Ugandan Weddings

One of my final experiences here was attending my first Ugandan wedding. It is quite an event! There were 500 invited guests and a further 800 local villagers also showed up, so it was quite a party!!!!! They are quite extensive ceremonies lasting through the whole day. I arrived at 12 PM, apparently they had already been going strong for a couple hours singing and dancing in the church. The bride arrived for her 15 minute processional around 12:30 and the ceremony lasted until 2 at which point invited guests made their way to a reception hall for lunch.

It's tough for guys in this culture as they have to raise funds for a dowry to get a bride and then they also have to foot the bill for the wedding! It can all add up to a price tag that approaches 2-3 years worth of salary. (Grooms often get monetary support from their families to organize the activities because everything can cost so much.) I'm thankful I can get away with just buying a pretty rock and organizing a fun vacation afterward.