A wedding can never go wrong with the presence of the bride’s maids, considered as her friends. Bridesmaids are typically young and are often close friends or sisters of the bride. As a matter of fact, Anko, also known as Aso-ebi, brings life into wedding ceremonies. The flamboyancy of the colourful attire worn by family and friends makes a wedding more attractive. However, Anko is always a centre of attraction after the couple, and that is why brides are more interested and particular about making sure that their friends stand out gorgeously in beautiful attires to support her. Basically in Nigeria, in a wedding ceremony — be it a traditional or white wedding — it is important to choose the right colours for the bride’s maids, such that it matches the colour of the occasion. These days, weddings are made more colourful because of the presence of the colourful dresses worn by the bride’s maid and aso-ebi worn by members of the family and friends at the event.
Nigeria has lots of beautiful cultures and traditions and our weddings, irrespective of the tribes, are always phenomenal. In fact, the bride is always the cynosure of eyes at every wedding. After her are her maids and her Aso-ebi wearers.
Aso-ebi comes in different looks and texture and it has a way of reflecting the uniqueness and bond of the family and friends present at the occasion. It also increases one’s confidence, especially when the dresses are correctly accessorized and well-tailored. In most weddings, what is likely to be seen as the Aso-ebi are materials raging from wax print fabric and laces to combination of more than one Ankara fabric and satin, etc.
It is not enough to pick the Aso-ebi dresses. In most cases same style will be important, colour of shoes and bags, same makeup artist should make all the bridesmaids up so as to have a uniform look . An Aso-ebi will definitely not be completed unless it is complemented with the right purse/bags, jewelry, shoes, hairstyles or better still gele (headgear). Here are important accessories that can complement the Aso-ebi.
SHOES: The selected shoes for wedddings are always meant to complement dresses. Shoes are meant to be comfortable to ensure that you do not walk and stumble while walking into or around the hall. Most importantly, the bridesmaids should wear shoes with neutral heels, which will be comfortable to walk around in, in order to avoid painful blisters. When selecting your shoes ensure that the heels are comfortable to walk with and the colour matches the dress. This further beautifies the Anko idea in bridesmaids as well as guests in any wedding
BAGS: Wedding handbags usually range from clutches, totes, to purses. They are petite, fashionable and easy to carry. You can nail all the looks of the moment by either picking a clutch or purse bag for the occasion. Shoulder bag is definitely not the best bet for an occasion like weddings, and certainly not for the bridesmaids.
JEWELRY: The importance of jewelry in the world of fashion is simply undeniable. Having the right jewelry to accessorize your outfit for the occasion can spell the difference. Get the right pieces for the occasion. You might be too overwhelmed with your choices and end up choosing awkward pieces of jewelry that do not match your attire. At the end of the day, it does matter when and how many jewelry pieces a woman uses, especially when dressing for a particular occasion. The right jewelry adds more beauty to the combination of accessories for the bridesmaids.
GELE: Gele can be large and elaborate. Personally, I don’t think there is any Nigerian wedding that is complete without the gele to complete the attire being displayed by the bride, her maids and female guests. Let’s face it, it may be all about the dresses but the hair completes the entire package.
