Chiaky

It's the church. The church has demonized most of our traditional practices and still refuses to recognize a traditional wedding as a standard, official marriage. Historically, a real Ghanaian traditional wedding was simple: you find a lady you like, speak with her, and proceed to meet her family to 'knock.' Once accepted, you return with the bride price for her family which traditionally consisted of a few pieces of traditional cloth, local drinks, and a few modest gifts. The ceremony was officiated strictly by the family heads. There was no exchange of rings; libations were poured, the couple was blessed, everyone feasted, and the couple went home as husband and wife. Now, due to cultural assimilation, even our traditional wedding style has been compromised. Brides' families present long lists that include Bibles, rings, and other items that were never meant to be part of the tradition. Even though a family head officiates, pastors are often brought in to preside over the traditional ceremony. The pouring of libation has been demonized, so it is frequently omitted. Even our traditional clothing has been altered to fit Western aesthetics, making every bride look the same. From heavily beaded kente to exaggerated silhouettes and mandatory frontal wigs, traditional style has lost its original character to the point where brides wearing their natural hair or braids are bullied online. To make matters worse, most churches refuse to view a traditional wedding as complete because they cannot profit from it. They insist on a church ceremony presided over by a pastor so the church can collect venue fees alongside the first and second offertories, leaving the couple with whatever remains in the third offertory. Finally, almost everything purchased for the white/church wedding is imported: the gown, tuxedo, shoes, watches, wigs, makeup, rings, decorations, Bibles, and sometimes even the catered food. Even when items are assembled locally, the raw materials are foreign. Until we realize that these borrowed practices export our wealth to foreign markets, couples will continue to go into deep debt just to get married. You can argue all you like but this is the simple truth.