The Wedding

Weddings sure are different here, but still very beautiful. I'm sure no two weddings are alike, so it will be interesting to go to another one next Saturday. I will give my thoughts in bullets:

- It was to start at 10:00. After getting some advice from Emma, we felt confident we would not miss anything if we arrvied between 10:30 and 11:00. The wedding began at 12:15!

- The bride and groom were very serious and during the ceremony, the bride looked down. The minister made some funny comments, and others laughed, but not them. They hardly looked at each other.

- The "line-up" (bridal party) sure can dance. They walked down the aisle doing an impressive step together. Being able to dance well tops the list of requirements for who gets chosen.

- At least 6 cell phones went off during the church ceremony. Video cameras and still cameras were being used all during the ceremony. This was quite different than when my parents were here 4 years ago.

- Upon unveiling his bride, the groom gave her a hug, not a kiss. From what we heard, a kiss is more common. They did not kiss the entire day. Public display of affection is not common, even among married couples. (Hope they aren't too shocked when they see Ken and I showing affection....it's been a long time!)

- When the groom quietly said "I will", the minister looked at him and said, "Speak up like a man!"

- Everyone got a bite size piece of cake.

- Gifts are mostly monetary, and are given publicly and the Kwacha is counted and reported by others. The bride and groom are uninvolved with it, and for the most part, would not know who gave what.

- During the reception, the bride did look up, which was different than most, according to my mother. Watching the bride and groom stay so serious makes you wonder if they are enjoying themselves, but then we must remind ourselves why they are looking that way....to show respect to the family.

- The mother of the groom stood up and danced and cheered after various people shared encouraging words.

- Details were not important. In a way, if was refreshing to see minor things not made major things. It didn't matter if the shoes didn't match, or if the cake wasn't perfect, or if the dress needed altered and ironed. This might be different next Saturday....we'll see. Family backgrounds could make a difference.

- Once out of the reception, the couple smiled and greeted people. That was
the first I saw them smile!

There are over 1000 youth at a youth camp here now, at Choma Secondary School. It started Friday and goes through Wednesday morning. We will go to a few services on Sunday, and hopefully next week. I will give updates as we go to the services.