Ghanaian highlife musician, Rex Owusu Marfo, known in music circles as Rex Omar, has advised young people in Africa, not to worry themselves about holding white weddings after performing traditional marriage rites.

In a Facebook post, he explains that in the African setting, the traditional ceremony is the real marriage.

"After the two families have met and you're done performing the traditional marriage ceremony with all the customs, please STOP calling it an engagement! That is the actual marriage according to our AFRICAN tradition laid down for us by our ANCESTORS," he wrote on Facebook.

The father of four, therefore, indicates that after going through what is generally referred in Ghanaian parlance as 'engagement', there is no need for the white wedding.

"Do NOT after that put pressure on yourselves waste money that could have been used to start life to go perform another white European wedding ceremony and call that the marriage. Our ANCESTORS were NOT stupid! For the lack of knowledge, my people perished," he noted.

In most African societies, especially Ghana, the traditional marriage usually precedes the white wedding. At the traditional ceremony, all the necessary rites are performed in the presence of both families.

Some couples go ahead to hold the white ceremony a few days or weeks after the family rites. The white weddings are usually held in churches, normally with the groom in suit and the bride in a white gown. The couple is mostly followed by brides maid(s) and best man (men). After this, a reception ceremony is held to entertain the guests.

The white wedding format has come with criticism as some have argued it is an alien culture that over-burdens couples.