Thank you for inviting me to take part in this challenge. Talking about weddings is not my area of speciality as I am not married. I haven't gone through the wedding process. So for this post I had to consult my mom.
I am from the Bini tribe located in Benin, the capital of Edo state which is in the southern part of Nigeria. Some of our cultures are similar to that of the Yoruba tribe which is believed to have the same ancestry.
[Source] (https://steemit.com/nigeria/@gandhibaba/a-short-note-on-the-bini-people-of-nigeria-7e13594697309)
BINI WEDDINGS
The wedding basically begins with the introduction of the groom and his family to the bride's family. The groom and his family visits the bride's family and makes a formal introduction. The bride is asked if she is familiar with the groom and consents to the marriage.
The groom then states his purpose for the visit and if the bride's family is satisfied with the groom, they are given a list of items to buy to fill the traditional rights.
Some items on the list which is common among every family include;
cloths for the mother and father of the bride, 2 bags of salt, 3 bags of rice, 50 litres of palm oil, 21 tubers of yam, 14 coconuts, 1 basket of onions, the bride price which is usually N30,000 or N50,000 depending on the bride's family etc.
Both families then proceed to know each other better and fix a date for the traditional marriage. The auspicious event is followed by eating and drinking and more engagement between both families.
The Traditional Wedding Day.
The marriage ceremony starts at the bride's parents' house. The bride is dressed in a full Bini attire before the groom and his family arrives.
[Source] (https://pin.it/6cuGROe)
The parents of both the bride and groom are expected to be dressed in the same cloth.
When the groom and his family arrive, they are asked to present everything on the list given to them. The bride's family confirms it. They proceed to ask the groom if he'll be able to identify his bride when he sees her.
The bride's family will then ask the groom to bring money to transport the bride to the event. After the transport fare has been collected by the bride's family they proceed to bring another lady. The family will repeat this process for a couple of times before bringing in the actual bride.
The bride's father will hand her over to the groom's father. According to tradition it's the father of the groom that's marrying her for his son. Then the father of the groom will hand her over to his son.
The bride's family will remove N24 out of the initial bride price of N30,000 or N50,000 and return the balance to the groom's family while telling them that their daughter is not being sold out for marriage.
They will add that If she is not treated properly in her husband's house they retain the right to take her back from the husband.
Both families then proceed to bless the union and then party, party, party.
I hope you found this insightful.
Thank you for stopping by ❤️