It all started in a taxi

How did you meet?
Edris: It was one evening in June 2013 at a taxi stage in Kampala. We happened to be residing in the same area. I was struck the first time I looked at Alisha. When some people alighted from the taxi, I moved to sit closer to her. When it was time for her to get off, I asked if I could walk her home. She accepted and before we separated I request for her phone number. My mobile phone had blacked out so I crammed the number. I began the communication with a text message but she took long to respond.
Alisha: In the taxi, I was listening to music through my earphones. He tapped me, thinking I had dozed off. He said he was worried the taxi would pass my drop off point. He introduced himself as Eddy and after sometime, we started going for comedy shows together. We became friends and I really loved his company.

What attracted you to each other?
Edris: She has a nice body, a beautiful smile, and is hardworking and patient. Alisha believed in me so much that I gained the confidence to start constructing a house. She is indeed a blessing.
Alisha: Eddy has a good height with a nice smile and a good sense of humour. He is also endowed with good developmental ideas.

When did you then start dating?
Edris: It was in April 2014, during the Easter holiday. We travelled to western Uganda for a short vacation and during that time we got to know each other and drew closer. I was ready to move mountains to make her my wife. We dated for a year and a half before the official introduction ceremony.

When did you propose?
Edris: I proposed on her birthday, on September 10, 2014. In October, I met her family (kukyala) where I got a chance to interact with her father who is a wonderful man. The introduction ceremony was in August 2015.

How long did it take for you to respond to his proposal?
Alisha: It took me about six months. I needed to be sure of what I was getting myself into given our age and the fact that we were of different religions. But most importantly, when he introduced me to his mother, I believed he was the right man for me.

You have different religious backgrounds. How did you connect?
Edris: Initially, she was called Olive. It was a bit tricky after she shared what she wanted in her ideal man. In our conversation, she talked about never dating a Muslim because they are polygamous. That really hurt me but pretended it was okay. I had introduced myself to her as Eddy and I kept quiet about my religion until one day, I became bold and told her he truth. She had assumed that the long form of my name was Edward.

Was she disappointed?
Edris: Yes. But, by then, she was in love with me. Although my father has four wives, I made a promise to her that I will never marry another woman. She believed me and agreed to convert to Islam.

Was converting to Islam an easy decision to reach?
Alisha: It was not easy but I realised I was in love and he had the qualities I wanted in a man. My family was understanding and my father considered the love we had for each other more than our religious differences. We had to come to an agreement on certain issues before I converted to Islam. This included the dress code; I have to wear a Hijab every Friday and during the month of Ramathan, I have to wear the Hijab and fast.

What concessions did he have to make?
Alisha: I am not comfortable with the fact that he can marry other women according to Islam. He had to swear that I would be the only wife because I cannot stand to share him with someone else. The good thing about our relationship is that we discussed and agreed on things that would make it successful.

What terms did her family give you?
Edris: Surprisingly, none. My father-in-law was very welcoming and advised us to love, trust, and be patient with each other. He promised to be available to help us in case of any marital challenge.

When did you exchange wedding vows?
Edris: We were married on January 15 2017 at Kibuli Mosque by Sheik Mutyaba Abdu Salaam. We had the wedding reception at UMA main exhibition hall.

How many guests did you plan for?
Edris: We planned for 1000 people but we had an extra 100. We managed to cater for all of them, though.

Where you part of the wedding preparations?
Alisha: The main contribution I made was getting the bridesmaids’ clothes, my wedding gown and the changing dress. I was also involved in selecting the theme colour, the type of cake, and choosing some of the service providers.

What was the most expensive item on your budget?
Edris: The decorations cost Shs10.5m. The decorator considered class, the size of the hall, and number of chairs and tables.

What was the total cost of your budget?
Edris: We spent Shs45m and managed to make adjustments where needed to limit ourselves to that amount.
What was the breakdown of the budget?
Edris: The rings cost us Shs1m, the venue Shs6.5m, the cake, Shs3.5m, and my suits cost Shs1.8m.
Alisha: I ordered for a wedding gown from Mombasa at Shs2m. My gold changing dress cost Shs600,000 from a shop in Kampala. The two pairs of shoes cost Shs250,000.

What was your theme colour?
Alisha: I went with turquoise with a bit of red and lime green. I had eight maids and my sister was the maid of honour. I chose the maids based on their complexion, height, and body size, to complement the theme colour.

Who was your best man?
Edris:Nasif Masembe, my young brother, he is also a good friend and we are the same size and height. For the groomsmen, I considered size, height and skin complexion.

What excited you most?
Edris: Looking at my beautiful bride at the mosque. She also looked marvellous in her changing dress. Then, having all the invited guests at the venue and having the maids and grooms men perform a rehearsed song was also very exciting.
Alisha: Having my father walk me down the aisle and the fact my maids cooperated well was very exciting.

Did you have any worries?
Edris: I was only worried about guests not turning up for the reception because we had hired a large venue. However, many people came. I was also worried about the music because I had not had time to discuss with the DJ. We had only interacted on WhatsApp. However, he had all the songs I had asked him to play.
Alisha: I was worried about the maids keeping time for the salon because we all lived in different places.

What challenged you most during the preparations?
Edris: Finding service providers and their high prices was a challenge. I did not know that the decorations would cost me so much money. I did not even think getting a venue for the reception would be hectic.
Alisha: In the beginning, there was no one to help me with the shopping for our clothes. Things only became easier when my sister came on board.

What lessons did you learn that you can pass on?
Edris: I realised that not every person fulfils their pledge. So, it is better to have at least 80 per cent of the budget before approaching anyone for a contribution.
Alisha: It can be very tiresome when a bride does everything by herself and in most cases you may end up making the wrong choices. Also, I learnt that one should choose only people they trust in their entourage to avoid stress because on the wedding day, you have to wear a smile all day long.

Where did you go for the honeymoon?
Edris: We went to Mombasa for two weeks and we really enjoyed our honeymoon. We got to know each other better without interruptions.
Alisha: Mombasa was a surprise to me but I enjoyed the beach and got enough time to relax.

How would you advice people preparing for their wedding?
Edris: They should first look for money to clear the major items on the budget. The best man should be someone you are close to and whose finances are stable.

Alisha: Ladies should find a maid of honour they trust; someone who is willing to stand by their side throughout the preparations. Find time for the maids to interact with each other to avoid disappointments on D-Day.

How helpful was premarital counselling?
Edris: To be sincere, I did not get it because it is not catered for in Islam. My father is te one who gave me advice to a successful marriage.
Alisha: I did not have a professional counsellor but I got advice from my aunties
If could do it again, what would you change?
Edris: We would go to Miami, Florida for the honeymoon.
Alisha: I would not change a thing.

The details
Date: January 15, 2017
Groom: Edris Mpagi Kajubi
Bride: Alisha Nakitto
Mosque: Kibuli Mosque
Reception: Lugogo main exhibition hall
Wedding cake: Shs3.5million.
Guests: 1100 people
Wedding cost: Shs45m.
Rings: Shs1m
Theme colour: Turquoise blue
Cars: Cross Countries and Benzes
Venue: Shs6.5million