In contemporary Samoan society, a traditional wedding tends to be a Christian wedding containing many elements of Polynesian culture such as food and dance. One example is the bride's taualuga dance, which is a dance nearly all Samoan girls are expected to be prepared to do at their wedding.
Marriage. Members of the father's and mother's descent groups are forbidden as marriage partners, and community endogamy is also discouraged. Bride and groom should be of similar rank.
It is customary in Samoan marriages for the family of the the bride to supply fine mats, mats and tapa cloths for the family of the bridegroom. The family of the bridegroom supply food and money for the family of the bride. Many Marriages are brought about from the desire to obtain fine mats.
Weddings are paid for by both sides:
Both families share the burden of the costs of the wedding, but typically, there are some strings attached to this. In Samoan culture, status is extremely important and not all people are considered equal, unfortunately.
The central element in Samoan culture is the aiga (family). Within the family, giving and receiving tautua (service), fa'aaloalo (respect) and alofa (love) are crucial in social relations.
Gender Roles
Women often maintain the home and take care of children, whilst men are seen as the primary income providers. Men are typically the key decision-makers; however, matriarchs are not uncommon. For example, within an aiga, there may be a female Matai.
The Bride. If you're still following tradition, then the bride is only responsible for paying for the groom's wedding band and wedding gifts for her bridesmaids. However, there are many wedding costs (everything from a coordinator to flowers and décor) that are often shared between the bride and her family.
You might be aware that the bride's family is expected to cover the majority of the wedding day costs, while the groom's family pays for a variety of extra activities, like the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon.
While traditionally the bride's parents were responsible for hosting (and paying for) the entire celebration, today many couples join both sets of parents in contributing.
Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vows by a couple, presentation of a gift (offering, rings, symbolic item, flowers, money, dress), and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure or celebrant.
If you wear the flower behind your right ear, that means you are single. If you wear the flower behind your left ear, that means you are in a relationship. And of course, you can always just wear the flower behind your left ear so guys think you are taken and thus less likely to hit on you.
Samoans often name their children after their relatives, such as aunts, uncles or grandparents. Some Samoans have biblical names or names with a religious meaning along with traditional Samoan names. Other names may represent characteristics or animals.
The way in which one honours their family varies depending on their relationship and status with others. For example, Samoans abroad will often send remittances to family members in Samoa as a way to maintain family connections and respect for one another.
Under Article 15 of Samoa's Constitution, all persons are equal and entitled to equal protection under the law, and no law or executive or administrative action shall discriminate either directly or indirectly on the basis of descent, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, social origin, place of birth, ...
The groom's family traditionally paid for all costs associated with the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon, wedding day transportation, and the officiant. The groom paid for the bride's engagement ring, wedding ring, and groomsmen gifts. It is also common for the groom's family to pay for the alcohol at the reception.
The bride's side of the family traditionally pays for the bride's wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses. Increasingly, however, bridesmaids are paying for their own dresses.
Unlike the past days where the groom's parents' responsibilities were limited to hosting rehearsal dinner and walking the groom down the aisle, today, their contributions are significant. A recent survey by WeddingWire indicates that the groom's parents cover up to 24% of the wedding plans.
As the groom, you're responsible for choosing your best man, groomsmen and ushers, if applicable. Remember, you'll need the same number of groomsmen as there are bridesmaids. If your bride has brothers, make room for them in your wedding party.
It's tradition for the bride's family to pay for the ceremony venue, while the groom would pay for the celebrant and the marriage license.
Samoa has four cultural genders – female, male, fa'afafine, fa'atama, and Samoa is considered one of the countries with a highly culturally recognised and pronounced trans and gender diverse population. Fa'afafine and Fa'atama are indigenous LGBTI citizens of Samoa.
Men of the lower class of Samoa were required to undo their joga when in the presence of chiefs and during worship, suggesting that hair served as a visual representation of status.
There are no real taboos, however it is considered very impolite to walk in front of people you are with (tu lou – bowing in front of a person meaning 'excuse me'). In Samoa, parents, their children and married children all live together in one compound area in separate houses.