Just in 2008/9, weddings bill cost over Sh90 billion
As families continue to compete stiffly in financing wedding ceremonies, fresh details show that Tanzanians not all of them spent about Sh140billion in financing wedding parties during the 2008/9 amid the worse global economic crisis.
On any given weekend, the streets of Dar es Salaam are a veritable parade of bliss, as processions of newlyweds, trumpet players and supporting guests clog the roads near churches, or reception halls.
It would seem these lines of cars are nothing more than the necessary transportation from the ceremony to the after-party, but as any penny-pinching groom can attest, there's a world of difference between a puttering Toyota Corolla and a brand new Mercedes Benz S Class.
The choice of car is often the last in a series of decisions - how much beer, if any, which Master of Ceremonies, what kind of flowers. These choices mean something, both to the bride and groom, the parents and the organising committees.
But, these choices are very expensive and cost Tanzanians dearly, compared to what we invest in other development fundraisings. As a culture for financing weddings takes its roots, theres another side of this generationthat only 6 percent have health insurance casting a bleak future to the next generation.
Not only that but also only 8 percent of the total population are covered by Social Security Funds, while in terms of saving, it is just 8 percent of the total eligible 21million Tanzanians that have banks accounts.
The survey was conducted by The Guardian on Sunday by gathering marriage data for year 2008/9 from RITA as well as interviewing marriage planners in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Mwanza.
According to data released by RITA-a government agency responsible for the registration of birth, marriages and deaths-between July, 2008 and June, 2009, the agency registered a total of 16,583 new marriages with Dar es Salaam alone recording 41 percent.
The Data also shows that only 972 marriages out of 16,583 were Civilian while the rest were religious based with Christians taking 60 percent of the total marriages.
The Guardian on Sunday contacted some of the amateur wedding planners in Dar es Salaam and Arusha who revealed that wedding costs were categorized in three groups-namely modest, medium and luxury.
For instance in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Arusha, to finance a modest wedding cost about Sh7.5million, medium costs between Sh10million and Sh15million, while the luxury wedding takes about Sh25million.
However other luxury wedding could go beyond that depending on the status of the families as well as the location where the function does take place. Assuming that only 12,000 marriages had modest wedding ceremonies last year, this means that a total of Sh90 billion were invested in kitchen, sendoff and main reception ceremonies during the period when the worlds economy was battling recession.
On average it costs about Sh10million to finance a wedding party-with the cost involving sendoff, kitchen and the main wedding party, our survey has established.
This means that the figure could even be higher than the Sh90 billion figure reached by just calculating the total spending basing on the modest base rate.
Ostentatious send-off receptions for brides can contribute to a wedding's bloated budget, often making the groom`s side feel compelled to equal or surpass the bride`s party, or risk losing face. On religious grounds, born-again Christians hold relatively simple weddings, typically with modest saloon cars and no alcoholic drinks at the receptions.
Most of those interviewed admitted that 99 percent of their fundraising invitations were for wedding, while the rest was for some family issues.
However none of them did admit to have ever received a fundraising invitation to raise funds for schools fees or health related expenses for their friends and relatives.
Last year, some religious leaders were concerned about high wedding expenses, and some of them have initiated strategies to ease the problem.
Assistant Bishop Methodius Kilaini of Dar es Salaam Roman Catholic Archdiocese decried the large amounts of money poured into wedding celebrations that he says should be channelled into development endeavours. "Our anxiety is that marriage as an institution may collapse. Poor families may ignore the church's role in marriage, thinking it's a place for the rich to show off their wealth," Bishop Kilaini said.
Just a simple testorganize a fundraising for your childs education or medical expenses, very few pledges will come up, but invite members to contribute for the wedding you will receive many pledges.
I invited some relatives and friends to a fundraising for my daughters education abroad, but only few people turned out seven years agobut during her wedding last year, we raised about Sh 20 million. A resident of Mwanza city who declined to be named told The Guardian on Sunday recently.
Various people interviewed by The Guardian on Sunday also admitted that they receive an average of 12 wedding fundraising cards annually. But majority of them dont remember when was the last time they were invited to education or health fundraising.
Where the money goes?
Weddings have become a big business for car hire companies, salons and boutiques. Some cars are so popular they must be booked even months in advance, according to Niko Kyeyeu, a car hire supervisor at Victoria in Dar es Salaam. And even if the customer has the cash, there is no guarantee that he will get the car he wants, said Kyeyeu when interviewed by The Guardian on Sunday.]
Victoria has become famous for its variety of Mercedes Benzes available for weddings. Kyeyeu said a Mercedes Benz S 380 is hired for 480,000/- per day, while a CDI 270 goes for 450,000/-, and both the Compressor classic and Compressor E 200 can be hired for 380,000/-
"It's really a lucrative business," he said. Formal wear shops in Dar es Salaam attract a good number of customers as well. At Mlimani City, shops are always busy with engaged couples shopping, or window-shopping at least.
