Satisfashion UG Weddings

Love Wins! It Started With An Impromptu Photo Shoot for Laeticia & Walter…

By satisfashionug | September 26, 2021

Bride: Nabukalu Leticia, Manager and Head of Operations at Walter Photography

Groom: Walter Kabuye a.k.a Melanin King, an award-winning fashion & Afrocentric photographer

Venue: Munyonyo UCB Rise Lake View Drive, home of former Head Master Namilyango College School, Mwami Muguluma

Date: 24/9/2021

Backstory

We met on 1st September 2018 at Zoe Grounds opposite KCCA Grounds Lugogo. 1st September is the day the Remnants of God get to honor Prophet Elvis Mbonye. Walter is a minister under the media team of Zoe ministries.

On that day, Remnants dress up and show up. While I was descending into Zoe Grounds, Walter was taking pictures and he requested to take my picture. After the impromptu photo shoot, he asked for my number, which I gladly shared. However, he did not call me.

After a month, we met again on Tuesday at fellowship. I hugged him and he promised to call me that night. He called that night and invited me over for dinner the following day. Indeed, we had dinner at Protea Hotel Entebbe.

The following week he invited me to one of his photo shoot sets. I sat and watched him create this unique concept. I was blown away by his artistic side. Immediately after the shoot, I offered to be his manager. He agreed and from that day on, I handle his business management and development.

In 2019, we created 9 series of African conceptualized shoots that went so viral and he was nominated as the best Fashion Photographer of the year ASFAS. By God’s grace, he was able to win this award. He was also nominated in the PAFA Awards. He was celebrated at Boston Uganda Festival in Boston as the best story telling photographer. That very year, he was named among the top 5 best photographers in Africa according to the African Union Creative Actions.

When I saw all this happen, I asked him to open up a studio. We looked for studio space together and got it in Ntinda opposite capital shoppers. Upon opening the studio, he was very excited, he asked me out for dinner. He bought me a suit to wear for that dinner and we went to forest cottages. While there, he declared his love for me and that he wanted me to be his girlfriend. I accepted and he said, “let’s give it a try and if it doesn’t work we can be friends.” I agreed.

All these great things unfolded while he stayed with his parents. He told me he was considering moving out because he had found me. I also learned that he had promised himself to only leave his parents’ house when he finds someone true to marry. I put in the work, we looked for a house in Najjera and fortunately for us, we got one after a short search. When he moved into the house, he asked me to leave home too and move in with him. I agreed and joined him. The rest has been history.

Engagement

At the beginning of December 2019 he informed me that he wanted to visit my parents at home. I sought my mum and aunt’s permission to make this happen and they granted it.

The Saturday before our kukyala, I was in town finalising with the preparations. I got home in Najjera at around 7pm. At home, I found my friend Josh SB and we chatted. Walter had a shoot that day, which was slated to end at 5pm. However, he was not home yet. He had to drive me home so that I get ready for kukyala. I decided to leave but Josh advised that I stay for a little while.

Shortly after, I got a bit frustrated and decided to just walk out because it was getting late. Upon setting afoot outside, candles and flowers were everywhere. Our friends were also there, with Walter on one knee proposing to me. It was such a surreal moment. I was overwhelmed with emotions but still managed to say Yes. We headed to Nexus bar to celebrate. We headed home for Kukyaala the following morning on Sunday.

He proposed to me on 21st December and on 22nd December we had a colorful kukyala ceremony at home.

2020 was very good to us. I resigned my job and assumed a full time role as Head of Operations at Walter Photography Uganda. God was so good to us that year, we were able to expand and grow as a business. We have a very good working relationship and enjoy working together. We also have a fantastic team with work with.

Planning our traditional wedding

We had just one month to plan the wedding. We had our chairperson Josephine Omunyidde, Founder of Engender Girls Mentorship. She is one person who gets things done. We met Rabbai Daniel Malinga, who advised us on what to do. He told us not to be tensed because he had never seen any function that had not happened because the couple did not have enough funds to organize it.

One thing to note is that, on 4th February 2020 at Zoe grounds, Prophet Elvis Mbonye called out Walter and he prophesied to him. He said, “the borders are opening for you. It will start like an East African thing but will spread to the corners of this earth.” He then called out his fiance. I ran to the front and he said that he changes hearts of men and that our relationship would be smooth.

This very year, we met another man of God who gave us a prophecy and said that waters are going to break forth for us in September so we decided to do the function in September. We set the date, wrote down the service providers we wanted to work with, and formulated a budget.We shared it with a few friends and family. It was short notice to most of them, but they supported us.

Walter wrote a letter to Kaijuka Abbas requesting him to be his best man. He replied positively and he was at the fore front of everything. We met with Fatumah Asha and she helped us revised our budget accordingly. Fatumah and Abbas got us in touch with most of the service providers because they have a good working relationship with them.

Abbas managed us and ensured everything went as planned. Fatumah ensured we are okay and things were going as planned. Our friends came together and ensured we had all that we need. We met all the service providers together. We looked for things together. We walked around town together. We literally did things together. The experience was good doing things together.

Egyptian Themed Shoot

We told Abbas that we wanted something out of this realm for a shoot. We brain stormed and looked for powerful ancient cultural concepts and Abbas suggested that we do something Egyptian. We were down for it. Since Walter is great at Afrocentric photography, we needed something powerful and cultural. Abbas delivered beyond our expectation. We loved everything about it. It was a beautiful ode to our love story.