The Wedding

The day before the wedding, or in our case very early the morning of, the bridesmaids go to stay with the bride and help her prepare herself. We had a very interesting matatu ride there! The one we were in got stopped by the police, who were very friendly to us and the little flower girl we were taking as well, but not so to the driver. They wanted a 5,000 Shilling bribe (like $70 -- a lot. The alternative is the vehicle being impounded and a 10,000 Shilling fine) so the driver had to call the owner which was taking a long time etc. I asked the policeman what the problem was, and he listed off so many violations: the driver had no documents/insurance, the conductor wasn't wearing a uniform, no speed governer etc. I tell you, every matatu trip is an exciting one!
Anyway, so when we (finally) arrived, everyone enjoyed making last minute preparations -- putting on bright lipstick etc.
Then, the bride is locked in her room and the women from the man's village come. There is a traditional Kikuyu song that the women from the bride's village and the groom's village sing to each other -- the groom's side about coming to take the bride, and the bride's side saying they won't let her go! Then, the mother of the groom and some other key women go to break the bride out of her room; in some cases she literally has to be broken out because they might hide the key. If the dowry hasn't been really settled I guess this can be a long process. Once the bride is "free" lesos are laid on the floor and ground and she is led to the decorated car. On the way, the best man comes and checks under the veil to make sure she is really the right one.
Matatus are specially hired for the journey to the church. The church ceremony is somehow similar to ones in the U.S., although it was in Swahili so I'm not entirely certain. A couple differences are that the bride has a long train on her dress that after the exchange of rings is wrapped around the groom as well, showing that they are now connected.
Also, there is no smooching! I turned to the bridesmaid next to me and asked her if they were "officially married" when people started clapping and ululating, and she said yes. I asked if they were going to kiss, and she looked at me like I had asked if they were going to run around the church screaming. It was later explained to me that while it is an option, almost no one chooses to include that in their ceremony.
One tradition that I would like to adopt is that of having a best couple, instead of maid of honor and best man. The bride and groom choose an already married couple to be their "best couple" who guide them not only through the wedding, but also through the beginning of their marriage. You are to choose people you are very free talking to, so that if you have any conflicts in your marriage, you are able to go to them for advice.
After the wedding there is a photoshoot (I've posted pictures on facebook again) then the reception. After the pictures, the bridal party marched behind the school band to the reception which was held in the amphitheater of the primary school.
Everyone is given food, and various people provide entertainment. The children of the school danced, others sang, etc. In between acts, people bring up their gifts. The bride's parents traditionally give a bed, and make it in front of everyone.
The groom's parents gave a pair of goats. Towards the end the cake is cut, the newlyweds feed it to eachother, and the bridesmaids help to hand out tiny pieces to some of the attendees (usually there is not enough for everyone).
In the evening, there is an "evening party" for the bridal party and some of the younger guests. We went to a place called "Traveller's Inn" in the nearby town. There is dinner...we had goat intestine sausage wrapped in the skin of the goat which still had some hair on it, cabbage and ugali. The Kenyans thought this was fantastic, and I tried a couple bites, but couldn't quite stomach it. I was trying to be polite of course as so not to be that obnoxious foreigner who won't even try anything, but perhaps shouldn't have been as I ended up being quite sick the next day probably from that... and my tongue was black. Gross! People then dance, and "take something" (this is the only time I've seen people consuming alcohol) and just enjoy themselves. I had been asking one of the teachers where people meet their spouses as men and women tend to naturally separate themselves at many events, especially in church. The teacher replied, "Oh Lauren, you don't meet your husband at church!" So, I think it is at these evening parties where many people meet their future significant other. I really enjoyed a lot, and we didn't come back until 2 AM. The Sisters were kind enough to give me the gate key so it was no problem. This is the first time I've been out after dark here, as it's not always especially safe.
Really, it was such an enjoyable experience. I was so blessed to be really included and have others to translate and explain what was going on.