Bride and groom standing on a rocky landscape with clouds, the bride reading a note.

GLOSSARY ABOUT AFRICAN TRADITIONAL WEDDING

Photographers for your intimate destination wedding or elopement

For the Nostalgic, Storyteller, CULTURE and Cinema Lovers

LEXICAL OF TERMINOLOGY ABOUT WEDDING

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL Wedding
PHOTOGRAPHER AND VIDEOGRAPHER

General Wedding Terms

  1. African wedding

  2. Traditional marriage

  3. Cultural union

  4. Ancestral blessings

  5. Tribal customs

  6. Heritage celebration

  7. Community event

  8. Family gathering

  9. Sacred union

  10. Marriage rites

  11. African matrimonial traditions

  12. Spiritual celebration

  13. Cultural identity

  14. Marital customs

  15. Ethnic heritage

  16. African love

  17. Wedding rituals

  18. Tribal unity

  19. Cultural marriage

  20. Family heritage

Pre-Wedding Traditions

  1. Bride price (lobola)

  2. Dowry negotiation

  3. Ancestral approval

  4. Engagement ceremony

  5. Courtship rituals

  6. Bride’s family blessing

  7. Groom’s visit

  8. Marriage proposal

  9. Sacred offerings

  10. Kinship bonds

  11. Family meeting

  12. Marital contract

  13. Tribal elders

  14. Matchmaking process

  15. Bride’s wealth

  16. Traditional matchmaking

  17. Approval by ancestors

  18. Ritual cleansing

  19. Pre-marital counseling

  20. Family blessings

Wedding
Ceremony

  1. Ancestral invocation

  2. Pouring of libation

  3. Drumming ceremony

  4. Traditional dance

  5. Family prayers

  6. Ring exchange

  7. Unity rituals

  8. Kola nut ceremony

  9. Elder blessings

  10. Sacred fire

  11. Spiritual chants

  12. Community participation

  13. Bride’s unveiling

  14. Groom’s entrance

  15. Bridal procession

  16. Shared calabash

  17. Song of blessings

  18. Unity cloth wrapping

  19. Palm wine ceremony

  20. Marriage declaration

Post-Wedding Traditions

  1. Family feast

  2. Thank-you ceremony

  3. Ancestral recognition

  4. Communal dancing

  5. Bride’s home visit

  6. Groom’s family gathering

  7. Gift exchange

  8. Clan celebration

  9. Continuation of blessings

  10. Generational unity

  11. Extended family party

  12. Post-wedding rituals

  13. Community acknowledgment

  14. Public announcement

  15. Home blessing

  16. New couple rituals

  17. Household establishment

  18. Welcoming ceremony

  19. Family integration

  20. Village feast

Symbols and
Beliefs

  1. Unity cup

  2. Sacred calabash

  3. Ancestral masks

  4. Spirit blessings

  5. Traditional symbols

  6. African drums

  7. Kente cloth

  8. Cowrie shells

  9. Kola nuts

  10. Sacred tree

  11. Tribal patterns

  12. Ubuntu philosophy

  13. Spiritual unity

  14. Fertility symbols

  15. Family harmony

  16. Generational blessings

  17. Marriage beads

  18. Sacred rituals

  19. Earth connection

  20. Nature reverence

Attire and
Style

  1. Kente wedding attire

  2. Ankara fabric

  3. Dashiki dress

  4. Beaded jewelry

  5. Bride’s gele

  6. Groom’s agbada

  7. Tribal patterns

  8. Traditional headwraps

  9. Colorful prints

  10. Adire textiles

  11. Beaded crown

  12. Coral accessories

  13. Raffia skirts

  14. Masai beads

  15. Intricate embroidery

  16. Shuka cloth

  17. Gold accents

  18. Cowrie shell adornments

  19. Henna tattoos

  20. Ashoke fabric

Decorations and Props

  1. Ancestral altar

  2. Palm leaves

  3. Traditional mats

  4. Hand-carved stools

  5. Beaded décor

  6. Wooden sculptures

  7. Tribal masks

  8. Raffia fans

  9. Cowrie shell garlands

  10. Calabash bowls

  11. African lanterns

  12. Ancestral paintings

  13. Unity flag

  14. Sacred animal motifs

  15. Djembe drums

  16. Traditional stools

  17. Animal skin rugs

  18. Basket décor

  19. Nature-inspired designs

  20. Stone carvings

Songs and
Dances

  1. African drumming

  2. Wedding chant

  3. Tribal dance

  4. Celebration songs

  5. Spirit dances

  6. Ancestral melodies

  7. Unity song

  8. Traditional flute tunes

  9. Dance of love

  10. Community singing

  11. Circle dance

  12. Praise chants

  13. Sacred rhythms

  14. Joyful drumming

  15. Call-and-response songs

  16. Elders’ blessing chants

  17. Bride’s entrance song

  18. Celebration rhythms

  19. Communal dance

  20. Dance of the drums

Sacred Items and Ritual Objects

  1. Sacred staff

  2. Traditional stool

  3. Blessing beads

  4. Ritual knife

  5. Unity cloth

  6. Cowrie shells

  7. Sacred fire pit

  8. Calabash bowl

  9. Wedding spear

  10. Marriage crown

  11. Kola nut tray

  12. Ritual necklace

  13. Spirit stones

  14. Unity basket

  15. Sacred bells

  16. Blessing gourd

  17. Unity beads

  18. Ancestral talisman

  19. Sacred feathers

  20. Ritual fan

African Values and Teachings

  1. Ubuntu philosophy

  2. Respect for elders

  3. Ancestral wisdom

  4. Unity in family

  5. Generational legacy

  6. Community harmony

  7. Shared blessings

  8. Tribal loyalty

  9. Respect for traditions

  10. Marriage as unity

  11. Spiritual guidance

  12. Communal well-being

  13. Cultural preservation

  14. Sacred togetherness

  15. Wisdom of the elders

  16. Respect for nature

  17. Harmony with the earth

  18. Honoring ancestors

  19. Intergenerational love

  20. Family bonds

African Wedding Foods

  1. Jollof rice

  2. Fufu

  3. Egusi soup

  4. Suya skewers

  5. Pounded yam

  6. Injera bread

  7. Grilled plantains

  8. Tagine stew

  9. Samosas

  10. Kachumbari salad

  11. Sweet dumplings

  12. Coconut rice

  13. Peanut stew

  14. Nyama choma

  15. Braai barbecue

  16. Bambara porridge

  17. Rice balls

  18. Millet beer

  19. African cakes

  20. Spiced teas