A Ugandan Wedding

It’s a day of rest and man did we need it! Thirteen hour wedding celebration took it out of my team and I. But it was an experience that I will never forget. From the bridal party brigade honking all the way through town to the extremely random and not at all matching bridal party attire, the days events and atmosphere was a rainbow of African and American traditions. Each car in the brigade was decorated with interesting ribbons and bows (baby blue, yet another random color) and there were groups of bridesmaids wearing different types of dresses and each held pots or baskets of semi ripened fruits (vibrant lime green dresses and others rainforest themed red and green dresses). The handsome groomsman that we were wore nicely tailored “Italian” brown pinstriped suits.

The wedding ceremony was just as colorful as the outfits we were wearing and it was very long. After one of the pastors gave the final word the whole place took communion and we marched out to eat some grub. Then we returned for the reception with all the guests outside the church. There we ate more food and watched some beautiful traditional dances, listened to random people sing as gifts to the bride and groom and have a few laughs. Then it was off to the Lira hotel for the formal reception for the bridal party and a select number of guests, like the Ugandan equivalent of a governor, a Resident District Commissioner, of the Lira district. More food and laughs. That concluded our celebration and we said good bye to the bride and groom as they left for safari for their honeymoon.

It was a great time. I really enjoyed the random mix of cultures and I had a great time with the groomsman, getting to know them as many of them were living in other parts of Uganda working for organizations (many of them went to university with Eddie, the groom).

Oh and no first kiss on your wedding day. There really is no kissing in public outside of Kampala, its just not culturally acceptable. You rarely see couples or husband and wives holding hands. Funny enough though its very common to hold peoples hands as you greet and chat with them, but as friends and especially for same genders. Couples however do not hold hands in public outside the normal hand holding during conversation and greetings. Interesting.