Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, Dr Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings, has raised concerns about what she describes as a growing trend among the youth — prioritising lavish wedding ceremonies over building lasting marriage.
She made this known on JoyNews’ Talk No Dey Cook Rice podcast, stating that too much attention is placed on the glamour, fashion, and social media appeal of weddings, rather than the values and responsibilities that sustain a marriage.
According to Zanetor Rawlings, “I get the impression that sometimes when people are thinking about marriage, it’s the preparation towards it more than the actual journey of being married that people seem to focus on. So there’s the what do they call the ‘Save the Date’ pre-wedding pictures thing.”
The legislator added that marriage should be viewed as a partnership founded on commitment, communication, and mutual respect, rather than a competition to host the most extravagant ceremony.
She said the investment often goes into the appearance of things, for society and for the family. In that process, people forget the real work of living together.
“You can grow up in the same house with siblings from the same parents, and still have issues in terms of communication. You do things differently. How do you manage that when you’ve decided you’re going to share a roof with a person, start a family with a person?
“People automatically think that when you get married, everything is automatically okay, a lovely fairy tale, but I don’t think it always happens like that,” she stated.
Her comments have sparked conversation on social media, with many agreeing that the pressure to impress society has made weddings more about spectacle than substance.
Dr Zanetor Rawlings encouraged the youth to rethink their priorities, emphasising that strong marriage creates the foundation for strong families and a stronger society.
