Our white wedding traditions were
introduced by the oyinbos: from the white dress to the veil and the
cake and the wedding train and many others.
However, here are five major traditions that just can't happen in a Nigerian setting:
1. The Bachelorette party with male dancers
The
bachelorette party usually involves you, your friends and your fiance's
female relations and perhaps his mother going out to party. The ladies
will even organise entertainment for you or stake you to a stripe club.
In
Nigeria, your mother-in-law will most likely not be there and she will
definitely not want to see you do any nonsense like that in her
presence. Nigeria doesn't even have male strip clubs like you think, so
o.y.o. (on your own) will be your case. You will just take a quiet
bridal party, sleep and then go and marry.
2. Use a man as your chief bridesmaid.
It's
possible for those abroad to choose a male person (brother, best
friend, etc) to act as their chief bridesmaid. He will still wear a suit
but he will also carry out all duties of holding her train and taking
care of her in general.
In Nigeria,
women have only recently manged to wear suit and act as a groomsman but
you won't catch a man doing what he believes to be 'a woman's job'. Even
if your family accepts it, people will make a mockery of the wedding
and be sure to nitpick at your decision.
3. Preserve the wedding cake for years.
Sometimes,
the wedding cake is preserved in a refrigerator for years after the
wedding, When alcohol is used in the cake, it will be edible for a long
period and can be kept for the couple's first child to eat it.
In
Nigeria, Nepa can't support your marriage to that extent. The light
will come and go, your generator can only do so much and you will be
luckily if the cake even lasts a month in these situations.
4. Throwing the wedding cake on the bride.
Old white wedding traditions had people throw the wedding cake at the bride for fertility and other good things.
In
Nigeria, after you have paid thousands for make-up, thousands for the
dress and thousands for the cake, you can never try such a thing.
5. The 'blackening' of the bride and/or groom.
The bride is kidnapped by her
friends and taken to a remote area to have dirty things such as rotten
food, tar and others thrown on her. It is to prepare her for anything in
marriage.
The last thing a Nigerian
bride wants before her wedding is to have filthy things thrown on her.
It will ruin her mood, make-up and she will end up with an attitude. So
even her friends would not dare do such to her.
The groom may have a laugh but the bride will not be so happy.
6. Throwing rice on the couple after they are married.
The
oyinbo will throw rice as a sign of good luck and just to celebrate
your union. In Nigeria, where the recession is dealing with us, no one
will waste it on you. It will be used in the food for jollof rice and
served at the reception but never will it be wasted on your body- NEVER.
Perhaps I would emulate one of them during my own wedding.... Lol
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