Traditional Wedding Dessert

So you've chosen the menu and the caterer to deliver the goods....  so what about the dessert?

Most couples tend to overlook this aspect (maybe due to budget) but your desserts do not have to expensive. if you decide on serving dessert to your lovely guests why not go for more Traditional Options.

Here are a few Nigerian Ideas:

1. Kankaran Tsamiya (Frozen Tamarind Juice)

Kankaran Tsamiya is frozen extract from the tsamiya (tamarind) fruit. This is a Northern Nigerian licky-licky enjoyment!

Tamarind has a sweet and sour taste. It is in the same family as Velvet Tamarind which is more popular.

2. Nigerian Shuku Shuku (Coconut Balls)

Nigerian Shuku Shuku is a great Nigerian delicacy that doubles as a dessert and a snack. 

If you have ever tasted coconut and bread (chewed together), that's what Shuku Shuku tastes like. It is the perfect way to recycle the chaff. You can also use coconut flakes for this but the Shuku Shuku made with those are lighter.

3. Nigerian Coconut Candy

There are many snacks/desserts referred to as coconut candy but the sweet chewy Coconut Candy discussed below is the one made in Nigeria. Though there is a lot of work that goes into grating the fresh coconut meat into tiny pieces, the snack itself is very simple to make, With icing sugar added, its delicious. 

4. Nigerian Puff Puff

Nigerian Puff Puff is that spongy, deep-fried, spherical snack that originated from Nigeria. It is soft and springs back to touch, you know, like when you pinch a foam sponge. Why not serve it with melted chocolate or icing sugar...something like a pavita roll 😄

5. Nigerian Pancake

Everyone loves pancakes and most Nigerians think of pancake as just a snack. But have you ever thought of another way to enjoy pancake? Serving Nigerian pancakes at your Traditional Wedding would be ideal. It is made with those ingredients that we always have in our kitchen. it is a blend of eggs, flour and butter.

Dare to be different..... Introduce something Traditional to your menu! 😄

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How to make your Traditional Wedding Guest List

Hello again this Wining Wednesday, hope you are still sailing through this week with great motivation.... You're half way there! Keep going!

So its time to create the guest list; this may be a boring job compared to choosing a caterer or deciding on your outfit it it still as important.

So how do you choose who makes the cut? There are certain things you need to go back over:

1. What are your reasons for having a Traditional Wedding in the first place
2. What is you're BUDGET
3. What is the capacity of the chosen venue

There is no point inviting 'the world and it's mother' when the venue can only occupy 100 people. We often make that mistake of feeling obliged to invite everyone  - this should NOT be the case.

You are free to write down a 'dream list', this will have everyone you would ideally like to be there.

Now It's time to get back to reality and start trimming that dream list down until you reach your real number. The easiest way to cut the list is to come up with rules and actually stick to them. It'll be easier in the long run and you'll avoid potential drama down the line. What do we mean by "rules"? Here are a few common ones (for those who want to be very strict about their wedding guest list)

Rule 1: If neither of you has spoken to or met them or heard their name before, don't invite them. 
Rule 2: Not crazy about inviting children to your party? Don't feel bad about having an adults-only Traditional wedding.
Rule 3: If neither of you has spoken to them in three years and they're not related to you somehow, don't invite them. 
Rule 4: If there's anyone who's on the list because you feel guilty about leaving them off (maybe because you were invited to their  Traditional Wedding or they're friends with lots of people who are invited), don't invite them.

Traditional Wedding (especially in the African Culture) can be extremely family orientated and you may feel obliged to invite all family members; but again this can be decided by taking into the account the 3 points i mentioned above.

There is no point inviting guests that you are not able to comfortably cater for!

There are other invitees that may be a bit more difficult to decide  on inviting or not. For example, you recently started a new job and your boss has been so accommodating with regards to your plans, allowing you to leave early to view venues, etc. Should you invite your boss? hmmmm that is totally up to you. It all depends on the relationship that you have built with your boss and in addition will he or she even want to attend?

You also have the option of giving both families an even number of guests to invite and stick to.
You must also consider your friends who are in a relationship or engaged.

I know this may seem a lot to consider when considering who to invite, but trust me it is worth doing.

