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Last week, I read a story about actress Nana Ama Mcbrown, born Felicity Nana Ama Agyemang in which she was quoted to have said that she opted for a less extravagant private marriage ceremony between herself and her husband, Maxwell Mensah to basically cut cost.

According to her, the wedding was restricted from the general public and the media because she thought it was totally unnecessary to do so.

“I decided to make the wedding at a low level because I think it was unnecessary for us to make it an extravagant wedding. The amount of money that one can spend on an extravagant wedding can be used to cater for day to day activities after the wedding”, she was quoted to have said on Agyenkwa FM. I strongly believe that ceremony was a private affair but when the news broke out, it was termed “secret”.

Prior to that, I have read several news stories concerning the topic. One worth mentioning was the supposed secret marriage between Prince Bright also known as Bling Sparkles, the only surviving member of Buk Bak and his fiancée of many years in New York.

There are several reasons why people will go in for a private ceremony. Some, we may know, thanks to people like Nana Ama McBrown and other we may not know because the people involved wants it to remain like that. But for how long will we continue to term such private celebrations as secret when it’s obvious we were not invited?

Very often, people in the media confuse themselves and their following by categorising a “private” event as “secret”. This misguided labeling stems from the fact that they are sometimes not invited to cover such events or the event isn’t a large gathering. But should their inability to be invited oblige them to term the event as secret when indeed it was a private affair?

Why should it be so? I don’t think its right.

Why a section of the media always confuse the two, I don’t know. Several questions pop up when I read stories that create the impression of secret marriage ceremonies.

Can’t two grown adults decide to get married, invite just few people like close friends and immediate families and not make it public? Shouldn’t it be possible? Does that make it a secret ceremony because the media were not duly invited to the event and wasn’t a large gathering.

Can’t two celebrities decide to tie the nuptial knot and not make it public? Is it by force to make it public because of their status as public figures? These and more of such questions always come in mind.

What are Celebrity Marriages?

A Celebrity marriage is a marriage ceremony between two celebrities. A movie star marrying a music star and vice versa, a movie star marrying a movie star, a music star marrying a music star are all different types of celebrity marriages. The list doesn’t end there.

Examples of that are American actor and producer, William Bradley Pitt popularly known as Brad Pitt, a multiple award winner is married to American actress, filmmaker and humanitarian, Angelina Jolie Pitt.

Their wedding can also be referred to as a Hollywood marriage which originally meant a glamorous high society marriage between celebrities involved in the U.S. film industry. The word "Hollywood" is often used to represent the US film industry.

American rapper, entrepreneur, Shawn Corey Carter also known as Jay Z married Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, also an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. That is also another example of a celebrity marriage.

There are a lot of celebrity marriages in the western world but down here in Ghana, we can think of few. Singer Choirmaster, born Eugene Baah of Praye fame is married to actress Beverly Afaglo. Other Praye member, Cartel Big Jay is married to another actress and television personality, Selly Galley.

We can talk about fashion entrepreneurs, Fred Deegbe and Duaba Serwaa. We can also talk about Chris Attoh and Nigerian actress, Damilola Adegbite. We also have Elikem Kumordzie of Big Brother Africa show and Zimbabwean Pokello, also of the same Big Brother Africa.

Almost all the ceremonies above were done in private with only immediate families and close friends invited. However, it becomes a ‘secret’ ceremony when the people involved didn’t invite or have a large gathering.

Celebrity and non-celebrity marriage

Then we have a marriage ceremony between a celebrity and people who are not in the limelight like Esther Smith and her new husband. Music producer, Roro and his wife, Reggae musician and radio personality, Blakk Rasta and his wife.

Former rapper of Echo music group, Elijah and his wife. Actor Majid Michel and his wife, Virna. Singer Chemphe and his wife. Actor Ecow Smith-Asante and his wife.

It’s obvious that based on their previous relationships and experiences or encounters with different partners, all these people preferred a private ceremony. A private ceremony because it is only opened to few close friends and families. Unfortunately, for the media it is a secret event.

It’s unfortunate that we have failed to distinguish between a secret and a private ceremony. I don’t think there is something like a secret wedding in Ghana. You may not be invited because the couple may not consider you as important to them.

Others will be invited because they are of much importance to the couple. It doesn’t make it a secret wedding, it was just a private event and you were not simply invited, that’s all!

I end by asking, is it by force to invite everyone including the media to your wedding ceremony because you are a public figure?