Inside Fatumah Asha and Juma Ssempija’s Chic Destination Wedding in Diani, Mombasa

Nothing compares with the finding of true love!

Bride: Fatumah Asha, a Ugandan fashion designer

Groom: Juma Ssempija, a Ugandan businessman

Date: 20^th August 2022

Venue: Swahili Beach, Diani, Mombasa

Backstory

Fatumah

We met about 13 years ago. We were working in the same building, which allowed us an opportunity to watch each other from a distance and say hello every other time. Later, we started talking about passions we both shared like music. He would share with me new music, and I would do the same. This got us even closer. Later, Jay moved to Europe. But, whenever he was in Kampala, he would check on me.

Towards the end of 2020, we linked up again. This time, however, I was out of a relationship and he was single too. That was when he asked me to be his girlfriend. According to him, I had everything he wanted in a woman and was quick to note that he wanted to marry me. It wasn’t a formal engagement though.

Juma

Fatumah and I met in 2009, we were working in the same building. Whenever I was off, I would drop by to check on her. We became close friends. At the time, both of us were in serious relationships, which we respected. At the end of 2013, I left for Europe.

Every time I traveled back to Kampala I would check on her. There was a time, I think it was before the lockdown, I didn’t see her when I traveled home. There was a lockdown in the UK, so I had to leave earlier than planned. Because of that, we kept chatting through the lockdown. It was then that we learned that we were both single. I asked her out! We spent the rest of that time getting to know each other.

I declared my intentions to spend the rest of my life with her immediately, something I was sure about right away. When I got a chance to travel to Kampala, I gave her a promise ring. It’s interesting, I’d religiously track the Covid numbers. Every time Uganda and the UK were in yellow I would find a way to travel home to see her. I’d then quarantine for 10 days. It was risky but I had to do it because I was missed her.

Engagement

Fatumah

When he made his intentions to marry me known, I couldn’t wait for the proposal. Months later, he invited me to Paris to meet him. I was very sure he was going to propose but I wasn’t ready for the shocker. 9 days into the trip, I was still awaiting the proposal. It was on the eve of the day I was returning to Uganda when he proposed. It was a beautiful night, one I’ll probably never forget.

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What drew us together

Juma

Fatumah is selfless, humble, down-to-earth, smart, and beautiful inside out. She’s everything I want in a woman. And I’m happy everything went well within such a short period.

Planning the wedding

Juma

After proposing to her in Paris, and getting a “Yes”, I was overjoyed. We immediately set the planning ball rolling. The plan was to have three events; a traditional wedding, a Muslim ceremony, and a white wedding. We did Nikkah (Muslim wedding) first because we wanted to make the union religiously authentic and legal. I’m very religious and so is my wife, so we had to follow our faith.

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Initially, the plan was to have our traditional wedding in March this year, but we chose to move it closer to the white wedding. We had the traditional wedding on 10^th August 2022 and the white wedding on 20^th August 2022.

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Fatumah

Because our white wedding was a destination event, the planning process wasn’t exactly breezy. Naturally, the process started in my head a few months prior, when Juma promised to propose. I called up my best friends inviting them to be a part of my bridal party. They thought I was crazy, and indeed I was. I wanted it all to turn out perfectly.

It was clear from the start that we both wanted a destination event. Our wedding had to be intimate, memorable and a joy for our friends and loved ones to attend. “Where do you see yourself getting married?” Juma often asked me. I knew for sure that it was either Greece or Mombasa. Greece had just one big challenge – visas! All guests getting visas was going to be a trick. We, therefore, settled for Mombasa. I was already obsessed with Swahili Beach, a hotel located just at the coast, with the waters of the Indian Ocean bathing in it. This is exactly where I wanted to get married!

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The venue

Immediately after our Nikkah, we made a trip to Swahili Beach to see the venue. His immediate reaction was, “babe I love it, it doesn’t matter if it’s you and I, we have to get married here.” Swahili Beach has this authentic North African feel, which is a perfect backdrop for anything romantic. Clearly, we had made the right decision choosing it!

We then sent pictures to a few of our friends, and the excitement went up the roof. We were blessed to have a chat with Uganda Airlines, who offered our guests a good deal on travel tickets to Diani beach. I wanted them to have a hustle-free experience, and being that they were many, I didn’t want to go back and forth managing them.

As early as January, we were already sending out invitations to friends and family. The challenge was convincing them to book tickets early. Those that booked late got their tickets at a fairly higher cost. It wasn’t easy coordinating this, but yes, it was such a joy seeing it through to the end.

Wedding gown

After saying “Yes” to his proposal, I began thinking about my wedding gown. As a bridal designer, I know that every girl has pictures of her dream wedding gown stashed somewhere in her head. For me, it was different! Before meeting Juma, it had never occurred to me that I’d once walk down the aisle. Even after designing hundreds of wedding dresses, I never saw myself wearing one. So, I started thinking about my gown.

I wore three dresses; the first one was a round gown which featured 144 meters of tulle. I began working on it last year in October. I envisioned this gown that looked heavenly, floating down the aisle like a cloud. Because Swahili beach has two domes, I wanted it to look like I was walking into heaven, and yes – this came to life. By February, the gown was done.

The second gown featured sparkles and intricate back detail. This gown was constructed in such a way that it matched the bridal entourage. The idea was to look cohesive but not very identical.

The third and last gown (the changing dress) was designed by my friend Anita Beryl of Beryl Qouture. My brief to her was simple; I wanted to be comfortable enough to dance the evening away. She designed a pencil dress with dramatic back detail. I had just one fitting and didn’t see the gown again till my wedding day. It was sheer perfection!

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Planning the wedding

My experience planning my wedding was amazing because I’m such a perfectionist, and a minimalist when it comes to style. My favorite color is black – I’m not a fan of bright colors. We had a dress code for our guests – shades of nude. We wanted to follow the aesthetic of the hotel, not people crowded in reds and yellows. Lucky for us, they followed this to the tee. The vibe was great. Everyone was happy!

During the planning process, my maid-of-honor, one of my bridesmaids and I met at the end of every month from July to December to go over our ideas and their progress. I would then share all details with Jay over the phone since he wasn’t around. That’s how we managed to plan the wedding. I used to be a wedding planner years ago. When I got busy with the fashion brand, I put wedding planning aside. After this wedding, I’m strongly considering getting back into it.

“Nothing compares with the finding of true love; because once you do your heart is complete.”