While it is not uncommon to find couple with same names tying the nuptial knot, you will well agree that such is not a common occurrence you get to see in most marriages. Fortunately, one of such rare occasions was witnessed on Saturday, December 16, 2023, at Ogulagha Town in Ogulagha Kingdom, when the families of Apostle Emmanuel Malemi Benakiye from Ogulagha and Late Ekpokeme Okombo from Ayakoromo, both in the Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, gave out their children in a traditional marriage setting.

The bride and the groom, who before their traditional marriage were known as Malemi Preye and Ekpokeme Preye, respectively, did not only achieve their dream of becoming husband and wife on Saturday, but also by their marriage joined the rare list of couples bearing same names in marriage—an historical feat.

The ceremony, which held in the Malemi compound at Ogulagha, began with outdoor entertainment of the groom and members of his entourage on their arrival by the bride's family, before both families settled down indoors for the payment of the bride's price by the former, after a brief exchange of pleasantries.

As is the custom with traditional marriage, the list of the bride price was checkmated with the provisions of the groom to verify they were in order before the bride would be unveiled to her suitor.

Two interesting events played out that seem to add humour to the ceremony. During the unveiling of the bride, on making her way into the venue, the bride was asked to identify her suitor among the crowd of men seated in the venue. After going back and forth, with some of the men insisting they were the groom, she finally spotted his beloved and demonstrated this by kneeling down before him. Both then proceeded to her father for his prayers of blessings. But when the groom was handed a glass of drink that has been blessed by the father in-law to sip from, he almost downed the entire substance but with the intervention of some elders who drew his attention that he had to leave some for the bride, as the blessings were for both of them.

Then came the part when the father of the bride, as is the custom in traditional marriage, handed his daughter to the groom's father (accompanied with plea for his daughter to be well-treated in their care) who in turn handed her over to his son, the groom, symbolising his acceptance of the bride as wife to his son.

The celebration of the success of the traditional marriage proceeded outdoors where mammoth crowd of guests were seated. The activities that followed include the cutting of the marriage cake by the latest married couple, special dance by the couple who received appreciation from guests in attendance, group photograph session, with MC J-Excellent officiating the ceremony.

Among some of the dignitaries in attendance include Rev. Fullpower Bodewei, the Bishop elect from the Evangelism Church of Christ in Ogulagha (who declared the celebration open with an opening prayer); Engr. Ogugu Don Dickson, the CEO of Don Daddy Group of Companies, and chairmanship aspirant in Warri South-West Local Government Council under the platform of the PDP. Also making an appearance is the Ama-Okosu-ere, Madam Faene Akanware (the great grandmother of the bride), among other women groups and associations.

On Sunday, December 17, the couple were at the Shammah Divine Ministry in Warri for a blessed marriage and a thanksgiving ceremony to wrap up the celebration.

Back to their identity, as you might have noticed, the name 'Preye', an household name in the Ijaw ethnic group, particularly those of Delta State origin, is unisex by nature. Preye means 'Gift'. The couple by bearing same name has also made their new identities as one more unique in the sense that whenever you call one of them by name, you are likely to get a dual response from both. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Preye Ekpokeme.

View more photos on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02e12rTucK4qPC8C8Fb9xePw7b2zNKK5PZHFmtBChUNFPEjSKsE2SB5Psj6k4FdMwDl&id=100041939655507&mibextid=Nif5oz

#penglobalsocial #marriage