special appointment. that's lovely. this has a touch of white, a touch of champagne, but it has a lot of embroidery. you don't like the embroidery? no. wow! yeah. i know. a bit complicated. we shall get there. this, no. wow! it looks so nice. i love the fact that itjust holds your waist so nicely. i can't breathe. we will try millions till we get what you want. 0k. wow! it's really nice. how much does that crown go for? 200. 200,000. only? yeah. buying it? buying it. 200,000.

i don't believe you. rita is one of an estimated 130 wedding planners in the capital. you can do lots better than that. how is it? show me. i think we shall get it for your mother. wedding planners, bridal salons, and a range of new businesses are all profiting from the new, modern approach to getting married — the big, white wedding. 0k. so, we've fallen in love with this gown. if she wanted to just buy it and take it away, how much would that be? 4, 4.5... $1500. that would be perfect. thank you so much. this is that dress. yes! rita's workload is increasing.

she now usually works one wedding every weekend. in uganda, getting married is a big deal. it's an achievement, i would say. since i started this business, about three years ago, the wedding business has really changed a lot. it is really a lucrative business right now. more and more clients are getting interested in wedding planning. rita has noticed a marked trend towards bigger, ever—more lavish, weddings. five years ago you would talk to someone and you were like, look, 80 people are enough. you'd be like, it's about me getting married. today, 80 people, are you serious? bridejoyce has invited 1500 guests. today, she's getting married to her high school sweetheart, ronald. the couple had a traditional union ten years ago but,

like many ugandans, they now want a second ceremony — a big white wedding. this morning i'm on the shores of lake victoria. i'm here to witness one of the biggest weddings in kampala in recent weeks. rita has come to meet and observe one of the most successful wedding planners in the country. over the last ten years, andrew has built a reputation for organising the most extravagant weddings. about the figures, roughly how much went into this wedding? they spend like 300 million to 400. wow! that's interesting. that's over $100,000. yeah. that's huge. it took us like three months to organise this wedding. it is a big team, you know. we do this every time. we have a video team, there are like 20 people. it's a big team.

like 100 people altogether. 0k. yes, that's nice. that's nice. wow, the dress looks so beautiful on her. it compliments her so well. i could say it goes for about 8 million ugandan shillings, that's about $2500. their wedding guests begin to pour into the reception. this is bigger than i expected. so huge. we even have national tv right here, capturing this lavish wedding. we have some of the biggest cars in kampala over there. the decor is lovely. it cost over 9000 us dollars. you can't imagine. that's really huge. you may thinkjoyce and ronald's reception could rival a royal

wedding but the couple are part of a new wave of successful ugandan entrepreneurs. they run two thriving retail businesses and a restaurant in kampala, earning them an annual income of 800 million ugandan shillings — 200,000 us dollars. 5—star venues, production crews, fireworks, six—tier cakes, their very own thrones and caterers serving a feast for all the guests. these are just some of the things couples across uganda now request on their wedding day. such demand is fuelling the growing wedding industry. people like rita, andrew and decorator asher are all reaping the benefits. do you think weddings have changed a lot over the years from ten years ago? how have they changed?

of course, they have really changed. initially, we didn't have all this. we didn't have lighted tables. we didn't have those flowers we are importing from my nairobi. we didn't have art and creativity to really go and purchase something from india or china to recreate that effect here. and, at a wedding where no expense has been spared, it is no surprise the entertainment is a national treasure. ok, that is one of the most expensive musicians in uganda. but not everyone in the country can afford big, white weddings. with planners, limousines and pop star performances. one groom, with the help of his two sisters, is still busy

organising his big day with less than 24 hours to go. mum, how much was it? 15. i'm going to leave him to do his shopping. i need to know the budget first. i don't want to go with less. i don't know how much is going to be spent here. joseph is a 29—year—old businessman who works in kampala but he's come home to a rural town in eastern uganda to get married. his traditional wedding is costing him 7 million shillings — 2500 us dollars — a fraction of the big, white weddings in kampala. i'm going to readdress our money. that i can top up to finish up the shopping. have you gone slightly over budget? yeah. some small things that i never expected actually.

they're coming in right now at the last minute. so, i'm going in. i won't regret it. i'm just happy that i'm doing it for myself. it's a one—day thing in life that i don't need to take it for granted. meanwhile, in the neighbouring townm joseph's bride to be, aged 27, is preparing food for her guests. i began realising that i fell in love withjoseph when he sent me a song. he sent me a song and the song was so touching. it made me reflect about my life with him. and that song made me have a sleepless night. it kept on ringing in my mind over and over.

and i said, ok. that feeling i had that time made me realise that, actually, i liked him. i was in love with him. as tradition dictates, sissy‘s father, fabian, will host the wedding at the family home. am i last to go? and, i think the excitement is greater than before. it will stay with you for a longer time. how was it for you? what are the most memorable moments you have? the wedding is like we are putting your last, last off.

