Junior Rasmussen
Nigerian weddings are a vibrant, lively affair, bursting with colour, music, food and dancing. With over 250 tribes in Nigeria, each wedding is unique, but there are some common customs. Nigerian weddings are a community affair, with hundreds of guests, and no guest list. Expect lots of food, including jollof rice, chin chin, and puff puff, and don't forget to bring some cash to spray the couple with money on the dance floor!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of weddings | Two weddings are common: a cultural ceremony and a religious ceremony. |
| Number of guests | Hundreds of guests are expected, including extended family, distant relatives, neighbours, and well-wishers. |
| Guest list | There is no guest list. The entire community is welcome. |
| Food | Jollof rice, meat skewers, fufu, chin chin, spring rolls, puff puff, suya, fried rice, fried plantain, beef stew, moin moin, chicken and noodles, pounded yam and egusi soup. |
| Drinks | Palm wine, beer, wine, spirits, and Guinness. Alcohol is not served at Muslim weddings. |
| Gifts | Gifts are not expected. Guests may bring a small amount of cash to spray the couple with money. |
| Dress code | Elaborate attire. The couple may wear traditional Nigerian dress, or Western-style wedding clothes. |
| Dowry | The groom's family provides the bride's family with a list of dowry requirements, which can include anything from fruit, candy, and clothes to a new car. |
| Proposal | The groom writes a letter of intent to the bride's parents. |
| Ceremony | The ceremony is officiated by an Alaga, who heckles the groom and his friends for entertainment. |
| Music and dance | Music and dance feature heavily, with popular wedding songs including Azonto, Chop My Money, Kukere and Skelewu. |
What You'll Learn
Two ceremonies: a cultural wedding and a religious ceremony
Nigerian weddings are colourful, lively, and entertaining affairs. Most Nigerian-American couples have two wedding ceremonies: a cultural wedding and a religious ceremony. The first ceremony is cultural and contains most of the traditional Nigerian elements, while the second is typically a religious ceremony. Each ceremony is presided over by a separate officiant.
The cultural wedding is where the couple gets married according to their culture, lineage, and traditions. The parents and families have more say and input on this day. The traditional wedding has no legal backing, so the couple is not considered legally married until the religious ceremony.
The cultural wedding is often held a week before the religious ceremony. It is common for invited guests to bring along uninvited guests, so there may be up to 1000 attendees! The ceremony usually takes about an hour, but can last much longer, and the reception will last late into the night with plenty of dancing and often multiple outfit changes.
The religious ceremony, or "white wedding", is often held after the cultural wedding. It is a more Western-style affair, where the couple is legally married by a pastor. During the evening, the couple will change into Nigerian attire.
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Elaborate attire, including Gele headpieces
Nigerian weddings are known for their lavish and elaborate attire. The entire wedding party often coordinates their outfits, making it easy to identify which side of the family guests belong to. Guests are welcome to wear traditional attire or anything occasion-appropriate.
The aso-ebi is a traditional uniform dress worn throughout Nigeria and other African cultures as a display of solidarity and cooperation during important ceremonies and festivities. The name comes from two Yoruba words: "aso", meaning "cloth", and "ebi", meaning "family". The custom of wearing one has grown to include friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and other guests. Through this style of uniform dressing, guests also establish their sense of belonging and place in society.
The aso-ebi is chosen by the couple, who decide on a uniform colour scheme for each side of the family to follow. The bride will select the fabrics for her aso oke (or wedding dress) and aso-ebi and inform selected guests months ahead of the wedding, allowing them to prepare their outfits. Guests will then purchase the material and bring it to a tailor to have their ideal design created. There may be up to five different aso-ebi at a wedding, identifying different groups within the wedding celebration. For example, the bride's family may wear white and gold, while her bridal party wears blue and gold, and the groom's family wears green and gold.
Women often wear a gele, an ornate head wrap that complements their dress and can be fashioned into elaborate styles. Men wear an agbada, an oversized kaftan made from asa-oke fabric, with the colour always complementing the bride's fabric.
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Kola nut ceremony
Nigerian weddings are a melting pot of different cultural and religious traditions, with over 371 tribes in the country. The three main tribes are Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba, each with their own unique wedding traditions. Many couples have two weddings: a cultural ceremony followed by a more Western-style celebration.
