“Before our wedding, I had only attended one Nigerian wedding,” says Jeanne. She is American and her husband Folarin is British-Nigerian. Finding Portugal to be a good meeting place for guests coming from multiple continents, the couple together hosted a grand and colorful wedding that included lots of speeches and speeches. a lot of dance. Below, we will introduce the day’s events along with photos. Ximena San Miguel…
JeanneA: We actually wanted to have a small wedding, but Folarin was like, “I want it to be like the best party I’ve ever been to!” And our parents were also in that camp. We wanted a bigger wedding, but it was still incredibly small by Nigerian standards.
Folarin:I have attended weddings with over 1,000 people. I think my ideal number was probably around 500 people, but for Jeanne it was less than 50 people. We ended up having about 200 guests, and we were in the middle.
Jeanne:My dress was very simple by Nigerian bride standards, but I’m not a super dazzling glamor girl. I wanted to wear something that felt like me.
Folarin: The bride and groom’s outfits are made from special fabrics hand-woven in rural Nigeria. No one warned me that these fabrics were very heavy. We had an outdoor wedding in July and I wore about 10 yards of fabric.
Folarin: Many things happen at a wedding before the main couple is present. Once the guests are seated, the groom’s family enters, then the bride’s family, then the groom, and finally the bride.
Jeanne: I hung out with the bridesmaids for two hours. rear The wedding has begun!
Folarin: You don’t step into the ceremony. They dance their way through all the guests and get on stage. Nigerian weddings are very festive and lively.
Jeanne: Historically, it’s very transactional. There are all bride prices. We incorporated a lot of Nigerian wedding customs, but for us it was more about bringing both families together.
Folarin: A big part of the ceremony is this very specific show of respect. The groom lies on the ground in front of both sets of parents to express his gratitude. My mother was wearing orange clothes. Her father’s brother and grandmother sit on either side of her.
Folarin: I was overwhelmed with emotion as I expressed my gratitude to my family.
Folarin: My grandmother is on the left, and her sister is on the right. Weddings in Nigeria are a huge success. You can wear all your expensive jewelry or a dress of many colors without looking out of place. Everyone does it.
Jeanne:I’m not a confident dancer, but I had a lot of fun dancing at the ceremony. The person who curled my hair taught me three basic movements that I could do, and that helped me along. Before heading out, my bridesmaids and I practiced in front of the mirror and drank some tequila.
Folarin: It was really, really special to see Jeanne really own that space even though she’s not Nigerian and doesn’t really like dancing.
Jeanne: Between the daytime and evening events, we were able to spend some quiet time together. It was nice to relax and connect.
Jeanne:And eat! I hadn’t eaten anything all day.
Folarin: We found a Nigerian caterer, but they were having trouble delivering. A few of my mom’s friends stepped in to support him and make it all work. We had jollof rice, plantains and traditional stew.
Folarin: After dinner, the last thing on the agenda was to cut the cake and dance, dance, dance. shared playlist with guests.
Folarin: Throwing coins during the wedding ceremony symbolizes wealth and good fortune, and the money helps the couple get off to a good start.
Jeanne:The next day, we dressed in white and performed a classical American ceremony with a priest, a tradition of Black Americans. jump the broom. We both had so much fun on our wedding day. But to be honest, my family still talks about my Nigerian wedding day. they liked it.
Thank you Jeanne and Folarin for sharing your wedding with us!
PS For other weddings, for example, do you wear a short wedding dress? And how do you make the wedding feel like you?
(Photo provided by: Ximena San Miguel of Volvolator. )
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
