{"id":9856,"date":"2019-02-19T11:13:55","date_gmt":"2019-02-19T08:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/?p=9856"},"modified":"2019-02-21T12:25:06","modified_gmt":"2019-02-21T09:25:06","slug":"from-rotary-project-to-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/?p=9856","title":{"rendered":"From rotary project to marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Shamim\u00a0 J Nakawooya<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

John Ben Katongole, 32, who works for Mondio Tours and Travel wedded Irene\u00a0Nassozi Katongole, 27, a social worker in Masaka. They told the story of their marriage journey to our reporter.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
What they were telling each other, we shall never know but it seems like their thing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/em>When and how did you meet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben: <\/strong>I met her at work through a Rotary project at Villa Road Primary School in Masaka. She was working as a junior bursar in 2012 but never said anything.<\/p>\n

We again met at Hotel Brovad in 2014, exchanged contacts and later presented my manifesto.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Katongole puts a ring on Nassozi in a promise of forever<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Irene: <\/strong>When we met at Hotel Brovad, we had different appointments. We started a friendship but I never imagined he would become my husband.<\/p>\n

So, when did the two of you eventually become close?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben<\/strong>: It was end of 2015 when the Rotary conversation turned into intimacy or love story. I had some financial challenges with my former boss but\u00a0she used to encourage me. I would seek advice from her because I had plans of getting out of the country.<\/p>\n

She was always there for me and\u00a0I honestly found love and\u00a0another person in her hence getting a strong feeling that she will be my future wife.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The couple chose grey and orange as theme colours for their entourage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Irene<\/strong>: It was 2015 and I had just completed university\u00a0when he told me how much love he had for me , I had no boyfriend but I was so principled and gave him\u00a0 condition to meet my father[one of my mentors] Rtn Stephen Muwonge and when he met my father. I developed\u00a0strong feelings for him,\u00a0he left the country\u00a0in 2016. He later\u00a0visited my maternal grandmother who raised\u00a0me and\u00a0 other relatives when he returned to Uganda.\u00a0 My foster parents\u00a0also travelled from Canada to meet him in Dubai and liked\u00a0him.<\/p>\n

How did you propose to her?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben<\/strong>: I got a two-week holiday off from Dubai in 2017. We organised a house party and invited\u00a0 a few friends.<\/p>\n

Then I asked\u00a0 Irene\u00a0 if she was ready to marry me, she accepted and I placed an engagement ring on her finger as a sign of commitment.<\/p>\n

How did you react to the proposal?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Irene<\/strong>: I felt good but\u00a0 I was shy since we had people around. I was so happy\u00a0 and he asked me to be patient\u00a0as he\u00a0 kicked off with\u00a0 the wedding plans.<\/p>\n

What attracted you to each other?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben<\/strong>: Irene is strong, hardworking, God-fearing, and she always encouraged me. She is a leader, caring, loves my friends and family.<\/p>\n

Irene<\/strong>: Ben is brave, prayerful, jovial, determined, caring, respectful, his smartness,\u00a0he loves my family, I always wanted someone who is older than me, he is responsible and a man of surprises.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The wedding cake had theme colours of cream and gold designed with glitters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How was the budget and how did you raise funds?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben<\/strong>: We confirmed our wedding like a year ago and we wanted it to occur before end of 2018.Although we are residents of\u00a0 Masaka, we organised\u00a0our wedding in Kampala because\u00a0 we wanted\u00a0 something small and simple whereby\u00a0 we\u00a0 could only\u00a0 accommodate\u00a0 few guests\u00a0 without affecting\u00a0 our budget.<\/p>\n

It was Shs35m\u00a0for both wedding\u00a0and introduction. We both contributed 70 per cent and the rest was raised by our family, the Rotary family, our foster parents, workmates, and friends.<\/p>\n

What was the most expensive item?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben<\/strong>: We bought\u00a0gold rings from\u00a0 Kampala at Shs 2.4million.<\/p>\n

