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 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 town, 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 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 ask joseph for a bride price. that evening, joseph collects his final gift ahead of tomorrow's celebrations. so, this is the... 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 fora bride price, so, whatever they are bringing is a gift — not a bride price. in uganda here i am happy that it is staying out. —— dying 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. iam 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 my 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 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 a unique way of balancing tradition and the allure of the big, white wedding. we've got some blue skies and some sunshine. not quite everywhere, though. this was the picture taken by one of our weather watchers in stoke—on—trent. you sky and fairweather cloud now. more cloud pitching in from the western that cloud will head its way east through rest of the weekend, bringing some rain at times, too. things are

turning a bit more unsettled particularly to the day tomorrow. out there today here's the satellite image. it showers the cloud over the past few hours. as an pitching into the south—west of england and wales, beneath my breaks of rain here. a bit of rain for the western isles, too. much of the country, a lot of dry weather. the best of the sunshine will be reserved for the east of scotland, and towards east anglia and kent. towards the south—west of england and for wales, too. we will see the heaviest of the showers do this afternoon. it could bea showers do this afternoon. it could be a little bit of lying surface water with heavy spray on the roads for instance, as well. in the west underneath the cloud and rain, 19 or 20 degrees. in the sunnier spells towards the east, 23 or 24. sunshine but slightly pressure conditions also for the north of scotland. the north of scotland will also keep those clear, fresh conditions that night but for elsewhere, for the rest of the country, more cloud on base of rain tonight. it will feel warmer and more humid than last

night said to me was this temperature is holding up about 15-17. temperature is holding up about 15—17. just a bit fresher in the far north but it is this area of low pressure that is driving over weather through the second half of the weekend. a warm front pushing towards the north—east followed by a cold front. with a warm front quite a kick—start things. rainfall, many central parts of scotland, south—east of england, too. pressure conditions followed behind the cold front from the west they'd one so a return to sunshine but a few showers, too. a thunderstorm of england tomorrow. some sunny spells returning to northern ireland in northern england and have pictures generally around 20—22 but cooler for the far north of scotland. during the day on monday still some showers around across parts of scotla nd showers around across parts of scotland writes down the east coast of england as well. with the ridge of england as well. with the ridge of high pressure building in from the south—west it is looking drier for many parts of the country on monday. top temperatures up to 23 in the south, 15—19 across parts of scotland. the books like this

slightly unsettled rain will continue into the new working week but breezier. others were dry and warm a for the south. this is bbc news, i'm julian worricker. the headlines at two. a man with terminal cancer is to be paid nearly $300 million in damages after claiming weedkiller made by chemical giant monsanto made him ill. i'm glad to be here to be able to help with this situation just the causes way bigger than me just security alert at seattle airport after an airline employee steals an empty plane and crashes on a nearby island. a 29 year—old man is killed and another man is seriously injured after an explosion at a military hardware factory in wiltshire. a warning the australian army could be deployed in new south wales to help farmers deal with the worst drought in living memory.

and mission to the sun on hold.