The Impact Of Covid-19 On The ‘Big Lavish Ugandan Wedding’!

Ugandan weddings are big and lavish! But why would they not be? Ugandans are very social people and the love for extravagance is embedded in our culture. Uganda’s weddings industry is estimated to be worth billions of shillings, with each wedding offering employment to hundreds of people; from caterers, photographers, makeup artists and designers to decorators, entertainers and other service providers. But just like every business on the surface of this earth, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on it.

Restrictions imposed by government to combat the spread of the virus began with a complete lockdown on all public gatherings. This meant that couples that had planned to hold their events around the time had to make the difficult decision of cancelling or postponing. Midway into lockdown, these restrictions were eased, with then government allowing what the President referred to as ‘Scientific Weddings’. Scientific weddings are small and intimate ceremonies attended by a handful of guests; bride, groom, their parents/ guardians and a few friends.

This came as a great alternative, first because, this small event does not cost an arm and a leg to put together. Secondly, it protects the couple and their guests from any risks of contracting Covid-19. However, this social distanced arrangement meant that service providers had to be cut to the bare minimum, of course rendering many people in this business jobless. 

Now that it is clear that scientific weddings are going nowhere, we reached out to a few service providers to assess the impact the pandemic is having on their businesses. 

Although lockdown is getting eased, many of them are still counting losses. Connie of Beauty Instincts, a bridal shop located at California Plaza says that the four months of no business because arcades have been closed has been hard on her. “It’s been hard. It was very short notice we didn’t get time to stock up at home, so we have lost money,” she says dejectly.

“The pandemic has hit us hard, we had events postponed (some indefinitely). Some clients are reluctant to book because they are still optimistic that the ban on big events will be lifted soon,” says Jeffrey Semakula of Makula Pictures. “Ofcourse with that, we have lost money. This being a seasonal industry, I think, on the low end, we’ll lose an entire quarter of revenue and, on the high end, all of our 2020 revenue will be pushed to 2021,” he explains. 

The closure of the country’s borders is biting Semakula’s business even harder. “We don’t print our wedding books from here, delivery of books to clients is a real challenge. We are waiting for government to open up so we can send for prints and receive those that were unable to be shipped because of the lockdown,” he adds.

However, he and his team are constantly in touch with their clients, who have been quite understanding. “We have had to ask some of them if it’s okay to give them books printed here, most of them are choosing to wait. Keeping communication channels open is key in situations such as this one.”

But not all clients are understanding. According to Amenyo Irene of Ambaa Clothing, most people haven’t yet fully adjusted to this new normal. “For a long time, arcades where we source fabrics, have been closed. Even now that they are open, accessing quality fabrics is still a challenge because most of it is sourced from out of Uganda. And you know, the airport and borders are still closed,” she explains. “The stock I had is all gone because I didn’t stock up for a whole year because this is an industry where trends change almost daily.” This means that prices of even the simplest of designs have to shoot up. 

“Clients don’t want to listen to such tales which require them to pay more. And you understand, because they’ve been out of work too. What’s even more painful is the fact that prices have to shoot up even more now that arcades are open, because everyone is running to buy stock,” Amenyo, whose clothing brand produces custom gowns and dresses for brides, explains.  

Amenyo isn’t the only service provider having a challenge convincing her clients to pay more. Anna a baker at Annah Cakey says, “I know from the bottom of my heart that everyone from whom I get an order understands and appreciates my work. Prices of commodities are high which translates to the prices of cake. Transportation is harder than it was before. It’s true, things aren’t changing today or tomorrow so we are learning to live this way.”

Julian Mirembe a dealer in ladies’ accessories and clothes says she is surviving on the stock she had before lockdown. “It’s tough because clients aren’t flowing in as usual because people don’t have money. Right now I am doing shopping, so if people want a personal shopper, I avail my services,” she says.

The same is happening to hoteliers. Kenneth of Buvi lodge, a hotel that offers wedding reception and honeymoon services, says that postponements hurt their revenue significantly. “A lot of couples postponed their events. We do not know for how long until they can hold their desired functions,” he says. 

But it’s not all doom, Anita Beryl of Beryl Qouture believes that this uncertain time is an opportunity to reflect on the impact of these big lavish weddings. “Do we need to spend that much on weddings?” she asks. “This is the time to think about the ‘why do I need this’ as we plan events.” She goes ahead to note that, “some essential items on the couple’s checklist such as the gown  and suit can’t be done without.” “And since it’s one of the only things going on for the couple during the scientific wedding, the impact hasn’t been as hard on bridal designers as it has on other service providers.”