It's Your Day, Have it a Special Way (with Special People)

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How to Choose The Right and Best Caterer For Your Traditional Wedding

Hello lovely, hope you are doing well Today. I know you must have a million and one things on your mind right now and you have sooooo many ideas you need to put into motion.


Lets take one step at a time and remember to breathe!!! It is all going to work out well


So Today's topic is vital as you well already know, and the food you provide to your guests will be something they will remember for a very long time.

I remember going to a party many years ago; the venue was a 'shack' if i'm honest, but all i remember is that the music was great and the food phenomenal.

You may be asking yourself if you even a caterer.... of course your aunt Stella is available and sister Brenda's jollof rice is awesome; but really do you want to put undue pressure on them when they too are supposed to be celebrating with you.

A professional caterer is money well spent, you shouldn't have to be worrying about clearing up dirty dishes and whether there is enough food, hiring a professional to do that will take away that unneeded strain.

Before you decide on The Right Caterer for you, you must have first decided on the number of guests you intend on having, who your guests are and likewise the type of venue.

This is because you and couple have to decide on the food you would like for your Traditional Wedding. Though it is 'Traditional', nothing is set in stone that it only has to be a certain type of food. You may choose to add Asian food to your menu. you have to make sure your caterer is capable of this.

In addition, the type of venue you choose may have an effect of your choice of caterer. This is simply because some venues e.g particular hotels may only allow caterers from their preferred vendor list to cater at their venue.

Select a maximum of three professional caterers to choose from, i would advise that you attend an event that these caterers will be supplying the food and service for. Taste the food, monitor the style of service and assess their level of professionalism.

Referrals are  also a good way to choose caterers, but remember the old saying. ''one mans food, is another mans poison''. Recommendations must come backed up solid reviews.

You have to be clear and concise on what the caterer is offering;be clear on all the costing. You have to be sure that the caterer is able to deliver the food (and on time). There is nothing worse than you now having to arrange transport for the caterer..... trust me it happens

Be sure that your caterer will also be clearing up after him or herself, you don't want to be left with any surprises.

Last but not least it it vital that your caterer has the minimal of a Food Hygiene Certificate....Nothing worse than complaints of food badly preserved food or even worse - food poisoning!

We at Tradition-Ally work closely with a number of professional, renowned and capable caterers in the industry and are more than happy to recommend them to you.

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My Mother and Mother in Law are taking over my Traditional Wedding Plans

Hello my dear reader; i really appreciate you clicking on the link and reading our blog. You Rock!😊

I know Today's topic is quite controversial; but it is a very popular issue among brides to be, so lets discuss!


You have been dreaming about this day since you were 12 years old and have mapped out every detail right down to the font that will be used to write the invitations 😄.

So now this day is so close to be becoming a reality and and everything seems set then suddenly...... Mummy comes home one day and ruffles your feathers with her own ideas and suggestions. Just as you are trying to digest her contributions.... The mother in law sends a Whatsapp message....it reads '' please call me asap; its about the Traditional Wedding, i have loads of ideas that we must implement''

I can imagine you right now....eyes rolling, teeth clenching and you are about to give an almighty scream!!!!

Just breathe, count to ten and read on.....

Here a few tips on how to handle the situation

First thing you need to remember is that is special day is just as important to you and your husband as it is to the whole family (yes that includes the mothers)

Remember that you are not marrying you Mother in law and your Mother is 'losing' you to another family. It would be ideal to think about that for a minute

Exercise some patience; i know this can be hard and their 'input may be frustrating you right now but just give it all a little more time

Effective communication is also very vital. Arrange a afternoon out with your 'mothers' and calming go through all ideas. Communicate calmly the reasons why you want things done a certain way and also be prepared to listen to their ideas too.

Get them involved in parts of the planning; like tasting the cake, meeting with vendors, seating plans (o.k maybe not seating plans lol).

I know the who thing can be overwhelming at times but trust me with a little patience and always having at the back of your mind the main reason for the Traditional Wedding - ALL WILL BE WELL!

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The Urhobo Traditional Wedding Ceremony

Fact Friday! 

