Ibraima's Wedding

So my brother Ibraima got married just after I got back from training. I have some pictures, but I wont be able to upload them for another time. Ibraima is about one year older than me, and his new bride(Sirrah) is actually from the new part of Sami, which lies across the soccer field. They have a duaghter together (Kumba), so I think they were officially married in the mosque about one year ago, but waited until this year for the ceremony. They waited because he works in Senegal for most of the year, and the wedding is expensive. I don't know everything about what I participated in, but after going to a few marriage ceremonies I definitely know more now than I did before. Here's what I know: First, a couple of weeks before the ceremony my brothers all built a new hut for Ibraima and Sirra. They put up a backyard fence and an outdoor bed, so its really a complete suite. About a week before the wedding my brother quit going over to her compound to visit, which signaled that she was kind of off limits until the wedding. My other brothers and I were still supposed to go over though and chat with her, treat her like part of the family. The wedding was on a Thursday, and on the Tuesday before Sirra made an appearance. She was fully covered in cloth and led out into the center of the common area. There she laid on the ground, completely covered. A crowd gathered around here with drummers playing and people dancing. Then people just started walking up to her and throwing money at her. Someone was there beside her to collect it all. This went on only for about an hour and then the crowd dispersed pretty early. The next afternoon I went over to her compound and all the women were dying her feet black, braiding her hair, and putting jewelery on her. In addition to making up the bride, they were also cooking HUGE amounts of lunch. During a ceremony they give out food to all of the friends and family around, which means pretty much anyone in the village. The brides family cooks for about three days before the wedding. Finally the wedding day came, and it was surprisingly really really tame at our house. Finally around 11 at night we rounded up together and set off for Sirra's compound to pick up the bride. We didnt go straight there though, we just sat outside for awhile until her family was ready to let her go. I think it was 2 am before the whole crowd, bride included, returned to the compound. At that point the bride just sits on the bed, and everyone comes in and sits around her and starts chatting. They brew attaya, and everyone hangs out pretty much all night. The next morning the same community cooking then switches to the new compound, so it was huge bowls of rice, bread, meat, fish, and all sorts of food at my compound. The bride will then keep sitting on the bed and the whole next day people will just come by to see her and sit and chat. Its essentially just aknowledging that shes a bride, and has a new home. She actually doesnt leave the hut for an entire week, which sounds bad, but people will fetch all of her water, and she does all the cooking in the backyard. On the next Thursday she makes an appearance, walking around town with all her beads and finest clothes on. She goes to all the compounds and most people give her a little money. Other highlights of that day are the first time she pounds grain, and the first time she washes her husbands clothes. Then at some point she just starts being a part of the new family, which is where we are now!