Definition of courtship Courtship can explained as a period during which the would-be couple or spouses study each other. They study each other to enable them decide if each has the acceptable qualities that will enable them live together as husband and wife. 

 

BENEFITS OR IMPORTANCE OF COURTSHIP 

1. It enables the partners to get to know each other well 
2. It gets families and others involved 
3. It helps eliminate the suspicion that surrounds other forms of relationship 
4. It sets planning for marriage in motion. 

 

COURTSHIP DOS AND DONTS    

DOS 

1. Talk more. Talking about their plans, fears and their aspirations 
2. They need to be open. They should share their secrets. 
3. Inform your parents about your intentions 

 

DONTS 

1. Don’t engage in sex, kissing or caressing. When you begin to focus on the physical things, you will lose sight of what is most important. Besides, sex before marriage is a sin before God! 

2.  Don’t move in together. Wait until you are married. There is no need to rush and live together. 

3. Don’t tell lies. Be open and honest in your relationship. Lies telling could easily lead to a failed marriage. 

4. Don’t court more than one person at a time. Some people go ahead to court more than one person at a time. That shows disloyalty and lack of seriousness. Such people are likely to be unfaithful in marriage. 

5. Don’t continue if the relationship is not working. A broken courtship is better than a broken marriage. 


Definition of marriage
 Marriage can be described as an acceptable union between a man and woman to live together as husband and wife, after they have gone through all the processes or rites that are recognized by the families of both parties. It can also be explained as the acceptable union of a man and woman after they have gone through all the laid-down procedures in society. The marriage is a bond between two families and sometimes even after the marriage is broken, the bond is not completely severed. 
 
 
 
SOME REASONSS WHY PEOPLE MARRY 
 
The surety of companionship
 One of the basic things humans need is companionship. That is, a person to share one’s sorrows and joys with, a person to whom love is extended and expected in return, a person to console one when one is emotionally down. It is also a union which helps one to avoid loneliness. One of the purposes of marriage is to offer all these and more to the married couple. 
 
Offers an avenue for procreation
 In Ghana, one of the greatest expectations of marriages is that the couple would deliver children to the society in order to perpetuate the family line. Though it is common to find unmarried people having children, marriage offers a generally accepted means to bear children. 
 
To have legitimate sex
 In Ghana, a woman who is less than 16years old is not supposed to have sex because the law forbids that. So also, for some religious reasons, persons who are not married are not expected to have sex though the desire for sex kicks in at adolescence. Marriage is the legitimate avenue which allows one to freely have sex with his or her legally married partner. 
 
Gives a sense of adulthood
 One of the expectations of society for both males and females is that they get married when they grow up. One of the indications of adulthood is marriage. Though this is not mainly determined by the age of the couple, the society now recognizes them as having become fully grown and matured. They are now allowed unfettered access in most adult discussions.

A license to make a home
 Society is continuum, so a child grows to become a father or mother. Marriage offers the chance for people to form their own home. A new couple, therefore moves away from their parents and form their own nuclear family, either close by of far away, sometimes in a new town or region. 
 
 
To unite families or clans
 Marriage is not only a union between two individuals but also between two families and sometimes even clans and ethnic groups. As seen during the marriage ceremonies, a lot of the members of both parties are brought together. After the marriage, close blood affinities are established between the two families, in some cases forever. 


PREPARATIONS THAT OUGHT TO BE MADE BEFORE GETTING MARRIED 
1. The individual must attain adult age. 
2. Proper mate selection  
3. Making a formal request  
4. Courtship 
5. Background investigation 
6. Accessing counselling services 
7. Acquisition of home management skills 
8. One must be gainfully employed 
9. Acquisition of accommodation and basic necessities 
10. Getting the bride wealth ready 


CLASSIFICATION OF MARRIAGE 
In Ghana, marriages are classified into two main criteria. These are 
a. Process of getting married 
b. Residence of the couple

PROCESS OF GETTING MARRIED 
There are 3 main processes of getting married. They are:  
a. customary marriage   b. religious marriage (Christian and Islamic)   c. Marriage under the ordinance 
 
 
CUSTOMARY MARRIAGE 
It is also known as the traditional marriage. Customary marriage is a type of marriage that is contracted under the customs, traditions and practices that are recognized and accepted by the ethnic group or society of the woman to be married. It is the commonest of all marriage types in Ghana and it forms the basis of all marriages. It involves the consent and approval of both parents and families. 


THE PROCESS OR PREPARATIONS INVOLVED IN CUSTOMARY MARRIAGE 

STEP ONE 
Declaration of the intention to marry
 In the traditional settings, when a boy becomes a man, he is expected to get married. When the boy makes up his mind to get married, he informs his parents about it. One method is for the parents to look for a bride from among the many good girls available. The other way is for the man to look for a woman and inform his parents. 
 
STEP TWO 
Background check
 In the case where the parents choose for the man, they must have done background checks on the girl to see if she is suitable for their son. If on the other hand it was the man who made the choice, the parents go behind the public scenes, and investigate the background of the woman. They especially, look for diseases in the family that could be detrimental to the welfare of their son, such as, mental disorder, epilepsy, etc. Once they are satisfied, they inform the girl’s parents about their intention to take their daughter in marriage to their son. 
 
STEP THREE 
‘Knocking’ the door ceremony
 Parents of both the man and the woman, having satisfied themselves with the family their wards are moving into, set a date for the man’s family to present an introductory fee to the woman’s family. In most traditional societies in Ghana, this involves the presentation of two bottles of whisky or local liquor. Among the Ewes in Ghana especially, the man is not part of this visit. The sister of the man’s father, uncles and others elders are sent to knock on the door. If the woman’s parents accept the drink, then officially, courtship has stated between the man and the woman. They then give out a list of items that would form the bride price. The drinks request could also be rejected but where it is rejected, the man’s people are not allowed to take the drinks away, they are left there. 
 
STEP FOUR 
Presentation of bride - wealth
 After the man has procured the list of items proposed by the woman’s family as the bride-wealth, the stage is set for the presentation. A day is set for the man’s family to present the bride-wealth to the bride’s family. This is usually association with public ceremony. In the past, this bride-wealth was presented in the public, but today, a few members from both families are nominated to go and review the bride-wealth and see whether it is up to date. They now come back to report whether every requirement has been met. Once the bride-wealth has been accepted, the couple has become husband and wife. 
 
STAGE FIVE 
Taking the bride home
 After the presentation ceremony, the Aunties of the woman, in the company of other women and family members now take the bride to the home of the groom amid drumming, dancing and merry-making.