Weddings are usually hyped in Africa and the hype is not just about the union of two people. Weddings are usually associated with food, drinks and lots of people and that creates a refreshing avenue for people to showcase their traditions and fashion choices.
Modern weddings are usually glitz and glamour, beautiful sceneries, decorations and chandeliers. But no matter the amount of effort put into details, the bride is always the highlight of the day. Her hair, accessories, nails, dress and entrance is usually anticipated with so much excitement
This isn’t new. If you were to flip some pages and take a look back into history, you’ll notice the same trend. Well, I’ll help you with that journey to the past. Check out what an ideal bride from three parts of Africa looks like.
North Africa – Morocco
Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country located in North Africa and they are known for defined wedding rituals. The meeting of the inlaws, the bride price paying and the wedding itself is religiously done.
A typical Moroccan bride is made to look beautiful for her husband. Firstly, she gets a ritual bath called haman to purify herself. After that, her hands and feet are decorated with traditional dye for good luck.
She is then covered up in a long dress and hijab. Her entrance is much anticipated by the groom and guests. She strolls in barefoot taking her time with each step.
West Africa-Igbo, Nigeria
Igbo is one of the dominant tribes in Nigeria and they are found in the Eastern part of the country. An Igbo bride is dressed lavishly in beads on her wedding day. When the in-laws come to ask for her hand in marriage, the bride is dressed in a beautiful two-piece wrapper with beads adorning her hair as she identifies “the one.”
A traditional Igbo wedding has the bride adorned in a long wrapper tied around her chest, beads on her shoulder and a crown of beads on her head. She wears very little makeup and dances around to pick her husband by serving him palm wine on her knees.
South Africa
South Africa is known for bright colours and these colours are fused into the wedding. An ideal South African bride is adorned in colours, literally. Her head tie or scarf is usually a colour mix of red, yellow and blue amongst others.
She is adorned in a Cleopatra neckpiece made of gold or colourful raffia. Her skin is well taken care of so she glows with very little makeup. Her wrapper is also a colourful sight to behold, the kente material it is made from is usually top-notch. She walks with ease and grace as she is led to be joined with her husband.
Though from different parts of Africa, each culture respects hygiene, creativity and attention to details which are integral parts of fashion. What’s your favourite traditional look for a bride, let us know in the comments section below.
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