Irene<\/strong>: The venue cost Shs6m. This included music, tables and chairs.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Nassozi wore a blue and silver changing dress, while Katongole changed into a white african kitenge with blue stripes to match up with her<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Did you involve a wedding planner?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben<\/strong>: No, my wife was the key\u00a0 planner. She did great work alongside my\u00a0 friends including Shaban Kasagga, Beatrice Mukazi, Raymond Mwesigwa and Charles Mugonza. They sacrificed their time and put much effort get to get\u00a0 reliable service providers .<\/p>\n

What was your wedding eve like?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben<\/strong>: I\u00a0was busy putting final touches to everything.<\/p>\n

Irene<\/strong>: I was in salon hair, nails\u00a0and after I went to church to rehearse\u00a0the readings.<\/p>\n

What was your colour theme?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong> Black, cream and grey. My wife told me that I look nice in cream and my skin colour reflects better on black. Then grey was for the groomsmen.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Uhmm… Feeding each other is the new cool. The couple gets to eat at the same time, right?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Irene<\/strong>: I chose peach, maroon and blue. Peach is\u00a0trendy and\u00a0looks\u00a0nice. I look nice with maroon although I chose it for the bridesmaids. Blue is my husband’s favourite\u00a0colour.<\/p>\n

Did you go for premarital counselling?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben<\/strong>: Its my wife who went for the required number of sessions.I\u00a0 got few lessons from church and I learnt three priorities in marriage which state that God first,\u00a0 partner\u00a0 and children second and others which\u00a0 include parents,job among others.They also taught us on how to handle conflicts in marriage among others<\/p>\n

Irene<\/strong>: I went to Kimanya Parish church and I had over ten sessions of counselling for three months.I learnt a lot\u00a0of things including priorities in home,marriage is what you make it, being prayerful and they also emphasized on effective communication since we are in long distance marriage.<\/p>\n

Where did you shop for your attire?\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben: <\/strong>I bought my suit, shirt and shoes\u00a0 from Dubai at Jolly Chic Designers. They altogether cost Shs 1.7m.<\/p>\n

Irene<\/strong>: I hired my gown from Kushona designers at Shs 900,000, then\u00a0 bridesmaids\u00a0attire. The six pairs of shoes including those that I used for Introduction\u00a0 were all bought from one of the shops in Kampala at a discount of Shs700,000.<\/p>\n

What was the most exciting moment on your wedding?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben: <\/strong>Walking into the church and seeing my wife looking elegant in the gown were so exciting.<\/p>\n

Irene<\/strong>: Seeing my husband smiling while exchanging vows, the ride[vintage] by Virgin cars was a surprise to me, having Rtn Dr Fr Francis Nnaku as the main celebrant and also seeing friends as guests who travelled from all the way Masaka to witness our function.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Wedding guests enjoy a buffet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where did you go for honeymoon?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong> We went to Samuka Island on Lake Victoria. We enjoyed many things including cruising on water, privacy\u00a0and intimacy.<\/p>\n

Irene<\/strong>: I enjoyed kissing him on the source of the Nile waters. It was our first time kiss and also receiving\u00a0special treat from him. Oh, I got a lot\u00a0pampering from him.<\/p>\n

Who comprised your entourage?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben<\/strong>: I chose Brian Luwaga, a journalist as my best man. He is\u00a0a good friend who understands my tastes and preferences, OB, responsible, and fellow Rotarian. He also bought\u00a0his attires.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The reception was made around a pool adding colour and pomp to the celebration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then the groomsmen were eight of\u00a0 which one was a colleague\u00a0from Dubai,\u00a0 my young brother and the six were fellow Rotarians\u00a0including Eric Tumwiine, Raymond Mwesiigwa,\u00a0 Marvin Lwanga, Martin,Bruce, Isaac\u00a0 and James. The pageboy was Peter Clever Ntumwa, a son to my sister-in-law.<\/p>\n

Irene <\/strong>:My matron was Caroline Namusisi Bayiga, she is a former workmate, a good friend who is reliable and we resemble in everything.<\/p>\n

