Stage 1 is the introduction ceremony. This is when the groom's family asks the bride's family for their daughter's hand in marriage to their son. This is generally a formality as the bride and groom to be already know they are to marry.

The Engagement ceremony, followed by the Wedding ceremony, is held next, again at the bride's home. The couple will exchange rings and say some words to each other. The bride will have a veil over her face during the ceremony.

Before leaving for the wedding, it is considered good luck for the bride to have water passed across her feet to wash away evil.

Most marriages start at a very early age and usually lasts a lifetime. There are three types of marriages in the Nigerian society: the traditional marriage held in the house of the woman ; the official wedding, held in a registry office and which allows only one wife; and the religious marriage. The Christian marriage is similar to that in western societies, while the Islamic marriage permits up to four wives.

According to old customs, women did not have much say in whom they married- and they still don't in some places. That's one good thing about a compound(many wives): support is built in, whereas in modern Western society some people spend quite a lot of money finding "support groups". Modern educated women, of course, now have careers and are choosy about whom they marry. The "bride price" a man pays may be a sum of money to set the woman up in business. Modern women are generally in no hurry to get married.

Because brides are valuable, families see to it that their daughters are attractive and well-trained for marriage. In different societies, of course, ideas of attractiveness vary. Traditionally Nigerian men were looking for a more rounded Nigerian woman but times are changing.

A traditional Nigerian Man would woos the woman by either contributing to the expense of her educational training, establish some kind of business for her or assist her with her agricultural responsibilities.

When the couple are mature enough to be married, preparations are made for the wedding. This involves a lot of meetings between the two families involved. They arrange for the cooking and feeding of all who will attend the wedding. They also plan the cultural and spiritual rituals that attends such occasions, to see that it meets with the expected norms of the society.

Before the marriage, the groom does the "wine-carrying ceremony". This is when the man and his family takes wine to his bride-to-be's family and both families are formally introduced to each other, and the couples desire to get married each other is made known. If you want to oppose the union this is the time to speak up. The wedding date and the bride-price are also set at this meetings.

The bride price or dowry differs with tribes but usually consists of money, wine and cattle. Nigeria is one of the countries where the man is expected to come up with a "bride price".

The wedding date is set and in most cases, two wedding dates are set; one for the "church wedding" or "white wedding" and another for the traditional wedding. This shows the attachment that Nigerians have to both their cultural heritage and their religious obligations.

Although a woman may decide to leave her husband and return to her family, she may not be welcomed back unless she has a good reason for having left. If he has not mistreated her, he will expect the payment to be returned if she leaves

There are not differences between white weddings in Western countries and those carried out in Nigeria.

But the real thing is the traditional wedding which is often fun-filled and rich in cultural displays.