6 Ways to Get Married Legally In Ghana
Let’s quickly consider some of the ways to get married legally in Ghana
They are many ways to get married legally in Ghana but first of all, what at all is marriage?
Marriage can be defined as a formal or legalized union that is being recognized by two people as partners in a personal relationship (historically and in some is specifically a union between a man and a woman).
Let’s consider what legal marriage is;
Legal marriage is a said marriage that is accepted and endorsed by the court of law or traditionally accepted practices. Marriage in Ghana is not quite different from other parts of African counties. In Ghana, marriage rites depend on the family and their cultural norms. The marriage of the southern part may have different ways as compared to the northern zone.
In generally there are similarities in the marriage practices since we have cross-cultural marriages. I have picked for you five ways to get married legally in Ghana. [ Read: How to Get His Attention Back With These 8 Complete Guides ]
1. Ways to Get Married Legally By Customary Marriage
This marriage between the man and the woman involves some local customs. There are varieties of cultural practices in Ghana when it comes to marriage rites.
These involve but are not limited to the paying of a bride prize, and the consent of the two families. In this way of marriage, the families make investigations about each family be it the groom or the bride.
Some investigation must be taken to clarify if there is no criminal record in that family, a chronic disease, and many others by the elders to authenticate the right way of having a cross-family union.
This type of marriage can be monogamous or polygamous and it is not taboo to get it registered under the customary marriage and divorce registration law for the marriage to be legalized.
2. The Islamic marriage under Mohammedan
Islam is also dominated in the country, especially in the northern part of Ghana. People in the north especially Tamale and Wa are predominantly Muslims. Due to these religious factors, the marriage rite is normally done in Muslim principles.
When you choose to marry under the Islamic way, polygamy is allowed making a man marry more than a single wife. Any number of wives depends on the man but shouldn’t exceed four. This marriage is registered under the registrar of Mohammedan marriages and Divorce.
After seven days of the registration and there is no change of mind concerning the marriage, the two can go ahead and marry. The marriage has to be notified within the week. A marriage certificate would be awarded for a successful marriage.
Under this marriage type, if the man cannot treat them equally, Muslim men are advised to have one wife, and this is the practice in most modern Islamic societies. It must be between opposite sex who is not too closely related to each other.
3. The Marriage of Ordinance
This marriage is based on acts and law. Under this marriage, a man cannot practice polygamy unless he divorces his legally wedded wife to marry another. Polygamy is not accepted in this marriage type.
The ordinance makes no allowance or does not agree to a second marriage under Customary or Sharia law; Sharia law constitutes a broad set of rules that guide Muslims on how to lead an ethical life.
Sharia simply means the way. It is obligatory for this marriage type to register. This marriage type is most respected in Ghana because the law is abiding by it.
After 21days of registering the marriage in court, and there is no change of mind from any of the partners, they can then proceed to get married be it in the church or any way they would want it. Processes involved registering the marriage in court;
• First and foremost, both parties need to give notice to the marriage officer of the district and the society at large
• The notice will then be published
• Objection marriage
• Declaration by parties and the witnesses that would be present at the ceremony
• Certificate of the marriage is being issued or given out to both partners.
Christian marriage is the marriage of ordinance. It is strictly secular and not religious (Christian) at all. This marriage type is a purely monogamous ways to get married legally in Ghana.
4. The Civil Marriage Practice
This marriage is when the state grants a couple a legal recognition of their partnership in accordance with the marriage laws of the country. This marriage type can be performed by our re and it is not the fully religious body and recognized by the state and the entire secular.
A civil marriage can be performed by a magistrate, a registrar, or a deputy registrar for the district to take place. A civil marriage ceremony is a non-secular (non-religious) and legal way to get married. Under this marriage type, you will need a witness at least two.
It can take place at any venue approved by the local council. You do not need to exchange vows for a civil partnership, but if you can and you would like to, you can do as you desire or wish.
5. Marriage through the Court
In Ghana, many choose to marry by choosing the court rules. This type of marriage is constructed from the marriage of ordinance where the marriage is strictly governed by law. You need to go to the registry office to pick up a marriage registration form and fill it out.
There are trained staffs there who will explain the entire process to you. You would be issued a payment receipt after having paid at the office.
You would be given a date when your marriage would be issued to you and your wife of at least two witnesses on both sides (the groom and the bride) for the marriage to be conducted, after this session both partners are pronounced as husband and wife legally.
6. Purely Traditional marriage
Cultural marriage is based on ethnicity and principles of the tradition. This marriage simply referred ad norms and values usually of for establishing a family.
Traditional marriage can also be classified under civil marriage which is religiously and legally approved but is not classified as a domestic union. Civil union or marriage is between a man and a woman.
The following are processes involved in a civil marriage or traditional marriage
• The processional
• Welcome address. Once everyone is in place, the officiating officer will say a few words to welcome the people present
• Introduction of the ceremony will be addressed
• Readings, it can be a hymn or a bible verse
• Officiating officer will then address the couple at the gatherings
• Exchange of vows
• Exchange of the ring between the bride and the groom, where the ring placed on each finger is considered as a symbol of your marriage and they then say a few words to each other.
The marriage process can end here but can decide to involve kissing between the groom and the bride and last the Officiating officer will pronounce them husband and wife which is legal.
