The Glasshouse Real weddings
Amina and Yusuf: a Walima dinner under glass
Three hundred and eighty guests, a partition down the middle, and a high table both families could see.
- SpaceGlass Hall and Palm Courtyard
- Guests380
- SeasonAugust, in the rains
Planning with two big families
Amina's family wanted separate seating; Yusuf's family had never attended a Walima with partitions. In the layout planner, they tried the high table on the dividing line, so both sides faced the couple. Both mothers agreed at the first visit.
The Kamu the night before
The Palm Courtyard was lit with lanterns for the Kamu. Amina's friends sat on low cushions while the henna artist worked, and the courtyard gate stayed closed to everyone but the guest list.
The Walima
Guests arrived from 17:00 through the covered walkway, which mattered because it rained in the afternoon. The Northern table menu went first: tuwo, miyan kuka and suya. Music paused for Maghrib prayer, then the drummers started again.
Amina's mother, who had said she would not dance, danced for an hour.