In recent times, there were talks of Nigerian Senators considering legalizing child marriages. It is ridiculous to attempt to coerce underage teenagers, mostly girls, to go into marriages when they are biologically and sociologically unprepared.
A wedding has to do with the actual solemnization of marriage. It is a ceremony that begins the marriage itself, which is the consent for the exchange of love between the man and woman, culminating in the actual day of the wedding, when the couple involved comes out before the assembled people or the officiating minister and says ‘now, we are testifying to our love for each other, and we are testifying before all of you here that we have decided to commit to a contract to be together for the rest of our lives.
So, a wedding is more of the explicit proclamation of this commitment that has already been made because you cannot make this proclamation if there is no marriage.
So, does a marriage precede the wedding?
A wedding is more of solemnization, an open declaration of this commitment. That is what a wedding is simply all about, which is why the wedding should be de-emphasized, and the marriage emphasized.
Lately, people have been paying undue emphasis on the wedding at the expense of the marriage itself. It should be the other way round.
Please watch out for the next episode where we will be looking at other tips to help you in the preparation for marriage