Ghanaian Traditional wedding follows a unique set of customs and places importance on payment of the bride’s dowry.

 

The traditional wedding process kicks off with the spokesmen from both families staging a symbolic negotiation at the wedding.

 

From the bride’s side, the head of her clan or tribe who is often the eldest relative on her father’s side and the spokesman from her family will sit on one side of the room, along with her family.

 

On the other side, the groom’s family will sit with their family spokesperson. The two spokesmen are the only people to speak during the negotiation, which includes officially asking for the bride’s hand in marriage.

 

This is not a formal meeting and both sides will have a lot of fun jokingly bantering with each other during this part of the ceremony.

 

Next, the groom and his family present gifts to the bride and her family.

 

Akonta Sikan is a gift to the bride’s siblings. The bride’s parents receive an extra set of gifts in appreciation for taking care of her up until this point.

 

The bride receives a dowry. Here her family curates the wish list of things she needs to start married life.

The dowry typically includes kitchen utensils, jewellery, makeup and clothes. These items are brought to the wedding ceremony in a decorative trunk and presented to the bride.

Also read:
– Simple Yet Beautiful: A Look At The Isoko Traditional Wedding
– Wedding Saturday: Appreciating The Beauty Of Hausa Traditional Wedding
– Wedding Like No Other: Experience The Ijaw Traditional Wedding

Lastly, a string of “fake brides” are presented to the groom to ensure he knows the woman he truly loves.

 

These women have their heads covered, but the groom and the family are completely in on the joke, so there’s no chance he’ll choose the wrong woman.

 

The bride is the last to enter the ceremony and the two are now officially wed.

 

Usually,  brides wear Kente for their traditional weddings, while others will wear clothes in other colours, like white and gold.

 

Kente is the traditional cloth of Ghana. It comes in a variety of colours and patterns. In the Ghanaian traditional wedding, the brides are adorned with a tekua, a traditional, crown-like bridal headdress.

 

Gold jewellery and colourful beading is also part of the bride’s accessories, which might differ depending on her family’s tribe.

 

The next time you visit Ghana, staying back to experience their traditional wedding won’t be a bad idea

 

For your daily dose of tech, lifestyle and trending content, make sure to follow Plat4om on Twitter @Plat4omLive, on Instagram @Plat4om, on LinkedIn at Plat4om, and on Facebook at Plat4om. You can also email us at info@techtalkwithtdafrica.com. Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE.