Have you ever been invited to a Ghana wedding in which it’s your first time but you really would love to have an insight on what to expect? Here’s a clue to satisfy your anxiety. To start with, it’s actually a great honor to be invited to a Ghanaian traditional wedding, this is one of the 2 ceremonies to be celebrated, the second is a western-styled wedding also known as the “white wedding”. The traditional wedding comes first which depicts the native of the Ghanaian wedding customs. In as much as you have your mindset at coming to witness a whole different type of ceremony, the underlying sentiment of love, family, and celebration will be exactly the same as any other wedding you’ve attended.
These are what you should expect at a Ghanaian traditional wedding
The Wedding Rituals:
At a Ghana wedding, Important spokesmen otherwise known as the elders from both families will stage a playful symbolic negotiation at the wedding. At one corner of the room the head of the clan of the groom will seat alongside his spokesperson who is the only allowed person to talk during this negotiation, while on the other side of the room, the head of the clan of the bride which is usually the eldest person from her father’s side is also seated with his spokesperson as the negotiation is about to kick start. Both spokespersons are the only people allowed to speak which includes the asking of the bride’s hand in marriage, as this is not in a formal setting there’s space for jokes and fun to happen in this part of the ceremony.
Presentation of Gifts
After the rituals have been carried out at a Ghana wedding up next is the presentation of gifts to the family of the bride from the groom and his family. Akonta sikan these are the gifts presented to the siblings of the bride while an additional set of gifts are given to the parents of the bride in appreciation for taking care of her to that stage of life. The bride is not left out in the gifts so she receives the dowry which typically includes kitchen utensils, jewelry, makeup, and clothes. These items are brought to the wedding ceremony in a decorative trunk and presented to the bride.
Use of Fake Brides
Lastly in the Ghana wedding ceremony, the groom is presented with “fake brides” to be sure he knows the woman he loves and came for, the ladies have their heads covered but the bride is usually the last to come in so he just waits for the last person to come in and they are now called man and wife.
Ghana Wedding Dresses You Should Know About
To add are the kind of clothes you should expect in the ceremony, the bride wears a special bridal cloth called Kente, this is traditional Ghanaian cloth having a variety of beautiful colors and patterns. The brides are also adorned with Tekua which is a traditional crown-like bridal headdress, colorful beads, and gold jewelry are also part of accessories to be worn by the bride. In the Ghanaian tradition, It is said that your appearance is a statement about who you are. As you know, Kente is a Ghanaian Traditional Attire used on special occasions and has received huge endorsements as brides use it on their traditional wedding day also called Engagement.
Guests are free to wear African prints to these ceremonies, if you stay in a typical Ghanaian community you’re likely to get a seamstress who is skilled in creating colorful gowns and skirts to match this occasion but nevertheless if you don’t you can always wear your favorite wedding gears.
