration

For some couple plan, they pay the bride price in the presence of few persons and that was what happened with this couple. So they only had to get their marriage certificate. This was where the bride first came out.

She was escorted by women who sang happy songs as they walk majestically with the bride. The bride wore a different traditional attire just for the certificate signing.

The groom was asked to sign and the bride signed also to certify their marriage together.

The organizer of that agenda raised the certificate and prayed over it to announce that their marriage has been certified.

The bride went inside her father's house to change her wears for the traditional marriage proper.

The Second Escort

The bride comes out the last time with another wear (her main traditional wear for the marriage) and the women escorts her to meet her groom who has been waiting with their attire.

They would join hands together to meet the father of the bride for his blessings.

The Blessing Of The Bride's Father (The drink)

This is the part where the couple goes to meet the Bride's Father for his blessing by giving the couple drink and praying for the drink.

Another person pours the wine and gives it to the Bride's Father.

The Bride's Father prays for the wine and drinks it then ask for another serving to give to the couple.

The couple take turns to drink the wine given to them, the groom drinks first then gives it to the bride to drink some too and the left over is given to the man to finish it up.

The Dance! The Food! The Jubilation!

This is the highlight of the traditional marriage where the couple are joined finally and they dance happily to their castle prepared for them.

The chosen asoebi women would dance with them and escort them to their seat then continue to dance as people eat their traditional food while those who have gifts goes to meet the couple at their castle to bestow their gifts to them.

And that is how the traditional marriage ends. The couple may proceed to having a reception marriage if they wish to after this but with just the ceremony, a couple is said to be married.