this is the person that i want, this is the person i want to stay with. this is the person i want to be the father or the mother of my children. so, that is a very touching moment. you feel very excited that we are at last going to be man... husband and wife. when did you take for appreciation for the family for raising money? that time, people were talking in terms of animals. but, my father—in—law said he was an old man. so, he wanted the equivalent in cash. sissy‘s parents got married 45 years ago. for generations, gifts such as cattle had been offered as a dowry, or bride price, when a man asked for for a woman's hand in marriage. the offerings increase

with a woman's worth, her social standing, her education, age, looks, and so on. while this tradition continues throughout uganda and beyond, sissy‘s parents did not askjoseph for a bride price. that evening, joseph collects his final gift ahead of tomorrow's celebrations. hello. i'm not paying a bride price. i can't anymore. she's a beautiful woman, very intelligent, very loving. and, above all, she is god fearing. that's the most important thing that i love about her. with everything now paid

for ahead of tomorrow, the total wedding costs sissy and joseph just under 2000 us dollars, a quarter of their annual earnings. with help of their families, the couple have come in on budget. the big day has arrived. sissy‘s mother, catherine, has come to spend her last moments with her youngest daughter before she embarks on a new chapter. so far, so good. everything is ok. my family is happy. you can see from my mum right there. she's smiling. everyone is happy. my prayer for sissy is that joseph has come here, has wooed her for a long time,

letjoseph be a loving husband, an understanding husband, a caring husband. i am happy that my family does not ask for bride price, or did not askjoseph or bride price. he chose to bring whatever he can afford. so, i am happy about that. at least it shows the appreciation forthem raising me up. he shows his respect to the culture but is out of his own will, not by force. bride price means, of course now when the husband takes you, you are his property. whatever you do is for you. so, when joseph came, we received him and we told him sissy was too precious for a bride price, so, whatever

whatever they are bringing is a gift — not a bride price. in uganda here i am happy that it is staying out. i love you. i love you, too. sissy and joseph have decided to have a type of traditional wedding which, alongside religious and civil ceremonies is one of three legally recognised forms of marriage in uganda. finally, joseph and his entourage arrive. the main celebrations can now commence. asjoseph is from a tribe in eastern uganda and sissy

is from the bantu group, the dancers must formally greet and invite him across her family's threshold. sissy‘s sister and maid of honour, joyce, is tasked with seating joseph. she comes covered — dressed like the other girls, other sisters — a little difficult for the groom to choose. this is one of the oldest traditions here.

joseph must identify his bride among her sisters. it is the final test the groom must pass before he owns the bride's hand in marriage. the pressure is on. one mistake and it is all off. these are presents from joseph to the parents and family members. each gift offered to sissy‘s family has a significance, like two white goats that symbolise sissy‘s purity. the union is finally blessed and celebrated by their family and community, making them lawfully husband and wife. at each stage of the ceremony, sissy changes from one outfit to another,

with a grand total of five dresses. as night descends, it is time for a universal tradition — dancing. ifeel super excited and i'm really happy that she is mine. she is mine. i am super excited. i am extremely excited. lam happy. it went well. thank you. i promise i won't mistreat you. i will do my best to keep the smile on your face. back in kampala, rita is meeting a couple who have had a very

different wedding experience. right now i am on my way to visit my old clients — i did their wedding last year — moses and joan. they are such a lovely couple. right now they are going through some financial difficulties because of the expenses they had to incurfor their wedding. they had to go into debt. it has greatly affected their marriage, so i'm going to check on them and see how they are progressing. father, in jesus's name, we thank you, because you are a good god, a gracious god. 33—year—old moses is a pastor, whose livelihood is dependent on community donations. his 27—year—old wife, joan, is a new mum. she works odd jobs when she can. moses, tell me, why

were you under so much pressure to have this big wedding? first and foremost because of my position as a pastor and a man of god in community and society and even in church as well. i have to give them what they expected from me. so, i wish i had listened to what you have told me, the advice of doing something that is minimum, but i had no choice if i had a chance to do it again i would really did much better and a more affordable cost within my means. moses and joan spent 10,000 us dollars on their wedding ceremonies, half of which went towards the bride price. they still owe $4000. it has been so, so almost like hell.

