Kokooko — the sound of a knock on a door, and the name of the ceremony.
The formal first approach by a man’s family to a woman’s family, asking permission to marry. The man’s family brings drinks, and traditionally schnapps, along with money and gifts.
If the knocking is accepted, the woman’s family produces a list of items for the traditional marriage — the customary ceremony, which is often larger and more significant than any church wedding that follows.
A Ghanaian couple may have three weddings: the traditional marriage, the church or mosque ceremony, and the legal registration. They are separate events, and the traditional one is the one that establishes the marriage in the eyes of both families.