Wedding Pics

I must admit, I do dearly wish I could have been to my friend Jackie's wedding in the USA.  Hers was one of those weddings I'd been looking forward to for a long, long time.  Hers was one of those events that made it feel excruciatingly hard to be so far from home.  Yes, I've enjoyed looking at the facebook pictures of this lovely affair, but it is NOT the same as being there.  I've "known" that I'd be at her wedding for...seriously.....24 years.  Just goes to show that you don't really know as much as we think we know.  I used to say, "Wild horses wouldn't keep me away from her wedding."  I used to worry she might get married when I was 8 months pregnant and couldn't travel.  Little did I know I'd be 8,000 miles from home instead of 8 months pregnant.

Anyway,  instead of going to Jackie's wedding (she sang at mine), I went to a friend's wedding here.  It was wonderful.  I was something at the wedding, but I'm not sure if I was an extra mother of the bride or a bridesmaid.  Or maybe I was something else for which we have no name in the USA.  I don't really have a clue, but maybe one of our Rwandan friends reading this might tell me!

Anyway, it was truly a beautiful wedding.  Here are the pictures to prove it!


I will add many more soon.  Internet starting to slow down.... More when it speeds up.

Me, with Dr. Marie from England - we were honored to be included in the wedding! 

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Presentation of Dowry ceremony.  

Presentation of the Dowry. 

I love the look of love and care on Bosco's face (the groom) as he gives Clementine (bride) a sip of champagne.  

The cake looks a lot like our type of cakes, doesn't it/  

I don't know what this is, but they received quite a few things that looked like this.  I think I heard that it is a traditional container for milk?  But I'm not sure.....I think these are decorative and not actually used for milk.  But I'm not sure.  

One family presented the couple with this beautiful chicken for their present.  It was so tame, it just patiently
waited for two hours before being given to them.  The colors of this bird were iridescent!  Such a beautiful chicken! Chickens are very expensive here - this was quite a generous gift. 

The "presenting of the gifts" is a big tradition here and replaces our "reception line".....each guest gets a moment to greet the happy couple and express their best wishes, and also to give their gift to them personally.  Some make short speeches as well.  It's really a pretty cool thing!  Very personal and touching.  But kinda long.  :) 

How many weddings have you attended where the Bride and Groom received a beautiful
bunch of bananas like these?  

This is just one of about 4 "announcers" who announced the entire wedding, dowry ceremony and reception in play-by-play commentary.  Naturally, the commentary was all in Kinyarwanda, so we only caught phrases and pieces....
The only thing I can compare this with is a sports commentator in the States, "And Casey Jones is coming up to bat, he is swinging the bat in the air, warming up, looks like he really wants to hit this one out of the park, he has a determined look in his eyes as he steps up to the plate.......and now the pitcher is winding up, and here is the pitch.......its a fastball.......casey swings, and misses!  STTTTTRRRRRRIIIIIIKEEEEEEEE ONE!"  Seriously, this is pretty much EXACTLY what it was like.  Kind of cool - made it very exciting - just so very different!  

The non-alcoholic bottle of champagne for the bride and groom toast at the reception.  The guy to the left
of the girl holding the bottle was the one who popped the cork.  Evidently, part of the tradition is to shake the
champagne as much as possible, so when the cork blows, champagne spills out everywhere.  We were on
the front row, and as we watched him shaking that bottle, we were all ducking for cover, just "knowing" the
champagne was gonna get all over us!  However, it wasn't really all that big an overflow - maybe b/c it was
not real alcohol?  I don't know, but watching him shake and shake that bottle, and watching everyone's growing anticipation and excitement over the popping of the cork was very entertaining!  

With everyone taking pictures with their cell phones and cameras, the event
felt a little like I would imagine a night at the Oscars might feel when Angelina and Brad
walked up the red carpet!  

Here is a fuzzy pic of him shaking up the champagne.  

And a toast! 

Hope you enjoyed this photo diary of a beautiful Rwandan Wedding!  This was definitely a little more extravagant than some weddings......but they are all beautiful and full of traditions such as are displayed here.  I think they are actually much more homogenous than our American weddings......even more traditions than we have in our ceremony.