It’s not a common phenomenon for rural couples to organize parties before and after the wedding. However, the habit of throwing bachelors’ parties and wedding after parties is catching up like wild fire in urban Rwanda. The bachelor’s party (also called kasiki) is the most outstanding of wedding parties because unlike the others, it’s embraced by culture. Traditionally, a party of the kind was organized by the groom/bride’s family for the purpose of bidding farewell to their son/daughter. Today’s bachelor parties have changed in style. I’ve heard of some people who even go to the extreme of inviting strippers to the party such that the groom enjoys his last day of bachelorhood. If you’ve watched the movie ‘The Hangover’ you can really get the picture of what really happens when bachelors decide to celebrate their friend’s last night as a bachelor.However, despite the fun involved in the bachelors’ parties, try to be very careful because sometimes they tend to get out of hand, and ruin your wedding. Unlike the naughty and crazy bachelor’s party, the wedding after party celebrates the union of newlyweds. Again, we have to acknowledge that wedding after parties are not a common scenario in Rwanda though some people do make time for them. “Our wedding day had such a heavy schedule; we had to go to the district for civil marriage, then to church later in the afternoon before doing the introduction and wedding reception. By midnight, we were all exhausted to go for another occasion,” said Nsabimana Eric, a local businessman at Giporoso. That said, weddings have also proved to be quite costly thus most people always try to cut down on the costs they will incur during the wedding. Weddings are a time of celebration, there is no reason that should stop one from partying. Bryok14@yahoo.com
