Bridesmaid Duties Once Again: #IT2014

Honestly, I can't believe how frequently I've been blogging recently, my boss is currently away and so things have been generally less busy at the office. More time for blogging! Yay! Because more often than not, after an exhausting day at work, I just can't bring myself to put my thoughts into words. Anyways, today's post is another wedding one, my cousin Itunu got married to the man of her dreams, Tosin in December and I got to be a bridesmaid at the event. You may remember when I was a bridesmaid back in August at a different cousins wedding, they really opened my bridesmaid market! Haha. And then I attended the wedding of one of my best friends sister's. It's been weddings galore since I moved back and honestly, I don't even go to that many. If you live in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos, you know it's possible to go to a wedding every single weekend!

Anyways back to the koko, she got married in Ibadan and on the morning of the traditional wedding, I took a road trip there with my cousin Tomi and two friends, Funmi and Ore. Truthfully, I was exhausted by the time we got there, exhausted but ready for the turn up! It's hard to describe the colour of the aso-ebi, it was really sparkly and shiny and depending on what you chose to line the fabric, it looked slightly different. The effect was really gorgeous though and the gele was a really lovely coral and goldish colour... Do you know what, I think pictures would make this description easier! 

Do you guys remember my first post ever on 'aso-oke'? It's actually one of my looked at posts via Google.

As a Real Yoruba Girl: Aso-Oke Love

Okay I know what this looks like, you think I have once again desserted you and neglected my baby but I promise I haven't! This time I have a legit excuse, I've been out of the country and without wifi for about a week or so; I went to the heart of Ondo Kingdom, Nigeria for my granddads' funeral and though it was generally  time of extremely mixed emotions let's focus on the not so sad shall we? My Warrior Angel would have wanted it no other way!

It's been more than a while since I last dressed up in the full Yoruba attire but this past week I must have worn all the different types of aso-oke (top cloth) in Ondo! from the lovely purple and pink in alari, to the subtle gold in sanyan and the deep blue of etu!

Pink, pearls and alari, excuse the messy room in the background, that is what happens when you put six females together AND make them rush to get dressed quickly everyday! This is a typical yoruba traditional outfit, the head piece is called a gele, the top is a buba and the wrap around skirt is called an iro. I'm missing my iborun in this picture which is another piece of cloth, the same as the gele that is wrapped around your waist but you can kind of see it on my Aunt in the background. Trust me when I say there is no rushing this outfit! The gele (head piece) will be tied to perfection!

Gold, corals and sanyan and the massive necklace around my neck is called an 'igbaku'. I think it's only used at funerals if I remember rightly.

My brothers and cousin in sanyan agabadas (the long gown over the trousers), filas (men's hats) and igbakus. Those agbadas are heavy! I never realised how much so until I tried using one as a duvet!

Cute lil cuz in his own mini agbada

The girls in lilac and purple, honeslty I don't even remember what this outfit was for!

Sleeping in church. tut-tut!

After this trip I have a really deep love for aso-oke now! I always hated wearing it before but I think I have been well conditioned to it, I've even gone as far as daydreaming on what my aso-ebi (family cloth) for my wedding will be made out of and what colour it will be! just have to learn to tie my own gele so that poor Aunty Toju doesn't have to tie about 20 every morning the next time the whole family gathers God bless her soul! Once again I'm sorry I left you for so long! Hopefully you see that I haven't just ditched, thanks to all my readers for always coming back and to my favourite anonymous commenter and all the readers in Russia, thank you especially!

P.S: Posting this month might continue to be sparse as I prepare for summer exams but I will try very hard to not leave for too long again! Blogging is a nice study break. :)

Reni x