A man who wishes to marry, first discusses the intentions with the girl concerned.

He has to make
sure the girl will agree to marry him before he informs his parents. Finding out through secret
meetings if they will marry each other is known as kasasie. The man then tells his mother or an
elderly person about his intentions. His mother or the elderly person will in turn inform his father. If
the mother feels that the marriage will not be possible for some reason, she will discourage him.
When the father agrees, an investigation will immediately start into the girls conduct and family
background.
When the boys parents are satisfied the father, through a delegation, informs the girls parents about
his sons intention. This information is known as abowmu bodze or opon-akyi bo (knocking
ceremony). The announcement is made with a pot of palm wine or a bottle of schnapps. Some
amount of money is added to the drink. The amount paid differs from community to community. The
man may add some extra money to whatever custom demands. This is usually to impress his in-laws
that he can really look after their daughter. In some communities, this money is regarded as a token
gift for the girls mother.
The girls parents ask them to go back and come later for an answer. This enables them to find out if
their daughter agrees to the marriage. They also investigate the boys conduct and family
background. When they are satisfied, word is sent to the mans family to come forward. It is the
custom for a father to pay for the marriage expenses of a son. But these days, most young men give
the money to their fathers for the marriage rites.
The father sends a message to the girls parents to inform them of the date for the rites. Both
parents inform their maternal relatives to send their representative to the ceremony. On the
appointed date, the mans father sends a delegation to perform the rites. The important part of the
ceremony is the offering of drinks known as tiri nsa (head drinks). In the past, it used to be palm
wine, but now it is schnapps. The tiri nsa traditionally seals the marriage. Some money is added to
the drink. The amount of money given differs from community to community. There is also a
customary fee charged to be given to the girls mother. Her brothers too are given some money
known as akontagye sekan. Before the payment of the customary drinks and the fee, the girl is
formally called before the gathering to give her final consent to the marriage.
After accepting everything, the girls family head pours libation asking for protection and blessings
for the new couple. He also prays that the marriage should be blessed with children. The rest of the
drink is shared among all the people present to signify that they are all witnesses to the marriage.
Pieces of advice are then given to the couple. The man can then fix a day to take his wife home.

There is another important rite which can be performed on the same day or at any time in their
married life. It is an amount of money which is known as ti-aseda or ti-ade paid to the girls family.
This is what might be termed bride wealth. Nowadays, ti-aseda is usually to show the mans
appreciation to the girls family for giving their daughter away. In the past, the girls family used this
amount to pay any debt in the family. They believed that using that money to pay such a family debt
would give her the peace of mind to enjoy her married life. Where there was no such debt, it was
used to buy some property, e.g., a land or a farm for her and her future children. If there was a
divorce, the husband could claim the ti-aseda or ti-ade from the wifes family.
A day is fixed for taking the bride away to her husband. The bridegroom sends a pot of palm wine or
a bottle of schnapps to the brides father for permission to take away his wife. The head of family
pours libation with it and blesses the couple again.
On reaching her husbands home, the husband provides her with food items to prepare a special
meal for relatives, friends, and himself. This special meal is known as osenka or aduane kese
(wedding feast). It is a marriage feast which is followed by jubilation. Traditionally, the osenka was
prepared in the brides home and sent to the bridegrooms house where it was shared among
relations and friends.