We can not do the same thing and expect different results! - Food for thought

Today's topic is about the Urhobo Traditional Wedding Ceremony 

But first........ yes you know a bit of history 🙂 


The Urhobo is the major ethnic group in Delta State. Delta State is one of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Urhobos speak the Urhobo language. The Urhobo culture is related to several cultures in the Niger-Delta,the major group of the Urhobo lives in the Delta State.
The Urhobos live very close to and sometimes on the surface of the Niger river. Thus most of their histories, mythologies, and philosophies are water-related. 

Annual fishing festivals that includes masquerades, fishing, swimming contests, and dancing, are part of the Urhobo heritage. There is an annual, two-day, Ohworu festival in Evwreni, the southern part of the Urhobo area when the Ohworhu water spirit and the Eravwe Oganga are displayed. 

The king in an Urhobo clan or kingdom is called the Ovie. His wife of the queen is called Ovieya and his children Ọmọ Ovie (child of the king also known as prince and princes). 

The Urhobo Traditional Wedding Ceremony 

Urhobo traditional marriage is unique to Urhobo culture and traditions. Indeed, marriage in Urhobo worldview is an enduring institution. It is sacred. It looms large enough to tie two independent families together forever. 

Urhobo traditional marriage takes various forms. From time, there have been some distinct processes of marriage proposals or types of traditional marriages. Any of these marriage forms are recognised by our society, as they form key aspects of our customs and traditions. 

   "Esavwijotor:”

         This occurs when parents propose marriage on behalf of their son or daughter at an early age. Pledges of this nature are also made and redeemed, as a result of observed exemplary character of a young girl or boy. It could be made as a reward for exceptional valour. The uses or instances of this concept are infinite. Normally, with this type of marriage, love develops between the couple only after marriage has been officially contracted .

The marriage ceremony follows the meeting of both families. Traditional both families would meet at the bride’s home. An advance notice is given to the bride`s family for this visit. 

The groom’s family will arrive at the bride’s home. Firstly the bride’s family will welcome them with drinks, kolanuts supported with some money will be offered to the visiting family, as is customary in Urhobo tradition. 

A spokesman for the bride’s family will make the presentation of the drinks and kolanuts with the money to the visiting family. The visitor’s spokesman will accept the presentation on behalf of the groom’s family. After this initial customary entertainment, the visitors are asked the purpose of their visit.

The visitors would inform the bride’s family that they have come to marry their daughter for their son, who may or may not be present at this protocol.

If the bride’s family accepts this explanation, they would go through a process of the identification of the bride they wish to marry. The visitors would be told that the family has many daughters; as such, its members do not know which of their daughters their son would like to marry. At this junction, the bride’s family would then bring out a girl who is not the bride, and parade this girl in front of the groom’s family. The groom would reject this girl saying that she was not the one he wants. This formality would be repeated about three times. Each time a girl is paraded and rejected, the groom’s family would be asked to pay the rejected girl some money. 

Finally, the bride is presented to the groom to confirm the true identity of his chosen bride. 

Once this process is concluded, the bride’s consent would then be obtained. She will be asked if she is willing to marry the groom.  The family of the bride can only receive the dowry if she consents to marry the groom. This process is only a formality on the day because in most cases, the dowry amount and all arrangements would normally have been agreed prior.  The groom or his family would pay a dowry to the bride’s family. The dowry is the price money paid to the bride’s family on account of the bride.

The Urhobo Traditional Wedding is very interesting and engrossing culture. 

I just love the Traditional Wedding Attire!

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Traditional Wedding - Edo Traditional Wedding Ceremony Guide

Hey guys hope you are doing well this 'Thought-Provoking' Thursday, lets remember to keep thinking about our Dreams, Goals, Aspirations and Visions.

Let's remember to Work Hard and Keep going, Never give up!

So Today is for the Edo peeps put there.... and as usual , a little bit of history 😄

EDO, is what you can describe as the "generic name given to a group of people who have a common ancestor and have a common language, with some different variants, depending on the distance between the group and the " tap root, " resident in and around the present day Benin City. In short, the land, the political state, the people, tribe, language and the principal city -Benin City is called EDO. At a point in the history of these people, another name called BENIN came into use. 

The Edo or Bini (from the word "Benin") people are an ethnic group primarily found in Edo State, and spread across the Delta, Ondo, and Rivers states of Nigeria. They speak the Edo language and are the descendants of the founders of the Benin Empire. They are closely related to other ethnic groups that speak Edoid languages, such as the Esan, the Afemail and the Owan.


