Mary used to bail me out at campus

Derrick and Mary Kagimu share a moment after exchanging vows at Sacred Heart Bugonga in Entebbe. COURTESY PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Derrick Kagimu, an accountant at Global Scientific Supplies and Agile Traders Ltd and Mary Namuddu, a real estate business manager got married.
  • They wedded at Sacred Heart Bugonga, Entebbe.
  • The couple has two children.

Derrick Kagimu, an accountant at Global Scientific Supplies and Agile Traders Ltd and Mary Namuddu, a real estate business manager, have two children. They wedded at Sacred Heart Bugonga, Entebbe. They told CHRISTINE KATENDE their love story.

Derrick, when did you meet Mary?
Derrick: The first time I met Mary , she was one of my Economics students in 2008.
We became friends at university in 2012. She joined when I was in third year. Mary was such a good friend that she would bail me out in hard times. In the process, I developed feelings for her.

How did friendship turn into love?
Derrick: Given our friendship and what she was doing for me, I realised that she would make a good wife. I started doing random acts of love that suggested my intentions. Apart from accompanying her and paying her visits, I on several occasions told her how I felt about her.
Mary: He used to accompany me home every day. His conduct and communication skills were on point.

Did you later propose marriage?
Derrick: No, there was no formal proposal, I would tell her how much I loved almost on a daily basis.

When you realised his intentions, how did you react?
Mary: No, I could not openly show him that I was falling in love. So, it took me a while because I wanted to know him and his family better.

What attracted you to each other?
Derrick: Mary is focused, God-fearing, disciplined and open. She also comes from a good family.
Mary: Derrick is humble, caring, and trustworthy.

How did you come up with a guest list?
Derrick: We did not have a guest list, we just budgeted for a good number of people. However, our priority was family and friends. We knew an invited guest would likely turn up with someone else.

Did you then have a wedding planner?
Mary: No, we only applied the wedding ideas we borrowed from the several wedding ceremonies we had previously attended.

What was your dream wedding like?
Mary: I wanted a simple beautiful wedding and it happened.

Who comprised your entourage?
Derrick: Benjamin Kusasira, my brother-in-law and friend was my best man. It is key that he is married. While choosing the groomsmen, I considered the relationship I have with each of them. I had a brother, a colleague, a cousin and friends. They were almost of the same physique and matched my skin complexion.
Mary: My matron was Lydia Namatovu, my elder sister, friend and confidant. I had five bridesmaids. They were my single friends and cousins whose body size and height matched. I also wanted them to be inspired.

Were you disappointed in any way?
Derrick: Yes, when we arrived at the reception venue, the decorator did not give us what we had agreed on. It was not worth Shs3.6m we paid. She showed us something different in photos but the outcome did not match.
Also, the cameramen did not turn up at the barbershop to capture the moments.
For transport, the service provider paraded three cars at the bride’s salon, leaving us with one which was not enough. I had to improvise other means to church, which annoyed me.
Mary: The decoration; the gazebo was not nice and the white chair seat covers were also torn.
Somebody drove away with my other pair of shoes and I ended up using what was not meant for the changing dress.
Also, the DJ was not good.

What kind of cars did you use?
Derrick: We used four silver Mercedes Benz C- class.

And your attire?
Derrick: I bought a Vinstilo suit (Italian brand) comprising a cream tuxedo and a black pair of trousers. It cost me Shs500,000.
Mary: I used two gowns. For church, I hired a snow white Cinderella gown at Shs 900,000. This matched my body size. For the reception, I wore a body-hugging gown hired at Shs600,000. Both gowns were from Family Tree Bridal Shop on Entebbe Road.
My changing dress was tailored at Shs400,000 and my mother bought the jewellery from the Egyptian Fair at Lugogo.
I had two pairs of shoes (red and white) each at Shs200,000.

Did you have any fears on that day?
Derrick: Having been cautioned about time, I feared that the bride would delay, given the distance from the salon to church. Thank God, they managed to make it at least 15 minutes to the mass.
Mary: No, everything was okay.

What interested you most on that wedding day?
Derrick: The favourable weather and the fact that all the invited guests turned up. Also, when I put a ring on her finger, it was beautiful.
Mary: When we exchanged the vows, I felt so good and loved. Then, seeing my mother cheering us on just made me more excited. She was happy after being at the centre of the preparations.

Do you remember facing any challenges during the wedding preparations?
Derrick: Firstly, the person I chose to chair the wedding meetings turned me down and I had to look for someone else. Pooling resources was another hustle, people did not turn up for meetings including friends and family members. Discouragement from some people around me. But because I was positive and focused, none of what had been said put me down. I also prayed hard for the day to come to pass. Thank God we had no debt.
Mary: I do not remember anything of a kind because my mother, Christina Ssewannya was at the centre of everything. She sacrificed a lot for me.

Where did you go for honeymoon and what interested you the most?
Derrick: We went to Brovad Hotel in Kalangala. I enjoyed intimacy and enough of time.
Mary: We spent four days in Kalangala but the most interesting thing to me was the intimacy we enjoyed in the cool breeze.

How useful was premarital counselling?
Derrick: We were given a theme, “Knowledge, God and finances”. This focused on my responsibilities, taking care of my family, how to handle my wife in and outside the bedroom. Finance management, good communication, educating the children, among others.
Mary: I got to know how better I have to perform to sustain my marriage. Like being a good woman in and outside the bedroom, grooming children well, being a good cook and that it is my sole responsibility to look after my husband. The counsellor emphasised the issue of personal hygiene and that of the home.

Given a chance to re-wed, what would you do better?
Derrick: I would focus on the decoration because I was not contented with what I was given at the previous wedding. This time, I would get somebody to follow up and also make an agreement with the service provider that if she does not do as promised, I retain some percentage. I would also look out for an experienced DJ to play good music.
Mary: I would choose a different honeymoon destination. I would love to fly to Dubai and spend some good time there.

What is your advice to those planning to wed?
Derrick: As you draw the budget, ensure to save as much because you ought not to rely on those attending your meetings.
Mary: Have a picture of what you want and take time to save for it. Follow up with service providers to the dot.

The titbits
Date: August 26, 2017
Groom: Derrick Kagimu
Bride: Mary Namuddu
Church: Sacred Heart Bugonga, Entebbe.
Reception: Sienna Beach Hotel, Entebbe
Cake: Shs1.8m
Guests: 700
Budget: Shs30m