Top 20 things to expect on a Yoruba Engagement List… (Expect this list when you plan on marrying a Yoruba girl)

Top 20 things to expect on a Yoruba Engagement List… (Expect this list when you plan on marrying a Yoruba girl)

Congratulations on your engagement!!! Now its time for the real deal. The traditional wedding. While you are waiting for the Eru Iyawo engagement list from the family, this list will guide you on what’s likely to come from the family of your bride to-be.

Just be patient and read through!

During the introduction ceremony, the groom and his family come to the brides’ house for the “door knocking”. The groom, along with his father or uncle (probably if his father is late) and some elder members of the family visits the bride’s house to announce their intentions to marry their daughter. On accepting their proposal, the bride’s family then presents them with the Eru Iyawo list.

So these are some of the items to expect on the list.

1. Dish of peppered corn meal (Aadun)
2. Pack of sugar
3. Baskets of fruits
4. Decanters filled with honey
5. Crates of canned of bottles soft drinks
6. Crates of malts soft drinks
7. Cartons of bottled water
8. Bottles of non alcoholic wine
9. Cartons of fruit juice
10. Bitter kolas (Orogbo) 
11. Tubers of yam (Isu)
12. Kolanuts (Obi Abata)
13. Chilli/ Alligator peppers (Atare)
14. Pieces of dried fish (Eja Osan)
15. Big suitcase containing clothes, shoes and hand bags
16. Bible/ Quran
17. Engagement rings for the Bride and Groom
18. Biscuits and sweet
19. Umbrella
20. Palm oil/ groundnut oil.

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Yoruba Traditional Wedding Engagement list popularly known as Eru Iyawo is given to the groom’s family by the bride’s family in preparations for their forthcoming Traditional marriage rites. The groom’s family brings the items on the Eru Iyawo list to the bride’s on the wedding day to ask for their daughter’s hand in marriage-traditionally.

Items on the engagement list will differ based on what part of Yoruba land the bride’s family is from and their level of exposure. Eru Iyawo has been modernized this means, in recent times, the yam and goats come in well-packaged formats even though the content is typically the same. Below are the most common items you find on a Traditional Engagement list, Eru Iyawo. Please note that the engagement list items are not set in stone, although some like Bible/ Quran, and bitter kola are a must.

Money/Fees

Owo ori (The bride price) – Varies

Owo Ijoko Agba (Money for the elders consent)

Owo baba Gbo (Money for the bride’s father’s consent)

Owo Iya Gbo (Money for the bride’s mother’s consent)

Owo Ikanlekun (Door knocking fee)

Owo Isiju Iyawo (Fee for unveiling the bride)

Owo Aeroplane (Bride transportation fee)

Owo Iyawo Ile (Money for the children of the household)

Owo letter kika (Letter reading fee)

Owo Telephone (Fee to call bride out)

Owo Isigba (Engagement gifts unveiling fee)

Owo Alaga Ijoko (Master of Ceremonies fee)

 

The money is collected at different points during the traditional wedding ceremony, while the gift items are arranged at the venue before the ceremony starts. Gifts are usually packaged in baskets or boxes, which are coordinated to match the wedding colour scheme or wedding theme.

There are so many vendors now offering packaging Eru Iyawo, buying of gift items, marriage proposals and acceptance letter drafting as a service with the most popular vendor being Eru Iyawo Concepts.

Wow. It’s a really nice tradition, if you ask me. I would love to fulfill all these rites some day; you know what I mean by that… Hahaha…

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