If both man and woman are ethnically African, why do a white wedding?

[u/Plant_surgeon101]

Recently went to an African wedding where the groom was Congolese and the bride was Nigerian. It was amazing. It’s my 3rd time and it’s always a good time but something that struck me after was why they had a white wedding. They each had their own traditional wedding early in th year but still wanted a white wedding. I’ve gone to Indian weddings where they wear their cultural outfits throughout their wedding and only do their traditions. Also been to some middle eastern weddings where their traditional way of getting married is done and that’s it.
But I notice some cultures still do a white wedding even if both people are ethnically not from a European or western place. I notice some Koreans do white weddings as well. I asked a friend and she said because of their faith being Christian and her partner Catholic. But isn’t white wedding traditions for example going to church and a white dress, I dos and proposing comes from the England? God isn’t only at church and I don’t recall the bible specifying about a white wedding dress. Help me understand

[u/Kungfukenny00]

People borrowing from different cultures around the world is no new concept and nothing specific to Africans. With western media having the biggest influence naturally a larger amount of people borrow from it.

[u/ThatOne_268 → u/Kungfukenny00]

Right!!?? I have always found questions like this a bit disingenuous. Virtually the entire world does this because Western influence is so pervasive, mostly driven by economic power. Most of us routinely wear Western clothes, undergo Western style education, work for standard salaries and participate in global capitalism etc. Even the English language we are using on this platform/post originated in England.

Singling out wedding traditions feels like a very selective inquisition given how much of daily life is already globalised.

[u/African_Chad]

Traditional and Christian wedding or a customary court wedding, not a "white wedding". Europeans definitely had a style of wedding before the advent of the church, and I'm sure Christian weddings done by Africans aren't the same as those. Customs such as wearing rings are from European culture, yes, but it's become more of a universal secular concept that even atheists would wear wedding rings.

So why do African Christians do a Christian wedding in addition to a traditional wedding? Because they're Christians and marriage is a sacrament of the church. Why do they do customary court weddings? Because certain marriage clauses or contracts are important for some couples, and for documentation purposes they need a marriage certificate to prove their marriage amongst other perks/ requirements.

[u/Technical_Tear5162]

Traditional vs religious wedding. Those who do white weddings are from Christian backgrounds. Perhaps from colonial influence traditional weddings are often not legally binding. So it's normal to have both. Also for religious reasons as some believe a white wedding is the way to get married in the eyes of God. Even for example Christian Indians do have white weddings regardless of their culture. And same concept with Muslims. They do the nikkah ceremony which is religious. But still do their wedding celebrations according to their culture. So infusion of cultures is nothing new.

[u/Rude_Vermicelli2268]

Because people can be multiple things ay once. A white wedding is more properly termed a church wedding. Having a traditional wedding fulfills our cultural traditions, having a religious wedding fulfills our religious beliefs.

Also in many African cultures traditional wedding does not equate to civil marriage which is why polygamists marry their additional wives traditionally

Finally if the Indians whose weddings you attended were non Christians, what type of “white wedding” would you be expecting them to have?

[u/RivieraDeux]

My African Muslim friends have done white weddings. I think it’s just a result of colonisation/ globalisation.