Traditional African Wedding Dress

Prince Albert of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock prepare for wedding

He is the prince who never grew up – a one-time playboy and son of the Hollywood star Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco . She is a working-class South African 20 years his junior, a former Olympic swimmer and the daughter of a photocopier salesman.

When Prince Albert of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock marry this week in a two-day populist extravaganza in the wealthy Mediterranean enclave, tens of thousands of tourists are expected to flood in to witness the ultimate "prince and commoner" wedding.

The American rockers the Eagles will belt out Hotel California in a special gig for locals while synth-pop guru Jean-Michel Jarre performs a light show over the port. Albert II, head of the tiny principality since his father died in 2005, will flaunt his eco credentials by staging the procession of the newlyweds in an open-top electric Lexus.

But the wedding is more than just the latest soap opera instalment of the House of Grimaldi, a dynasty as famous for its heartache as its glamour. It is vital for the survival of the Mediterranean tax haven. Monaco, the world's smallest state after the Vatican, has 360,000 registered bank accounts and a 35,000 population – the vast majority of whom are foreign expats, many British, paying no income or capital gains tax. If Somerset Maugham once famously called Monaco "a sunny place for shady people", Prince Albert declared when he took over that "morality, honesty and ethics" would guide his rule. In 2009, Monaco was removed from the OECD blacklist of unco-operative tax havens, after promising to be more transparent with foreign authorities asking questions. But it continues to exempt its rich foreign residents from paying tax, and its own vast wealth depends on the international fortunes that take residency there.

The Grimaldis, who have run the enclave for seven centuries, are the protectors of Monaco's special status. "It's a question of life and death," said Francois Caviglioli, who has covered the principality for decades for Nouvel Observateur. "If there was no prince, and therefore no heir, Monaco would return to France. The stability of the prince's family is crucial for Monaco's numerous banks and its financial sector which craves security, not social unrest. Then there's the image factor and tourism: lots of Europeans deprived of their own monarchies descend on Monaco to see what it's all about."

Many hope the wedding will be a boost after Monaco's gloomy start to the year. The enclave's top football team, which depends on Grimaldi money, was last month humiliatingly relegated to France's League 2; the financial crisis has sobered the mood and even the famous roulette and baccarat tables of the Casino Monte-Carlo fell silent over Easter as croupiers went on strike over pay.

AFRICAN WEDDING DRESSES: DASHIKI FOR AFRICAN WEDDING DRESS ...

AFRICAN WEDDING DRESSES

For African native people have their own African wedding dresses. The name of the dress is Dashiki. African people love colorful dress for their traditional wedding. There are lots of varies of Dashiki from simple draped to tailored dress. White is the traditional color for African weddings. Most bride in African weddings use white Dashiki during the wedding ceremony.

The bride clothing is a blouse and skirt and it has same color with groom’s suits color. Not all-African wedding use white color, some of them also use the purple, lavender, and blue color for their wedding. For African people can use any color for their wedding except the black and red color because they are funeral colors.

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