Traditional Wedding in Zulu land

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A Zulu wedding, like most African weddings, is vibrant with colors, music, dancing, and then some. There are other traditions when it comes to South African weddings but Zulu weddings are among the most popular because of the vast population of members of Zululand.
When a Zulu girl is ready for marriage, her father will arrange a coming-out ceremony to introduce her to society and formally make her availability for marriage known.
Nowadays, I don’t know how close to the historical Zulu traditions a Zulu wedding is but it is still fascinating to learn about how their ancestors did it.
Among the Zulus, the bride has the upper hand. The bride goes and gets her groom. Once she gives her consent, the number of cattle that will be given to her father in exchange for her is negotiated.
Beaded jewelry is the language of love in Zulu weddings. Brides-to-be will typically make two sets of bead necklaces in matching colors – one for herself and one for her groom-to-be. Their matching color-coded necklaces and bracelets will let everyone know that they are an item.
Once a couple has decided to move forward with marriage they are allowed to spend some nights together with the permission of the senior girls in the bride’s kraal i.e. her village …as long as she remains a virgin. She will be periodically examined to make sure that she is still a virgin, and if she loses her virginity, the groom-to-be or his family will be required to pay a fine and the wedding ceremony will be carried out immediately.
The groom will give cattle to the bride’s family. The cattle serve as insurance in the event of his death OR if he rejects her or leaves her unjustly. The cattle will be a source of financial support for her (and any children they may have had). This lobola i.e. bride price, also serves as a guarantee to the girl’s father that he (the groom/husband-to-be) will take care of his daughter.

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