The Akan traditional wedding outfit
The Akan wedding outfit is very popular in West Africa, especially in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. The reason is simple, it’s a majestic outfit, by choosing it the couple imitate the royal court’s festivities.
Akan clothing
For the Akan traditional marriage, the bride and groom wears Kente (Ghana ) or Kita cloth (Côte d’Ivoire). Kente is made on a traditional loom. The production technique is to weave the son of cotton or silk between them. After this first stage of weaving resulting in long strips that are sewn near each other to get the cloth itself.
Originally Kente is a royal fabric. It was worn by the notables and people of royal lineage at major ceremonies. Kente may be selected according to its colour as each colour has a meaning.
The bride may dress in a lace top with two pieces of cloth. She can also omit the lace top and tie the cloth at the chest. The bridegroom wears a big cloth around his body and a big gold necklace.
Other married couples can choose to make clothes sewn with kita. It’s very trendy right now.
Some try to mix fabrics by adding small pieces of kita in their white wedding dress.
Akan Jewelry
Jewelry is very bling bling. Jewellery us usually overlaid (necklaces and bracelets). Hair ornament are used as well.
Akan traditional wedding hairstyle
The hair is generally adorned with jewellery.
To create this hairstyle, the hairstylist made some cornrows on the side. Then she made a big braid on the top of my head.
She then twisted a big synthetic piece of hair that she placed behind this braid. Then she left my hair as an afro at the back of my head.
Akan traditional wedding makeup
In general, kaolin (white clay) is applied in a circle on the shoulders, arms and belly.
The Akan wedding outfit is beautiful and majestic, but jewellery is very heavy to carry and the kita is very thick and therefore is really hot..
