A 32-year-old Ugandan woman Identified as Lulu Jemimah married herself after getting sick and tired of her parents telling her to get a man and settle down.
Lulu Jemimah is a Student of Oxford University doing her masters in creative writing. She has a strong passion in life and is committed to achieving her goals at becoming an academic. She couldn’t endure the pressure from friends and family telling her to settle down, so she took the decision to tie the knot to herself in a ceremony attended by close friends and family.
“But all my family wanted to ask me was when I planned to get married – which is very important back in Uganda – followed by when I would be having children and starting a family”.
“But I just didn’t want to think about walking up the aisle. It’s not the thing which keeps me up at night
“Then I decided, you know what weddings seem so important here – I will marry myself.
“Marriage is an expression of love and commitment, however for many people back home, it is still considered the only way to guarantee a woman’s financial security.”
The ceremony only cost her £2 (about UGX9,800) because the whole day was graced with gifts and freebies from friends. A friend designed and printed her invites while her brother baked the cake for the day. She hired a dress for free and walked to the wedding venue before giving a speech to her guests. One of her friends did her makeup at the venue and the bar owner played the wedding march as she exited the toilets and walked into the venue.
When she was asked about her experience when she was sending out the invitations and how she managed to get a cheap wedding dress, she said:
“I sent these out I immediately received phone calls asking who the groom was. I told people it was a surprise,”
“It’s shocking the price of wedding gowns in Uganda but when I told them I was marrying myself they offered to find me their cheapest dress.”
On how she handles her parent; She said they were baffled by her decision. Her father didn’t know what to say when he was told about his daughter’s decision. Her mother was a bit confused and slightly hurt.
The 32-year-old’s parents didn’t attend the ceremony but she did go and see her mother to explain her choice.