United by church leadership

How did you come to know each other?
Saul: I met Lisa four years ago. I was a youth secretary in church and I sometimes meet Lisa who was a leader from a different church. we used to have church meetings with different church representatives in Mukono. I met her when her church visited ours (St James Church, Nasuti) and we first interacted as youth leaders but I later got attracted to her.
Lisa: In 2014, I met Saul at church, I was leading a group of youth from St Luke Church of Uganda, Nakifuma to St James Church.

How did you get close?
Saul: Lisa is beautiful but I did not know much about her. I had lost contact with her for about eight months. One day I searched, found her number in my notebooks and I called her. We met at Uganda Christian University, Mukono. From then onwards, we used to meet often in Mukono town which gave me chance to know her more.
Lisa: It was at university in September 2014 and from our meetings I picked interest in him. I think it was divine connection.

When did you propose to her?
Saul: In November 2014, after one of the meetings, we met for a cup of tea and I asked her to marry me. Because we had known each other for a while it gave me assurance and we had built trust. Her acceptance gave me more reason to take her out and open up more because I felt I was with the right woman.

Lisa, how did you react to his proposal?
Lisa: I had known him as loving, God-fearing, caring and thus, my Mr Right. So, I gave him a chance and our relationship worked.

What do you like about each other?
Saul: Lisa is beautiful, God-fearing, focused, loving, and hardworking and does not drink.
Lisa: Saul is intelligent, true friend, optimistic and loving.

What was the most exciting moment on your wedding day?
Saul: When I was marching with Lisa on the aisle. Also, the service providers gave us enough cake, food and decoration. The turn up was encouraging.
Lisa: walking the aisle to find Saul at the altar was exciting, I realised that my dream to get married had come true. I also loved the decoration at the reception venue.

What was your colour theme?
Lisa: Purple and silver which make a unique colour combination.

How did you raise the funds?
Saul: Relatives, friends and workmates raised 75 per cent of our budget. We also had some savings and bought some of the items needed.

What challenged you the most during the wedding preparation?
Saul: Balancing my work schedule with coordinating wedding preparations. Because we were depending on friends most things were not done in time and we paid for most of the items at the last minute.
Lisa: We depended on pledges and some people paid after the wedding.

Were there any disappointments?
Saul: Ojambo Sounds in Mukono had a good public address and music system but the DJ did not do a good job yet the the service cost us Shs500,000.

What was the most expensive item on your budget?
Lisa: The gown cost me Shs1m.
Food went for Shs5m for 600 guests but the number exceeded. Gladly everybody ate.

How much did your suit cost?
Saul: My nice and affordable suit was at Shs400,000.

Did you have any fears on that day?
Saul: I was worried about inadequate food. Fortunately all the guests ate. I thought it would rain given the unpredictable weather and we had an outdoor reception. I was worried about people not honouring their invites because some people organise events but guests do not turn up.
Lisa: Time management since I was at a salon in the city centre given the traffic jam. Organising bridesmaids did not look easy because each of them slept at her home.

Were you disappointed in any way?
Saul: We arrived at church in time but the service delayed to start and we had to wait for about 45 minutes which interrupted our programme.
Lisa: My relatives left before the end of the function because we delayed at church and it was late for them to travel back home. The chairs were not enough since the expected number of guests exceeded the one we had planned for. Some guests sat on the grass while others stood.

Did you have debts after the wedding?
Saul: No, that is the one thing that made us happy though we paid at the last minute.

Where did you go for honeymoon?
Saul: We stayed at our house and had honeymoon there since it was quiet.

Were you hurt by Saul’s decision to have honeymoon at home?
Lisa: No, by the time the function ended I was sick and I could not go for honeymoon.

How critical was premarital counselling?
Saul: Bishop Jackson Matovu and Rev Eddy Muyomba and Margret Kanyali, the president of Mothers Union Mukono Diocese counselled us. Bishop Matovu told us there is no formula for marriage. He said talking with love and putting God first would make our journey smooth.
Lisa: We were told to keep our love strong and be supportive of one another. I was told to be submissive to win favour and love.

Given chance to wed again, what would you focus on?
Saul: Resource mobilisation; to ensure we have adequate resources.
Lisa: Saving money before thinking of or planning for the wedding.