Asoebi wedding is used to describe a wedding party where the close family and friends wear a uniform outfit called asoebi. Asoebi, also spelt as aso-ebi is a popular Yoruba term which means family cloth(ing).
Wearing a shared family print to social events such as weddings and funerals is a Nigerian practice that designates your relationship to the celebrants or shows solidarity with a wider group. Despite the fact that the cloth is the same, most women are given the opportunity to design their own dress styles. This ritual is also practised in other West African countries under different names. Friends of the couple, as well as the couple’s parents, frequently wear aso ebi. With the printed gowns, a matching gele, a beautiful head wrap, is usually worn.
An aso ebi is sometimes the de facto bridal party for Nigerian-American couples, with the bridesmaids wearing Western gowns for the “white,” or Americanized, ceremony and then switching to aso ebi fabric for the traditional ceremony.
Sometimes the aso ebi is separate from the bridal party, while other times the bridal party and a larger circle of friends and family wear various textile patterns.
There are particular dances during the wedding reception when the bride’s aso ebi will lead the bride and groom into the dance floor, in addition to being a family cloth that shows other wedding guests you’re close to the bride.
This post will explain and show to you in details the essentials of Asoebi wedding: Style, Food, Music and more.
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Asoebi wedding styles
Nigerian weddings are extravagant gatherings with plenty of food, music, color, and dancing. Many couples have two weddings, one with a cultural ceremony and the other with a more Western-style ceremony, so there’s much to celebrate.
Nigeria has about 250 ethnic tribes, although the Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo are the three largest. Each ethnic group has its unique wedding rituals, but if you’re invited to a Nigerian wedding, there are a few popular ones to be aware of.
If you’ve been picked to be an asoebi girl, you’d know that selecting the perfect style is one of the most difficult things to do because I get that you’d want to stand out. I have made it my stress to find you chic styles that automatically put you in the spotlight. Do feed your eyes with my amazing asoebi wedding styles collection.
You can get more styles from bellanaija
asoebi wedding food
As a Nigerian, you should be aware of the importance of feeding your visitors. Food is always screamed for during a normal Nigerian wedding. Because the ordinary Nigerian enjoys food, any event including plenty of it is a success. Even if they are sharing the special occasion with you, the majority of the guests are always looking forward to the cuisine at any wedding event.
One thing is certain: at a Nigerian wedding, you will not go hungry! There is plenty of food to go around.
Small chops (appetizers) of chin chin (fried pastry nibbles), spring rolls, puff puff (deep-fried dough), and suya are among the options (spicy meat skewers). The famed jollof rice, fried rice, dodo (fried plantain), beef stew, moin moin (a steaming savoury pudding made from black-eyed beans), chicken, and noodles, with or without prawns, are commonly served buffet style.
You might also be served pounded yam and egusi soup if you’re lucky (a thick soup with ground melon seeds). Have you had your fill yet?
Below is a list of the varieties of dishes that should be prepared at your asoebi wedding.
1 Jollof rice
There is almost no Nigerian event/party without party jollof rice. The one and only party jollof rice is the king of all party foods. A party isn’t complete without Nigerians’ one and only true love. Jollof rice has its genuine origins in the Senegambian region, but it has managed to become the major dish in every Nigerian household.
2 Fried rice
Second to jollof rice is fried rice to compliment it. Putting these two meals side by side on a plate does not only make it beautiful, it also makes it tasty, and although not everyone enjoys it, it should definitely be on your list of asoebi wedding meals because of those that do.
3 Moin moin
Moin moin is a dish made out of beans. The taste of this food is almost second to none. It is mostly served as a side dish to compliment rice.
4 Amala
Amala, undeniably, is one of the kings of swallows. This dish, made from yam flour, is mostly popular at Oyo state parties as this is their local dish, but is now a popular dish at Nigerian parties. Amala is incomplete without ewedu, gbegiri and assorted meat.
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5 Yam porridge
This porridge is made with yam and red oil. Most of the time, vegetables, meat, and mashed fish are added. This dish is served at most Nigerian weddings as the main dish.
6 Small chops
Small chops are Finger food served as starters at parties, it includes samosa, peppered chicken/gizzard/snail, mini sausage rolls, spring rolls, puff puff, stick meat, and a whole lot more.
Other dishes are:
- Asun
- Plantain
- Coleslaw
- Grilled fish
- Ofada rice
Asoebi wedding music
An Asoebi wedding is incomplete without its beautiful music. Whether it is a live performance or a DJ mix, it is usually a wedding or love-themed song. An evergreen song that makes it to almost every Asoebi wedding party is Olomi by Tosin Martins and Oruka by Sunny Neji. There is joy in the asoebi girls dancing with or without the groom’s men, before the introduction of the bride and groom, the couple dancing together alone and with family and friends, and eventually everyone dancing altogether.
The selection of the songs to be played on the day of the event is mostly the job of the DJ or music performer, but the family or close friends can make a special request.
other guests outfit
The majority of guests are expected to dress up for the wedding, but the couple may opt for casual attire “share the day’s “colors” as well as the Ankara or lace they want visitors to wear.
Families may frequently wear Asoebi, or color-coordinated costumes; each side of the family will have their outfits manufactured in a different fabric or color, making it easy to distinguish them. It appears to be highly stunning and lovely in photographs.
Gele, a head wrap that matches a woman’s outfit and may be fashioned into intricate styles, is commonly worn by women. Someone who has been brought in specifically to tie gele can often be found at weddings “she continues.
In any event, traditional and contemporary Western-inspired designs can be seen at tailors specializing in Nigerian dresses in the weeks leading up to the wedding.
If you’re unsure about the dress code, ask one of the bridesmaids for advice (the bride has too much on her plate). Any wedding will look beautiful in an attractive, bright cocktail dress for women or a smart suit for men.
other things to consider at your asoebi wedding
- Photography
- Decorations and aestethics
- Guest list
- Cake
- Make-over (and hairdo)
- Souvenir