Lulu Jemimah took vows and married herself in a mock wedding after what she described as to ‘pressure’ from her parents to get a life partner.
The masters student studying at Oxford University, chose her 32nd birthday celebration to be an ideal day for her selfie-wedding.
The Ugandan student invited her close friends and relatives who turned up in line with a birthday celebration, only to be shocked when the creative writer student turned up in a hired wedding gown with colourful flowers.
In her speech, she made it clear to the crowd in dismay that her studies had taken toll on her amble time to find a partner soon.
“I have a strong passion in life and I am committed to achieving my goals at becoming an academic. But all my family wanted to ask me was when I planned to get married – which is very important back in Uganda – followed by when I would be having children and starting a family.
“My father wrote my wedding speech when I turned 16. Every birthday my mother prayed for me and in recent years this has included a plea for a good husband,” she said.
The idea was fueled by her close friends who convinced her to settle the marriage woes before she left Uganda for UK. Initially she had planned a low key birthday celebration before tables turned.
One of her friends acted as a pastor who read to her vows, promising that she will remain loyal to her studies
“Marriage is an expression of love and commitment, however for many people back home, it is still considered the only way to guarantee a woman’s financial security. I had worried about coming off as stupid but to have such a strong intellectual group of friends behind the idea, that was all the validation I needed for the choices I have made,” she said.
