Igboland- Nigerian Traditional Wedding

The Beautiful Bride Ashley and her Ladies

I wanted to write about my Igbo heritage and culture. I was born in Nigeria , but my family moved to the States when I was  4 years old. It seems like almost everything you hear about Nigeria is bad.  Personally I feel like it is a very unfair reputation that doesn't really reflex  the great people of Nigeria .  I decided to start with a wedding when my friend Teyron showed me the beautiful pictures of his sister Ashley's wedding, at the family compound in Imo State. I wasn't at the wedding but will describe below a Igbo wedding in general. Ashley's white or Church wedding will be in February (isn't that great you get two wedding's). 


The traditional ceremony is called Igbankwu, or wine carrying, because it involves the bride carrying a cup of palm wine to her groom

The Bride with her Parents

 Marriage in Igboland is not just an affair between the future husband and wife but also involves the parents, the extended family and villages. First the groom asks his potential partner to marry him. Assuming that this is affirmative, the groom will visit the bride’s residence accompanied by his father. The groom’s father will introduce himself and his son and explain the purpose of his visit. ( Notice the ceremonial red coral beads  that Ashley is wearing)

The bride’s father welcomes the guests, invites his daughter to come and asks her if she knows the groom. Her confirmation shows that she agrees with the proposal. Then the bride’s price settlement (Ika-Akalika) starts with the groom accompanied by his father and elders visiting the bride’s compound on another evening.

The Bride Ashley and the Groom Favour

They bring wine and kola nuts with them, which are presented to the bride’s father. After they have been served with a meal, the bride’s price is being negotiated between the fathers. In most cases there is only a symbolic price to be paid for the bride but in addition other prerequisites (kola nuts, goats, chicken, wine, etc.) are listed as well. Usually it takes more than one evening before the final bride’s price is settled, offering guests from both sides a glamorous feast.

Teryon (2nd Right) Brides brother

Another evening is spent for the payment of the bride’s price at the bride’s compound when the groom’s family hands over the money and other agreed prerequisites. The money and goods are counted, while relatives and friends are served drinks and food in the bride’s compound. After all is settled, the traditional wedding day is planned. The wedding day is again at the bride’s compound, where the guests welcome the couple and invite them in front of the families. First the bride goes around selling boil eggs to the guests, showing to both families that she has the capability to open a shop and make money. Then, the bride’s father fills a wooden cup (Iko) with palm wine and passes it on to the girl while the groom finds a place between the guests. It is the custom for her to look for her husband while being distracted by the invitees. Only after she has found the groom, she offered the cup to him and he sipped the wine, the couple is married traditionally. During this ceremony, there is also the nuptial dance where the couple dances, while guests wish the newly weds prosperity by throwing money around them or putting bills on their forehead.

Ashley  &  Favour

Dress and Grooming
At traditional marriage wedding ceremonies, many have adopted the Igbo equivalent for ‘Aso Ebi’ referred to as ‘Akwa Nde Mbiriechi’. Before deciding on your ‘Akwa Nde Mbiriechi’, consideration should be giving to the type of fabric that would be most suitable for the occasion and will harmonize with the overall theme of your ‘Igba Nkwu’ (traditional marriage). 


Bride: 
You can either choose the olden attire Igbo maidens adorn at special occasions. You will be beautified in ‘Nzu’ (white clay) painted on your body, while covering your upper body and waist areas with pieces of ‘Akwete’ cloth (African print).You can equally attend your own ceremony dressed in a contemporary ‘Akwete’. This is a traditional wrapper that some refer to as ‘Abada’ which usually is made up of 5 yards of either a Nigerian Wax fabric (Ankara), Holladis (Holland WAX), or the popularly used George (Mirror George) material and a puffed sleeve blouse sewn with 1½ yards of any laced/hand-cut fabric.  You can even choose to wear both options on your special day.


I don't have a video of Ashley's wedding but the  three video's below will give a live glimpse into a Igbo wedding. The first is a slide show with narrative that explains what is happening. The last two are  traditional wedding ceremonies.