Maui Wedding Photographer

Wedding Traditions of Africa’s Northeast Region
Wedding traditions in Africa bear some of the oldest rituals in the world; after all it is the oldestcontinent on the planet. Many of these traditions can be attributed to religion, culture or tribal. Inthe northeast region of Africa, you’ll find such countries as Chad, Egypt, Libya and Sudan, andwithin those countries you will find a spirit of their rituals.
Chad
There are different groups in the country of Chad; the two most known are the Arab Chad andthe Taubou or Daza Chad.
- The Arab Chad lives in a family that is closely knitted together.
- The primary social unit of the Arab Chad is known as Kashimbet.
- The Taubou Chad, are known for being nomadic.
- The wife is the decision maker in the family.
- The Taubou Chad believes in polygamy.
Egypt
- Often girls in Egypt marry at a young age.
- It is believed that the ring finger has the vein of love as it runs straight to the heart and that iswhy the ring goes on that finger.
- The groom’s family often proposes to the bride as many Egyptian weddings are still arraigned.After the agreement is made the Koran’s first chapter is read aloud.
- The Zaffa, which is an Egyptian wedding march, is played prior to the wedding vows. Itincludes music, drums, horns, belly dancers and flaming sword performers.
- An Egyptian wedding must include at least two Muslim witnesses.
Libya
- With Islam being the state religion of Libya, the wedding ceremony is usually Islamic and isquite often officiated by an imam.
- The marriage contract is signed in the bride’s home, but the festivities that follow usually takesplace on a different day.
- Wedding tradition of the past has a Libyan bride’s body completely covered with her faceveiled. However, the guidelines have changed some in recent years allowing a bride to wear awedding gown from the Western culture.
- An Islamic wedding generally has the new bride and groom eating their dinner secluded from
the wedding guests.
- On her way to her new home, often candy and rice are used to shower the bride as she walks.
Sudan
- Prior to the wedding, in exchange for the daughter’s hand in marriage, the groom’s family willgive the bride’s family sheep or cattle. This will help in replacing the labor lost by losing thedaughter’s help in the field. In some cases, it may cost the man as much as 40 cattle.
- For the wedding, the groom takes center stage. He is adorned with a large decoration knownas Umbul-Umbul as he arrives. Then the mother of the bride will welcome him to her family byputting a garland of flowers on him.
- The couple will then bend over forward and kiss their parent’s knees, which is custom calledsungkem. Sungkem is their way to ask for forgiveness, blessings and the promise to serve theirparents even after they are wedded.
- One wedding scenario takes place in front of a gargoyle water fountain. The water flowingsuggests the parent’s love for their children. Then a man and a woman sing kidung, a song onbehalf of their parents. It advises the new couple to live in harmony.
- Another scenario is that the groom and his bride will take their spots sitting side by side in frontof their future homes entrance under an umbrella. They will sit there with their heads covered bya veil. The umbrella serves two purposes. One is for protection as it shields the couple from anysun or rain. The other is symbolic for respect and esteem.
- After the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom are showered by dancers with flowersinsuring them a fragrant future.
- Rice that is thrown at the couple symbolizes prosperity, while the yellow represents everlastinglove.
- Representing a direction that the couple should take bringing them a happily married life, sevencandles are lit.
- In the southern region of Sudan live the Neur people. Their belief is that the marriage is notcomplete until the wife has given birth to two children. In the event she only bears one, he canseek divorce as well as the return of the cattle.
- In the event the husband dies, his family must present the widow with his brother as hernew husband. If they bear children together, the children will be considered as the deceasedhusband’s kids.

