{"id":19109,"date":"2021-09-01T15:35:08","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T12:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/?p=19109"},"modified":"2021-09-02T11:17:55","modified_gmt":"2021-09-02T08:17:55","slug":"wedding-planning-i-kept-putting-details-3-years-prior-to-the-wedding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/?p=19109","title":{"rendered":"I started to prepare for our wedding three years in advance"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Claire Balungi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oceans apart, Christian Wamambe and Joanne Mwebaze tried to make their relationship work. At some point, they had to lose hold, as the long distance couldn\u2019t negotiate with their feelings. It is during that relationship break however that they got together once again and talked marriage. This came to life 2021. Mrs Wamambe tells their story\u2026<\/p>\n

How did you meet?\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

While at Mt St Mary\u2019s Namagunga, I had gone home for a doctor\u2019s appointment in the middle of the term when I met Christian at my friend\u2019s place. He\u2019d also come home from school as he had broken his leg playing rugby. That was 2009, I was in Form 3 and he was in Form 5 at St Mary\u2019s College Kisubi. He is a cousin to my friend.<\/p>\n

Anything significant you did as friends that would eventually lead to your dating?<\/strong><\/p>\n

After our initial meeting, we never used to talk to each other, even if we would be in the same house during holidays. We went out a few times but it was with the rest of his cousins.<\/p>\n

We started talking in my Form 6 vacation, that was late 2012- early 2013. Since then, we\u2019ve talked every single day even if one\u2019s phone gets lost or stolen. In 2013, I went to China for school. The only time we would not talk is when I would be on a flight. We had our first one on one date in 2014 when we started dating.<\/p>\n

How did you start dating?\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was just a question of what we were up to with the friendship; one of those things you casually hint at in a conversation and then you\u2019re like, oh cool alright then, so we are dating now\u2026 It wasn\u2019t a whole big thing.<\/p>\n

We took a break in 2015, long distance wasn\u2019t it… but we\u2019d still talk and hang out every summer holiday. Christian and I decided that we\u2019d revisit the relationship when I returned to Uganda permanently in 2017 after school, so that if we were still up for it, we would pick up where we\u2019d left off. If we were not into it anymore, we\u2019d move on.<\/p>\n

While you were on a break, did you see other people?\"\" <\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, we did but it was very short-lived and not serious dating. The point wasn\u2019t to see if we could be serious with other people, long distance was just too heavy on us at that time.<\/p>\n

If you had to do long-distance over again in your marriage, are you certain it would work for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think now, it would. It was harder then because we had never spent much time together in one place. Now that we are even married, it has to work.<\/p>\n

The Proposal\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Christian had asked me when I thought it would be appropriate for him to propose. I told him he could propose any time between his first visit to my father\u2019s and the kuhingira <\/em>(introduction ceremony). I didn\u2019t want him to come meet my father and God forbid, it doesn\u2019t go well yet he\u2019s already proposed.<\/p>\n

I was clear about how I wanted my proposal to be; not in a public place, no spectators making noise in the background, no people standing around with placards of \u2018Will you marry me\u2019, everybody just dressed the way they wanted. That sort of thing really plays with my mind.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t going to ambush me while I was wearing some random clothes and shoes, No. I would be dressed up, my hair and nails done, and with an actual photographer. I didn\u2019t want random phone pictures.<\/p>\n

Are you saying it\u2019s possible that he could have gone to see your father and then you\u2019d go ahead and say no to his marriage proposal? \"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t want to be proposed to when my father hadn\u2019t yet met the guy I was going to get married to. On November 8, 2020, Christian met my father, it went well and a fortnight later, he proposed. We went to Hotel Number 5 in Entebbe. A close friend of mine who does d\u00e9cor and owns a company called Vegas Events helped him with the d\u00e9cor and the lay-out. She put things she knew I would like. I was so happy I didn\u2019t have spectators screaming or people holding placards. It was beautiful, private and perfect.<\/p>\n

What do you love the most about Christian?\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

He makes me laugh, and he makes me more patient. At our wedding, a close friend of mine said that I was a very patient person but somehow with Christian, I had the most patience in the world. He\u2019ll make me laugh and drive me crazy in the same race, but somehow I would still choose him.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about your wedding. How were the preparations leading up to your special day?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2015, while we were on a break meanwhile, that summer holiday we went for live band and had a conversation about when we would each want to get married. Christian wanted to get married in 2023 and I, in 2018. We found a middle ground which was 2021. Ever since 2015, I\u2019ve known that if at all the cards played out and indicated that I\u2019d be getting married to Christian, I would get married in 2021.\"\"<\/p>\n

