Wedding Bells

Seems something is in the water here… there are 4 weddings planned for the next two months. I wish I could somehow transcribe the events that lead up to the actual wedding but it is impossible. First there is the introduction: the man and representatives come to meet or rather, come to be introduced to, the woman’s family. There is big pomp and circumstance. From what I understand, the man is not allowed to speak at the introduction, his representatives speak for him. The two groups agree on the bride price and then the man and woman are officially engaged.
After the engagement the woman is responsible for raising funds for the Give Away and the man is responsible for raising funds for the wedding. We have one Give Away to contribute for, and three Weddings.

Mollie and I attended a meeting today, the first meeting for the first wedding. It was Mollie’s first time attending such an event, my second. It goes something like this:

Twenty Two people crammed into a room each handed a budget. Yes, a budget for the wedding. The purpose of this first meeting is to review the budget, and then pledge money to cover the cost of the wedding. No, I am not kidding. The meeting turns into a shouting match as attendees argue about the required contribution (the obligatory contribution) and the friendship contribution (that you give as ‘men’).

Mollie and I spend the meeting fixing spelling errors on the budget, laughing as we attempt to decipher the words by saying them out loud and trying to “hear” what they meant to write, and fixing the math errors. We then write down the funny things we hear in a book to share the giggles with Rebekah when we get home.

The end amount we add to find: six million three hundred twenty eight thousand shillings.

I have a hard time at this point. I have a hard time justifying such expense when there is so much need here. I wonder if I am not normal, or if I am somehow messed up for not feeling so thrilled at the whole expenditure thing.

Entertainment, transport for all relatives, transport for the bridal party, the wedding costumes, the food (for an estimated 400), local drinks, music, rings, you get the picture.

The members of the “scheme” (yes, that is what you call the group that met today, a scheme) clap as the pledges are read aloud, as some give cash, and as others try to quietly blend as they don’t have the cash to contribute right at the moment.

It sure is different than what I am used to back in the states.