As you know this blog is dedicated to embracing and celebrating a variety of exquisite weddings. Today’s featured wedding is a beautiful Zulu wedding. I’ve been longing to bring you an exquisite Zulu wedding for some time now and I’m happy to finally deliver.

I felt such a special connection to this wedding. It has reminded me of just how beautiful South Africa is; so diverse, so rich in culture, so full of minerals and so much more.

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n the Zulu tradition a couple is not completely married until a special ceremony called Umabo is completed. Because Umabo ceremony can cost quite a lot of money some couples prefer to have a church wedding or civil ceremony and then have Umabo celebration a year or so later. Although they will be married in the eyes of the law, their wedding will not be regonised traditionally.

The whole point of Umabo is to welcome and introduce the bride into her new family. Both families will each slaughter a cow to symbolize the celebration.The Zulu people say if Umabo is not done, the ancestors do not recognise Makoti(the bride).

Umabo always takes place at the groom’s home. The Bride will be accompanied by her family. She is to bring gifts (normally after a date is set for Umabo a shopping list is completed by the groom’ family and given to the Bride and her family to buy all the items listed on it).