All weddings in Eritrea are arranged by families. Among the Tigrinya people the parents suggest marriage partners to establish family alliances. Traditionally the bride is ten years younger than the groom. In urban areas the girl would’ve most likely completed high school before getting married.
Another wedding ritual of Congo which demonstrates the virginity of the bride is performed the day after the wedding. Women from both sides of the family go to the couple’s bed and question the bride about the wedding night, and the presence of blood provides evidence of virginity.
A wedding tradition of Congo which dates back to ancient times is called the dot or brideprice. A price for the bride is set which the groom must pay to the wife’s family. The dot price is normally set very high to deter any undesirable men.
For males of this small island nation to become full-fledged members of the community they must marry an eldest daughter of an elder in a Grand Marriage. The Grand Marriage is multi-ceremony event lasting up to a week, the event is extremely expensive. Families save for years for the wedding and they can sometimes spend their life savings on providing meals and other celebrations for the entire village. Guests bring expensive gifts to the wedding and the details of the gifts are noted so they can be reciprocated in the future.
In rural areas of the country the parents usually arrange the marriage but in urban areas the men and women choose their own partners. Even though illegal, the practice of giving dowry is still common. The giving of the dowry depends greatly on the groom’s financial status and reputation.
Traditionally in Cape Verde couples are permitted to pick their own partners but family and friends do play an integral role in planning the wedding and other celebrations. Due to the high expenses attached with weddings many couples end up living together for a couple of years until they can afford the ceremony and reception.
Traditionally in Cameron, first marriages were historically arranged, with limited veto powers by the potential bride and groom. Polygyny is practiced in Cameron today but it’s not always obtainable due to financial reasons. Southern tribes in Cameron preferred to marry outside their tribal group, while the Fulani tribe preferred to marry within their tribe.
Burundi a small East African country, traditionally permitted Polygamy and the practice still continues today even though both civil law and Christian churches forbid it. It’s still common practice for the parents of a young man to meet the potential bride’s parents and discuss the dowry, which is paid by the groom’s family. Traditionally the dowry came in the form of cattle and goats, these days money is exchanged as well.
Traditionally in Botswana most groups permitted polygyny, which is the practice of having more than one wife. A girl’s first marriage would be arranged by her family. Tswana marriages are broken up into a number of stages which the couple needs to pass through, before they can be classified as truly married. The process can last a couple of years.
Benin a small West African country takes their wedding traditions very seriously. Christians and Muslims mix their respective customs with local wedding traditions. Older women from the bride’s family preside over the ceremony at which they accept presents from the groom and they officially agree to the marriage. Due to the high cost of ceremonies many weddings are put on hold for many months or years, in that time couples are allowed to live together.
