A bride has set social media abuzz after refusing to smile throughout her wedding ceremony until the groom, his family, and friends “bought” her mouth with money, following an age-old tradition.
In a viral video shared on TikTok, the bride sat composed with a straight face, showing no sign of excitement as the wedding ceremony unfolded. An announcer at the event explained that she would not smile until her groom and his loved ones presented her with enough cash to "buy" her mouth.
As the groom, his family, and close friends gathered around her, attempting to shower her with cash, the bride remained expressionless, strictly adhering to the cultural practice. Despite multiple attempts to make her laugh, she stood firm, waiting for the tradition to be fully honored before allowing herself to break into a smile.
The tradition, known as BIBIFE in Kalabari culture, holds deep significance. The caption of the viral video explained its meaning:
“BIBIFE in Kalabari literally means ‘buying of mouth.’ The groom must ‘buy’ his bride’s mouth before she can eat in his house. He must also buy the mouths of his in-laws to allow them to eat whenever they visit.”
It further elaborated: “According to tradition, the bride is not meant to smile from the beginning of the ceremony until the groom has successfully bought her mouth.”
The rare cultural practice fascinated social media users, sparking a wave of reactions online. Many were intrigued by the custom, while others joked about how expensive the ritual could become, depending on how much the bride held out.
See some reactions from netizens below:
@peema: “Abeg who dey collect the money at the end of the day?😂”
@Chioma❤️🔥🕊️🕊️🤍: “They must do this thing at my wedding o. I want to make my man sweat a little😂.”
@mavis_Wanczyk: “You no see anything ooo! I love her friend that kept the money in her hand, na sense be that!😂😂”
@CHARLES~ANDY: “Ijaw people! 😂😂 At this point, you fit spend pass wetin you budget for wedding.”
The unique ceremony has since gone viral, drawing attention from cultural enthusiasts and curious observers eager to learn more about Kalabari marriage traditions.
WATCH VIDEO:
@rivers_brides
BIBIFE in Kalabari literally means “buying of mouth.” The groom has to “buy” the mouth of his bride before she can eat in his house. He also has to buy the mouth of his in-laws to enable them to eat in his house when they visit. The culture is that the bride is not meant to smile from the beginning of the ceremony till when the groom has finally bought her mouth. The bride gave her man & his friends a tough time 😹😹 #RiversBrides
♬ original sound – Rivers Brides