Wedding Traditions of Africa’s Northwest Region
Wedding traditions in Africa have some of the oldest customs in the world, as it is the oldestcontinent on earth. Many of the traditions are of religious, cultural or tribal spirited. In thenorthwest region of Africa, where you will find such countries as Algeria, Morocco, Niger andNigeria, you will see the true spirit of those customs in their ceremonies.
Algeria
- Since parents give the parental guidance, they must approve of the spouse before the couplemarries.
- Generally the male will express interest and love of a woman to his mother. She will thenverify suitability of the woman and her family with her own.
- Algerian weddings and receptions are filled with robust colors and with much emotion.
- After the engagement is announced, Shore begins. This the process of the family makingpurchases of items such as: clothes, wool, gold and other household goods.
- The couple will then spend as much time together as possible to really get to know each otherand plan out what their roles will be before the wedding takes place.
- In Algeria, it is believed that the more money that is paid toward the wedding, the prouder theyare. In addition, the bigger the meal is at the reception, the more the generous.
- After the reception, the bride is taken to the groom’ s place wearing an elaborate wedding gown.She is seated in a chair that has been decorated for her. She is all made up in jewelry, make-upand with henna designs on her feet, as well as her hands. The guests will dance as they say good-bye to her. When the couple leaves, they are now officially married.
M orocco
- The traditional wedding ceremony can last anywhere from four to seven days.
- A Moroccan wedding is usually done in three stages, the Hammam, the Henna and theCeremony.
- The brides’ jewelry must be made from gold. This includes her bracelets, rings, earrings andnecklaces.
- During a normal six months to two year engagement, the man will send his fiancé gifts.
- The Hammam is a pre-wedding ceremony where the brides’ friends and other women throw aparty and the bride is then bathed in a milk bath. This also includes black soap as to purify thebride.
- The Henna is the painting of the brides’ hands and feet for the wedding. A specialist known asthe Nekkacha, paints her appendages in geometrical and floral designs. This is meant to scare off
any evil spirits.
- The Ceremony contains customary dress in which the couple is dressed by the Neggafates. Thisis when the exchanging of the rings takes place.
- When the ceremony is done, guests partake in milk and dates. This symbols the sweetness andfruitfulness that life has to offer. The couple is then carried across the room by young men on aAmairya.
- A customary Moroccan wedding is generally impressive and very expensive.
Niger
- Often in Niger, the cousins will court each other for marriage.
- Male cousins often wear amulets that allegedly increase their attractiveness.
- In the event two male cousins have the same desires for the same female cousin, she will decideas to which cousin she will marry.
- For the cousin she does not select, he would be welcomed to their home. If she consents, oftenthe bride may share her bed with both cousins.
Nigeria
- Nigeria respects their wedding traditions from the past, but has also incorporated morecontemporary rituals into their ceremonies.
- Engagement ceremonies take place in different parts of Nigeria. During this fun time, thecouple-to-be’ s family and friends enjoy nuts and colas, while the officiating elder drinks palmwine; as does the couple.
- The officiating officer serves as the speaker for both families as they share messages betweeneach other.
- The family of the groom pays a price for the bride to her family. The price is generally made upof shoes, clothing and jewelry.
- Often the family elders will assist in giving the bride a bath prior to her wedding day.
- For the ceremony, the bride often wears Indian fabrics that have been imported in. They mayinclude such items as: necklaces, ankle bracelets and decorative headpieces.
- Much like most weddings, a gala event follows the ceremony. Live bands playing all night longwith much singing and dancing is the norm at most Nigerian weddings.
- After the party, the groom, along with his family, will go to the bride’ s house to claim her fromher dad.

Wedding Traditions of Eastern Europe’s Northern Region
Wedding traditions in Eastern Europe has so much history to it that a history book on this subjectalone can be written. For the countries of Estonia and Lithuania, they may include some of theoddest traditions of them all.
Estonia
The country of Estonia may in fact have the oddest wedding traditions of any other country. Howmuch is still in existence is hard to say, but the following traditions have at one time or another,existed. Then again, they may still be in practice to this day.
- Spitting in certain areas such as the sauna, stable, well or barn is considered bad luck for thecouple and may lead to poor health as this spitting practice is forbidden.
- To ensure the couple good faith along with understanding, the couple is casted with lead.
- A stranger is to walk away carrying with them a nutsack. In this sack is what the coupleconsiders their troubles.
- On their way to the ceremony, it is not uncommon for the wedding procession to come acrossobstacles. Prior to proceeding, the couple needs to offer a bottle of spirits to the culprit creatingthe roadblock.
- As the couple continues their walk to the ceremony, they are to toss coins on every road andcrossroad they encounter. This symbolizes wealth to the couple.
- In the event a wedding guest should accidently step in cow waste, they are guaranteed an inviteto the couple’ s first child’ s christening.
- While walking with his bride, if the groom should curse it shows that he has still not maturedfrom his youth. As a sign of growing up he must then walk clockwise around his bride ten times.
- At the wedding, if the bride gives her scarf, or stocking, to anyone means she wants them towatch guard of her bedroom door that night.
- Much like the garter belt toss, a groom-to-be is predicted. However instead of tossing thegarter, after the bride tosses her bouquet, the groom is then blindfolded by the men. After themen spin the groom around and around, he then walks until he reaches a single man and placeshis top hat on him. He is then considered the next to marry.
- At the wedding, if the bride is kidnapped by the groom’ s friends, he has to attempt to save her.The kidnappers give the groom several tests to achieve this rescue.
- One of the fathers will go under the table where the food is laid out to see if there are anydemons under there to corrupt the food. However, if there is a demon found the father will give ita glass of vodka. While the demon is drinking the vodka, the father will kick the spirit so that itflees away.
- After the reception, any food that was left over is to stay on the table till the next morning.Therefore, lingering spirits can partake in the food.
Lithuania
- A marriage ritual starts with a matchmaker putting the couple together and then ensuring that adowry is taken care of.
- With so many families living a ways apart, Lithuania is broken down by region. Each regionhandles engagements differently. It will also depend on whether or not the couple knew eachother prior to the engagement or if it was from the arrangement.
- The bride then officially says good-bye to her home and family; often with farewell musicplaying. She is then introduced the groom’ s home.
- Before the bride arrives to her groom’ s home, her dowry chest will be delivered. Items, such as:clothing, towels, bed clothing and others items have been put away in the anticipation that thisday would someday come.
- One of the bride’ s first orders of business after entering the groom’ s house is for her to placea red towel next to the stove on the hearth. This will allow her to be in good graces with thehome’ s spirits.
- The bride will also hang sashes in different areas of the house and present her groom’ s parentswith gifts such as sashes, towels and material.
- As a symbol of her childhood, the bride will enter the church for the ceremony wearing awreath of rue. The wreath will then be removed by married women and will replace it with aheaddress that represents a mature woman.
- After all the ceremonies are done, the atgriztai takes place. The bride goes to her parent’ s homefor a short visit, but instead of being treated like family, she is treated as a guest.