Afua and I met in the Summer of 2015 at her home Church in Chicago, IL. At the time I was serving there as an Associate Pastor and she was visiting home from grad school at Penn State. When I saw her I was instantly drawn to her beauty and the poise that she carried herself with, and something within me told me that she was the one for me! Acting on this inner prompting I moved and started a conversation with her, and after a lengthy–and what I assumed to be pleasant conversation–I made the audacious move to ask for her number… but unfortunately I fell well short of that mark and wound up with an email address. Despite this disappointment the good news is that we were able to start a friendship through that email address, that friendship turned into a relationship. At midnight on New Year’s Day 2018, at the Chicago Riverwalk overlooking the celebratory fireworks, on one knee, I asked her to spend the rest of my life with me and she said … “YES!!!!”. On October 7th, 2018, I married my confidant, best-friend, and prayer partner. We had an amazing celebration at our Ghanaian traditional wedding ceremony. What a journey it has been!

GHANA TRADITIONAL WEDDING
The Process

Afua is a first generation born Ghanaian and it is very important to her parents who were born and raised in Ghana, that she follows the traditions of the Ghanaian culture. Therefore, after René proposed, he had to partake in the various stages that lead to the actual wedding ceremony. He first had to participate in the “knock-in” ceremony, where his family from Kentucky drove to Chicago to 2-weeks after he proposed to Afua on New Year’s Day. This ceremony is to ask the bride’s family if they can be welcomed into the family and to support the groom in wanting to proceed in marrying the bride. Luckily, Afua’s family knew René for a few years and had no problem in welcoming him and his family in to proceed with the marital process. During the knock-in, René’s family came bearing drinks as gifts to the family to allow for conversation with the groom’s family. The conversation consists of understanding the family history, René’s intentions, and the date of the wedding. Upon satisfaction, Afua’s parent’s put together a bridal list which consists of gifts that René has to buy for the bride, her family, and the guests that attend the wedding. These gifts include the engagement ring, money, and kente for the parents amongst many other gifts. The wedding cannot take place until René gets everything on the bridal list. This time is the “engagement period”.

Sunday, October 7th, 2018 at 11AM, René and Afua had their traditional Ghanaian ceremony in front of friends and family. Customarily, for most West Africans especially Ghanaians, the “traditional engagement” is really a traditional wedding ceremony! Before Christianity infiltrated into the African society, the engagement party ends and seals the deal between a man and a woman and they are pronounced husband and wife. It was a joyous, lively occasion as Chiefs, Elders and members of the Ghanaian community came in their numbers to support the bride’s family. As well, a large delegation from the groom’s family were there to support their son. With the two families sitting across from each other, the bride and the groom’s family have a designated spokesperson that speaks on their behalf to discuss negotiations about the gifts and René’s role as a husband. Finally, the bride’s spokesperson asks to see René. René and his groomsmen dance and present the gifts on the bridal list. Upon Afua’s family satisfaction, they summon for the bride to be presented. Before Afua is escorted by her bridesmaid, the traditional Adowa dancers pave the way for the bride to enter. Afua then dances in wearing her colorful purple, pink, and cream kente dress. René family spokesperson, called ‘okyeame’ in the Akan language, asks “Is this the beautiful flower you said you saw in our garden?” The groom, taken by his bride’s beauty and the powerful symbolism contained in his response, burst out the answer, Yes!; stirring the gathering into shouts in his support and laughter! Afua was asked three times if the family should accept the gifts, and each time she responds yes in English and in her native tongue Twi. Her confirmation seals the deal. The pastor prays over the ring, the bible, gifts, and their marriage. Now it’s time to party!!!

DARS Photography’s perspective on Ghanaian / Ashanti Culture Wedding

Our handsome groom René & beautiful bride Afua are married in Ghanaian culture and more specifically Ashanti culture in a traditional wedding ceremony. They are married in the eyes of the community.

The wedding starts in a traditional fashion where the groom and his family approach the bride’s family and officially ask her family for bride’s hand in marriage. The groom and the family say good things about themselves and try to convince the bride’s family. The groom expresses his love for the bride and brings many gifts to prove his good intentions to the bride’s parents. The males of the bride’s family give a hard time by not letting the groom and the family in easily. The entire interaction is fun-filled and full of emotions from both sides. Of course, the bride’s family has to have some fun with groom’s family prior to having the bride come in. As the bride’s family bring the pretty bride, more gifts are requested as a bribe, in a fun and joking way. Contrary to some traditions in which bride’s family bring gifts for the groom, in Ghanaian wedding’s ashanti culture, groom’s family offers gifts to bride’s family and awaits their acceptance. As the teasing is over and once the groom is given permission, some alcoholic drinks are served as part of the celebration. Some good words are spoken where the intentions of the groom for the marriage are expressed as well as the love for the bride.

Once the passion and emotions are expressed, both sides of the family sit on the opposite ends and the wedding ceremony begins. The bride and the groom are quite in the beginning. Once the bride’s family accepts the gifts, the bride is brought in the room. Then, the bride’s father asks the bride 3 times if she is willing to marry the groom and if everything that has been presented to her is enchanting and appealing. If everything is agreed on, ring ceremony takes place and the bible is read. Then, they receive blessings from the families and the prayers are said. Off they go celebrating their marriage soon after that. They are now married in the eyes of the community. And a new chapter in the life of Afua & René memorializes. DARS Photography’s best wishes to the newly weds!