Wedding Day

Wow! There certainly is a lot of dancing at African weddings! The ceremony begins with a group of young men dancing down the aisle. Then young women follow, turn around, and come back to form lines on both sides of the aisle. The best man and maid-of-honor walk between the rows, followed by the flower girl and ring bearer. Last of all come the bride and groom. All the while, the congregation is dancing, yelling, and trilling their voices. It sounds like Busch Stadium with Puljos up with the bases loaded!
Each part of the service is punctuated with these displays of excitement-the taking of vows, the giving of the rings, EVERYTHING!
Then the choirs begin. Now, Tanzanian choirs are full-stage dancers. The energy exerted by these singers leaves me breathless just watching them.
During the ceremony, the cake is brought in, and the bride gives a forkful to all the family and close friends. We shared the same fork!)
The cake that is left over is passed by an usher and everybody takes a pinch.
When the cake is gone, dignitaries are introduced and asked to say a few words. The minister has a sermon, translated into English and delivered in Swahili.
Three hours later, the dancers dance out, and the reception begins.
My Lord, what a morning!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T