There are over three hundred tribes in Nigeria, and each of them has their own traditions when it comes to weddings. However, the most well-known tribes are the Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa, and as with many cultures a wedding begins with the Introduction Ceremony where both families meet and exchange gifts. This is also when the groom is presented with the bride price – the dowry which the bride’s family requires before a wedding can go ahead. In the Igbo tribe the list can be expensive, including clothes, white goods, and even a new car. If the bride has been to university and has a degree the bride price will be even more expensive as she is deemed to hold more “value”.
Nigerian men are not supposed to get married before their older siblings do, and the Igbo are strict about this. You either wait until it is your “turn” or get married without the family’s blessing.
Nigerian couples often have two weddings, one cultural, and one following days – or even weeks – later with a more religious ceremony similar to Western weddings. Obviously, this requires the services of Nigerian wedding decorators in London twice over. Some brides choose to wear white for the religious ceremony, but more and more are returning to their cultural roots and wearing bright clothes in tribal colours or the colours of the groom. Makeup and accessories are equally bright. Even those brides who choose white often change into this high coloured dress for the reception afterwards.
When it comes to the guest list, there isn’t one. Everyone is invited, and Nigerian wedding decorators in London know this and cater accordingly. It is just a matter of preparing for the largest number of guests and arranging for seating to allow for them. If you happen to be a friend of the groom at a Yoruba wedding you will be required to prostate yourself on the ground before the bride’s parents to show respect.
Another tradition is to throw money to the bride, often as she steps on to the dance floor. The bridesmaids then have the unenviable task of picking it all up so that there is none left for the Nigerian wedding decorators in London when they clear up after the reception!
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