The Edo Traditional Wedding 

At the beginning of the ceremony, all guests are seated, the bride’s family will present kolanuts and drinks to the groom’s family. Each family sit opposite one another (the bride’s family sits opposite the groom’s family).

After kolanuts are broken and eaten, the groom’s family spokesman will stand up and reveal the purpose of their visit, this is the formal marriage proposal, on behalf of their son. At the next stage, the groom’s family spokesperson will present drinks and kolanut gifts to the bride’s family.

Secondly, the bride will be called in by her father, he would ask her if she knows the visitors  (her fiance and his family?).  After that, he would reveal to her the purpose of the visit by the groom and his family members (which is to ask for her hand in marriage). Finally, her father would inquire her response to the marriage proposal; he will put that question to the bride in the customary manner, by asking her whether they (brides family) should accept the drinks and kolanuts (gifted by the groom’s family), this is to symbolize her acceptance to marry the groom.

If her answer is YES, her family will accept the drinks and kolanut gifts; and if NO, the items would be rejected – and there would be no wedding. So, after the bride’s family accepts the drinks and kolanuts, the bride’s family will present the bride-price list to the groom. Thereafter, food and drinks will be presented by the bride’s family to everyone present.

This can either be a very lavish affair with hundreds of guests or an intimate ceremony with just immediate family and friends.

Lovely African Tribe. It seems to be a lot to do with family within the African Tribes... very interesting!

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Traditional Wedding - Tiv Benue Wedding Ceremony

Its Wining Wednesday guys, i know its mid week, but don't give up... Remember you can make it!

Today's topic is a guide on the Tiv Benue Traditional Wedding Ceremony.

Lets dive right in.... You know there's a bit of history first 😄

The Tiv people live on both sides of the Benue River in Nigeria; they speak a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo family.The Tiv are farmers whose main crops are millet, yam, and sorghum, all of which are eaten as porridge or are made more delectable by their addition into sauces and stews. The Tiv Tribe constitutes approximately 7% of Nigeria's total population, and number about 3.5 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Camaroon. The Tiv are the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria. The Tiv language is spoken by about 2.2 million people in Nigeria (as of 1991), with a few speakers in Cameroon.

Tiv Benue Traditional Wedding Ceremony Guide 

Initially, The groom arrives with few of his family members to see the bride’s family for an official introduction of both families.  They are required to attend with a few items such as salt, palm oil, a bottle of wine,spirits (e.g. gin) and optionally bush meat if requested by the brides family.

At the introduction, both families discuss and agree on a date for the traditional wedding. The grooms family is then given a list of further items which they are to come back with on the traditional wedding day. 

An example list is:

For The Father:

• Pig
• Local Gin
• Additional Alcoholic Drinks (which is expected in form of money)
• Danchiki (an attire for the brides father)
• Azenga (cowries)
• Matches

For The Mother:

• Bush meat
• Palm oil
• Salt
• Wheelbarrow
• Umbrella
• Mudu (measuring Bowl)
• Mat (Tabruma)
• Chair
• Soft Drinks
• Basin
• Necklace
• Clothes
• Broom
• Table

After the formal Introduction is The Traditional Wedding Day. On this day male and female members of the brides family are separated in two different rooms. The groom, accompanied by his family members are asked to go into the room with the men from the brides family to discuss the dowry (brides price) payment

At this junction, presentation of the List Items and Bride Price are put forward In the same room that the dowry payment is discussed, the items bought from the list are presented to the bride's father after the dowry payment has been made. After which the bride is asked to come out to show her 'fathers' (all the elderly men in the her family) the man who she wishes to marry by giving him a drink.

The bride will then proceed with the groom to the second room where the female members of her family are gathered. In this room the bride shows her mother the man she has chose and they are both given marriage advice by her mother and other present in the room.

At times the groom is expected to give money to the youth of the brides community after the ceremony. 

If the groom happens to be of the Tiv Tribe, his family will expect the arrival of the bride with Tiv traditional music and 'Swonge' dancers (Tiv traditional dancers), this process is called the ‘Kwase kuhwan”.

Another interesting and beautiful African Traditional Wedding. 

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