Marriage has become a common feature in conversations among the youth, especially the yet-to-be married ones.

One could easily gather volumes of information concerning people’s marriage expectations after speaking to just a few people; some are weird, others are laughable.

I have ended up teasing some friends because they eventually got married to people who never came close to their wishes.

One of my university mates kept on accentuating how her choice for a tall and dark man would be non-negotiable. I attended her wedding and saw a man she is taller than, and could not also boast of the complexion she dreamt of.

This lady is short, so you can imagine if she ends up with someone who needs to stand on his toes before kissing her. Another female friend of mine introduced her boyfriend to me when we were in level 200 in 2006 at the University of Ghana.

She told me in the presence of the gentleman that he was the one she would get married to at all cost. In 2012, when I attended their wedding, scenes of that conversation kept on flashing on my mind.

Quite recently, I have had conversations with some of my friends, and the kind of things they said about their would-be men were just interesting and worth sharing. I will share what I gathered with four of them on the grounds of anonymity.

Relax and read below what they expect from their would-be husbands:

A 30-year-old with an MSc Accounting & Finance from the University of Manchester and a level 3 ACCA student:

“My man must hold a master’s degree. That one is non-negotiable. He should have a very good job and be earning more than me. I don’t care if I am older than him, but the gap should be just one or two. Even with the age bit, I will only consider him if he satisfies all the conditions. He has to be intelligent, romantic and ready to have a lot of time for me.”

A 29-year-old MBA student at UPSA:

I don’t care if my man is not at my level in terms of education. All I care about is that he is working and earning some money. I won’t marry a man who is younger than me. He has to be smart and very presentable. As for that one, it is a must. I also need a nice surname though.

A 30-year-old with Economics background and an MBA from the University of Coventry:

“For me, my man must have at least a first degree. He should be earning a lot. He should be tolerant and understanding. I can afford to marry someone who is younger than me, but it should be just a year or two. He should be very intelligent.”

A 30-year-old with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Brunel:

“I don’t care one bit about his educational background. All I want is a man who is working and capable of taking care of the family. He has to be wise and very presentable. I will consider someone who is younger than me, but the gap should not be more than two years.

Trust me, discussions on marriage are always interesting, especially from the angle of women. I know with utmost certainty that it is always difficult to get someone who possesses everything we want in a partner.

Along the line, people end up compromising. Expect something on my colleague men soon.