The maid of honor\u00a0was Ruth Namirembe, she is a rotaractor who is hardworking and responsible.<\/p>\n

Then bridesmaids\u00a0were young fellow rotaractors and two sisters of mine including Florence, Bright , Nini, Linda, Eve, Patricia, Winnie and Sharuwa. They contributed the biggest percentage to cater for their outfits.<\/p>\n

Irene<\/strong>: Did you incur any debts after the function?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben:<\/strong> No<\/p>\n

\"\"
The reception gazebo was adorned in hues of hot pink and orange<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is your advice to those planning to wed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben <\/strong>:Those planning to go into marriage\u00a0 should not cohabit for so long\u00a0 and also not dream of big weddings.They should also help each other while planning and should not take long time\u00a0 and over wait to wed.Also trust, support each other in marriage\u00a0 and be prayerful to God.<\/p>\n

Irene <\/strong>.Those planning to wed should not complicate things for themselves. They should plan for what is within their means rather than dreaming for big wedding receptions which they cannot manage. They should also decide to get married when they are still young.<\/p>\n

The deal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Date<\/strong>: December 15, 2018<\/p>\n

Groom<\/strong>: John Ben Katongole<\/p>\n

Bride<\/strong>: Irene Nasozi<\/p>\n

Church<\/strong>: Christ the King Church-Kampala<\/p>\n

Officiants<\/strong>: Dr Fr Francis Nnaku and Fr John Baptist Busuulwa<\/p>\n

Reception<\/strong>: Nican Resort Hotel-Lweza<\/p>\n

Budget<\/strong>: Shs 35m<\/p>\n

Guests<\/strong>: 215<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

HIGHLIGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Decor: <\/strong>Kika Boys Decorators, Masaka did the beautifying of the venue.<\/p>\n

Car<\/strong>: Virgin Cars, Kampala used vintage, which cost Shs 1.8m<\/p>\n

Cake:<\/strong> The 15-tier cake vanilla, lemon and chocolate was baked by Cake Centre in Nyendo, Masaka at Shs1m.<\/p>\n

Rings<\/strong>: We bought\u00a0 golden rings from Jet Jewelleries\u00a0in Kampala. They both cost\u00a0 Shs 2.4m.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WEDDING PLANNER<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gown<\/strong>: Kushona Designers.<\/p>\n

Changing dress<\/strong>:\u00a0 Tailored\u00a0by\u00a0 Good Hope at shs.1.4million.<\/p>\n

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

By Shamim\u00a0 J Nakawooya. John Ben Katongole, 32, who works for Mondio Tours and Travel wedded Irene\u00a0Nassozi Katongole, 27, a social worker in Masaka. They told the story of their marriage journey to our reporter. \u00a0When and how did you meet? Ben: I met her at work through a Rotary project at Villa Road Primary […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9899,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"0","fullscreen":"0","sidebar":"","second_sidebar":"","sticky_sidebar":"0","share_position":"","share_float_style":"","show_share_counter":"0","show_view_counter":"0","show_featured":"0","show_post_meta":"0","show_post_author":"0","show_post_author_image":"0","show_post_date":"0","post_date_format":"","post_date_format_custom":"","show_post_category":"0","show_post_tag":"0","show_prev_next_post":"0","show_popup_post":"0","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":"","single_post_gallery_size":""}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"","trending_post_label":""},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":""},"footnotes":""},"categories":[524],"tags":[1588,1582,1586,1585,1584,1587,1583],"ppma_author":[1784],"class_list":["post-9856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-stories","tag-dubai-at-jolly-chic-designers","tag-hotel-brovad","tag-kimanya-parish-church","tag-mondio-tours-and-travel","tag-rtn-stephen-muwonge","tag-samuka-island","tag-villa-road-primary-school"],"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\/9856","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=9856"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10002,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9856\/revisions\/10002"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9856"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mywedding.co.ug\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fppma_author&post=9856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}