This, however, isn’t the case for Fatumah Asha, a bridal Couturier, who says that the orders she receives now are for simple small gowns. “Everyone is spending less, brides are opting for simple gowns. Because even if they wanted exquisite designs, the materials needed to produce them are limited,” she explains.

She shares a story of how she had to get to work to finish a client’s gown during lockdown when only essential workers were allowed to move.
“There’s a guy whose truck I would jump in every day to get me to work. I had to be there on time to catch it, and also be there in time not to miss it,” she recounts. This doesn’t compare to Beryl’s experience who had to walk from home to her workshop, a distance which is a mile or so long, just to be there in time to get a client’s gown ready. “The end justifies the means,” she says with a smile. “Making this bride’s dreams come true means doing whatever it takes to make it happen.” 

When quizzed on whether the ‘big lavish Ugandan wedding’ will return, Kenneth’s answer is stern. “The future is not clear. We don’t know if things will normalize. It’s too soon to tell. This ban doesn’t seem like it will be lifted soon.” He goes ahead to advise everyone to adapt. “Life has to go on, lets learn to adapt to this new life. It might not be what we want but we can look at the bright side of it,” he says. 

Many service providers are already adapting. Due to the closure of arcades in downtown Kampala, which was lifted just this week, Sera Martha of Peponi Couture, a design brand, was prompted to make the tough but wise decision to move her business from the city center to Kyaliwajjala, a Kampala suburb. “It was tough, I had to clear all my rent arrears, even when I wasn’t working. Then I had to get a new space which, thank God is more spacious. My clients can now conveniently have their bridal appointments away from the hustle and bustle of Kampala city,” she explains. “Truth be told, it’s hard to social distance when you are working in the city center. Yet that’s what every client considers as first priority,” she adds. 

Indeed, no bride wants to have their appointment in a crowded place, something that’s hard to crack because hiring a entire hall just to adhere to safety measures is impractical. This is why Strat Bridals, an upscale retail bridal boutique located in Ntinda, decided to dabble into technology to solve this.  

According to Tracy Kakuru Otatiina, the founder of the brand, the idea was to ensure all clients and staff were safe and comfortable. “We offer video /virtual bridal appointments for our brides that are unable to come to the store physically. We also limit the number of guests per bridal party and we are following the Ministry of Health guidelines such as wearing masks, sanitizing and social distancing,” she says. “Our business involves a lot of physical contact in terms of bridal fitting, we had to adjust the business model fast.” 

Spotlight Bride UG, a bridal boutique also located in Ntinda, is doing the same to utilize the opportunities offered by the internet. “With the introduction of our Virtual Consultation, our brides are able to fully undergo bridal consultations via telephone, and other applications from the comfort of their homes, ” explains Diana, the proprietor of the brand. “We are also focusing more on ‘getting to know’ our brides by running various interactive content on our social media, including support networks for distressed brides who had to postpone their weddings.” 

It is evident that utilizing of the internet comes a long way in helping service providers meet the social distancing guidelines spelt out by government. We hope more of them can follow suit and adapt. Moses Lubega, was stuck between a rock and a hard place as he planned his scientific kwanjula (giveaway/ traditional wedding ) during lockdown. “Brands that cater to women were in full swing; just a call a way and they deliver, yet no one was doing the same for men,” he recalls. “I’d like to see online stores that sell things like Kanzus, because men’s outfits aren’t so hard to pick,” he advises.  

Whether the ‘Big Lavish Ugandan Wedding’ is gone for good or not, the show must go on in form of scientific weddings. Don’t stop planning for your wedding. If the stress is too much or you have no idea on how to start, find a planner that knows how to hold ends together. 

Victor and Madrine, a couple who had their wedding lockdown, say that turning the big wedding they had initially dreamed to have into a small intimate event was a blessing in disguise. “We had so much fun, it was such a memorable event, because we were sorrounded by only the most important people in our lives,” they shared. 

David and Deborah Kalema, another couple who had their wedding during lockdown can’t agree more, “Scientific weddings should be the new normal even after the pandemic is gone. They are a real life-saver. Couples should understand that life after the wedding is more important than the experience of holding the wedding,” they offered. “Spending a ridiculous amount of money on a big wedding doesn’t make sense, because that budget can be channelled into your children’s trust fund or a business that can sustain your new life as a married couple.”

But as you embark on your journey of holding that scientific wedding, Semakula has one final tip. “I only ask that couples don’t ‘undercut’ themselves quality wise. Most of them are being misled to think ‘scientific’ means cheap,” he advises. “Now that the numbers are limited and budgets aren’t that big, you can be able to afford your vendors of choice. Those who are postponing and waiting to do our ‘big Ugandan wedding’ can also use this time to scout for and make better decisions on the vendors to work with plus the guests they’ll have at the event.”

Cover photo credit: Garay Photography

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