A Malekula Wedding

Last week I attended my first wedding in Vanuatu. In many ways, it was similar to an American wedding. The bride and groom were dressed in formal wear, while most of the guests were wearing casual clothes. I thought about how much less I concern myself with my attire now that I've come to Vanuatu. My former life in New York City had me constantly worried about my appearance and what others might be thinking and judging about my clothes for that day. In Vanuatu, men wear old T-shirts with gigantic holes. While women are expected to dress modestly, but it is rare for them to dress formally. It seemed to me that the couple already had three children, which is not uncommon in Vanuatu. Many couples beget children before marrying here. We ended with a cake not dissimilar to an American wedding cake and purely Ni-Vanuatu New Year's tradition: Sprinkling baby powder on our hair.