20 African Bridesmaid Dress Ideas That You Won’t Find Anywhere

African bridesmaids dress

In Africa, it often seems as if everyone is working towards having the most glamorous wedding. That’s why the planning and execution have to be perfect. Therefore, when planning a wedding, you also need to consider the attire of your bridal train. An African-themed bridesmaid dress is one way you can outperform the competition. This is because they are not a regular sight.

Using traditional attires for your bridesmaid is one of the ways of announcing your ethnicity. Flaunting traditional bridesmaid dress can be particularly symbolic if you are outside the shores of the continent. Perhaps you are already nursing the idea but unsure of how they will look. The following twenty bridesmaid dresses will definitely inspire you to make that bold move.

#.1 Ghana traditional bridesmaids dress

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Beautiful Ghana bridesmaids (Photo credit: weloveghanaweddings-Instagram)

If you want a beautiful yet classy African bridesmaids dress, these bridesmaid dress is a perfect choice. The headscarf and wrapper are typical of African women. Also, the white top is a symbol of purity. The bridesmaids finish off the look by wearing golden heels.

#2. Blue bridesmaids dress

African bridesmaid dresses
African bridesmaids looking beautiful and stylish (Photo credit: geagea.xyz)

Let your bridesmaids make a fashion statement by wearing these gorgeous lace and kente dresses. Blue is a color that depicts royalty. If you want your bridesmaids to captivate your guests, then these dresses are a must-have on your big day.

#3. Kikuyu bridesmaids outfit

Kenyan Bride With Squad In Traditional Attire for Ruracio – Clipkulture
Kikuyu bridesmaids having a heartily laugh with the bride during a ruracio ceremony (Photo credit: Clipkulture.com)

The Kikuyu wedding, known as “ruracio,” is one of the famous weddings in Kenya. Interestingly, the main purpose of the ceremony is to negotiate the bride price for the bride. The Kikuyu bridesmaids here rock deep orange traditional attires. The dresses are decorated with cowry shells at the front.

#4. Baganda bridesmaid dress

African bridesmaid dress
Scovia with her bridal entourage during the introduction ceremony (Photo credit: mywedding.co.ug)

An introduction ceremony in Uganda is not complete without the bride and her bridesmaid wearing traditional Uganda attire. Scovia’s wedding was no exception. Her bridesmaids choose a peach and maroon theme for their dresses. In addition, they complemented the look by wearing pearl accessories.

#5. Peplum Ndembele dress

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Ndebele ladies wearing white peplum dresses (Photo credit: briefly.co.za)

The Ndebele bridesmaids from South Africa aren’t left behind when it comes to weddings. These ladies looked stunning in their white sleeveless outfits. Also, the beaded waist belt and peplum design give the attire a unique look. The bridesmaids accentuate the look by wearing the traditional beaded necklace.

 #6. African print bridesmaids dress ideas

African bridesmaid dress ideas
Bridesmaids crew rocking African print dresses (Photo credit: clipkulture.com)

African print never goes out of fashion. Hence, there’s no better day for your bridesmaids to rock African print than on your wedding day. These bridesmaids stole the show with their stunning blue and green outfits. The dresses have a range of designs from off-shoulder, sleeveless, to lace tops.

#7. Isiagu Bridesmade Dress

Isiagu bridesmaid dress (Photo credit Zanaposh)
Bridesmaids and couple wearing isiagu dress (Photo credit: Zanaposh)

Isiagu is an attire among the Ibos in southeastern Nigeria for royals. In the past, it was an abomination for a woman to wear the dress. Today, that law has changed. This couple decided to make it an isiagu day. The glamor was simply out of this world. It is not surprising that the wedding trended for weeks.

#8. Toghu attires

African bridesmaids dress
Beautiful Cameroonian bride together with her bridesmaids (Photo credit: face2faceafrica.com)

A Cameroon wedding is not complete without the bride and bridesmaids adorning themselves with the toghu print. We absolutely love everything in these toghu strapless attires. The beadsadds a whole new vibe to the appearance. Let your bridesmaids turn heads on your wedding with this fancy look.

#9. Xhosa bridesmaid attire

Bride and Bridesmaids In Xhosa Traditional Wedding Clothes – Clipkulture
Xhosa bridesmaids together with the bride ( Photo credit: clipkulture.com)

The Xhosa people from South Africa are famous for their beautiful culture. Consequently, the culture is seen in their wedding events. The main colors in Xhosa wedding are black and white. This color combination makes the whole occasion look classy and elegant.

#10. Zimbabwe Bidesmaid Dress

Modern African Dresses For Zimbabwe Roora Traditional Wedding – Clipkulture
Zimbabwe bridesmaids praying for the bride (Photo credit: clipkulture.com)

Kente may be a Ghanaian print but it has gained popularity all over Africa. Its elegance and sense of style are perfect for an African bridesmaid’s dress. This particular design is made using kente fabric. Some of the main features of this look are the unique tops and the maxi kente skirt. Is it a yes or no for you? Tell us in the comment box below.

