July 4, 2015 - A Wedding in Matsapha

Our first full day in Swaziland brought with it an invitation to a wedding. Our team was only told about the wedding a week in advance.  Fortunately I always bring my suit with me on trips (the Swazi church culture is formal).  

The wedding was quite a celebration.  There was singing and dancing for nearly an hour prior to the arrival of the bride and groom.  Not Kool and the Gang, but celebratory worship music.  The ceremony was not a solemn one, it was a joyous uniting of two people who love Jesus and love each other and wanted to publicly demonstrate their commitment to Him and one another.

Some highlights:

1) the groom and his groomsmen kneeling down before the bride and her brother (her father was not there, I think he has passed) and formally and publicly thanking the family for her.  See the picture.  I was blown away.  It stirred my heart such that, when I returned to the USA, I sent a message to my mother-in-law thanking her for raising my wife.

2) the groom's vows.  It was clear he was having a hard time understanding the officiant's accent (groom was from Zimbabwe, officiant -- my pastor -- is from Philadelphia).  But he nevertheless repeated them enthusiastically once he understood them.

3) the transition from the wedding to the reception.  we didn't change halls, or have a motorcade.  once the ceremony was completed, the guests were invited to queue up for a buffet dinner and we sat right there in the church (the chairs were turned to allow conversation)

4) the wedding MC.  I hypothesize that this guy was a paid professional.  I don't think the wedding program itself was rehearsed, but he kept the ceremony flowing and was as enthusiastic as the groom.

5) the wedding party's procession.  Waaaaay more than simply walking down the aisle, the wedding party entered to a choreographed dance, with each pair having some solo dance time.  After the ceremony they all got up and danced again.  It put me in mind of some of those awesome wedding videos you see on youtube where the bride and groom or some pair of guests has obviously choreographed an elaborate routine as a surprise for the guests.  I don't think this wedding party's dance was a surprise, but it was delightful.