Matebeto (Amatebeto) is a local Zambian tradition, practiced predominantly by people from the northern part of the country. It is similar to the Chilanga Mulilo but it is bigger and grander. It is held years into a marriage and it is a wife’s show of appreciation to her husband for having taken care of her during their married life.
Let us walk you through our latest matebeto held on 6th May 2023 at a private residence in Lusaka.
The husband’s special corner…
The star of this particular function is the husband. During the function, the wife and her family will bring an array of food and present it to him. He will usually sit with one or two elders who will explain the symbolism behind the food being presented to him. As such, we usually set aside his own special sitting area.
The photobooth…
As with every event nowadays, people want to take photos and videos to immortalize the function. The photobooth as such is essentially the face of the matebeto. Our rustic photo booths are perfect for this purpose.
The tablescape…
Typical matebeto table set up
The colours for this particular event were orange and white. Our clients opted for white table linen and orange chitenge napkins and table runners. On the tables were an assortment of rustic and traditional décor pieces such as traditional vases (locally known as nongo), stick underplates, napkins, table numbers, and wooden napkin holders.
The details…
Chitenge napkins and table runners…
Wooden table numbers, centre pieces and traditional vases with pampas grass interspaced with artificial flowers gave this décor a very unique finish.
Traditional cooking utensils to welcome the guests…
Tips to help you plan…
- Amatebeto, unlike the chilanga mulilo tend to be big and grand activities that are not restricted to close family and friends. As such plan for at least 150 guests (expect a lot of gate crashers)
- You can go all out the décor with the matebeto. You may go the traditional route or even opt for modern décor.
- When it comes to décor, be sure to incorporate trending pieces such as pampas grass, fresh flowers and photobooths or photo stations.
- Plan your logistics to include the hire of mobile toilets given the numbers of people who are likely to attend the event.
- Have fun with the photo booth. If you opt for a rustic photobooth, pretty much any traditional items may be used to spruce up the photo booth. Instead of a grass carpet, you can use a reed mat (mpasa). Include personal touches such as the chitenge that husband and wife have on their outfits (i.e. if the couple chooses matching outfits).
- Keep the message on the photo booth simple and short. Long messages make the board look busy and may not be visible when people stand in front of it to take photos.
- If you opt for bright colours such as orange, red, orange or yellow, be sure to minimize the bright colours so that they do not overwhelm the whole décor. Check out how we muted some bright colours – red, some more red and yellow.
