One of my favorite things in the world are weddings so I was naturally thrilled when my colleague Odette invited me to her daughter's introduction ceremony, wedding, and reception. The first ceremony, called the introduction ceremony, is the official meeting of the two sides of the family. It usually occurs about a week before the actual wedding and reception. It was definitely my favorite wedding event because it's full of theater, dancing, and comedy. During one part of the ceremony the bride's side and groom's side negotiate the dowry of the bride by discussing how many cows she's worth and debating the quality of the cows! I'm obviously not a proponent of the dowry system being all about women's rights but it was all in good fun and, despite the language barrier, was hilarious!
The wedding was a Catholic ceremony at a local church in Kigali and was what I would imagine a Catholic wedding would be like in the U.S. except with more singing. Interestingly enough the reception was very modern - there were speeches, beautiful decorations, and lots of food and drinks. The entertainment was a nod toward traditional Rwandan customs - it included several dances and a gift ceremony where guests present gifts to the bride and groom and give a small speech. The traditional Rwandan dances during the reception were amazing! Rwandan dance is exciting, upbeat, and expressive. I've attached pictures along with a video of one of my favorite dances - the Intore dance troupe!
At Yvette's Introduction ceremony - the bride's side and groom's side are on either side of the main tent
Wearing a mishanana (Rwandan version of a sari) with the rest of my ICAP colleagues
The bride and groom entering the reception hall
VIPs of the reception - the Prime Minister of Rwanda with his wife (right)
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