I found my gown in 2018; I saw it on a WhatsApp status and on Pinterest. I had a whole board on Pinterest of different wedding gown options but that one stuck. But It wasn\u2019t in Uganda bridal shops. It was tailor-made by Grace of Eloi Graiza of Fashion House.<\/p>\n

My entrance song in church was \u201cBeautiful in White\u201d <\/em>by Westlife. Christian sent it to me when I was still in China. I told him that was going to be my entrance song on the wedding, it was.\"\"<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a planner and Christian is very organized so planning wasn\u2019t hectic. I had been collecting different things I wanted to include in my wedding prep. By mid-Jan, we had finalized with all service providers. I also have amazing friends I could trust with an element and know that that was covered. I was truly my own wedding planner. I had everything in a folder in my Google docs, the receipts\u2026 everything.<\/p>\n

Now, here we are. We got married on April 10, 2021.<\/p>\n

Where did you say your vows from?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>St Augustine Chapel, Makerere.<\/p>\n

What was your favourite church moment?\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Walking down the aisle. I did not have anxiety. My brother played the violin alongside my entrance song. Father Denis Wanimba, at the start of his homily, asked that it be played all-over. My father and I kept making jokes, cautioning him about taking care not to step on my gown so we would all trip and fall. Moreover, he\u2019d worn a blue tie and my favourite colour is royal blue. Also, Christian said something to me in church and I laughed hard. I could feel my mother judging me from behind my head.<\/p>\n

What did it feel like seeing Christian for the first time at church?\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exciting! I saw him when he got out of the car to walk to church. We\u2019d chosen his suit off Pinterest and I had not seen him in it. When I saw him, I was like, oouuhh I like his suit, oouhh the bowtie, the haircut hahaha, I was just making noise in the car for my maid of honour. In church, I met and I thought, \u2018Finally we are here, and everything makes sense!\u2019\"\"<\/p>\n

Where was your reception?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>At Ndere Centre; we had planned for about 250 guests but we had about 300 to 400. We had the space, extra seats and Ndere people were so lovely. They managed to give us food for the extra people that came in.<\/p>\n

What was your highlight at the wedding reception?\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dancing. Of everything, that was what I really needed to enjoy. My goodness we danced! For specific moments, we selected our own songs.<\/p>\n

My next best thing was my friend\u2019s speech. In Namagunga, we had a hymn we used to sing called the Franciscan Blessing<\/em>. My friends sang it at the end of their speech, for me that was amazing.\"\"<\/p>\n

Also, my very close girlfriends wore my favourite colour, royal blue. It was either a dress or shoes or something\u2026 I was so excited.<\/p>\n

Any moment that could have brought you to tears?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I did not shed a single tear on my wedding day. I did get frustrated early in the morning but I didn\u2019t cry. It was just for a couple of minutes. It was about a delay in getting some part of my gown to arrive. Once I was fully dressed, my happy vibes returned and I was like, Let\u2019s Go!<\/em><\/p>\n

How was your first day as a married woman?\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>My first day was really cool, it was a Sunday. The morning was just for us to wake up and be like, \u2018Oh my God, can you believe we just got married yesterday\u2026 how much fun we had!\u2019 We were just excited because the next day we were going for our honeymoon at Mnana beach in Zanzibar.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

My Wedding congratulate Mr and Mrs Wamambe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Claire Balungi Oceans apart, Christian Wamambe and Joanne Mwebaze tried to make their relationship work. At some point, they had to lose hold, as the long distance couldn\u2019t negotiate with their feelings. It is during that relationship break however that they got together once again and talked marriage. This came to life 2021. Mrs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19110,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"0","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":""},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":""},"footnotes":""},"categories":[524],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[1784],"class_list":["post-19109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-stories"],"authors":[{"term_id":1784,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"weddingadmin","display_name":"weddingadmin","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cd3996c46efafdc40969010bfd78c8e4dda9d99318e7dd6403983ea0dadbcfce?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19109"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19142,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19109\/revisions\/19142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19109"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fppma_author&post=19109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}