Hello Everyone,

I am looking for information about traditional Kikuyu or Kenyan weddings. We are planning a wedding in Canada for a Kenyan man and Canadian bride. I want to surprise my husband by including some Kenyan aspects into the ceremony and reception, but I don't want to directly ask him and ruin the suprise.

If you could point me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it. Because his family can't join us, I want him to have a sense of 'home' on this important day.

Thanks so much.

For you in Canada, it will be IMPOSSIBLE to accord your friend a Kikuyu marriage. I also highly doubt it will be recognised by authorities. Kikuyu marriage as we know it is a process. It is not something you do in a day by 'accepting the bride/groom'. It may prolong even longer than a year before it is finalized.

If you are referring to the presence of Kikuyu artifacts, songs or even food, then you can get that in the wedding. But if you are referring to certain aspects of a Kikuyu wedding, then you cant have that.

For example, once a young Kikuyu man identified a potential bride, he could either elope with her (if they were in love), or organise for his parent to start the marriage process.. Thereafter the parents and wazees would visit the girl's homestead to report the elopement/interest in the girl. They would be given a particular day when they will formally come to report the crime/interest, and they will meet a batallion of wazees. They will then give 'njohi ya njurio' to literally book the girl from other marriages.

Then the dowry negotiations would start. In modern Kikuyuland, this takes a day. The relatives of the boy would give whatever they came with and promise to bring the rest later. During the final dowry payments, a goat and a sheep would be slaughtered and eaten. The shoulder blade may be cut then or on a subsequent visit.

The marriage ceremony ends with a ngurario ceremony. This is an extremely abbreviated version of a Kikuyu wedding. So, can you pick any aspect from the above?

However, if you want to serve food, mokimo should never miss. If you like alcohol, I doubt Canada will give you a license for muratina.

If you want dressings, they are no longer worn in Kenya and I doubt the bridegroom has ever seen any.

If you want songs, a Kikuyu wedding is accompanied by ululations and songs by women. I doubt you can get enough choreographed women for that..

But I know what you can definitely give them and they will be happy about it.....a honeymoon in Mount Kenya Safari lodge...1 week!

WELL SAID. just to further clarify there is no Kikuyu or kenyan wedding, as Wamax has put it for Kikuyu people the was no wedding in the sense of a wedding day. There was (is) a marriage which is a long process. The Modern day wedding is Euro/christian adopted to suit the particular comminities circumstances. I see a wedding as a compliment to the Customary marriage a kind of 'religious obligation'. You are wellcome to introduce kenyan foods in your wedding. Nyama choma and Tusker beer are hot any time any day. A honey moon with the breath taking magnificence of mount Kenya is a life time reward.

WOW! Thank you both for your thoughtful replies. I have never been to a wedding in Kenya, and had no idea the complexities of the entire process. It seems then it will not be easy to do what I had originally hoped for. I'll do my best to make him feel 'at home' then in my customs. Thanks for the advice.
Regards.

Far from discouraging you there are things that can be done to make it look like our wedding. These days young people try to get this by having their wedding dresses in the traditional fashion,add a few African accessories(like beads) and you'll be alright.Honestly not too many a kikuyu go through the whole process! check out this wedding with an african touch!!

Nice photos, but dont take his word those are 'Kikuyu wedding outfits'.

Those are West African dresses. Not even Swahili. Her dress is nice and African-looking. But it is a morden dress, designed to look 'traditional Kikuyu. Seriously, apart from the mzungu, and the bride at the evening party, is any one else wearing those funny outfits?

WAmax... why be such a wet blanket? You are pouring truckloads of ice cold water on all suggestions! This is not about recreating the authentic Gikuyu wedding; it's about incorporating aspects of it into what's going to be a thoroughly modern affair. Why don't you try advising her on things that she CAN do, rather than poopoing everything? Her intentions are pure.

Reality is hard to swallow, but if you followed my suggestions, she could have Kikuyu food (especially ribs and mokimo), music and honeymoon.

quote:

Originally posted by wamax:
Nice photos, but dont take his word those are 'Kikuyu wedding outfits'.

Those are West African dresses. Not even Swahili. Her dress is nice and African-looking. But it is a morden dress, designed to look 'traditional Kikuyu. Seriously, apart from the mzungu, and the bride at the evening party, is any one else wearing those funny outfits?

There is no Kikuyu genuine attire (adopted in the mordern way)in the same way you have say Basuti for Buganda Ladies. The issue of weddings has been about aping the West from day one anything African in the wedding is an inevitable neccesity and the more you have of these the more you will be viewed as backward.

To me a Kenyan wedding would be what the typical Kenyan lady on the street would want, go ahead ask them the chorus will be 'White wedding'.

All in all weddings are for the enjoyment of the ladies, I am yet to hear of a groom who genuinely enjoyed a wedding ceremony to many it an a bureacrecy to go through. Some Tusker is higly recommended to relieve any boredom and remind of home

Nice Pictures

I too am planning to marry a Kikuyu. I am really excited. I have studied the Kikuyu tradition for quite a while, so I clearly understand the entire process of marriage. I am actually looking for music that I can play at our reception. I am having a traditional wedding,but would like to incorporate Kikuyu touches throughout. I secretly started learning Swahili to impress my fiance'then later learned that he speaks Kikuyu, and it's not easily learned. (frown) Please help point me in the right direction to find soft romantic Kikuyu music, as well as upbeat and fun music. Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Kikuyutobe:
I too am planning to marry a Kikuyu. I am actually looking for music that I can play at our reception. I am having a traditional wedding,but would like to incorporate Kikuyu touches throughout. Please help point me in the right direction to find soft romantic Kikuyu music, as well as upbeat and fun music like a Las Vegas Wedding. Thanks

Where will your wedding reception take place? If you give me the city, I will see if I can help you with finding this.

Joseph Kamaru's Music found at Kamaru music store or Kamaru city sounds River Road Nairobi Kenya.

CDM Kiratu has great love ballards.