In Nigeria’s Igbo culture, the traditional wedding day (Igba Nkwu) is the most interesting day of a girl’s life and one that every parent lives for. For ages and till date, it’s been considered a thing of deep pride for strangers to walk into your home to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage. There are various stages of wedding rites that culminate to the Igba Nkwu and on that day, the most significant scene that plays out is when the bride searches for her groom, contrary to the norm of the bride being searched for. According to the Igbo historians, the groom search is symbolic of the fact that the bride already knows that the groom is interested in marrying her having already visited her home to meet her parents. So by searching for him in the crowd, she’s simply identifying the man who has sought after her to formally present him to her parents and the village.
Igbo brides have the advantage of versatility in how they are dressed for the D-day. Like in every other wedding, the bride’s attire is the center of attraction and every bride personalizes the traditional look to match her personal style. Most brides aim for youthfulness and zest and central to the Igba Nkwu look is the traditional coral beads which the bride uses to adorn different parts of her body.
To inspire your Igbo bridal look, take a look at these coral beads-centered styles curated just for you.
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