Semi-formal attire, so suits and ties for the men and cocktail dresses for the women, or traditional Ugandan attire (kanzu and suit jacket for men and busuti for women).
Ugandan cuisine is wholesome and generally non-spicy (unless you add your own!), and will include mashed squash, collard greens & kale, stewed chicken and beef with vegetables, posho (cooked millet paste used for dipping), matooke (mah-TOH-kay) (steamed and pealed green bananas served with a peanut sauce and bean stew), and other favorites from western Uganda. The American options will be burger sliders, pasta, salad, chicken wings, and other similar items.
We love your kids—we really do. But we want our traditional cere... just kidding. Of course kids are allowed! We are not sure if we'll be able to provide babysitting for very young children and babies, but if this is something essential that you will need, please reach out directly to Ben or Belinda ASAP and we will see if we can make it happen!
As of now (March 15th) we will not be providing transportation. If this causes a significant issue for you, please don't hesitate to reach out to Ben or Belinda and we will connect you with one of the other guests to catch a lift!
A solid overview can be found in this blog post from an ex-pat who wrote about her experiences attending one in Uganda: http://blog.ssekodesigns.com/a-ugandan-introduction-ceremony/ Here are some key excerpts: Here in Uganda an introduction ceremony is essentially an engagement party, where the two families meet and formally agree to the future marriage of the bride and groom. A lot of pomp and ceremony surrounds this day, a joyful and exciting time for the couple looking forward to their future together. The introduction ceremony is quite a game, with the groom’s family pretending to be looking for the bride among each round of women the bride's family presents. Each family is represented by a spokesman who act as the official MC’s for the day.
The short answer is, no! Because this is an elaborate engagement party, essentially, the groom's family and friends are the guests of honor. The groom himself must bring gifts for various members of the bride's family to show his worthiness as a husband but the guests are just there to support the couple on the first step of their journey, eat delicious food, dance, and celebrate!