Weddings are considered a thoughtful affair in this part of Africa, and for everything to be taken seriously, the couple cannot smile before, during or after the ceremony. Nor are they allowed to smile in any wedding day photos.
As Kristee Watson rightly observed: “The one thing I can’t get past, and really taints my view of Congolese weddings, is the tradition that the bride and groom cannot smile. Never! Not in the photo for the invitation, not at the pre-gathering, civil ceremony, wedding or reception. If you smile it shows you are not serious about the marriage. And the bride has turn her face down towards the floor.
It was awful; the wedding party looked like they are at a funeral while the rest of the guests are whooping it up. In fact, the bride looked terrified; I have never seen hands shake like that.”
Source: www.huffpost.com