At Nubian Bride we pride ourselves in celebrating the very best of African culture. We are African and proud. We are even happier that more and more couples are choosing to get married according to their traditional customs with all its beautiful colour, music and flavours.  Here are some of the wedding rituals we at Nubian Bride found to be the most interesting and unique from each culture.

Sotho “I do’s’: The traditional Sotho courtship is not a whirlwind romance. Traditionally a proposal could take place in two places, by the well when the girls come to fetch water with the herd boys on the other side with their cattle. Also, a good meeting spot was at family gatherings, feasts or celebrations with communal fires, dancing, singing and eating would attract people as far as neighbouring villages on the hunt for potential suitors.

Picture: welovepictures

Jewish ‘I do’s’: In Jewish culture the men should always wear yarmulke or kippah, usually it is worn when people pray or when they study the Torah. But at weddings its worn to symbolize purity of the man and his desire to stay pure in his marriage.

Picture: Supplied

Zulu ‘I do’s’: In Zulu traditional culture the courtship began when men followed girls fetching water from the river, got their attention and then made conversation with the girl they liked. Even if the girl felt strongly about her suitor, she played hard to get so she didn’t seem desperate. Sometimes it would take months or even years for a girl to decide whether to give in to the advances or not. If she liked the man, she still had to obtain the approval of the older girls called amaqhikiza, who were already in stable relationships and were preparing for marriage, for her to date the man.

Picture: Designer Photo

Hindu ‘I do’: Once a prospective match had been found, an astrological chart for both the prospective bride and groom would be drawn up based on the movements of planets and the stars at their birth. Only if an astrological match had been made would there be further talks to negotiate a marriage. The couple would then be given anything from a few minutes to an hour to get to know each other.

Picture: Xsigtn Photography

Nigerian ‘I do’s’: There are about 300 tribes in Nigeria, with three prominent ones being the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa. These are also divided into different ethnic groups. Each tribe has its own customs when it comes to courtships, marriage proposals and weddings. But generally, like in many cultures, marriage in Nigeria is a rite of passage.

We can’t wait to explore even more African cultures. Did you have a traditional wedding? Which culture do you think has the most beautiful wedding rituals?