Weddings and Drums

The sun is shining and there is a soft breeze wafting across the courtyard. The chattering crowd sitting restlessly in white chairs suddenly quiets and turns slightly toward the back of the area that has been draped with white and your meticulously chosen wedding colors and flowers. You pause, look ahead at your groom and take your first step… just as the first beats of a waiting circle of drummers begin to play on their Djembes.

Weddings are celebrations of love, steeped in tradition and fun and the ingredients to make a lifetime memory. When it comes to making a wedding a unique and unforgettable event, sometimes it takes going beyond the traditional orchestra or disk jockey. Sometimes, its takes a wedding drum circle to complete your very special day.

Drums are a natural part of all types of celebrations in Africa; including weddings, baptisms and funerals as well as in celebration of the various stages of the harvest or other festivals and holidays such as Ramadan. If you are already a fan of drumming and drum circles, incorporating unique rhythms into your wedding ceremony or reception may be just what you are looking for to personalize your wedding and keep your guests talking about your wedding for years to come. Imagine your guests’ surprise as they not only get to experience drumming, but can also pick up some spare drums and start playing along, becoming part of your wedding on a more intimate level than the dance floor or buffet table.

opular cultural rhythms that celebrate weddings are a great way to start the fun. If you incorporate a wedding drum circle into your ceremony or reception, have your drummers start off with traditional wedding rhythms like the Diansa, Guinea fare or Seourouba rhythms as a tribute to the African culture that has inspired your drum-accented wedding. Then let the rhythms lead the drummers and your guests into their own rhythms. Listen as your wedding becomes a true community experience, blessing your union with love, adventure and fun, and then be sure to join in yourself. Grab a drum and enjoy your very special day.

Your wedding is your time to shine and share your life with your closest friends and family. If your life includes drumming, or you just want to do something different from the typical wedding, grab a Djembe and a friend, and get the rhythms out while you look forward to your new and beautiful life together with the one you love.