#11. Shweshwe bridesmaids dress

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Lesotho bride together with her bridesmaids (Photo credits: geagea.xyz)

Aren’t these Shweshwe bridesmaid dresses beautiful? They are everything a Lesotho bridal team could ask for. Also, the sleeveless and beautiful print make the dresses look classy and elegant. These African bridesmaid dresses give the bridal team a chic yet sassy look. 

#12. Imvutano Burundi bridesmaid attire

Burundian Bridesmaids In Pink Imvutano Traditional Attire and Beaded Head Band – Clipkulture
Burundian bridesmaids looking gorgeous in traditional attire (Photo credit: clipkulture.com)

Similar to the Rwanda attire this Imvutano attire is mainly worn during the traditional wedding ceremony. The bridesmaids wear sleeveless white tops, and tie the traditional pink wrapper over one shoulder. Its simply hard to resist them.

#13. Floral Venda Bridesmaids Dress

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Venda ladies wearing floral bridesmaid dresses (Photo credit: africafashionhouse.com)

This floral Venda dress is a reflection of the richness of the African culture. The outfit stands out in design and choice of colors. The creative mixture of white, red, blue, yellow, and green hues is hard to resist. Notice how the bridal train match the color of their tail with their shoes.

#14. Gele Headgears

asoebi1 African bridesmaid dress
Aso ebi bridesmaids doing their thing (Photo credit: bglh-marketplace.com)

An interesting feature of elite Nigerian weddings is the flamboyant display of headgear. The Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria call it gele. In this train, the bridal train complete their look with a silver gele. Make sure you don’t sit behind them because some of them are big enough to obscure your view.

#15. Venda Bridesmaid Dresses Variation

Venda bridesmaids dresses South Africa
Three Ladies in colorful Venda bridesmaids dresses (Photo credit: briefly.co.za)

These beautiful women are wearing the traditional Venda outfit from South Africa. Venda is a tribe in South African that values its tradition. One way the Venda community shows its culture is through its attires. For instance, bridesmaids often wear outfits that are embroidered with colorful stripes on the neckline. Also, the women often adorn their heads with colorful head beads.

#16. Habesha bridesmaids outfits

African bridesmaids dress
Habesha bridesmaids with the groom (Photo credit: herbigdayllc-Instagram)

Ethiopia is one country that’s blessed with beautiful women. We can clearly see this from these Habesha bridesmaids. The white, and pink dresses are exquisite. Also, the floral design at the front gives the ladies a traditional yet modern look.

#17. Black Long-sleeved dress ideas

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African bridesmaids posing for a picture (Photo credit: clipkulture.com)

A lot of people don’t wear black to weddings because it is often a symbol of mourning. However, when paired correctly with other fabrics, it can glow. With black, you can play around with colors. You can pair the dress with red, yellow, and white accessories. For instance, the bridesmaids in this picture have paired the black dresses with a black and white belt, breaking off the black monotony.

#18. Rwandese Traditional Bridesmaid Dress

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Rwandese ladies wearing bridesmaids attire ( Photo credit: Kaysweddings-Instagram)

Rwanda is a country that has a beautiful culture. This is evident during their wedding ceremonies. The bridesmaids wear outfits known as omushana. The upper part and bottom part are joined to form a dress. Then, a long shawl drapes down from behind and covers one part of the shoulders. The material used to make these attires is silk.

#19. Kalenjin Koito Bridesmaid Dress

Kalenjin Koito Traditional Wedding :: Sharon & Carlos Marriage Ceremony
Kalenjin bride and bridesmaids ready for the koito ceremony (Photo credit: antonytrivet.co.ke)

The koito ceremony is a famous practice among the Kalenjin. The koito is a kalenjin wedding ritual that entails dowry negotiations for the bride. Both the bride and bridesmaids wear dresses made from Ankara or kente fabric. However, the bride’s dress is different from the bridesmaids in terms of the color and design of the fabric. Here, the bridesmaids chose a red dress designed with pieces of kente.

#20. Zulu Traditional Bridesmaids Dresses

Zulu Bridesmaid Dresses – Fashion dresses
Zulu bridesmaids wearing their traditional attire (Photo credit: geagea.xyz)

The first thing you will likely discover about the Zulu people is their love for bright colors. Zulu’s traditional bridesmaid’s dresses are one of the most beautiful in South Africa. The bridesmaids wear beautiful attires that liven up the wedding. They wear beautiful neck-pieces, white sneakers, beaded belts to match with the wrap skirt. The beads on the neck and crown on the head gives the bridesmaids a touch of royalty.

Conclusion

Thankfully, African weddings are breaking off from the monotony of western dresses. Hitherto, it was almost a crime to wear traditional attires on big occasions but that believe system is changing. It may take time before the concept of wearing white gown and suit is also abandoned. However, we are almost certain it will happen pretty soon. Which of the African bridesmaid dress appealed to you the most? Let us know in the comment box below. 

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