A Yoruba engagement highlight, made from your traditional wedding footage
The Yoruba traditional wedding, usually called the engagement, is where the families formally unite. Two alaga direct it: one for the bride's family, one for the groom's. The groom and his friends prostrate, letters of proposal and acceptance are read, the engagement items are presented, and the bride dances in, finds the groom and places his fila on his head before the couple kneels for prayers. Details vary by family and faith. Upload the engagement as its own WeddingEditor project, list its moments and people, and WeddingEditor's AI editing makes the highlight.
The edit follows your notes; it does not guess at the order of the rites.
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Last updated October 2026
How to get a highlight of the engagement
- 1
Upload the engagement as one project
Create a project for the engagement and upload the files from each camera: arrival, dobale, letters, items, the bride's entrance, the fila, prayers and the dancing. Every file must finish uploading, or be marked as left out, before checkout.
- 2
Name the alaga, the parents and the rites
In the people question, describe both alaga, the parents and the groom's friends. In the moments question, list the rites in order. Use the avoid question for anything the family prefers to keep private.
- 3
Receive and revise
Pay with One Wedding or spend a credit from your plan, then start processing, which usually lands in 24 to 72 hours. Watch the engagement edit in your project, download the 1080p MP4, and email up to two rounds of notes.
Moments of the Yoruba engagement to list
Write these in the moments question in the order they happened.
The groom's family arrives
The groom's family arriving with the engagement items, welcomed by the alaga ijoko.
The dobale
The groom and his friends prostrating before the bride's family, sometimes more than once at the alaga's request.
The letters
A young member of the bride's family reading the proposal letter, and the acceptance letter read in reply.
The items
The engagement items being presented and checked, which can include kola nut, bitter kola, honey, yams and a Bible or Quran.
The bride and the fila
The bride dancing in with her friends, often veiled, finding the groom and placing his fila on his head.
Prayers
The couple kneeling while parents and elders pray over them.
What happens at a Yoruba engagement, in order
A common sequence. Families adapt it, and Christian and Muslim families include their own prayers.
1. Welcome and greetings
The alaga welcome both families. The groom's family is formally received, often with playful demands from the bride's side.
2. The groom's dobale
The groom and his friends lie flat before the bride's parents as a sign of respect, then kneel or stand when allowed.
3. Letters and items
The proposal and acceptance letters are read, and the engagement items, listed by the bride's family, are presented.
4. The bride's entrance
The bride enters, usually with friends and dancing, kneels before her parents, then finds the groom and places his fila on his head.
5. Prayers and celebration
Parents and elders pray over the kneeling couple, and the families celebrate with music and dancing.
A highlight, not the full engagement
An engagement can last several hours. WeddingEditor makes one Highlight Reel of about 5 minutes or one Social Teaser from it.
Parts of the engagement and what to note in the preferences
| Part | What it looks or sounds like | What to note in the preferences |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Alaga calling both families, music and laughter | "Keep the alaga ijoko's welcome briefly." |
| Dobale | The groom's friends flat on the floor | "Must include every friend down at once." |
| Letters | A young relative reading aloud | "Keep a few lines of each letter." |
| Bride and fila | Dancing entrance, veil lifted, cap placed | "Keep the fila going on and the cheer." |
| Prayers | Couple kneeling, parents' hands raised | "Keep the bride's father praying." |
What is a Yoruba traditional engagement?
The Yoruba traditional engagement is the customary ceremony at which the bride's and groom's families formally agree to the marriage, led by two alaga, with the groom's prostration, the reading of letters, the presentation of engagement items, the bride placing the groom's cap, and prayers.
It is not the introduction, the earlier meeting of the families, and not the church wedding or nikah that many couples also hold.
Yoruba engagement video questions
Can I get a highlight of just the engagement?
Yes. Upload the engagement footage to its own project; it produces one edit separate from the church or reception.
Will the reading of the letters be kept in full?
Usually only a few lines fit in a highlight. Say in the moments question how much you want of each letter.
Will WeddingEditor understand the alaga's Yoruba?
Probably not, so describe which exchanges matter. The recorded sound stays as it is.
Can I leave out the counting of the items?
Yes. Put it in the avoid question, or ask for only a brief moment of the items.
What does it cost to edit the engagement?
It is one project: One Wedding is $119 one-time for one wedding, or use one plan credit.
Does WeddingEditor decide which parts of the engagement are appropriate to show?
No. The families decide what may be shared from the engagement, such as the prayers and the letters, and WeddingEditor does not decide it. Write any limits in the avoid question.
More for Yoruba weddings
Keep the dobale, the fila and the prayers
Create your account, upload the engagement as its own project, and list the rites in order.
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