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But with a slight twist! An alternative to the traditional time capsule that includes wine... I'm just saying! A romantic twist on traditional unity ceremonies, the love letter ceremony box presents the bride and groom with a unique, but inexpensive, wedding ceremony alternative. Like a wedding day time capsule, this box set encapsulates heartfelt letters that you and your spouse write to one another and lock away to be opened several years into your marriage. Tip #1 - Include it in the wedding ceremony or make it a special honeymoon moment. It can be included as part of your wedding ceremony and can be a tradition passed down to future generations. Have the elders of the family write a small handwritten note prior to the ceremony to be placed in the capsul. Or make it a special moment as you to reflect on the moments of the day. For all the planning and preparation that goes into planning a wedding, the actual ceremony seems to be over in moments! Add special memories of the day once you've had time to reflect a bit. Tip #2 - The box has everything you need to preserve and savor your memories. The beautifully lined box comes with a pair of wine glasses with “I Do” and “I Do Too” etched on them, a set of specialized stationery for the bride and groom to write their love letters on, an example of the ceremony wording for the officiant to use on the big day recommended capsule ceremony instructions. There is no right way to do it... Have fun with it! "Another beautiful way to put a twist on an old tradition" – Ka-Veronica Tip #3 - Make it personal With everything together in a kit, all that’s left to do is pick your favorite bottle of wine to lock away with your love letters. Plus, you can have the box personalized, engraving the couple’s names, the wedding date, or meaningful text on the lid of the box for a cheap additional price. Turning the box itself into a beautiful keepsake. A wedding day time capsule that the couple can open whenever they choose. A great idea for a special marriage celebration on your first, fifth, or even tenth-anniversary date. Before listing your tips below, add one last sentence that sums up your paragraph or offers a smooth transition to your listicle. What a charming way to give an old tradition... A new twist! Whichever method you choose this is a wonderful way to preserve your memories and relive them as often as you like.

Who knew that hand fans are a very important part of the African wedding ceremony, particularly Nigerian brides, who frequently carry them at traditional weddings? And that the hand fan is not just a matching accessory to elevate the bridal look, the hand fan or Abebe comes in handy when showing off your moves on the dance floor and after! Content provided by loveweddingsNG.com Like many traditions, it has changed and evolved into an awesome bouquet alternative to help you bring the drama! Here is our American twist to this beautiful African tradition. https://www.africanamericanbridal.com/weddingaccessories

Many African-American couples incorporate a libation ceremony into their weddings as a way to honor their African ancestors. Holy water, or alcohol, is poured onto the ground in each of the cardinal directions as prayers are recited to the ancestral spirits, and the names of those who have recently passed are called out. The libation ceremony can also be used as an opportunity to honor the elders in a family, asking them to pass on their wisdom and guidance. Libation Toast The libation toast giver holds up a cup filled with water and says the following: (Someone with a strong commanding voice) An African proverb tells us that people who lack knowledge of their past are like a tree without roots. So, in the spirit of remembrance, we pour this libation. We pour to honor the past, so that we may learn from it. We pour to honor the importance of family. We raise our cup to God to show our reverence for the travel source of our lives. We use cool water to freshen the road out and travel to be here with us today. We use cool water as a symbol of the continuity of life, to purify and to nourish our souls. We pour to celebrate the coming together of the families of these two people. It is said that through others, we are somebody. Through this marriage, we broaden our family circle, remember our heritage, and recall those who gave us life. We call upon our ancestors -- our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers, our fathers, grandfathers, and our great grandfathers, uncles, aunts and cousins -- the foundations of our families, immortalized in our thoughts. We call upon our elders, whose wisdom we seek in all endeavors. Our friends whom we are blessed to have in our lives, and our parents who guided us along the road to adulthood. We call upon family who have passed over and could not be here today. We ask that they be with us in our thoughts. We call upon the bride and groom, that they may always find prosperity in love and devotion. We ask that this couple be blessed by children because children give glory to a home. Therefore we cast our libations to the North, to the South, to the East, and to the West. [Libation toast giver turns in the indicated directions while reading.] We wish everyone to leave more blessed than when they came. Amen. (This libation was based in part on those found in The Nubian Wedding Book: Words and Rituals to Celebrate and Plan an African-American Wedding by Ingrid Sturgis.)

Trying to plan a wedding is complicated enough, but add different religions, cultural customs, and family formalities into the mix, and you’ve got yourself a whole ‘nother layer of complexity! To help you out, we’ve come up with our top 12 tips for planning a multi-cultural wedding.

An African tradition with a moder day twist In the modern-day vernacular, this simply means bringing your families together prior to your wedding to allow them to form a bond, or to know if you need to separate them at the wedding Since marriage in African culture is considered the official joining of two families, a large emphasis is placed on getting family permission and blessings before the wedding. . African Tradition In Ghana, the groom requests permission through the custom of "knocking on the door." Bearing gifts, he visits his potential in-laws accompanied by his own family. If his "knock" is accepted, the families celebrate and the wedding planning begins. Or, simply plan an outing (like a brunch or dinner date) to bring both families together before the wedding and begin forming family bonds. Alternatives Bruch, luncheon, Dinner, or a family outing is a good way to get to know each other Blogging gives your site a voice, so let your business’ personality shine through. Choose a great image to feature in your post or add a video for extra engagement. Are you ready to get started? Simply create a new post now.

