Igbo and Yoruba are two of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups, and marriages between them are common, especially in Lagos and the diaspora. They are also some of the most joyful weddings in the country, with two sets of customs, two dress codes and two families eager to show off. Here is how couples blend Igbo and Yoruba traditions.
Whose ceremony comes first?
Traditionally, the marriage rites follow the bride’s customs and take place in her family’s home or hometown. So if the bride is Igbo, the main ceremony is usually the igba nkwu. If she is Yoruba, it is the Yoruba engagement with the alaga. Many couples add elements from the groom’s culture at the reception, or hold a second ceremony later.
The Igbo side
An Igbo marriage involves the knocking visit, the bride price and the wine-carrying ceremony, where the bride searches the crowd for her groom with a cup of palm wine. Kola nuts open the proceedings, and the groom’s family pays a bride price agreed with the umunna, the bride’s kinsmen.
The Yoruba side
A Yoruba engagement is led by two alagas, the alaga iduro and alaga ijoko. The groom and his friends prostrate before the bride’s family, the eru iyawo items are presented, and the bride is unveiled.
Dressing both families
Igbo grooms wear isiagu tops and red caps, and Igbo brides often wear George wrappers and coral beads. Yoruba couples wear aso-oke, with the bride’s gele and the groom’s agbada and fila. Couples often wear one culture’s attire for the ceremony and the other’s for the reception, or commission a fusion outfit that uses both.
Food and music
Serve both: ofe nsala and nkwobi beside amala and ewedu, with jollof rice and small chops for everyone. For music, mix highlife and Igbo gospel with fuji and juju, and let the DJ bring in Afrobeats to unite the floor.
The MC
Choose an MC who can greet both families in their languages and understands both sets of customs. A good MC turns playful rivalry into celebration.
Respect both families
Brief both families on each other’s customs before the day, so no one is surprised by the prostration or the palm wine search. When both sides feel honoured, an Igbo and Yoruba wedding becomes a celebration of Nigeria itself.
Igbo and Yoruba: common questions
How do Igbo and Yoruba couples combine their traditions?
Many Igbo and Yoruba couples hold the traditional ceremony in the bride’s style and add the groom’s customs, attire and music at the reception. Read about the Yoruba people.
What is the Igbo traditional wedding called?
The Igbo traditional wedding is called igba nkwu, or wine carrying.
What do Yoruba couples wear?
Yoruba couples often wear aso-oke, with a gele for the bride and an agbada or fila for the groom.
