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African
Themed Wedding Ceremony
April 22, 2004
When a bride in the United States desires an “African-style wedding,” she
is usually referring to Yoruba traditions. The Yoruba style wedding
is a very spiritual service which reflects the depth of the African
family by the sharing of gifts and love.
The ceremony process
may begin about a month before the wedding with spiritual readings.
Elements of the actual ceremony may include a Libation
(a prayer with an offering, usually water or liquor offered by an
elder). This ritual calls upon and asks God’s blessing and the blessings
of ancestral spirits. The groom verbally seeks permission from the
bride’s mother to marry her daughter.
Gifts are presented
to the bride’s family symbolizing the ability
of the groom to take care of this woman. They are accepted by the bride’s
father. Other elements of the ceremony may include a tasting and
explanation of spices, prayers, exchange of rings. A great celebration
follows.
African Wedding
Attire
African woven cloth reflects personal, societal, religious and
political culture. Kente cloth is the primary woven fabric originally
produced
by the Ashanti peoples. The traditional red, gold and green in
the design are liberation colors recognized by people of African
descent
the world over. RED for the blood shed by millions in captivity,
GOLD for the mineral wealth symbolizing prosperity, and GREEN
representing the land or homeland, Africa.
Boxes arranged
in an “X” mean all ideas coming together
at one point symbolizing leadership, consensus and the voice
of the people. The stepped border motif symbolizes defense against
the countless
assaults and obstacles encountered in the course of an African
lifetime. This can be found on African American theme invitations
and accessories,
even if you feel you want to have a more American wedding.
Traditional native
dress for the women would be a headpiece (a gele’),
a loose fitting or grand bou-bou or the wrap skirt (iro), shawl (iborum),
and a short loose blouse (buba) made out of the same fabric. The groom
wears a pair of slacks (sokoto), shirt (bubba), a long flowing jacket
(agbada) and a rounded box-like hat (fila).
African American couples who chose a more American flare
may choose the traditional white bridal gown for the bride
and
the groom a
tuxedo. Both may be trimmed in Kente cloth. The traditional
color of African
royalty is purple, accented with gold. These may be used
as accent colors worn by the bridal party.
Jumping the Broom
This custom is a very Western one. It began because African
American slaves were forbidden the ritual of marriage.
The broom itself
held a spiritual significance for many people of African
descent because
the new bride had usually helped other women in her new
family sweep the courtyard clean. This symbolized her willingness
to help out
with her future family. During slavery, the couple would
actually jump over
a broom to begin the marriage. Today, this is becoming
a
traditional part of Afro-centric wedding ceremony as a
way of honoring
the trials of the couple’s ancestors. In nearly all African tribes, the
wedding is rich with symbolism representing the bringing together of
two families. Anything that would center on this blending of families
(such as the bride’s family and the groom’s
family forming lines and then exchanging places) would
be in keeping with this tradition.
Have fun planning your African style wedding. You are not
only creating a vibrant and visually appealing event; you
are honoring your people
who came before you.
Article Written
By
Rosetta Bartlett-George
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