We had our traditional and mosque function at once

When and how did you meet?
Aisha: When I was a child I met him regularly as I escorted my mother to our restaurant.
Farouk: We are childhood friends since 1999. Her dad used to run a restaurant in our house that is how I came to know Aisha.

So, when did the two of you eventually become close?
Aisha: He approached me in 2013and said I was worth settling with as a wife. He praised my character, and this swept me off my feet.

What attracted you to each other?
Aisha: Farouk is handsome and God-fearing, but on top of that he is down to earth.
Farouk: Aisha is beautiful, religious and well-behaved.

When did you get talking about marriage?
Farouk: Around the beginning of 2013 after we had re-established contact. We had not been in touch for a long time. Our meeting was a reunion and time to share our future goals that would lead to marriage.

Did he propose to you?
Aisha: Yes, I cannot forget that Monday evening in October 2014. I was so excited. We were at a confectionary shop where we used to meet for our dates, Farouk out of the blue asked me if I was ready to marry him. He was very humble as he asked me and he did not do the dramatic kneeling. I could not turn him down.

When did you make your marriage intentions known to her family?
Farouk: As the Bakonzo tradition demands, I wrote a letter to her family towards the end of 2013 after which I was invited by her parents to her home for discussions. Of course, it included negotiations on bride price among other things.
And, how did you come up with the wedding date?
Aisha: The dates were agreed upon by both families at the point when Farouk paid bride price.

What was your budget and how did you raise the funds?
Farouk: It was Shs23m. Much of the funds came from my friends and family especially the Rotary fraternity from Uganda and beyond. I had five wedding meetings, two in Kampala and three in Kasese which were a good tool for us to raise funds.

What were you doing on your wedding eve?
Farouk: I was asked to stay in the house all day because that is the tradition. I kept in touch with my organising team by phone.
Aisha: Three days before the wedding, I was placed in a room that was only accessed by very few people authorised by my aunts. I was not allowed to do any chores. My phone was the only company I had.

How did you come up with the guest list?
Farouk: The two families sat to come up with a list. Then as a couple, we also came up with a list of friends before merging the lists to draw the final.

Did you involve a wedding planner?
Aisha: No, we had got our ideas from experienced friends.

How much was your gown?
Aisha: It cost about Shs1.5m and was from Janat Bridals, Kampala.
Who did your photography and at how much?
Aisha: Cardinal Prints, Kasese. It cost Shs800,000.

Farouk, how did you choose your entourage?
Farouk : My entourage comprised fellow Rotaractors who are also very close friends.

What was your theme colour?
Farouk: Purple, because it is my favourite colour and I had loved it more after my traditional function.
Were you disappointed in any way during the wedding?
Aisha: No.
Farouk: Yes, but it was short-lived. There were timekeeping gaps at Aisha’s home since the wedding happened on the same day as the introduction.

Where was the reception?
Farouk: At my family’s country home in Mubuku- Rwakingi, Kasese.

What did you enjoy the most on your wedding day?
Farouk: Seeing a large number of my friends in attendance. It was the most exciting and memorable experience.
Aisha: The decoration which was given a traditional touch, and the guests who smiled all through.

What was going through your mind during the ceremony?
Farouk: How I was able to bring together the dignitaries from different spheres of life. I kept on thanking Allah for such an accomplishment.
Aisha: The efforts we put in to have such a colourful day. I also kept praying that we [organisers] stick to the budget.

What is the most important element as one plans for a wedding?
Farouk: The timing of the function and the composition of the organising team.
Aisha: Having faith and resources.

Did you go for premarital counselling?
Aisha:No, because I was already getting some lessons from my mother and aunts at home during that period of preparing for the wedding.

What lessons did you learn from preparing for the day?
Farouk: Networking is power
Aisha: It is easy to accomplish a task if you have faith. We had limited time but got enormous results.

Did you think of a honeymoon as vital?
Farouk: No, because it meant shooting up the budget.

What is your advice to newly married couples?
Aisha: They should know that marriage is nothing without consistent agreement and compromise of each other.
Farouk: Exercise patience.