Guinean Weddings

In the past couple weeks I have been to two very different weddings: one that followed many of the Western traditions and one in the Guinean tradition. The first was a couple who are members of the Adventist church in Fria who were previously married by law but never had an actual wedding. The second was a couple from a local village, Adama Suriya. It is very common in West Africa for marriages to be very informal, many times involving only the exchange of cola nuts. Since there is not very much commitment associated with these marriages they are, as a result, easy to dissolve. Many couples get married planning on having an actual wedding ceremony years later when they have saved enough money; sometimes this happens, sometimes it does not.

Traditional Guinean weddings last for three days. I’m not sure what exactly happens on each day, but the day I saw at Adama Suriya included a discourse by the village imams and “gift giving” as seen in the video above. As people dance towards the center they drop money in two large bowls placed in front of the bride and groom, seated on the edge and covered by a blanket.

Really, there’s too much to describe here – I’ll have to tell you more, with more pictures, when I return. This just gives a glimpse of what a wedding in Guinea involves.