HOPE & MICHAEL Traditional Marriage In Houston: Message Of Hope For Nigeria

By Otunba T.J Abass

“Marriage is said to be more than a physical union; it is also a spiritual and an emotional experience; a union akin to the one between Christ and His Church.”

The above statement aptly encapsulates the ambience of the traditional wedding ceremony between Michael Chukwuemeka Adibe and Hope Ibironke Idowu at the prestigious Expo Event Hall in Houston, Texas, USA.

It was a union written in the stars, made in heaven, and ordained by God Himself. The wedding ceremony in itself was a consummation of the boundless love between the young couple.

Call it the wedding of the century; it would not be an overstatement, call it a community marriage; it would not be a spurious assertion as all the peculiarities of these delineations were palpably visible at this auspicious occasion.

They all came from far and near to be part of the momentous occasion.

The guests were undeterred by the downpour that was poised to blight the wedding of the century.

The atmosphere in the prestigious Banquet hall on that Friday, May 28th 2021, was electrifying, the excitement was ineffable, and the eminent members of society were adequately represented. They came from far and near to bear witness to what will go down as a union for the ages.

At the highly resplendent event were the Nigerian Community Organization in Houston, Eko Club Houston, Ijebu Descendants, Egba Progressives, Peoples Club, Eko Akete of Houston, Egbe Omo Obinrin Yoruba, to mention a few.

The Groom was resplendently draped in SILVER ASO OKE, a locally woven fabric commonly used for traditional functions. The Bride was also elegant and radiant in the same SILVER ASO OKE and well-adorned beads. One could not help but marvel at the superb blend of the Igbo and Yoruba cultures as the couple looked so magnificently spiffy in their outfits. The Invited Guests, Friends and Family members of the Groom and the Bride were clad in WINE AND GOLD ASO EBI, complimenting an already glamourous and colourful event.

Michael and Hope couldn’t have chosen a more fitting date. May 28th was a day of fulfilment of the dreams of the Groom and the Bride. It was memorial day weekend, a day set aside to pay homage to the fallen heroes for their courage, tenacity, and sacrifice. The weekend witnessed an upward surge of airline traffic due to the ease in the covid 19 restrictions. Reports have it that almost 4 million passengers flew across State lines that particular weekend.

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Michael and Hope became acquainted during their Junior High(middle school) days, but theirs wasn’t the normal, run-of-the-mill high school sweetheart stories. They started as friends and methodically allowed the friendship to metamorphose into an inspiring love tale.

The quirks of fate, they say, dance to no man’s tune; fortune is all one can crave. For Michael and Hope, the whole universe seemed to have tilted in their direction when it aligned their paths to criss-cross once again during a mutual friend’s birthday fete in 2018. The rest, as commonly said in accustomed parlance, is history.

Michael, a Bachelor of Science degree holder in Business Administration from the University of Indianapolis, was born in Houston, Texas. He is the Son of Dr Douglas Adibe and Catherine Adibe of Olehi compound, Umueguru okpuala Afugiri, Ohuhu Umuahia. He is the CEO of a highly successful digital company.

Hope, a medical practitioner, was born in Brooklyn, NY. She is the Daughter of Adeshakin Idowu and Yeside Ayannuga, the flamboyant, vivacious Yeye Mesho of Noforija Kingdom hail from Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, the Grand matron of Eko Club Houston.

The event started on schedule with the arrival of guests gorgeously and immaculately dressed in their various traditional regalia custom-fitted to accentuate their God-given physique.

The wedding ceremony commenced with both the traditional introduction and engagement. The masterful performance of the professional Alaga Ijoko, Bunmi Oluwa Johnson of the famous EBONY MC ALAGA in coordinating the segment was always second to none.

By way of background, the Alaga Ijoko’s primary responsibility was to ensure the accommodation of the traditions of both families, including the official letter reading and exchange of gifts between the two families and the entry of the Groom and the Bride.

The traditional Marriage, albeit held thousands of miles away from home, signified the beauty inherent in Nigeria’s heterogeneous cultural classifications, particularly at a time of increased agitations for Nigeria’s disintegration. It was a subtle reminder of the oneness inextricably intrinsic to our country’s diversity and heterogeneity.

Michael, the charming and handsome young man from Umuahia, and the dazzling beautiful queen from Ijebu Igbo, have, in no uncertain terms demonstrated the potentials and possibilities replete in our cultural diversity; and, as Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola aptly puts it, underscores the need for Nigeria to “break open,” and not “break up.”

The lesson to learn from the young couple here is the common denominator needed to harmonise the antipathies of Nigeria’s fragmented ethnicities, which is love. In not so many words, Michael and Hope have lit the torch for us to enthrone the greatest virtue of all-love, a universal language common to all religions and ideological persuasions.

They have proven that love remains the primary index to help us navigate through the labyrinths of our corporate existence to bequeath posterity with a more robust and better Nigeria, not the broken shards of a country that once existed.

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The reception followed immediately after the traditional ceremony at the same venue, where guests were lavishly treated to sumptuous hospitality, not to mention the aesthetic and elegant decoration of the banquet hall. There was an appealing blend of purple and gold colour in their embellishments, depicting royalty, optimism, energy, joy and happiness, the stratagem of Mrs Omosalewa Yemitan, MD of Edible Fruitties.

Tasty’s Catering Company, the parent company of Edible Fruitties, was involved in the overall planning of the wedding ceremony.

The booking of the venue and the coordination of the Aso Ebis, the scheduling and hiring of both the vendors and the caterers fall within the purview of the event coordinator.

One also has to applaud the meticulousness of the planning process, which birthed the successful occasion. All the countless zoom meetings HELD in preparation for the event paid off in spectacular style.

The successful coordination of the event is a clear testament to the resourcefulness, probity and competence of the dedicated staff of Tasty Catering company.

From the introduction of the dignitaries to the last detail on the programme schedule, the master of ceremony, Humble Nwa Jesus, proved his mettle by helping to deliver a memorable event.

He also carefully coordinated the cutting of the cake and the presentation of palm wine from the Bride to the Groom, a highly significant and symbolic element in Igbo traditional Marriage.

The reception followed immediately with the combination of the D.J SM 95 and Dele Thomas and his genres of music; hip hop, pop, fuji and Afro music serenaded the audience into the wee hours.

Michael, while chatting with Eko Hot Blog, said, “I had always known that Hope would be the woman that will steal my heart, and I was right. I have found a woman that I will spend the rest of my life with.”

Hope, in her words, said,” I have found the love of my life and with whom I am well pleased.”

The symbolic wedding ceremony is slated for Saturday, June 26th in Cancun, Mexico, a city bordering the Caribbean sea and known for countless resorts and beaches, making it a perfect getaway and venue for two love birds that are about to start a new life.

If what we witnessed at the traditional marriage ceremony in Houston, Texas, could be used as an index for extrapolation, those planning to attend the event in Cancun are poised to have another great time.

There have been so many wedding ceremonies, but none like that of the Adibes.

We pray that their Marriage will define them as individuals and deepen their love for each other.

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Michael Adibe

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