Nyankayanja Wedding- This the line to give gifts to the bride and groom and to congratulate them.
They used trees to make a stage and a fenced in area with tarps for invited guests only the entire reception celebration probably cost about 3 million Shilling which is about $1600 USD so that is a lot. For some people that is a full years salary or almost a full years salary. We got there an hour early to get a seat because they fill up. Then there is an MC who is on the microphone running each step of the celebration. Visit the village leader gives a brief talk and invites the Pastor to give a blessing. Then the Lutheran pastor gave a reading and blessing. Then the village leader thanked everyone for coming. The MC then called all the Aunts in from the groom side, then Uncles, then grandparents, then sisters, then mom and dad then they do the same for the bride side of the family. They all dance and parade in with gifts when they are called to enter. The groom is waiting this whole time on stage with the best man and bridesmaid. Then they call the bride in and she slowly dances in and the groom meets her halfway and has hist sports coat and puts it on him and then they walk up together to the stage. Then the groom takes the mic and thanks everyone for coming. Then the bride does the same thing. Then the village people start dancing. Then the cake is revealed to them and there is three cakes. One for the groom side for mom and day. One for the bride’s side that is mom and dad and then one for the bride and groom. They are small cakes.They then bless the cake and cut it together and feed the groomsman and bridesmaid with a piece of cake and then the bride and groom feed each other a bite. Then he groom and bridesmaid presents the cake to the in laws then the bride does the same for her new in laws. They get on there knees to do this. Then the aunt grabs a bottle of champagne and dances with it for a whole song then at the end she opens it and champagne is spilling every where. They pour a glass for the wedding party and they give each other a sip that is the bride and groom. The whole time the Bride and groom are trying to look serious. They are suppose to look serious the whole time for respect. I would rather see them smiling. Which they did do a lot but tired not too. Then each family member danced there way to the front and presented there gift to the wedding couple and then friends did it to. It is a way of showing what they are giving and what the wedding couple is recieving. There was even a group of young men dancing carrying a live goat to give.Before this everyone is given a beverage whether a pop or a beer. Then it was food time. Basic assembly line. But the interesting thing was the bride and groom went first of course but walking back to there seats the bride is carrying her plate and his plate of food. And they don’t eat infant of everyone. The wedding party leaves the room to eat because it is disrespectful for the bride to eat infant of the mother in law. She is not even suppose to shake the mother in laws hand. Then there was a bunch of dancing involved. Then people came up congratulating one by one and handing out more gifts. Then they got on the microphone and blessed them and told them that they were going to give them a gift and what it was whether a cow or goat. Lots of assembly line dancing up tot he front to the wedding party. Non stop music. It was a fun celebration to experience .
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