Panelists on Joy Prime’s The Brotherhood have thrown their support behind Archbishop Duncan Williams’ call for young people to avoid debt in the name of marriage.

On yesterday’s episode of the show, host Kofi Hayford sat with Zeal, Alvin, and Dr Desmond Kofi Annan, FCGBA, to discuss whether they would be willing to break the bank to give their spouse a grand wedding ceremony or opt for a more intimate one to cut costs.

The discussion was sparked by a viral video of the respected cleric advising young people against accruing debt in a bid to get married. In the video, Archbishop Duncan Williams cautioned against needless expenses such as feeding large numbers of guests, long bridal trains and expensive venues.

He suggested that young people consider simple mass weddings at their local churches, devoid of bridal trains and similar extras, and rather save their money for their union. He further stated that young men who want to get married should have at least GHC100,000 in their accounts as a safety net.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t help people who want to marry, but we need to have 5 or 10 marriages Sunday morning on the altar, everybody brings their ring. No best man, no maid of honour, nothing. We just pronounce the blessing of God, you go home, make babies, live your life.”

On the show, the brothers weighed in on the subject, with all of them agreeing with the Archbishop’s position that wedding expenses should be reduced in favour of more traditional and less costly alternatives.

Speaking on the topic, Dr Desmond Kofi Annan, FCGBA, expressed a strong preference for customary marriage over lavish wedding celebrations, describing elaborate ceremonies as merely the flowery aspect of the institution.

Dr Annan emphasised that Ghanaian law recognises customary marriage, Islamic marriage and ordinance marriage as valid unions. He argued that couples who complete a customary marriage but cannot afford an expensive ceremony should not be judged or pressured for opting out of an elaborate celebration.

“I don’t subscribe to it at all. If I do a customary marriage and I don’t have the capacity to do the flowery white wedding, going to rent a garden somewhere and doing all those things, I don’t think it should be something I would be taken to the cleaners about. Just because I’ve not been able to do a popi popi kind of marriage and spend that huge sums of money,” he stated.

He stressed that people should not live their lives to please society. However, he acknowledged that if a partner or their family insists on a ceremony, it is a matter the couple must discuss together, since marriage is a joint decision.

Zeal and Alvin, who appeared on the show alongside Dr Annan, shared similar views, encouraging young men to be financially stable enough to afford a modern wedding or choose a modest ceremony and save their money.