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Courthouse marriage is not a common phenomenon in Nigeria, mostly because the prerequisite of romance—in this part of the world— is an extravagant wedding. The rising expectation and the high-pitched fever that trail the announcement of a wedding often pushes prospective couples—who themselves grew up on the notion that a wedding is no wedding unless it’s extravagant—and their families and friends to overdo everything.
The average Nigerian wedding cost about 1-2 million naira and that’s not taking the dowry, the miscellaneous expenses, and honeymoon bills into consideration. The cliché is ‘go big or go home’. But wide exposure, cultural revolution, and harsh economic realities are teaching young people to seek alternative ways to celebrate their big days.
Although courthouse marriage has been a thing for a long, long time, it is arguably still the least famous form of marriage in Nigeria. But here are reasons why you should consider a courthouse wedding.
If an extravagant ceremony seems too overwhelming for your schedule or your wallet, getting married in a courthouse might turn out to be one of the shrewdest financial decisions you’ll ever make! While an elaborate church or traditional wedding are beautiful ways to celebrate the beginning of a married life, they are certainly not the only ways. If you had a courthouse marriage—at the end of the day—you and your partner will still be ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’ and the same certificate, issued in church, will be handed to you.
While certain circumstances may warrant that a wedding be conducted quickly and quietly, some people just really hate all the noise and the buzz. A courthouse wedding provides a conducive and convenient avenue to get married. You get to save your money, time, and energy and you get to avoid unnecessary, and often unwanted attention.
Planning a wedding can literally suck life out of you and mingling your way through hoards of great aunts, distant cousins, and old high school friends can be exhausting. A courthouse ceremony not only helps you trim your guest list without hurting anyone’s feelings, it also gives you the opportunity to celebrate one of the most important days of your life with the people that truly matter.
Courthouse weddings are real fast, as opposed to church or traditional weddings (honestly, I don’t know which is worse.) What’s more? There are no ridiculously long sermons and songs in courts, no crowd, and definitely no noise. In and out and you’re done.
A courthouse wedding breaks all protocols. There are no judges and no rules. There are no strict dress codes, no strict timeline. Prospective couples can wear whatever they like and everyone can be happy.
Oh, I almost forgot. A courthouse marriage is totally legal! Too ‘legal’ sef.