Rethinking Marriage Registration in Ghana: Beyond the Wedding Show

By Foster BlanksonAmanpene

Marriage or Wedding?

In Ghana today, the word “marriage” is almost always confused with “wedding.” What should be a solemn union between two people, witnessed by family and registered by law, has become a contest of “supposed”
wealth and status. Future husband and wife’s are pressured or rather pressure themselves to stage expensive ceremonies – decorations,
banquets, fleets of cars, and outfits that could pay for land or a year’s rent.
Sadly, many start married life deep in debt, just for a day’s show.

Yet, the Marriage Act, 1884–1985 (Cap 127) is silent on luxury. The law only requires compliance with certain formalities: notices, consent, and
solemnization before a registrar, magistrate, or licensed minister, and proper registration. No section of the law mandates grandeur.

The Reality of Modern Weddings

What we see today is far from the modest vision of the law. Weddings have become a show of wealth and social standing. For many to-be couples, the financial demands of a “standard wedding” discourage or delay their entry into marriage.
In reality, however, the law only requires compliance with registration and formalities – not a display of opulence.

Lessons from COVID-19

The COVID-19 lockdown gave Ghana a wake-up call. With restrictions on gatherings, couples who had been waiting years for money to “do it big” suddenly discovered the simplicity of marriage. A handful of family and friends, a minister or registrar, and the signing of the register was enough. In fact, more marriages
took place during that period because couples realized they didn’t need to
bankrupt themselves for society’s approval.

This proved one thing marriage is about the union, not the show. The law was always on the side of modesty; society simply lost sight of it.

The Way Forward: Decentralize Marriage Registration

If Ghana truly wants to make marriage accessible and reduce the financial barriers, we must expand
marriage registration services. The Registrar of Marriages currently works through district assemblies, magistrates, and licensed churches. But why not include trained, registered private individuals under supervision, just as has been done in legal education and other services?

Such reform would:

• Make registration easier in rural
  areas.

• Encourage couples to marry without
  unnecessary costs.

• Reduce the problem of unregistered
  unions that complicate inheritance and family disputes.

• Lighten the administrative burden on
  assemblies.

Back to Substance Over
Form

The law—and even our courts—have always emphasized substance over form. A validly registered marriage, no matter how modest, is stronger in law than the most lavish wedding
without proper registration. What Ghana must now do is return to that
principle.

Conclusion

It is time to rethink
marriage in Ghana. Weddings are not competitions, nor are they the definition of marriage. They should never stand as barriers to two people ready to build a life together. The COVID-19 experience showed us the beauty of modest, meaningful
unions.

Marriage is not about the cars, the dresses, or the banquet halls. It is about the vows, the commitment,
and the law. Let us redefine marriage in Ghana by returning to its essence—simple, dignified, and legally sound.

About the Proponent:

Foster Blankson Amanpene
is an Independent Paralegal and a Law Student of Wisconsin University College, Accra