African Wedding – Mozambican Style!

Knowing for a long time that neither Mike nor I were interested in having a traditional wedding, we decided to exchange nuptials in Mozambique, kicking off a two-year honeymoon adventure.

The celebrations started the night before when I was treated to a traditional pre-marital Macua beauty regime, including a body scrub, termite mound mud wrap and coconut oil massage while being sung to by 2 local village women, very indulgent but lovely.

We rose at 4:30am as we wanted the ceremony to take place at sunrise based on the idea of a ‘new day, a new life together’. We had to move quickly to get to spiritual location – a baobab tree on a point - before the sun came over the horizon.

The location of the ceremony, we were told, is famous with the local village as a place to make offerings to the spirits.  According to the legend, a woman from the local village disappeared while fishing on the outer reef, swallowed by the sea. Three months later she reappeared, stating that the spirits had saved her and instructed her that wishes would be considered under the baobab tree.  The site became a ceremonial location, where villagers would make offerings to the spirits and request that their wishes be granted.

Our traditional offering, rice, is an integral part of the blessing ceremony and had been cooking since 4:00am, tended by a village elder. Once the rice is cooked it is offered to the spirits, both on land and in the sea and, if the spirits are pleased with the offering – full and happy they will grant your wish. Our request was to have a long, healthy and happy life together.  

 

We were also treated to a traditional Tufo dance by the local village women who encouraged us to participate and dance with them. Mike and I were busting our moves!

 

  

We then had a bottle of bubbles and some chocolate cake to celebrate – all the while serenaded by our African choir.  We decided to try and help the happiness of the spirits along by also sacrificing some of our champagne – after we had drank a little of course!

After the ceremony and celebrations were finished, we were carried in a litter across the lagoon, back to a breakfast on the beach.  It was truly memorable to be followed by a joyous choir as we walked hand in hand.

We were treated to another wonderful breakfast on the shore as the tide receded, and then walked the tidal flats together to enjoy a beautiful morning as husband and wife.

The morning was exactly what we had dreamed of - it was the perfect day and exactly as we imagined it would be!