Wedding Ceremony - Church Requirements

Churches have differing requirements for couples to carry out their ceremony. Here’s information we managed to gather for you. Hope it comes in handy.Congratulations on that note!
Catholic (Kimathi Avenue, Opposite Theatre La Bonita.)
If a bride and groom are Catholics, books three months in advance. If one partner is non-Catholic, four months.

Registration requirements:

• Prenuptial form
• Baptism certificates
• Letter of marital consent from bride's family
• If not parishioner of Christ the King, a letter of introduction from the parish of their residence.
• Passport photos of bride and groom
• Marriage counseling is mandatory. Sessions are held once a week on Thursdays, morning or evening.
Weddings times and fees:

• Standard (sharing) is 2p.m (ush225, 000.)
• Special hours(private wedding ): 10 a.m,12p.m.or 4p.m(125,000)
• A fee of ush400, 000 is paid as commitment fee and refundable when the couple time.
• The above fees exclude the choir. It is booked separately and fees vary.
2. St Paul’s cathedral Namirembe

Anglican (Namirembe Hill).

• Registration must be done one and half months be done and half months before the wedding (Mondays through Fridays 9am to 4pm with Dean’s secretary).

Registration Requirements:

• An introduction letter from the priest where the groom/bride attend church.
• A letter of consent from the parents of the bride.
• Original baptism certificates and photocopies of each.
• One colored passport sized photo of the groom, bride, best man matron.

Times and Fees.

• Standard wedding time is 2pm. To 4pm.(Ush 253,000;limited to seven couples)
Including a 50,000 commitment fee)
• Private weddings:
One –hour services begin on the hour starting at 8am (excluding 2pm to 4pm.)ush 353,000 including a ush 100,000 commitment fee.)
Fees included
• Two 8-hour premarital counseling sessions held on Thursdays in the three weeks preceding the wedding; the matron and best man are requires at the second session.
• HIV test are recommended
• Banns of marriage will be announced at least three times prior to the wedding. For persons whose local church is NOT St Paul, banns will not be announced at local churches. Results of the banns duly signed by the respective priests must be returned to the dean’s office at least four days before the wedding.
• Order of service booklets and choir can be booked separately.
Watoto Church Central Pentecostal (Bombo road near Fido Dido)

• Booking should be made at least six months in advance with a letter to the church Administration stating the desired date and time and telephone contacts.
• Complete Wedding ceremony Application forms fully endorsed by your respective cell, section, zonal and regional leaders as well as district pastor. Also submit.
• Recommendation letter from one’s local church if one party is not a member of Watoto.
• Original HIV status results (recent) carried out from the same place at the same time.
• Letter of consent from the girl’s parents.
• Recommendation letters from best man/matron’s local church if they are not watoto members.
• Premarital counseling with your regional leader/district pastor.
• Order of service for intending couple (t be brought to church Administration two weeks before the wedding day. Wedding rehearsal should be done a week before the wedding day.
• Church fee is Ush 50.000 is refundable late fee. Keeping time means all the parties are involved being at church at least 15minutes to set time.
All Saints Cathedral Nakasero
Anglican (Lugara Road next to State House)

• Book six months in advance and register one month to the weding.

Fees
• Ush 350,000(including refundable fee of 50,000 if the couple keeps time.)
• Decoration is Ush 75,000(outside decoration not permitted).
• In- house choir fees vary (outside must be vetted by the cathedral.)
Registration Requirements
• Photocopies of baptism and confirmation certificates.
• Two passport photos of bride and groom.
• Letter of consent from the bride’s family.
• If they are not members, a letter of introduction from their church(Note: Only other Christian churches are accepted (excluding Seventh day Adventists)as well as a few Pentecostal churches.
• Best man and matron must be wedded in church and they should present their marriage certificates and passport photos.
• There are 16 compulsory counseling sessions. HIV tests are recommended and discussed in the counseling.
• The couple is free to identify the clergy to do the ceremony.
• Only two cameras are allowed in the service and should be introduced to the church authority prior.

First Presbyterian Church Reform (Mengo Kisenyi off Rubaga Road)
Fees:

Ush 150,000 paid atleast two weeks before the wedding.
Documents:
A copy of a consent leter from the bride’s family.
Recommendation letters from pastor of the groom.(One letter is enough if the couple comes from the same church.)
Completed prenuptial form
Passport photos of the bride and groom
Couples must attend the church’s premaritial counseling programme.
Registra General’s Office
Civil Marriage (Amamu House, George Street)
Fees (including notice and certificate marriage and registration)Ush 85,000.

Brides and groom must be:
Adults of 18 or above.
Residents of the marriage districts for atleast the last 15days if you are Ugandan.
A man and a woman
There must be no impediment of kindred or affinity or any other lawful hindrance to marriage.
Neither party should be already married.
Required forms and documents:
Filled-in notice of marriage
Statutory declaration telling the registrar that the information you are giving is correct.
Marriage takes place 21 days after fling the notice.
Two adult witnesses are required to be present.
Procedures are available for couple who need to marry right away; additional documents are requires if both parties are non-Ugandan.
Marriages are open from 8am to 4pm Monday through Friday.

Kibuli Mosque Muslim (Kibuli Hill)
Fees are Ush 200.000 (covers registration, marriage certificate and administration costs; late penalties: Ush 20,000 to 30,000).
Weddings take place between 2pm and 7pm.
Bookings should be made at least two weeks before the wedding from the OPD office next to the hospital.

Requirements:

• Only Muslims are wed
• Bride has to enter with a brother or father or somebody authorized by the family.
• Couple has to present two male. Muslims witnesses on each side.
• Payments of dowry by the bridegroom had to be made before the ceremony. The dowry is something asked for by the bride and must be presented to her at the mosque. This determines the signing of the certificate.
• Couples go for a day of counseling two days prior to the wedding.
• HIV testing certificates not required (though they were in the past)
• The bride’s gown must cover the arms and chest, and ladies attending the ceremony should be similarly covered.
• Ladies sit separately from the men: behind the bride, while men are behind the groom. The sheiks perform the ceremony sit in the middle.

Lubaga Cathedral -catholic (Lubaga Hill)
Fees and times:

• Private weddings Ushs 370,000 at 10am.., 12:00pm, and 4
• Standard weddings Ush320,000(2p.m)
• Fees cover choir, marriage counseling and certificate.

Requirements:

• Baptism cards of the both the bride and groom
• Letter from the groom’s church parish priests introducing the couple to Lubaga Cathedral.
• Letter from the bride’s family authorizing the marriage
• Both members of the couple must report with above requirements on any Tuesdays at 8:30am
• Marriage counseling starts four months to the wedding and runs every Tuesday from 8a.m to 12p.m

Adopted from Uganda Wedding Bells