By Fred Ezeh
Scriptures recognise marriage as a thing of joy and encourage man and woman to take the step. Marriage, along with other benefits that go with it, serves as a platform for procreation .
In fact, Jesus’ first miracle as recorded in the Bible was the turning of water to wine at a marriage feast.
It is widely agreed that marriage attracts God’s blessings and protection.
Last weekend was a special one the families of Mr. Mike Awoyinfa and Mr. Kayode Ojo. Their children, former Miss Temitope Omobolanle Ojo, and Mr. Kehinde Ayodeji Awoyinfa, set off on a love journey at the weekend. Their wedding was unique in every sense of the word. It took place at the prestigious International Conference Centre, Abuja, at the weekend.
It was an event that would be difficult to erase from the memory of those that witnessed it in the years to come: apart from being colourful, it changed the air of the Federal Capital Territory.
The marriage ceremony, traditional and formal wedding, attracted what could best be described as the who is who in Nigeria. Top media personalities came in their dozens. They were there to identify with the groom’s father, Awoyinfa, whose imprint in the industry remain indelible for everybody to see. He is generally regarded as one of the doyens of the Nigerian news media.
Awoyinfa and the late Dimgba Igwe were said to be the brain behind the establishment of The Sun Publishing Ltd. The highly celebrated tabloid newspaper that has become an undisputed voice of the people.
As a result of the solid foundation that laid by Awoyinfa andd Igwe, The Sun newspaper has continued to thrive long after they left the company.
Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media, Mr. Femi Adesina, who until his appointment at the Presidency was the Managing Director of The Sun Publishing, as well as the incumbent Managing Director, Mr. Eric Osagie, and his deputy, Steve Nwosu, were on hand to felicitate with the Awoyinfas.
Similarly, the goodwill of the bride’s father, Pastor Kayode Ojo, also attracted dignitaries from different walks of life, particularly pastors from the Four Square Gospel Church and other friendly churches. They came in their numbers to celebrate with their own.
Traditional marriage
Activities that heralded the marriage began in Abuja last week Thursday with the traditional marriage after the engagement had taken place.
The traditional rites were conducted with fanfare. Parents, relatives and friends were on hand for the august event.
Being the traditional engagement ceremony, the event was conducted in Yoruba language all through, starting from the opening prayer till the end, the closing prayer. Unfortunately, there were hundreds of guests, including foreigners, that did not understand Yoruba language. Despite the language barrier, the guests, particularly those that could not understand the language, enjoyed the ceremony because the Yoruba woman that conducted the ceremony intermittently entertained the guests with humour and dance steps. 
The entire hall quaked when the bride and the groom, gorgeously dressed in Yoruba attire, were ushered in by the live band. The drumbeats further livened the event and forced many to dance to the beat of the music. Some even took over the dance floor.
The groom, who chose his twin brother, Taiwo, as his bestman, alongside his tall and handsome friends, appeared in sparkling white agbada, with cap to match. The bride, alongside her pretty damsels, showed up in a green dress at first, but later changed to another for the dance after the traditional marriage was successfully conducted.
The joy and excitement of the parents could be seen, not only in the expression on their faces but in their laughter and dance steps. It was indeed a memorable moment as they watched their children joined in love and unity to begin the journey of marriage.
Wedding day
Everyone in Asokoro and all the adjoining roads to the International Conferences Centre could tell that something unprecedented happened around them last Saturday. Yes, in Asokoro, the highbrow area that alway buzzes with sirens as a result of the multitude of government lodges domiciled there, the wedding event further changed the complexion of the place. There was huge vehicular and human movement. Traffic was diverted by security and traffic officials to allow easy movement of guests.
Four Square Gospel Church Asokoro, Abuja, was the venue of the church service, which started right on time. The church auditorium was filled to capacity with friends and family from both sides. Women groups, youths, friends and relatives all tried to outshine one another in their attire (aso ebi).
Pastor Tony Akinyemi, who delivered the sermon, congratulated the couple on God’s love that brought them together. He encouraged them to sustain the love, praying that divine wisdom and understanding would envelope them as they embark on the journey.
He expressed worry that many Christian homes were faced with serious marital crises because of what he called absence of knowledge and wisdom to handle whatever the issues might be.
The clergyman highlighted some important things that must either be avoided or sustained to continuously keep the fire of love burning in marriage.
The Senior Pastor of Four Square Gospel Church, Asokoro, Pastor Babajide Olowodola, who conducted the marriage vows as well as the exchange of wedding rings, used some scriptural verses to justify to them that Christ is the pillar of every home and should be invited and given priority at all times to take the lead.
Groom’s parents
The groom’s parents, Mike and Bukola Awoyinfa, in an interview with Abuja Metro, expressed their gratitude to God for sparing their lives to witness the wedding of one of their sons. They were confident of the capacity of their son to assume the responsibility of a father and husband.
They both prayed that God’s love, wisdom and understanding would envelope and guide the new couple as they commence the journey of marriage.
Amid excitement, the groom’s father almost burst into tears when he remembered his good friend, Mr. Dimgba Igwe, with whom he worked in the media industry for decades and had co-founded The Sun newspapers.
He said, “Late Dimgba knew when these twins were born. We nurtured them together from being kids to university graduates to having completed their MBAs. Today, one of them is married. It is a thing of joy and fulfillment for me as a father who had no female children and had to welcome a daughter-in-law into my family. How I wish late Dimgba Igwe was here to share in this great moment of joy. However, I thank God that his wife was able to make it.” 
The groom’s mother, in addition to her husband’s position, emphasised that God blessed her with boys all the way and was excited that her son has brought in a beautiful damsel as wife.
She said, “My son has brought in a beautiful wife and my kind. I had male children but God has begun to give me my kind. I am very much ready to play the role of a mother to my daughter-in-law and grandmother to their children.”
Bride’s parents
The parents of the bride, Mr. Kayode and Mrs. Victoria Ojo, admonished the new couple to always see themselves as one. They counselled that they should pray together, love each other, share things together and dedicate their lives to the service of God.
They told Daily Sun that they had implicit confidence in the ability of their new son to “be a guide, protector and good husband to their daughter.”
The bride’s father was particularly excited that he was alive to give out his daughter in marriage unlike his own father who was not around to witness his marriage.
The couple
Accosted by journalists shortly after the wedding, the couple used several adjectives to describe each other and how fulfilled they were to see the climax of their relationship that started about three years ago.
The groom described the bride as a bundle of joy given to him by God’
“She is my dream woman, amazing, a beautiful woman that loves God and man. God bless the day I met her,” he said.
For the bride in the groom she had found a man who was “focused and genuine,” who loves and fears God.