Marriage customs and traditions vary across cultures, and one important aspect in many African societies is the payment of dowry.
However, media personality Dennis Okari on Saturday, June 24 shared a personal revelation about his marriage to Naomi Joy, explaining why he did not pay dowry for his wife. Financial limitations at the time of their wedding led to an open conversation between the couple and a unique agreement with Naomi's family.
During a Daughters of Zion meeting at Jubilee Christian Church, Okari opened up about the financial constraints he faced during his wedding preparations. He revealed that he had an honest conversation with his wife, disclosing his financial situation and expressing his inability to fulfill traditional dowry requirements.
"I never paid dowry. When you get into marriage, you learn it is like a transaction. My wife and I sat down, and I told her, 'this is the money I have in my account. If your uncles want to charge me 10 cows and other things, I don't have that kind of money.
"So I'm going to give you a wedding, I'll take you to a nice place for honeymoon, I'll get you a house, but for now I don't have this kind of money" he said.
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Visiting Naomi's family alongside his father and uncles, Okari was prepared for the customary dowry negotiations. However, he was pleasantly surprised when Naomi's family expressed their contentment without asking for any dowry payment.
"They came out of the house and told me, you're the luckiest human being on earth. They didn't ask for anything," Okari said.
The media personality emphasized that while he did not pay dowry in the traditional sense, he found an alternative way to honor his wife and her family as a year later he built his mother-in-law a house.
"I never paid dowry but did something special," he asserted.
Okari shared that he had initially sworn off the idea of getting married again due to the emotional pain he experienced during his divorce from his first marriage. However, he revealed that his faith played a significant role in his healing process.
Okari expressed God's intervention in his life and how divine intervention led him to meet and marry a wife whom he had fervently prayed for.
As Okari and Naomi marked their fourth wedding anniversary a few months ago, they continue to cherish their relationship and demonstrate their commitment to each other.