SOMALIS AND WEDDING CRASHING

So what is it with the majority of Somalis and wedding crashing? Now, let me first make it clear that I'm not saying wedding crashing is also not common among the males, but I'm talking about the females because I'm a female and the majority of Somali weddings I have attended are segregated.

Wedding crashers extremely annoy me. There are a lot of girls who actually attend a wedding every weekend and they do not even personally know the couple getting married. Neither were they invited. They just want an excuse to get dressed up, eat free food (who doesn't love free food though?), and have fun. For many of these girls, crashing weddings is similar to the act of simply going out on a Saturday night. 

Wedding crasher, you are despicable and annoying. "But I'm harmless!" you say. No, you aren't. Allow me to enlighten you. You ruin the experience of guests who were invited to celebrate the marriage of a couple - which is supposed to be a happy day of celebrating with friends and family.

What problems do you cause? You cause two very huge problems.

The first problem is the lack of seats. Because there are so many people who weren't invited, guests who were invited don't get seats. Many guests end up having to sit on the floor and eat their food. It's absolutely preposterous. A guest should NOT have to sit on the floor to eat her food! Neither should she have to share her seat with someone. An invited guest should be able to enjoy her food and eat it comfortably. It's a given. 

The second problem is no food. A lot of guests end up not getting any food and that is the WORST thing that could happen to any guest. Regardless of cultural or religious background, we all believe that food is the most important part of a wedding. After entertainment, eating good food can decide whether a wedding was great or not. Food is a huge part of a guest's experience at a wedding. But sadly, guests at many Somali weddings will end up not eating any food because there is not enough! There are too many people who were not invited eating the food. Guests end up sharing food or go without eating. That should not happen. How ridiculous. 

Must brides and grooms resort to hiring security guards to check people's wedding invitations at the door? Why should they? You should have aqlaaq (manners) and dignity; refrain from attending a wedding you were not invited to. Even if your friends are doing it.
My advice when going to a Somali wedding? GO EARLY. I don't think I need to explain why...