A Traditional Wedding Ceremony - My Hometown (Kwara State)

I'm Mistural Adeleye, also known as @keishaa on the chain, and I'm from Kwara state in Nigeria's western region.
A traditional wedding in my hometown (Kwara) is something everyone should see, and if you're lucky enough to be invited to one and it's well arranged, you'll want to stay until the end.

Traditional weddings in Kwara are always vibrant and top-notch in practically every manner; you can't help but fall in love with the occasion due of the meticulous planning and execution.

Kwara traditional weddings are such an occasion, where practically all of the enjoyment may be crammed into and handed over to you to enjoy.

I will like to take you on a short trip on how a Kwara traditional wedding setting is and how the wedding is done, be my guest

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DRESS CODE

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Let's kick off with the dress code or mode of dressing, there is something called "aso ebi", if directly translated to English, it means "family cloth". The couples family might decide to wear sams or different matching outfit to graze the occasions, the couples colleagues might go for the general aso ebi or they come up with something stunning to make them look good on that day.

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So bride and groom are to wear the same aso-oke attire. The bride's style will be iro and buba (a top and wrapper), while the groom's will be trouser and a top complemented with agbada and made complete with a hat (fila), all with one beautiful design.

With different clothes around the wedding ground or venue, you would see the color of the scenario looks beautiful and stunning.

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DOWRY

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Like in other traditions, dowries are very essential in their norms an culture, so also is it in Yoruba tradition. There is a a general dowry that applies to all Yoruba people, the list of required things by the bride family are:

• 42 tubers of yam

• A bag of rice

• 25 litres of palm oil and vegetable oil

• Bitter kola

• Alligator pepper

• A box of Hollandis wrapper

Most families do add more to the list or they customize and give I to their inlaws as what is required, and they are to bring it on the day if the wedding. Most families do return the dowries to the husband's family with them saying, their daughter is not for sell.

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When the dowry is been paid, Yorubas have a greeting custom known as Ìdobálè whereby males prostrate, placing their full bodies on the ground as a sign of respect. The groom and his groomsmen must prostrate before the bride's family and the chest must touch the ground completely for the greeting to be complete, and after everything they'll be asked to stand up and they'll dance to their various seats.

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PRAYERS

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This is also a vital role in the traditional wedding, parents of the couple would say the couple would say them prayers, commiting their marriage in the hands of the Lord and pray that thet marriage should be a fruitful one.

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It is always at this moment, the mothers of the couple do get emotional, especially the mother if the bride. Tears of joy flow through their eyes, seeing their children grow and starting a family of their own.

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FOOD

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The food at traditional weddings are always something you would want to eat more when you are been served.

Pounded yam with egusi soup, amala and ewedu or gbegiri, semolina and whole lot of other varieties are served to the guest.

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Sometimes, the reception of the wedding is set to be a buffet, where guest can serve themselves to the fullest and feel free while doing so.

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MUSIC

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Normally, Tunbga and Fuji music performed by live bands are the music for the occasions but now, it is in a whole new dimension. Afro pop music is also been played or performed too.

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A yoruba traditional wedding is always lit, OWAN BÉ to the world