I recently attended a wedding and observed one of our local customs that gave me pause. In a Nigerian wedding, there it is tradition for elders to offer marital advice to the new couple during the ceremony. Interestingly, in most cases, all the advice is directed to the bride. Is this because people believe that a man is hardwired with knowledge of how to make marriage work? Or because they feel there is no reason for a man to know anything about making marriage work? Or is it simply because most of the wedding attendees who give advice happen to be women? I watched as speaker after speaker gave the couple advice, consistently directed only to the bride.
Since the groom at this particular wedding received no advice, I thought I would offer some, just for grooms.
- Don’t be afraid to say I AM SORRY. Your wife may forgive easily, but this is no reason to keep offending her deliberately. Apologies should be sincere, and you should never apologize just for the sake of it.
- Make your wife feel important. Treat her like she matters, and be considerate of her feelings. Respect begets respect. My husband once said to me, “We are not just spouses we are friends.” Be sure to build a strong friendship with your spouse.
- Make family decisions together. Communication is key in every marriage! Don’t try to shield your wife from troubling situations. Instead, let her know what is going on whether with work, and let her share your burden.
- Be grateful. Appreciate your wife for all that she does, and never ever take her for granted. Always recognize her for her contribution to the family, work and household.
For marriage to work beautifully, I believe that BOTH parties must make a conscious effort. Most of all, the couple must set goals together, and review them regularly.
What advice would you give to a groom? Is it the same advice you would give to a bride? What are the wedding customs where you live?
This is an original post written for World Moms Blog by Aisha Yesufu in Nigeria.
Photo credit to the author.
Great post! It’s really interesting to find out about different wedding traditions. My husband and I grew up in South Africa where there are many cultures and many traditions. As Europeans (we were both born in Italy) we ended up following the English tradition of “maid-of-honour” and “best man”, both of whom give a speech at the reception. Usually the speech relates amusing anecdotes from the bride’s past (by the maid of honour) and from the groom’s past (by the best man) followed by good wishes for their future, and a toast to the bride and groom from everyone in attendance. The “head table” is where the bride and groom sit next to both sets of parents, the maid of honour and the best man.
Very recently my son got married in Germany. There were no speeches at all by anyone, and everyone was given a glass of champagne and snacks as soon as they left the church. At the head table sat my son and his wife, her daughter (my daughter-in-law has a 7 year old from a previous relationship) the maid of honour and her partner, as well as the best man. We were seated at a table with the bride’s parents and some of her relations. It was odd for me that there were no speeches or toasts at my son’s wedding.
Irrespective of how the wedding is celebrated, I totally agree with you that a relationship can only flourish if *both* bride and groom are willing to respect each other, communicate openly and honestly, and be willing to compromise. I have been married for 25 years. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has always been worth the struggle. I know that I am blessed, because I have a husband who was willing to work through the hard times with me. 🙂
Aisha,
That is so interesting that the advice is only given to the women. “Never go to bed angry” is a piece of advice my husband and I received before we got married, and it was a good one! I love learning about Nigeria through your voice!