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Mashudu Mambo
SILIBAZISO Ncube (28) had a small and classy lobola wedding which had about 20 guests which made the event memorable.
Ncube said the idea of the lobola/roora wedding came about when she and her partner realised that they could save a lot of money by having one ceremony which combined lobola negotiations and a traditional wedding.
“The new trend of roora/lobola weddings is budget-friendly, for my wedding we used about US$500 which covered the costs of décor, food and photography. This made it easy for us because my husband had to focus mostly on paying the dowry while my family had to cover the costs of the ceremony,” said Ncube.
Ncube said the idea can be adopted by young couples as they are budget-friendly.
“Roora/lobola weddings are ideal, especially for young couples, they save a lot of money unlike the traditional weddings where one tends to spend thousands of dollars and end up in debt,” said Ncube.
The weddings have become a popular trend in the past years and are favoured by some couples who believe that they are more personal and create meaningful celebrations.
Lobola weddings differ from traditional large-scale weddings. A wedding planner, Buhle Nkala said hybrid lobola weddings were ideal as they reduce costs and help partners be key in decision-making.
“These weddings are not chaotic and less planning is needed, they do not involve the aunties or in-laws who tend to override the decisions of the couple. In these roora/lobola weddings, the bride and the groom are the only people that we deal with and this has made our work easy.
“Young couples invite marriage officers after the dowry negotiations, exchange vows and at the same venue, they have their reception and lunch. They take their pictures and proceed to their honeymoon or homes after the ceremony and thus saving them from unnecessary costs,” she said.
However, Nkala stated that for wedding planners’ these weddings mean that they make minimal profits.
“These weddings are good for young couples but to us as wedding planners, it means that we have minimal profits,” she said.
A marriage officer, Reverend Nhlanganiso Moyo hailed the trend stating that it reduces costs that can be incurred by the couple.
“It is a cost-cutting event although it is limited when compared to the events that we had in the past where there would be a lobola ceremony and a wedding which would take place months after the traditional ceremony,” he said.
He stated that the roora/lobola wedding bypasses some of the cultural practices that were done in the past.
“The roora wedding, although it is a good idea, especially for young couples, it bypasses certain practices that were done in the past like introducing the bride to the ancestors and ushering her into the new family,” he said.
He stated that the essential factor in these weddings was the agreement of the couple in having such a wedding.
“These weddings are good as long as both parties and families are in agreement. The conceptions that these weddings are rushed are because this is a new trend that a number of people are not used to,” he said.
However, an academic and cultural commentator Dr Luyanduhlobo Makwati indicated that the trend of these weddings was misplaced as it goes against the lobola practice.
“These weddings are a violation of our culture, this is because in the Ndebele culture lobola is not a one-day event but rather it is a process that is done in stages. It does not make sense for one to get married to a family that they have known for one day. This is one of the reasons why the number of divorces has skyrocketed,” he said.
He outlined that the rites that have to be followed in a traditional ceremony take days and months.
“Traditionally, the groom’s family sends an envoy on the first day to discuss the marriage conditions and these people get a quotation of the lobola requirements. After these discussions, the groom’s envoy (idombo) goes back and informs their parents and family about the bride’s family and their culture. In cases where the families are willing to compromise, a date is set for negotiations and the lobola ceremony is conducted,” he said.
He added that after the negotiations there has to be a date set for the bride to meet her in-laws.
“Depending on the outcome of the negotiations, a date is then set on when the bride will be introduced to her in-laws. This is different from these rushed lobola/roora weddings which violate our culture,” he said.
Online Reporter