The reverend read another name instead of my wife’s

Rachael Kutegeka and Benjamin Oryem were joined in holy matrimony on December 16, at Christ Church Gulu.

What you need to know:

BROUGHT TOGETHER BY LOVE FOR CHRIST. Rachael Kutegeka, 29, a manager at International Medical Centre [IMC], Gulu branch and Benjamin Oryem, 32, the programme manager ILA Uganda, were joined in holy matrimony on December 16, at Christ Church Gulu. The couple shared the story of how they got close with JULIUS OCUNGI.

When and how did you meet?
Benjamin: We met in 2016 through a friend.
Rachael: In 2016, I wanted to start a fellowship and a friend introduced me to him saying that he had a similar vision, that’s how we met.

When did the two of you become close?
Benjamin: We became close in September 2016. We used to fellowship together, actually because of our shared vision, we later started planning for fellowship together. We also kept in touch through making phone calls and WhatsApp messages.

When did he propose and how was it?
Benjamin: I proposed to her on November 12, 2016 at Pagoda Hotel in Gulu Municipality. I was a bit scared of what her response would be so I told her other stories and proposing came last before we left the hotel.
Rachael: It was in November, not sure of the date though. I remember he asked me to meet him at one of the hotels in Gulu after work. I thought it was the usual meetings or about the corporate Christian fellowship. He got me unawares. It was very surprising as he went on a bended knee and popped the question, “Will you marry me?”

What really attracted you to each other?


Benjamin: Character, she is decent, well-behaved and her passion for Christ and God’s ministry.
Rachael: His love for God, humility and big heart. Of course Benjie.. [Benjamin] is handsome.

How did you raise funds for your wedding budget?
Benjamin: After agreeing to have a wedding in 2017, we started saving on a monthly basis. We also held meetings through which more money was raised plus we had support from friends and our family members.

Did you involve a wedding planner?
Benjamin: No, all planning was done by the organising committee.
Rachael: We prayed to God for the right people to form the committee and it worked out. They had all the ideas the planner would have given.

What were you doing on your wedding eve?
Benjamin: My friends took me for dinner where we spent time chatting waiting for the big day.
Rachael: I was at the salon getting my hair styled

What was your colour theme?
Benjamin: Blue because it is cool and romantic.
Rachael: Blue and pink because they are vibrant and give the photography a boost.

Were you disappointed in any way during your wedding?
Benjamin: Yes, the reverend mentioned another name instead of my wife’s name, Rachael.
Rachael: Yes, when I noticed that the tailor had messed up some attire for the maids and also the church time was changed to an earlier time than we had agreed. It made us work on pressure and start the service without our parents, the church was literally empty.

How did you react when the celebrant read a wrong name?
Benjamin: I got a little embarrassed I looked at him and he immediately realised before mentioning the right name. He was quick to apologise over the error.

Did mentioning a different name affect you in any way?
Rachael: Not at all, I know the reverend is a very funny person. I thought it could have been a typing error; my anger should be directed at the person who typed it.

Where was the reception?
Benjamin: Gulu Senior Secondary School Main Hall in Gulu Municipality. We went there because we wanted an enclosed spacious place to house everyone and also enable us have dinner minus going out. It was the perfect place and close to the church we wedded at.

Did you go for premarital counselling?
Benjamin: Yes, I learnt how to handle finances, how to resolve conflicts in marriage and many other things.
Rachael: I learnt that my role as a wife, God’s purpose for marriage and how to manage our two different families and their expectations.

Did you think going on a honeymoon was vital?
Benjamin: Yes,we wanted to relieve ourselves of the stress we had from organising for the wedding. We thought going on a honeymoon away from Gulu District would give us a fresh start in life.

And where did you go for your honeymoon?
Benjamin: We visited a number of places but Sipi Falls was the most interesting and relaxing.

What is your advice to couples planning to wed?
Benjamin: Anything is possible with prayers and hard work, they should remain focused.
Rachael: Let God be the reason and the centre of everything. Psalms 37: 4-6 is my special message to those intending to wed.

Who comprised the entourage?
Benjamin: My best man was Geoffrey Ocakacon, my long-time friend. Groomsmen were: Moses Otem, Julius Peter Abee and Fred Morioni Otim.
Pageboys were: Gabriel Kato, Gideon, Papa, Joel Mark Oundo and Jordan Wycliffe Oundo my wife’s nephews
Rachael: Matron; Prossy Ocakacon, Maids: Hilda Karusimbi, Agnes Pule, Christine Katwebaze, Melissa Keiteta

Where did you shop for your attires?
Benjamin: We [him and bestman] shopped for suits each at Shs1m and shoes each pair at Shs 250,000 from Acacia Mall.
Rachael: My gown was at Shs 1m at Sisters Bridals. Shoes cost Shs 100,000 from downtown Kampala. We bought some of the jewellery from London but I’m not sure of the prices. Those we bought in Kampala cost Shs 100,000. Maids’ dresses were made by a tailor in Gulu town.

Who made your wedding cake?
Benjamin: Iron Donkey baked our five-tier cake. It was made of velvet, lemon and chocolate flavour which cost us Shs 945,000. At Rachael’s give-away they made a 16-tier cake for her.

Did you have any debt after the wedding?
Rachael: No, in fact we had some surplus.
How much did it cost you for the wedding?
Benjamin: Shs 18m.

How much had you saved before the wedding?
Benjamin: Shs 8.4m

What was the most exciting moment on your wedding day?
Benjamin: When the bride said “yes I do”. It was fulfilling and I was assured of love.
Rachael: When the reverend declared us husband and wife, and also the great turn up at reception.

Who did your photography?
Clear Visions Filmz Gulu, because their work has always been commendable.

Given a chance to re-wed, what would you change?
Benjamin: I would not allow the brass band procession to take place. It took so much time and kept people waiting for us in church. I would also allow people to eat early enough at the reception because from the previous reception, it was the last thing.
Racheal: I would opt for a simple wedding, we had a simple wedding but given another chance, it would be simpler. Instead of hiring a venue, I would opt for everything to be done from home except for church service.

How did you choose your hairstyle?
Racheal: I was not particular about the hairstyle. We just went to Zubi’s Bridal Salon in Gulu town and they did what they deemed fit for my day.

How did you come up with the wedding menu?
Benjamin: We came up with the wedding menu but most of the work was done by the wedding committee, they did it with our help and that of the service providers.

What was the most challenging thing during preparations?
Benjamin: Mobilisation. We had to labour sending text messages and WhatsApp messages which some people do not respond to.
Racheal: Balancing work and the wedding preparation. I had very tight schedule at office since I had major events to deal with.

What are the three things you considered as you planned for the wedding?
Benjamin: Feeding, reception and transport.