Marriage is very important in the African society because it is carried out with a grand display of the African culture. One cannot leave the setting of an African wedding without being enveloped with joy and excitement because the African wedding is mingled with a twist and touch of drama. Meaning, all parties play active role in the ceremony.
Marriage in the African setting is not only the union between two individuals but rather two families. There is extensive background checks that the families perform on both the bride and groom before progressing to the next stage, “knocking rite” in the context of a Ghanaian marriage.
The knocking or ‘kokooko‘ is the first step in the marriage process, and is a symbol of respect in the direction of unifying two families. The groom is accompanied by his family to formally ask the bride’s family for the bride’s hand in marriage. The ‘knocking’ rite is performed before the traditional or customary marriage rites commence.
The traditional ceremony is a necessary common rite of marriage for all couples in Ghana before the white wedding. Currently, in Ghana, some couples perform the traditional ceremony alone as a marriage ceremony which is acceptable, however, others also go on to perform the western wedding which is also know as the white wedding in the church they prefer.
During the ceremony, the rich colourful culture of Ghana is displayed by the bride and groom who dress like royalty in brightly colored kente attire or cloth and complement their attire with gold jewelry and regalia.
Rwanda, located in the Eastern part of Africa also has its unique way of carrying out its marriage ceremony but one thing that is not left out in the setting of an African marriage is family and the richness of its culture. Why don’t you join us in Africa to celebrate our marriage in grand style?
A toast to the African Marriage Ceremony!!
Princess Poku-Ansah.
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