Ghananian Wedding

Ghanaian Traditional Wedding, All You Need to Know

Africa is rich in traditions, but none matches the wedding traditions, especially the Ghanaian wedding traditions. You can count it a great honor to get an invite to attend a Ghanaian wedding ceremony.

Many Ghanaian-American couples opt for this type of wedding to make the bond between the two families and the couple stronger. For a traditional Ghanaian wedding ceremony, expect to witness a distinctive set of observances all meant to show how people value families in this country.

The Ghanaian Wedding Rituals

At the beginning of the ceremony, two spokesmen, one from the family of the bride and other from the family of the groom, will stage a symbolic but playful negotiation.

From the side of the bride, there will be a team lead by the spokesman who can be an old man related to her father or the head of their tribe or clan. The groom’s family will also have a team led by their spokesman. Only the two spokesmen are supposed to talk at this stage.

The talks mostly involve asking for the hand of the bride in marriage. Well, this isn’t a formal meeting but a mock. That’s why it’s usually full of jokes and fun. After this small ceremony, the groom and his family present gifts to the bride and her family. The parents of the bride receive more rewards as a sign of appreciation for taking good care of the bride.

Bride’s siblings also get gift items referred to as Akonta Sikan. The groom offers a dowry to the bride, which includes items like clothes, makeup, jewelry, and kitchen utensils. These things are placed in a decorated trunk and presented at once to the bride.

The next and the most exciting part of the ceremony is when the groom gets presented with some fake brides. The fake brides come with their heads covered to test the groom whether he knows his bride. However, there’s no way the groom can choose the wrong bride because the bride is the one to enter the room last.

Traditional Ghanaian Wedding Dress

There’s a special wedding dress called Kente for Ghanaian brides. Kente is created using beautiful patterns and colors, each with a special meaning. A bride can also choose to wear clothes in other colors other than Kente colors.

Brides are usually with a bridal headdress called Tekua. Tekua looks like a crown and has massive decorations. Colorful bearding and gold jewelry also form part of the accessories for the bride.

Guests’ Attire

The guests who attend a Ghanaian wedding are free to wear the traditional wedding attires or other African prints of their choice. Some seamstresses specialize in creating Ghanaian attires such as skirts and gowns that can fit well with wedding ceremonies.

However, if you don’t feel like you want to adorn a Ghanaian attire, you can as well choose to wear any clothing, provided it is appropriate for a wedding. You can also ask the bride and groom for their wedding dressing code.

Entertainment, Food, and Drinks

A wedding ceremony can never be complete without entertainment, food, and drinks. All these keep guests engaged, so they enjoy the wedding and in full stomachs. In the traditional Ghanaian wedding, the bride’s family was to pay for both the wedding and the reception.

However, things have changed. The wedding expenses are now open, and those who get involved in the planning process can contribute. Even if you choose to go the traditional way, the family of the groom will have to bear some costs so as not cause any undue financial stress to the bride’s family.  

Expenses

The Bride’s Family Pays for:

• Wedding gown
• Brides accessories
• Church
• Bridesmaid parties
• Groom’s ring
• Bridesmaids’ gifts
• Wedding flowers plus all the reception’s decorations
• Announcements and invitations
• Entertainment, decorations, food, and drinks for reception purposes
• Transportation costs
• Photos

The Groom’s Family Pays for:

• Officiant’s fee and marriage license
• Bridal bouquet
• Rehearsal dinner
• Groomsmen’s gifts
• Bride’s ring
• Boutonnieres and corsages
• Tuxedo or groom’s suit
• Groomsmen’s party
• Honeymoon

Other Expenses

• Groomsmen and bridesmaids buy their outfits
• Those involved in bachelor's party and bridal showers pay for it

There are a lot of entertainments at Ghanaian weddings, and music plays a central role in these ceremonies. You expect to hear both Afro beats and gospels songs at a wedding. The five most popular songs in Ghanaian weddings include:

• Zanku
• Hosanna
• Can’t Let You Go
• Victory
• Omo Ada

Many African countries hold dearly to their cultures, mainly the Ghanaian people. That’s why people from all over the world want to add some Ghanaian elements to their wedding ceremonies. If you are planning for a wedding ceremony soon, think of lacing it with some Ghanaian features.