at times he could really feel like, when all these debts are settled, i will finally feel my husband is now at ease. the situation has been so tense to me, as a man, as a father, and as a husband and also as a pastor. sometimes you end up feeling like you did not quite do enough, you end up making sacrifices to put food on the table. some days i used to tell my wife that i am fasting and for them to have a meal that we couldn't share, both of us. it has put a lot of stress and strain and a lot of pressure on me, even between me and the wife. basically, with stress, you can develop depression as a while, you feel like your husband cannot provide you feel like you really made a mistake. but sometimes we can really get off the hook and we kind of fight over financial issues. it is such a horrible impact that anyone could ever choose to have

because of poor planning and extravagant sea. — — extravagancy. serve me, o god, for the waters that come into my soul. as a leader of his community, moses wants to know what can be done to prevent other couples ending up in a similar situation. he's heard a group of politicians are proposing a change in the law to regulate weddings and support young couples getting married. monica is an mp leading the campaign. there has to be regulation indeed for the regulation of marriage so we do not commercialise and make it a business. as a country we have not moved faster to address the costs embedded in celebrating the various types of marriages. customary marriage, civil marriage, and a church marriage. and that is why we are working

together as members of parliament to streamline these types of marriages and provide for the basic requirements, which are acceptable under the law. that is why i am so much interested in hearing what parliamentarians are discussing about it. mps are also proposing a legal change to the tradition of bride price in an effort to reduce wedding costs. the first thing that we require is a bride price. it does not have to be paid. and if it is paid, it should not be refundable, as it has been. as a pastor, i have young men behind me, intending to marry or get married. and the cost is scaring them. yes. newlyweds sissy and joseph are contemplating what their

marriage will bring. so i am looking, seeing ourselves as happy, growing old together. you know? getting wrinkles together. and seeing our grandchildren together. at the office they are going to be calling me mrs, not miss. so... it is definitely going to give me a symbol of respect. i am happy that i came to your family and if we choose to go to the city, where things are so high, you know. we have seen so many people make it, so like look big at the end of the day they end up crashing. this is going to be a new level of responsibilities. with us, let us work towards having it work.

till death does us part. as couples across uganda decide on how they wish to celebrate their marriage they were each fined of balancing tradition and the allure of the big, white wedding. hello. just to warn you, no big area of high pressure across the uk. no heat wave on the way. instead it will be much more changeable. that is how we ended the week. very heavy rain ina is how we ended the week. very heavy rain in a short space of time. the

short lived monsoon which led to localised flooding. in the weekend everything will come in from the atla ntic everything will come in from the atlantic but slowly for that this area of cloud will work its way towards the uk. it will push away this dump of high pressure, this ridge of high pressure that has eased away the thundery downpours from earlier on. saturdays starts dry and sunny but more clout in the south—west. essentially it will cloud over more and more through the day. pockets of rain and drizzle in the south west coming into wales and later northern ireland. it may well be dry with temperatures higher than they were on friday. pockets of wet weather continuing to push northwards towards scotland and into eastern parts of england overnight. there could be heavy bursts of rain. a warm night probably on saturday because there will be more cloud around and some rain. low pressure

is getting that bit closer. at one stage it looked like it would be a windy weekend. the winds are lighter and the weather front was grinding toa and the weather front was grinding to a halt. outbreaks of rain pushing northwards into scotland. they may well be the midlands, northern and eastern england will become drier and brighter. in the west there may be rainfor and brighter. in the west there may be rain for most of the day and it could be heavy. the band of rain is in the north of scotland on monday. we're in the north of scotland on monday. we' re left in the north of scotland on monday. we're left with sunshine and showers. most of the showers in the east of england where they could be heavy. potentially rumbles of thunder as well. the temperature is not changing much from the weekend. a little ridge of high pressure rise overnight and then we start to push into this area of low pressure and these weather friends. they are rabid are not producing a lot of rainfor rabid are not producing a lot of rain for the bid is mainly affecting

the west of scotland and northern ireland and the far north of england for the likely to be dry with sunshine around and a root of high—pressure with temperatures starting to rise. still further north in the rain, 19 or 20 degrees. another weather front could come north in the rain, 19 or 20 degrees. another weatherfront could come in as we move into wednesday. moving not just across scotland as we move into wednesday. moving notjust across scotland and northern ireland into northern england and north wales as well. it will feel pretty warm in the sunshine. not the heat we had a week 01’ so sunshine. not the heat we had a week or so ago but pretty warm. the jet strea m or so ago but pretty warm. the jet stream will probably drive further south taking a band of rain southwards bennett will return in the north—west of the uk. in the south—east you up on the warmer side of the jet. that will pick up areas of the jet. that will pick up areas of low pressure and will steer them between scotland and iceland, allowing weather friends to move down across the uk. always more active weather from —— weather

fronts in the north—west. the winds are coming in from the atlantic. the department store house of fraser is bought by sports direct for £90 million. the offer from the sporting goods empire came just hours after the chain went into administration. its new owner, mike ashley, says he wants to turn it into the harrods of the high street. what could its future look like? sports directjust seems quite a jump from house of fraser. it doesn't really, in my mind, really fit together very well. we'll ask what the sale means for house of fraser's staff and customers. also tonight: good weather and good news improve britain's economic output in the second quarter of the year, but crucial exports are down. visible from the sky — china's expansion into the south china sea continues,

despite growing opposition. an immigration reprieve for a nine—year—old chess progidy —