Chimponda wedding in Malawi (1920s)
This couple, Rossie and Henry Chimponda, celebrates their wedding at Domasi Church in Nyasaland, a community in southern Malawi, Africa. Their wedding reflects western Christian wedding customs, with the bride in a beautiful white gown, carrying a lush bouquet of flowers, the groom in a distinguished suit. The formally dressed wedding party surround the couple to support them in their new life together. A clergyman stands next to the couple and missionaries stand behind them. Christianity dominates Malawi religion; the 2018 census shows 77.3% of the population is Christian. 58.5% of these Christians are Protestant and 17.2% are Catholic. The missionaries, names as “Miss Low, Mr. Bowman, and Miss Muir” may have come from the Domasi mission, founded in 1884. The mission was not just religious; it also provided medical services and taught local girls skills to get industrial and domestic jobs.