Send-Off Party- Wedding Celebrations TZed Style

Recently I attended a send-off party in Tanzania. This happens before the wedding and after the engagement/kitchen party. It is equivalent to the time before a wedding in an Indian wedding. They had dancing (mostly to religious songs), presents, food, speeches/introductions of the families, they also had something where the bride searches for the groom, etc. The wedding traditions here seem to emulate that of Indian weddings more than American weddings. Of course with western culture coming into Africa there is a combining of the two. In wedding celebrations there is a engagement party, a kitchen party (similar to a bachelorette/wedding shower), send-off party, and the actual wedding. A kitchen party is where women get together to advise the bride of martial responsibilities and give gifts of that nature.