Wedding planning in Uganda....

Last week we started wedding planning.  We had already decided on the church and reserved that. We started pre-marital counseling, which has been nothing like I expected.  Counseling we have to attend 8 sessions of 1.5 hours each.  It is more of a bible study than counseling.  I was expecting someone to ask us every question imaginable with regard to our relationship but it hasn't been like that (thank goodness).

We also held our first "wedding meeting" on Tuesday.  The wedding meeting consists of people who will help with the wedding planning and coordinating and help on the day of the wedding so we do not have to do those things.  Kind of like a wedding planner except many more of them and they responsible for certain things of the wedding.  There were 5 women at our meeting (not including myself).  I wrote down everything that we "have to have" so we can create the budget.  These meetings are actually supposed to have more people involved but we asked them to come on short notice so 5 is all we had this time.  It is sometimes difficult for me in these meetings because they default to speaking Luganda and I sit there not knowing what they are talking about but I usually nudge Abdu and he fills me in.

The next big item was finding a location for the reception.  We went to many places over the course of a few days.  We started with medium priced places and some expensive places.  There are some gorgeous venues here in Uganda.  Weddings are a BIG deal in Uganda.  You seem to have to invite everyone you've ever met in your life.  So as much as I loved this place…

there was no way we could afford to have it there because the food was $20 a plate and you have to feed everyone who comes…when you’re looking at a list of probably 300+ there’s no way we can do that.  So, we then shifted gears at looking closer to Kampala and areas that could hold the amount of people and that would allow us to bring our own cooks and food instead of using the venue food. 

I may need to start a wedding consulting business by the time this is over because weddings are big business.  People here spend some serious money.  Weddings are such a large event many Ugandans don’t go through with a traditional wedding.  They commit themselves to each other and consider themselves married without doing the church and reception events.  Having to invite everyone or risk all those people talking about you or hating you is tough.  Feeding the guests is the hardest part.  If you could just have snacks or finger foods it would be nice but oh no.  You have to have a full Uganda meal with soda and/or water.  It is a budget buster!

We also realized that when I would walk in a venue the prices went up automatically.  So the last day Abdu went to look at it by himself and then would bring me in once he got the prices.  He found a place that he knew one of the managers which helped us with the pricing also!  Praise God!  I believe that we will be happy with the venue and it allows us to bring our own food in so that will also save us.  We forgot to take pictures because it was raining at the time but next time I’ll have to take some pictures.

Each afternoon we go to the church because the kids are on break now until first of February.  The school year starts in February so this is essentially the equivalent of the summer break for kids in USA.  The kids train in singing and dancing each afternoon so we like to stop by and spend some time there to see what they are up to and make sure they are staying out of trouble. 

Wednesday night was church service and it started storming.  It was a lot of rain all at once and the way that the structure is put together there are gaps in the roofing material and the rain just was pouring in.  They try to patch the areas or redirect the water.  Our prayer is that one day we will have a church building that is permanent and secure and for land that the church will own also.  We cannot even leave the sound equipment in the church at night.  We rent a room down from the church where we store things so that they will be secure.  A couple of the boys from the church stay in that room also because their family home life is either bad or non-existent.

I was sick for a few days with stomach pains and didn't want to eat because I’d end up in the bathroom.  Finally Abdu prayed for me before we went to sleep and when I woke up I was completely fine and have been since then.  I've been doing okay otherwise.  For some reason I have had a congested nose each night and sneezing but I’m thinking it is allergies.

We are grateful for the blessings of the week and am preparing for the new week and the new month.

Stay tuned…