Weddings: A Grand Initiation In Everyone’s Life

December 8, 2020 Comment

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Weddings are one of the most important events in an individual’s life and probably the most happiest for women. It is also a well celebrated event in most cultures around the world since it is basically a requirement for adults who are of age and wish to start a family of their own.

Many preparations and events are made and organized before the final wedding and these preparations differ from culture to culture. In the Western culture, the prospective couple would have to introduce each other to their parents, seek their consent and if they agree, a date is set for their white wedding. Here in Africa, precisely Ghana, some years ago, the family of the man would find a wife they deem fit for their son. Before a woman is chosen from a particular family, investigation would be made into the family to know the kind of traits they possess, if the lady is well trained and well mannered, whether or not there is a family curse, conflict or even a sickness that runs through the family. If the family they investigate passes all the categories, they produce to approach the family of the lady and ask for her hand in marriage for their son. This is called the knocking. Mostly, the family of the man go along with some drinks and especially Schnapps to do the knocking. If the lady gives her consent, a date is set for the customary rites. After this, she moves into her husband’s home.

Photographed by Brandreflect

Recently, things have changed and instead of the usual matchmaking done by the parents, men find women of their choice and after some years of courtship when they are ready to tie the knot, the man proposes to her and he introduces her to his parents. The lady also introduces him to her parents. The man then visits the lady’s parents to seek the lady’s hand in marriage. If consent is given, a date is set for what is called today as the engagement. After the engagement comes the church wedding. Many argue that matchmaking in the past years did more good than finding someone of your own choice. They say that marriages thrived in the olden days as compared to modern marriages. This is because most people marry partners who later tend to exhibit different characters contrary to what they showed before marriage and this causes a lot mayhem in the home. Some even end up marrying women who cannot cook or do any household chores. Some also end up marrying violent and abusive husbands. Most marriages break up shortly after spending so much on weddings and honeymoons.

While some prefer a small private wedding, others have dreamed of a massive wedding with a large capacity of attendees. It all depends on their budget. Most women see this to be a blessing and they invite everyone to share this happy moment with them. A lot of preparations go into the organization of the wedding. One would have to hire a wedding planner who would take care of the church decorations, reception, food and drinks, hair and makeup artistes, photographers, gifts and others. The bride would have to choose her bridesmaids, page boys and girls. The groom would also have to choose his best men and also buy the bride’s wedding gown and his wedding outfit. Some brides go to the extent of choosing more than 10 bridesmaids and the couple would have to take charge of their wedding clothes since they would all be wearing matching outfits. Whiles some weddings are strictly by invitation, others are not. Mostly, the wedding follows the engagement. After vows are exchanged and the couple is blessed, the next event is the reception where friends and loved ones dance, eat and also present their gifts. These days, there are some wedding reception games conducted by the MCs which makes it very fun and engaging. The newly wedded couple have fun and after it’s all over, they prepare for their honeymoon in a serene environment of their choice.

After the wedding is over, everyone leaves, the only ones left are the bride and groom who would have to go through the marriage journey by themselves. Weddings are important days in everyone’s lives but what matters most is the life after that. So amidst the happiness and fun it brings, one should be ready to pull through whatever life brings on board!

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