Joseph fell for my old hairstyle

When and how did you meet?
Joseph: I met Sheila when I was working for Wizarts Media in Ntinda. She was working at a fashion shop next door where I used do mobile money transactions. I always met her whenever I went to send money. It was a ‘hi hi’ relationship. To date, I do not know how it happened but by July of the same year, we were in love.
Sheila: I was in Senior Six vacation working at Monalisa Fashions on Ntinda Shopping Mall in May 2013.

What struck you about each other?
Joseph: I’m friends with many people and I never thought I would ever be close to Sheila.
Sheila: Joe used to interact with people regardless of their class or financial status. He is composed and has a good sense of humour.

When did the two of you become close?
Sheila: In July 2013. Joe saw me with a worn out pencil hairstyle and he jokingly said that he liked my hair. He said that it looked like dreadlocks. He went on to tell me he saw a light-skinned woman of my resemblance who looked gorgeous with dreadlocks. He suggested that I wear dreadlocks but I could not afford the hairstyle because I had just got a job. Spending Shs150,000 on hair was not within my budget.
He promised to give me the money when he returned from a trip. He neither had my phone contact, nor did I have his.
On return, he gave me the money. I was happy but he was travelling back that same day.
I did not know I was in love with him until that day. I felt bad that we could not spend more time together. We exchanged phone numbers.

Did he propose to you?
Sheila: Yes, he proposed to me after two and a half years. It was on my birthday on October 9, last year. He invited me for a date at Star Gardens in Ntinda. I thought it was a dinner for me. Only to see him at meal time going on one knee, asking to marry me.

How did you react?
Sheila: I was excited. It was a surprise because the birthday itself was a surprise party. Overwhelmed with emotions, I cried and definitely said yes while crying.

When did you come up with the wedding date?
Joseph: I once watched Jumping The Broom, a film, before I met Sheila. There was a wedding scene on a beach and to me that was my ideal wedding.
On my maiden visit to Ssese in 2011, I was mesmerised by the white sand beaches and I told my colleagues that was my dream wedding venue. Mark you, I had not yet met my bride.
When I met Sheila, I asked a friend again about the best month when the weather would be friendly in Ssese. He recommended July and I fixed July 30, 2016. I was not even sure that Sheila would accept my proposal.
Sheila: We actually did not come up with a date immediately. We first got information from his friend in Ssese and the rest fell in place.
I had my kukyala on June 14, 2015 but he had not mentioned anything to do with a wedding so we had our introduction in January.

What was your budget ?
Joseph: Our budget was Shs60m. We had saved some money and the rest was contributions from family and friends.

Did you involve a planner?
Joseph: No, my side job involves attending functions often. So from the word go, we knew what we wanted and where to get it. Also, our committee was robust, headed by my niece Lucy Peace Nantume Kazibwe who has a wealth of experience in organising weddings.

How did you come up with the guest list?
Joseph: To be sincere we had no guest list. We have many friends and relatives.
Sheila: We failed to decide on who to invite and who not to. We just printed 200 cards for those whom we knew would not come minus cards. We invited the rest verbally and through phone calls. However we had our estimates and we were on point with numbers.

What were you doing on your wedding eve?
Joseph: I went to the salon and picked up all items required for the following day.
Sheila: I went to the salon for a hair makeover, manicure and pedicure and attended the committee meeting at the venue. By 10pm I was in bed.

Who were your maids?
Sheila: We had two flower girls, two page boys and six bridesmaids, two of whom were the groom’s friends, other two were my sisters and the rest were my friends.

Were you disappointed in any way?
Joseph: I was too excited to notice disappointments. However, the priest almost ruined the function by restricting the sound output at the venue. Had we known earlier, we would not have used that venue.
Sheila: I actually wonder how one hires out a hall and expects less sound output when it is not sound proof. The committee did their best to convince the priest but he was rigid.

Where was that?
Joseph: At Our lady of Africa Kindergarten, Mbuya.

What kind of cake did you have?
Sheilah: Megeah Concepts baked for us a chocolate and fruit cake which cost Shs3.2m .

Why did you choose that venue?
Joseph: After giving up the idea of a beach wedding, Sheila wanted a hall wedding. We looked for the halls around and that was the most convenient in terms of distance from our church and cost.
I had known it earlier but did not know that it could be hired for weddings. Our decorator loved it and we paid for it.

What was going through your mind during the ceremony?
Sheila: I could not believe we were married. We have had a lot of ups and downs and there was a time it seemed impossible but now that it was happening, I could not believe it.
Even after everything I could not believe that we were going to spend our lives together.

Did you go for premarital counselling?
Joseph: Yes, we did for eight weeks, every Tuesday. I learnt a lot, for instance, how to grow our family spiritually, to encourage our children (if God grants them to us), to respect and love the Lord, my roles in the home, what to do and what not to do as a Christian.
We also learnt that we should be supportive of each other through thick and thin.
Sheila: I learnt how to be submissive to my husband and love and respect him no matter his financial status. Or even when we are to make decisions, men should have the upper hand.
We learnt to sieve among friends and it is not up to us the women to send away our hubby’s friends but suggest and let him do it himself. Learn to forgive each other as well as compromise and adjust in some situations.

Did you have any debts after the wedding?
Joseph: Not at all may be the four soda bottles that were broken.

Where did you buy her ring from?
Joseph: I bought our rings from South Africa.

Wheredid you go for your honeymoon?
Brovad Sands resort in Ssese.

What is your advice to those planning an wedding?
Joseph: Be yourself and plan a wedding according to your financial muscle. Ours was a stress free wedding because we did it within our limits.

TIT BITS
Date: July 30,2016
Bride: Sheila Ainomugisha
Groom: Joseph Mukaawa
Church: Our Lady of Africa, Mbuya
Reception: Our Lady of Africa Kindergarten
Budget: Shs 60m
Honeymoon: Brovad Sands Hotel, Kalangala

Church

Choose a spacious church that will accommodate all your guests. This will allow them the freedom to move from the time of capturing your wedding moments to other church ceremonies that require numbers without cramming the space

Venue

Sheila wanted a hall wedding. The couple scouted around for the most convenient in terms of distance from their church and budget-friendly one. The decorator made it picturesque and romantic for such a day.

Style matters

While it is a day to look your best, some accessories like a bridal umbrella on your wedding will leave a touch of class as it shelters you from the scorching rays. Sheila settled for a white and lacey one.