Weddings are special events for couples who are about to begin their marital journey. As an institution endorsed and blessed by the Almighty God, marriage comes with an undefined glory, bliss and integrity. Although this love filled adventure can be unsettling especially when one is unaware of what is ahead and where or how it will end, many who get the opportunity to embark on this journey are left mesmerized.
Couples spend time to make their traditional marriages and weddings so special and memorable. Indeed, it is a memorable day!
We all at some point fantasize about our weddings whether grand or intimate. Having these thoughts in mind result in couples spending weeks, months and in some cases years to plan their wedding devoid of unforeseen events that will mar the beauty of the occasion.
Yes, many people have been successful in achieving this quest, but a lot have also failed. Beloved, some fail because of inadequate preparation and other factors. Some also fail because they lack knowledge about the whole process and other cases due to someone’s deliberate mess!
Have you witnessed a wedding ceremony where at a point, the officiating minister uttered the phrase “if anyone has any reason that prevents this couple from marrying, the person should come and say it”? Really? Has it struck your mind that someone who has planned to ‘spoil’ the wedding can take advantage of the situation and cause a stir? We live in a society where it is easy for someone to step on the toes of others. It is also true that we have people who do not forgive people who have offended them. Don’t you think when we give such unforgiving beings such an opportunity on a glorious and special day, depending on the nature of the offence, they can mess up the whole moment? How will you feel if someone just stood up from his/her seat and confidently walked through the crowd to testify against you, explaining why your marriage should be cancelled?
We have done this for long, and it has caused havoc to many. I simply think we should cancel it. I agree that those who do that have genuine and justified reasons, but I am against it. I am not convinced about their reasons for putting up such an act. I simply can’t comprehend because:
1. It is not biblical
2. It is not legal
3. It is culturally unaccepted and unreasonable.
5. It tends to taint the well planned ceremony and brings about unnecessary tension. There will always be unforseen plans and undesiring schemes by our foes; they are just waiting for the opportunity to execute. As much as possible, we must prevent and deny them the golden opportunity to strike. As the popular saying goes, marriage is a journey and not a destination therefore events leading to that leap must be void of sneaky activities and ill intentions of vile individuals.
In most churches, engagements and weddings are announced for about a month or more to create awareness. During these announcements, they can add that if someone has something against the marriage that person should see the leadership of the church or the family. If after one month, no one raises an objection, then there is no need doing that on the wedding day .
My humble opinion.
I dedicate this to my distinguished officiating ministers who officiate marriages, with much love.
Nana Owusu Nkrumah, Broadcast Journalist.