Tasting of the four elements is becoming more popular at Black American celebrations For many years we searched for cultural additions that can be added to the wedding ceremony, additions, that can add meaning, tradition, and fun. The planning can take months or even years why not add things that make it meaningful and steeped in tradition? Make it your own This tradition is routed in culture and can be a fun addition to the wedding ceremony The tradition comes from the Yoruba people of West Africa, where couples are presented with four different flavors to represent different aspects of married life: sour, bitter, spicy, and sweet. While the items may vary, they are usually lemon (sour), vinegar or unsweetened chocolate (bitter), cayenne pepper or chili pepper (spicy), and honey or grapes (sweet). How it's done During the ceremony, the officiant explains the significance of each element to the guests as the couple experiences each taste together. "It’s a demonstrative way of promising to love each other through thick and thin, as in the vows 'for better or worse, for richer or poorer," The tradition reminds the couple that despite the fact that there will be highs and lows in their marriage, they should weather all things in unity and remain committed to each other. Do Your Research Unlike when we started years ago, one can now google search almost anything! Take the time to learn about the traditions you add to the wedding and include an explanation of them so that your guest understand their importance and why you chose to incorporate them. Did you add this element to your ceremony? We would love to hear your story on how you incorporated this element into your wedding. Share your pictures and tell us why it was important to you. But most importantly, tell us how your guest responded and what feedback you received.

"Jumping the Broom" is a symbol of sweeping away the old and welcoming the new, or a symbol of new beginnings. Jumping the broom has become one of the most popular African traditions at traditional and African-centered. History tells us that the ancestral roots of this ritual began deep in the heart of Africa. Its original purpose and significance have been lost over the years because of its association with slavery. This broom ceremony represents the joining of two families, it shows respect and pays homage to those who came before us and paved the way. Therefore it should be practiced with honor for your ancestors and the beauty of our rich heritage. During the slave "transitions" we were not allowed to practice many of the traditional rituals of our past therefore, much of our heritage was lost during this time. However, a few were considered harmless and allowed. Today "Broom Jumping" is a ritual, handed down from generation to generation to remind us of a time when our vows were not legally sanctioned. During slavery, our ancestors sought the legitimacy of marriage by jumping over the broom and into the bonds of domesticity. For our ancestors, this small ritual was a legal and binding act connecting them with the heritage of the homeland and giving legitimacy, dignity, and strength to their unions. In their eyes, this union was now sanctioned by "the almighty" It is said that broom jumping comes from an African Tribal Marriage Ritual of placing sticks on the ground representing the couple's new home together, I have also heard it said that the spray of the broom represents all of us scattered and the handle represents the almighty who holds us together...... You decide Today's ceremony can be performed at the wedding, after the minister pronounces the couple man and wife, or at the reception, just after the bridal party enters the reception area. Should you decide to incorporate this wonderful tradition in your wedding remember to do it with the honor and dignity it represents. Simply... Because You Can!

Rituals and ceremonies are passed on from generation to generation. As far as engagement and marriage are concerned, it is no different. Everywhere in the world, people interpret this unique event in their own way. Sometimes even on a local or family level. Similarly in Africa, where different traditions exist between different tribes in the same country or region. But one thing stands out: buying a ring for the marriage proposal or the marriage ceremony is not common. The ring finger in many Western cultures, the ring finger is designated as the fourth finger on the left hand. The tradition of wearing a wedding ring on this digit originated from the belief that this finger has a vein running directly to the heart. As African Americans, we find ourselves between cultures trying to find ways to fuse these cultures to find a unique way to "marry the two" Many companies are now providing jewelry that incorporates African symbolism and cultural beauty. Jendayi Collections is one of those providers. If you are looking for a small but meaningful way to add symbolic culture to your wedding, this might just be the way!

English: Our Father Who Art In Heaven Swahili: BABA YETU ULIYE MBINGUNI Phonetics: Bah-Bah Yay-too You-lee-yay mm-been-goo-nee English: Hallowed Be Thy Name Swahili: JINA LAKO LITU KUZWE Phonetics: Gee-Nah La-co Lee-too Kooz-way English: Thy Kingdom Come Swahili: UFALME WAKO UJE Phonetics: You-Fahl-may Wah-co You-jay English: Thy Will Be Done Swahili: MAPENZI YAKO YATIMIZWE Phonetics: Mah-pain-zee Yah-co Yah-tee-meez-way English: On Earth as it is in Heaven Swahili: HAPA DUNIANI KAMAHUKO MBINIGUNI Phonetics: Hap-pah Do-nee-ah-nee Kah-mah-who-co M-been-goo-nee English: Give Us This Day Swahili: UTUPE LEO RIZIKI YETU Phonetics: Yoo-too-pay Lee-oh Ree-zee-kee Yay-too English: Our Daily Bread Swahili: UTUSAMEHE DENI ZETU Phonetics: You-too-sah-may-hay Day-nee Zay-too English: And Forgive Us Our Debts As We Forgive Our Debtors Swahili: KAMA SISI NASI TUWASAMEHEVYO WADENI YETU Phonetics: Kah-mah see-see Nah-see (Too-wah-sah-may-hayv-yoh) wah-day-nee ya-too English: Lead Us Not Into Temptation Swahili: NA USITUTIE MAJARABUNI Phonetics: Nah you-see-too-tee-a Mah-jah-rah-bu-nee English: But Deliver Us From Evil Swahili: LAKINI UTUOKOE NA YULE MWOVU Phonetics: Lah-kee-nee You-too-oh-coay Nah-you-lay Mwo-voo English: For Thine Is The Kingdom Swahili: KWA KUWA UFALME NI WAKO Phonetics: Qwah Cu-wah U-fahl-may Nee Wah-co English: The Power Swahili: NA NGUVU Phonetics: Nah N-Goo-Voo English: The Glory Swahili: NA UTUKUFU Phonetics: Nah U-too-koo-foo English: For Ever and Ever Swahili: HATA MILELE Phonetics: Hah-tah Mee-lay-lay English: Amen Swahili: AMINA Phonetics: Ah-Mee-Nah