Traditional Ghanaian Wedding

The Ghana marriage  is a traditional ceremony where the groom accompanied by his family goes to the bride house and formally asks for the bride’s hand in marriage in the presence of friends, family and well-wishers. The traditional Ghanaian ceremony is a necessary common rite of all marriages for all Ghanaian couples. Today in Ghana , a lot of couples perform this alone as a marriage Ghanaian ceremony. All couples in this place try to make their marriage ceremony as much traditionally as they can because this rite is so important for their culture.

The Ghanaian weddings bands starts with the “knocking” (kokako) around the house. In this knocking ceremony the future husband together with his daddy and some elder family members visits the brides house to announce their relationship intentions. Most of the time this ceremony is carried out a week or two ahead of the actual marriage ceremony.

 The knocking (“kookoo ko”) comes from the Ghanaian tradition of knocking on the entrance of a house before entering as being a visitor. For the knocking ceremony the groom’s family members brings along two wine bottles on alcoholic drinks, some money and cola to the property to present to this brides family. (Libation is really a traditional form of prayer on the ancestral spirits and God). In way back when, and to date, the drinks are widely-used to pour libation. In those ceremonies when the drinks are presented, spokesman designated through the grooms’ delegation formally requests the bride’s family regarding permission to enter the property and announce their goals. Then if drinks are accepted then it means permission has been granted on the visitors to state their intentions. The spokesperson will explain in the many lyrical language, that this groom, has seen a “beautiful flower” in the house of the brides family that she desires and would like to “uproot” that flower, not necessarily steal, from its keeper, hence they are here to look for the brides hand inside marriage and inquire about what is required in order to make that flower his personal.

In some situations family may ask the groom or his family to come back at a set later date because they like to see:
a) if the family has no genetic disabilities or chronic illness in the family
b) if family has a good reputation in the city and of course good incomings
c) if he has no illegitimate children or girlfriend or has another marriage .
d) if the groom is of good and lovely person and well matched to the new bride

For the set date the groom themselves and his family, in conjunction with invited guests show up early for the brides house. First husband family sits on one side, while the brides family sits on the reverse side facing each other. Guests from both family begin the big event with a prayer and also introductions. The grooms family will start by presenting the dowry and all the other items on the list one, by one. With each stage, the items are checked to be sure everything asked on the list is being presented. Negotiation is possible in the event the grooms family feels an excessive amount of is being asked of these. The bride is not present in most of these proceedings. After this husband, although present, does speak in most of these proceedings as all the actual speaking and negotiation is conducted on his behalf because of the designated spokesperson by his family.