The kola nut ceremony is a traditional aspect of a Nigerian wedding and is common across many tribes. The bitter fruit of the kola tree is seen as a sign of blessings and prosperity. When exchanged as a gift, the kola nut symbolises respect and gratitude. Couples exchange and chew the nuts together to demonstrate their love and trust for each other. The nuts are broken in front of guests to mark the start of the wedding and the joining of the two families. The more pieces the nut breaks into, the more prosperity the hosts and guests will receive. Couples may keep the remaining nuts as a memento of their wedding day.
The kola nut ceremony is also a way for elders to welcome guests to any traditional event. At weddings, the ceremony is often the first of many rituals and smaller ceremonies that take place throughout the day.
At an Igbo wedding, the kola nut ceremony is part of the "knocking" stage, where the groom goes with his father and other male relatives to the bride's family home to announce his intentions to marry. The men bring gifts such as kola nuts and "hot drinks" (alcoholic beverages).
For a Yoruba wedding, the kola nut ceremony is likely to be followed by the groom and groomsmen prostrating before the bride's family as a sign of respect. The bride's family asks the groom a few questions before he is seated, and the bride enters with her bridesmaids.
A Hausa wedding begins with the payment of the bride price, followed by the actual wedding day or Fatihah, where representatives from both families exchange vows before a religious priest.
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Money spraying
"Money spraying" is a fun and important tradition at Nigerian weddings. It is a way for guests to shower the newlyweds with blessings and good wishes, as well as providing them with money to start their married life together. The bride and groom will dance together for as long as possible, with guests spraying them with cash—usually dollar bills—and sticking notes to their foreheads. The longer the couple dances, the more money they receive. It is the job of the bridesmaids to collect the money strewn on the floor and place it into bags.
In Poland, male guests dance with the bride, and female guests with the groom, while money is pinned to the bride's gown. In Ukraine, the bride's veil is replaced with an apron to collect the money sprayed during the dance.
If you are attending a Nigerian wedding, it is advisable to bring some cash, preferably in small denominations, to participate in the money-spraying tradition. This is a wonderful way to show your support and well-wishes to the happy couple as they begin their new life together.
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Large guest lists
Nigerian weddings are known for their grandeur and large guest lists. With over 250 ethnic tribes in Nigeria, weddings are a community affair, with extended family, distant relatives, neighbours, and well-wishers all in attendance.
The guest list for a Nigerian wedding can easily reach 250 people or more, with some weddings hosting up to 1000 guests. The large guest lists are a reflection of the couple's desire to share their special day with as many people as possible, and it is not uncommon for invited guests to bring along uninvited guests as well!
The number of guests can vary depending on the couple's budget and the size of the venue. It is important to plan the guest list in advance to ensure that there is enough food, drinks, and space for everyone. Nigerian weddings are known for their abundant food and lively entertainment, so a large number of guests only adds to the festive atmosphere.
The guest list is typically divided between the couple, the bride's family, and the groom's family. It is customary for the bride and groom to coordinate their outfits with their respective wedding parties, making it easy to identify which side of the family the guests belong to.
Nigerian weddings are a vibrant and joyous celebration, and the large guest lists only add to the excitement and energy of the event. With music, dancing, and colourful attire, Nigerian weddings are a memorable cultural experience.
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Frequently asked questions
Guests are expected to wear evening wear, but the couple may share the colours and fabric they would like guests to wear. This is called Aso-ebi, which translates to "family clothes". It is a uniform dress code that is worn throughout Nigeria and other African cultures as a display of solidarity and cooperation during important ceremonies and festivities.
Nigerian weddings are bursting with food, music, colour and dancing. There are usually two weddings: a cultural ceremony, followed by a more Western-style celebration. There is also a tradition of "spraying", where guests spray the couple with cash on the dance floor. This is a way of showering them with blessings and providing money to start their married life.
There will be plenty of food at a Nigerian wedding. Expect appetizers like fried pastry snacks, spring rolls, deep-fried dough and spicy meat skewers. The main course is often served buffet-style and includes jollof rice, fried rice, fried plantain, beef stew, steamed savoury pudding, chicken and noodles.
