When it comes to parties or ceremonies in Nigeria, no tribe comes close to the Yorubas. It is as if partying is inherent to an average Yoruba person; this is why they call these ceremonies owambe (meaning “where it is happening”). Yorubas love owambes and anything to make owambe interesting is paid for. No matter how small the ceremony is, you can be sure of how fun-filled and glamorous it will be, as they are usually colourful, entertaining and full of drama. In fact, many other tribes are beginning to adopt some of the practices observed in Yoruba ceremonies, notably wedding ceremonies.

Yoruba wedding ceremonies are typically different from that of other tribes. In a Yoruba wedding, you can’t easily ascertain the social class the organisers or celebrants belong to because of how loud and flamboyant their ceremonies are. Yoruba weddings are full of long-lasting fun-filled activities such that after the events, many gush over the experiences. These are the reasons you shouldn’t miss a Yoruba wedding

IDENTICAL OUTFITS (ASO-EBI)

A Yoruba wedding ceremony can’t go well without the attractive sights of identical outfits worn by families and friends of the celebrants. This is popularly known as aso-ebi among the Yoruba tribe. These aso-ebi come in different styles and colours, as you see the attendees rock them flamboyantly to impress.

You will think you are very vast with colours until you are involved with planning aso-ebi with the Yoruba or you are sent an invite. Then you will come across colours you have ever heard of. You will hear colours like Christmas red, tomato red, pepper red, maroon, custard yellow, sunlight yellow, bush green, etc. The families of both the bride and groom are usually seen to wear different colours of aso-ebi with cap (fila) and head gear (gele) to distinguish the families. In some other cases, a general colour is chosen, often white while different colours of fila and gele are chosen. Another style is to see the families wear different aso-ebi with the same colours of fila and gele. Aso-Ebi colours are dependent on the choice of the family and celebrants. Wearing an Aso-Ebi means many things such as, a person is part of the family or closely associated with the celebrants. If the parents or siblings of the couple belong to some associations, the associations can also opt for their own aso-ebi to show their own class and status.

TRADITIONAL CEREMONY

The most important part of a yoruba wedding is the traditional wedding which some call engagement. This is when the families of the bride and groom culturally meet and bride price as well as other traditional gifts are accepted by the family of the bride. It usually conveys the traditional masters of ceremony, often known as Alaga Iduro and Alaga Ijoko. Alaga Ijoko is the MC for the bride’s family whose duty is to properly officiate and co-ordinate the proceeding so each provision of tradition is strictly adhered to while Alaga Iduro stands for the groom’s family. The Alaga Iduro introduces the groom’s family to the bride’s family when the families meet.
One of the most interesting things during the traditional ceremony is the prostration of the groom and his friends at the feet of the bride’s family, while the latter pray for the groom and his future home. The bride is ushered in flanked by her bridesmaids and also kneels to receive departing blessings from her parents; this is often an emotional time for the bride and many cry – a term called “ekun-iyawo” meaning cry of the bride.

COUPLE’S ATTIRES

While everyone is donning different styles of outfit especially aso-ebi. The bride and groom often stand out, not because it is their day but for their beautiful regalia. Both of them wear attires with matching colours and adornment like beads. The groom is usually seen wearing the Yoruba local style called “agbada” and fila while the bride always looks radiant in different female styles such as iro & buba, or gown, which is embellished with a very conspicuous gele. Their outfits can be made from any materials but the most popular are ‘aso-oke’, and ‘lace’.

BRIDESMAIDS AND GROOMSMEN

The beautiful bridesmaids and handsome groomsmen are always a sight to behold at Yoruba weddings. While the men revel in their agbada regalia, the ladies are dressed in beautiful styles, often chosen by the bride.

EVENT PLACE

When invited for a Yoruba wedding, one thing to first look out for is the venue of the event. Common places used are event halls, open fields or tents. Irrespective of the place used, they are very usually beautified with decorations according to the pockets of the organisers. Some spend millions in acquiring an event place and additional millions in decorating it. It is often said that the money dedicated to event place rent and decoration constitutes most of the budget of the wedding. Since Yorubas are culturally very homely and hospitable, they want to make sure their guests feel at home, therefore they provide a very good venue for their events. The kind of event – outdoor or indoor as well as the budget of the organisers determines the kind of event place to be used.

ARRAY OF FOOD

One thing culturally known to the Yorubas is the shame of not seeing their guests eat and be satisfied. This is why at a Yoruba wedding, there are always varieties of food which will make you wonder how the guest will be able to finish all the food. There are usually different kinds of local and continental dishes, especially dishes that portray the tribes of the bride and groom. Despite this, common food like rice, porridge and amala can’t be found missing.

MUSIC

What kind of music do you want at a Yoruba wedding, you can be sure of good music. This is because dancing is an integral part of the culture. There is usually a live band or DJ or both,supplying good music. The fun part of this is apart from the couple’s dancing or their families, guests are given room to showcase their dance steps. Don’t be surprised when you see a group of people dancing to what seems to be choreographed steps, it is either they have practised from home or it is a trending dance step. One thing is certain: while dancing, money begins to fly from every direction.

MONEY SPRAY

What is a Yoruba wedding without seeing people spray money? Money spraying is an essential part of the Nigerian wedding that cannot be ignored and in fact, the most essential part when the couple dance. It has become so popular now that there are money vendors who sell denominations of naira in mints at the wedding venue. For some couples, this is the time they recoup some of the money they had spent in budget for the wedding. Many times, the spray of money is a show off of the social class or affluence of the person.