The bride breaking ties with her family does not necessarily mean that she can never talk to them again. She can still see them and be supportive of them. However, in case any conflict happens, her family has no voice. The groom’s family decides everything for her because they have paid the bride price.
Afterwards, the groom’s family has to go through the wine carrying ceremony, which is officially referred to as Igba Nkwu – Nigerian translation for “wine carrying”.
The families of the newlyweds – their friends, relatives, neighbors, and colleagues – come to congratulate them. At the Igbo traditional wedding, not only bride and groom play a huge role, but also their extended families and neighbors.
Why is this ceremony called wine-carrying? You may ask. The answer is simple: the bride usually has to find her groom among the guests and express her gratitude by giving him a cup of wine. When the groom drinks the wine, the ceremony will go on and people celebrate together. This tradition is quite tricky because finding the groom in the crowd is not the easiest job for the bride. People at the Igbo wedding usually dress in the same clothing – literally the same fabrics and colors. Sure, the wedding pictures turn out beautiful; however, the bride can struggle with finding her groom for a long time. Besides, the guests often distract the bride on purpose to make her job more complicated.
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