Page 53 - Urban Kapital Magazine Autumn 21

CULTURAL WEDDINGS

CARIBBEAN - BY NILE CAREM

The ceremony

The Caribbean wedding culture is
heavily influenced by the western
culture and so does not deviate too
much from the traditional English In Jamaican culture, for example;
wedding ceremony. Black Rum Cake is baked for wed- Traditionally, the reception is held
There are one or two exceptions; it is dings. We don’t do packet mix cake– in a marquee in the backyard of the
not unusual for the family of the bride the traditional Caribbean wedding groom’s home. The community helps
to attend her home in the morning of cake includes aromatic spices such to build a hut, but the groom must not
the ceremony, this is when make up as cinnamon and nutmeg it has dried work - this tradition is not as widely
and hair are taken care of. fruit that has been soaking in rum practiced today.
A Caribbean breakfast will be cooked, since you announced the date!
consisting of: the usual fry up but the
beans are peppered and fried AND – it is paramount that you burn Partying Till The Morning
dumpling and plantains a must. the sugar to give the cake its dark
colour. Jamaican weddings take full advan-
The church service consists of tage of the excuse to party. There is
praying (lots of praying) to bless the Goat is always on the Menu usually a ‘sound system’ and a whole
couple and their families and future DJ line up.
family. The songs usually consist of Traditional Jamaican wedding food
gospel and old spirituals. And some includes two staple ingredients; You will see dance formations
will have the full on gospel choir to Curry Goat and Rum. involving all or most of the guests,
mark their big occasion. A goat is usually chosen by the bride and reggae classics are guaranteed
and groom prior to the wedding. It all night. ‘The more the merrier’ is a
In the UK many Caribbean weddings is then killed and used to make the common mantra, and it is quite com-
will have a traditionally English song curry which will be served at the re- mon for guests to turn up uninvited.
sheet, depending on the culture and ception. (This tradition is present at The reception will last until morning
religion of the family. most Caribbean weddings, except and it’s expected that guests will stay
in the UK we get the goat from the until the end. A pair of comfortable
The Giving Away butchers). dancing shoes is in everyone’s bag.

Walking down the aisle becomes a The curry goat is slow cooked for Tun T’anks Sunday – The ‘after party’
family affair in Caribbean weddings. hours and is full of traditional
The bride is sometimes given away Caribbean flavour. The rum is flowing The wedding doesn’t stop after the
by both her parents. With the dom- at the bar and soaked into the cake! reception has finished. On what is
inant religion of many Caribbean now, the Sunday following the
islands being Christianity, the cere- Back – a - yard Reception wedding, the attendees are invited
mony doesn’t deviate much from the back to the bride’s home and often
traditional western wedding. We don’t have issues finding arecep- take part in more celebrations until
tion venue. This isn’t a problem for sunrise.
many Caribbeans as their backyards
The rum cake and food are a Big Deal! can also double as a wedding venue. In Jamaica this is known as Tun
(In the UK, it is not unusual for some T’anks Sunday. And can sometimes
The cake is an important feature of or all of the reception to take place at
any wedding, but in Caribbean cul- home, or a community venue with a MAGAZINE // 53
ture it’s especially important. late licence, you see why later).