Two staff members from our Kibaale project got married on Saturday, and I went along to participate in the festivities. Ugandan weddings can be very confusing for Westerners, because the invitation indicates what time the ceremony will start, but if you actually arrive at that time, it is very likely you'll be waiting in a relatively empty sanctuary...for hours, possibly. We arrived at what we considered to be fashionably late enough, but we were greeted with the news that the ceremony wouldn't start for at least another hour.
When we returned to the church after killing time at Kibaale Community Centre, the groomsmen were all in position to enter the church, so we were hopeful that things were starting. About 45 minutes later, (the groomsmen had entered and were seated in the church for that time) the bridal party arrived and things finally got underway. The crowd was enthusiastic, there was singing and dancing and it was great fun to be a part of it all.
I have wondered why wedding delays are so common here and I think I have come up with a workable theory to explain it: It's all about the hair-do's.
The flower girl, bridesmaids and bride all get their hair done in elaborate styles for the event and it must take ages to complete these works of art. I was lucky enough to be seated directly behind the bridesmaids, so I had the opportunity to examine the intricacies of their hairstyles; it is truly astounding how much work it must be to achieve "the look." Taking that into consideration, that the bridal party arrives at all is a tribute to the women who work tirelessly to ensure that each strand of hair is perfectly in place!
So, to the hair dressers of Uganda: Well done! We wedding guests will continue to wait, eagerly anticipating the arrival of your masterpieces.
the flower girl (she was SUPER cute!)
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