The wedding traditions that the Masai follow are much different that those that Americans follow. Young girls are sent away to marry older men, whom they barely know. Often, the bride is crying as she leaves her family and friends. The Masai girl is adorned with beads of every color, which is much different than the Americans’ traditional white wedding dress, but just as beautiful.
Before the bride leaves to go to her new home, her father spits a blessing of milk on her head and chest, as he says "Mekinchoo enkai enkerra kumok." The translation is "May God give you many children."
The grooms’ female relatives meet the Masai girl as she makes her way to her husband. They pitch insults at her to avoid bad luck. They also throw handfuls of cow dung at her head. How she handles this treatment is supposed to determine how she will react to problems having to do with marriage.
When she reaches the hut of her mother-in-law, the bride refuses to come in until she is satisfied with the gifts her new family offers.