My daily pleasantries won her heart

What you need to know:

Jimmy Walter Oluma and Monica Namarome walked down the aisle at St Andrew’s Church of Uganda, Bukoto on December 10, 2011. They share their story with Esther Oluka.

The two of you look young. How old were you when you got married?
Walter: I was 26. Most people we even meet barely believe that we are married. Just like you, they claim that we look young.
Monica: I was 24 at the time I got married to Walter.

Under what circumstances did the two of you meet?
Walter: We were neighbours in Bukoto, a Kampala suburb. So, every time I saw her, I would say hello. Over time, we became friends and eventually started dating. Our friendship started in 2009 while the dating started in 2010.

When did you eventually propose to Monica?
Walter: It was in 2011 on her birthday. That was on July 16. I proposed on a bended knee amidst her close family members and friends. And she said yes on spot.

How much money did you budget for the wedding?
Monica: Between Shs35 to Shs40 million. We were able to raise the money from personal savings as well as from contributions from family members and friends. We were lucky not to be left in any kind of debt after the D-day.

Was part of this money for buying the wedding rings as well?
Monica: Yes, it was. Both of our rings cost Shs1,500,000.

How many guests did you send invitations to?
Monica: We invited about 200.

How long did you take to plan for the wedding?
Monica: We took about a year. We even got to pay off some of the service providers during this time so as not to panic during the last minute preparations.

What did you enjoy most during the ceremony?
Walter: When I carried her to the car soon after taking the group photo outside church. I could not imagine doing such amidst the large crowd of onlookers outside the church. I just dared myself.
Monica: I enjoyed myself the most during the time of taking photographs because the photographers were very interactive. The other reason was because I was so relaxed during the photo shoot. The pictures were taken at Speke Resort Munyonyo gardens.

Did you encounter any kind of disappointments on that day?
Walter: Yes, I was saddened by the fact that my father never lived to witness my marriage ceremony. He died in 1990.
Monica: My entourage and I arrived 30 minutes late at church because the hairstylists at the salon were annoyingly slow.
I got angry and cried because my day was being ruined. Thanks to my veil because no one could notice the red eyes.
Walter interjects: By the way, when she delayed, I got anxious. I kept stealing glances behind wondering about what had happened to my bride. It was a nerve-racking moment.

Was there any part during the ceremony where you became very emotional?
Walter: Yes, where the congregation was bringing their offertory to the basket that Monica and I were holding. I was so humbled after seeing some of the people that I least expected at the service. However, I cried during the reception while hugging my mother. Tears of joy they were. I was very happy that she had witnessed one of the best days in my life.
Monica: The salon moment.

Tell us something about your entourage.
Walter: I had only two males on my entourage and these included my best man and page boy.
Monica: I had three bridesmaids who are all my close friends, two flower girls and other two maids (my cousin and sister-in-law). In total, they were seven in number.

Where did you spend the honey moon?
Walter: We spent it at Ssese Islands, located on Lake Victoria.
Monica: Some of the things we did included fishing, swimming, rock climbing, canoeing and nature walks.

What has changed ever since the two of you wedded?
Walter: Before we were married, I would do everything as an individual but now that has changed. We do everything now as a couple.

Monica: I agree with what Walter has said. We plan everything we do together and are more conscious of each other’s presence.

If you had the opportunity to redo the wedding, what would you change?
Walter: I would do better preparations for the wedding which includes hiring another hair stylist to work on my wife’s hair.

The one we hired for our wedding totally disappointed us.
Monica: I would organise a smaller intimate wedding that would comprising mostly close family members and friends.

Did you break any usual wedding routine?
Walter: Yes, we did. Most weddings I have been to, during the time of the reception, speeches are given first and then the cake and food is served later.

We changed the usual order. We first cut the cake, served it to the guests and afterwards gave the speeches while they were serving and eating their food. We did this in order to save time.

What is your advice to other young couples who are not yet married?
Walter: Men, should know that commitment is not a bad thing. If you want to get married, go for it regardless of what other people say.

Monica: When the time comes and you finally start planning for the wedding, be the one in charge. Do not let other people be the ones in control to plan your big day for you.