There are three (3) main tribes in Nigeria; Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa.
They all have their different cultures and traditions, from feeding, dancing, dressing, marriages, beliefs etc.
Today I'll be talking about the Yoruba marriages.
Old tradition they say, die hard.
In Yoruba land, marriages are very cheap, infact sometimes free. They have this phrase they use 'our child is not for sale'. Unlike the Igbos who charge a very huge amount when giving their daughters hand out in marriage.
The man (groom to be) is expected to come first with one or two of his friends to meet with parents of the girl (bride to be), so the parents get to ask various questions from the man and his friends, these questions will include but not limited to
What are your names?
Where are you from?
What do you do for a living?
What are your educational background?
Are you looking forward to improving on your level of education?
What are your plans for yourself and your family? etc
these they say will make the family or parents of the girl to know the type of man their daughter wants to marry and also the types of friends he keeps (show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are). Then they will agree a day they will like to meet the parents/family of the man.
Then both parents meets, they get to know each other better, then different questions arises, then they discuss the date for the final and officials introduction, this will bring families (including extended families), family friends, friends, and well wishers of both the groom and the bride together.
They have list (called eru iyawo) they give the family of the man (they don't give the man, instead they give the parents because they believe marriages is between family not just the man and the woman). The eru iyawo are brought on the day of traditional/introduction wedding and there are some fees that will follow, everything will be written in the list but the brides parents will advise strongly that they should only get what they can afford, it's not compulsory they get everything on the list because their daughter is not for sale.
A typical example of what the list (eru iyawo) is expected to contain
http://www.weddingfeferity.com/yoruba-wedding-engagement-list/
These gifts are packed and decorated in boxes and baskets and are presented to the brides family on the day of the wedding. The money are collected at different points but the gifts are presented at just one point.
Some families will collect the bride price and return it to the grooms family, saying 'our daughter is not for sale'.
After all the eating, drinking, dancing, laughing, etc the man is expected to go home with his wife and start a family.
Some still go ahead and do church/mosque wedding, but it's not compulsory. The most important is the traditional/introduction ceremony.
Thanks for your time.
I hope I'm now free from cheetah and the steamcleaners.