Wedding in Congo-Brazzaville.

For many Congolese, wedding is only celebrated once, which explains why they put so much effort into making it a grandiose and unforgettable event. Getting married in Congo-Brazzaville is a spectacular and luxurious adventure, where every detail, from the outfits to the banquets, is carefully planned. Families trade dowries and gifts like a stock market, with gifts ranging from goats to televisions. The key to success lies in the ability of the Congolese to transform a ceremony into a memorable event, where luxury and responsibility meet, leaving each guest, even the goats, leaving happy and fulfilled.

The love marathon: The art of marriage in Congo-Brazzaville

The wedding represents a true symphony in several movements, a bit like an opera where each act reserves its share of surprises. It all starts with flirting, a delicate dance where you have to know how to seduce your partner without tripping. Once hearts have been won, head to the engagement, this exciting period when we dream of life together and a large family. But before achieving marital happiness, you must first climb a mountain, or rather a mountain range. The man must meet the parents of his future wife, and be careful, there is no question of showing up empty-handed! It’s a bit like going to your mother-in-law with an empty saucepan: unthinkable. Then, it’s a matter of retrieving the famous shopping list, and not just any one. We are talking here about donations in cash and in kind for three crucial stages: the first wine, the second wine, and the dowry. These last three stages are known as customary marriage.

Customary marriage in Congo-Brazzaville.

The Congolese state recognizes the price of the dowry at 50,000 FCFA, or a value of 76 euros.
The customary marriage in Congo-Brazzaville takes place in three stages: the presentation, the first wine, the second wine, and finally, the dowry. The first stage, including the presentation and the first wines, costs between 50,000 and 150,000 FCFA (76 to 228 euros), depending on the families' requirements. The dowry, which represents the customary marriage itself, includes a cash payment of 300,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA (457 to 3,048 euros), as well as symbolic objects such as wine (150,000 to 250,000 FCFA/228 at 381 euros), clothes for the father of the future wife (120,000 to 250,000 FCFA/183 to 381 euros), and a super-wax loincloth for the mother, with the money to make it. The total cost can well exceed 2,000,000 FCFA (3,048 euros) in the large cities of Congo-Brazzaville. The future bride's family organizes a ceremony costing between 300,000 and 2,000,000 FCFA (457 to 3,048 euros) to welcome the future groom, his family and guests. In summary, customary marriage in Congo-Brazzaville can become an expensive ceremony, with significant expenses that can well exceed 2,000,000 FCFA (3,048 euros) in large cities.

The town hall and nuptial blessing.

After this step, the future bride and groom appear before state officers at the town hall, where the legal cost is set at 50,000 FCFA (76 euros). But as marriage is a luxury, we quickly move on to more expensive expenses reaching millions of CFA francs: car rental, paying photographers, and many other joys.
The big day arrives and the party continues at the church. There, the pastor pronounces the vows of blessing, often accompanied by a few emotional tears. Then everyone heads to the party where the dancing is in full swing. In the end, the whole shebang culminates in a memorable evening, where even the shyest take to the dance floor, proving that love really can work miracles.

In short, between families, the town hall, the church, and a wild evening, the wedding, although expensive, is a memorable adventure where love and celebration combine perfectly.