A marriage counsellor and relationship expert, Dr John Boakye, has advised families of would-be brides to reduce the bride price and list of items requested from grooms during marriages. He explained that times were hard and cost of items such as wax prints, drinks, slippers, livestock, rings and other items had skyrocketed, hence families with young people planning to marry must be considerate.
He said the dowry, which was cash presented by the groom, must be adjusted so as not to deter young men from getting married. He explained that in the Akan setting, for instance, those items requested were of cultural significance and should not be a means of enriching one’s family.
The would-be couples, he added, must be advised to rather hold on to their savings for future emergencies after marriage and both families must cater for some of the costs during the ceremony. Dr Boakye also advised that would-be couples should stay within their means when planning their weddings. He said there had been instances where couples had been saddled with debts months after their weddings because they “bit more than they could chew”.
“Luxury weddings or destination weddings are beautiful and if you can afford them, great, but don’t try to impress people when you don’t have the means. The success of a marriage does not depend on how huge the wedding is, but on the commitment of two people to make it work,” he said.
