African Wedding Attire
African woven cloth reflects personal, societal, religious and political culture. Kente cloth is the primary woven fabric originally produced by the Ashanti peoples. The traditional red, gold and green in the design are liberation colors recognized by people of African descent the world over. RED for the blood shed by millions in captivity, GOLD for the mineral wealth symbolizing prosperity, and GREEN representing the land or homeland, Africa.
Boxes arranged in an "X" mean all ideas coming together at one point symbolizing leadership, consensus and the voice of the people. The stepped border motif symbolizes defense against the countless assaults and obstacles encountered in the course of an African lifetime. This can be found on African American theme invitations and accessories, even if you feel you want to have a more American wedding.
Traditional native dress for the women would be a headpiece (a gele’), a loose fitting or grand bou-bou or the wrap skirt (iro), shawl (iborum), and a short loose blouse (buba) made out of the same fabric. The groom wears a pair of slacks (sokoto), shirt (bubba), a long flowing jacket (agbada) and a rounded box-like hat (fila).
African American couples who chose a more American flare may choose the traditional white bridal gown for the bride and the groom a tuxedo. Both may be trimmed in Kente cloth. The traditional color of African royalty is purple, accented with gold. These may be used as accent colors worn by the bridal party.