Prices range between 150,000/- and Sh500,000 for both grooms' suits and brides' wedding gowns, said Cyprian John, a shop attendant at Mlimani City. Business for wedding gowns is booming, John said. They sell between 20 and 40 wedding dresses per month. And it's not just the dresses. Looking good on your big day can cost you big time, said Janet John, a 25-year-old lady who recently got married.
John said she spent 55,000/- and 63,000/- on hair and make-up for her send-off and wedding respectively at a salon in Tabata, but in areas like Sinza, a salon hair-do and makeover can go for as much as Sh100,000..
Mwanaisha Masoud, a hairstylist and make-up artist, said the cost of hairdressing depends on your taste, but generally ranges between 50,000/- and 100,000/-. She added that couples should book a space at least two weeks before the wedding, as her salon is always fully booked.
Another equally booming business is the renting out of reception halls. Depending on the size of the hall, location and decorations, halls range between 400,000/- and 2m/- for the night. Some halls are booked months or even a year before the ceremony.
"Here at Msimbazi we have three halls which are fully booked annually. You have to book at least six months before the event, or to be safe, even earlier than that," said one employee at Msimbazi, a hall owned by the Roman Catholic Church that is reasonably priced.
"For instance, no one can manage to get any of our halls now. In November we have only one vacant booking by now," he said.
Though some can't understand why anyone would spend so much for an event that will last a few hours, for many parents a well-executed wedding is a strong demonstration of the honour bestowed upon the couples' families by guests and organizers.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
As families continue to compete stiffly in financing wedding ceremonies, fresh details show that Tanzanians not all of them spent about Sh140billion in financing wedding parties during the 2008/9 amid the worse global economic crisis.
On any given weekend, the streets of Dar es Salaam are a veritable parade of bliss, as processions of newlyweds, trumpet players and supporting guests clog the roads near churches, or reception halls.
It would seem these lines of cars are nothing more than the necessary transportation from the ceremony to the after-party, but as any penny-pinching groom can attest, there's a world of difference between a puttering Toyota Corolla and a brand new Mercedes Benz S Class.
The choice of car is often the last in a series of decisions - how much beer, if any, which Master of Ceremonies, what kind of flowers. These choices mean something, both to the bride and groom, the parents and the organising committees.
But, these choices are very expensive and cost Tanzanians dearly, compared to what we invest in other development fundraisings. As a culture for financing weddings takes its roots, theres another side of this generationthat only 6 percent have health insurance casting a bleak future to the next generation.
Not only that but also only 8 percent of the total population are covered by Social Security Funds, while in terms of saving, it is just 8 percent of the total eligible 21million Tanzanians that have banks accounts.
The survey was conducted by The Guardian on Sunday by gathering marriage data for year 2008/9 from RITA as well as interviewing marriage planners in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Mwanza.
According to data released by RITA-a government agency responsible for the registration of birth, marriages and deaths-between July, 2008 and June, 2009, the agency registered a total of 16,583 new marriages with Dar es Salaam alone recording 41 percent.
The Data also shows that only 972 marriages out of 16,583 were Civilian while the rest were religious based with Christians taking 60 percent of the total marriages.
The Guardian on Sunday contacted some of the amateur wedding planners in Dar es Salaam and Arusha who revealed that wedding costs were categorized in three groups-namely modest, medium and luxury.
For instance in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Arusha, to finance a modest wedding cost about Sh7.5million, medium costs between Sh10million and Sh15million, while the luxury wedding takes about Sh25million.
However other luxury wedding could go beyond that depending on the status of the families as well as the location where the function does take place. Assuming that only 12,000 marriages had modest wedding ceremonies last year, this means that a total of Sh90 billion were invested in kitchen, sendoff and main reception ceremonies during the period when the worlds economy was battling recession.
On average it costs about Sh10million to finance a wedding party-with the cost involving sendoff, kitchen and the main wedding party, our survey has established.
This means that the figure could even be higher than the Sh90 billion figure reached by just calculating the total spending basing on the modest base rate.
Ostentatious send-off receptions for brides can contribute to a wedding's bloated budget, often making the groom`s side feel compelled to equal or surpass the bride`s party, or risk losing face. On religious grounds, born-again Christians hold relatively simple weddings, typically with modest saloon cars and no alcoholic drinks at the receptions.
Most of those interviewed admitted that 99 percent of their fundraising invitations were for wedding, while the rest was for some family issues.
However none of them did admit to have ever received a fundraising invitation to raise funds for schools fees or health related expenses for their friends and relatives.
Last year, some religious leaders were concerned about high wedding expenses, and some of them have initiated strategies to ease the problem.
Assistant Bishop Methodius Kilaini of Dar es Salaam Roman Catholic Archdiocese decried the large amounts of money poured into wedding celebrations that he says should be channelled into development endeavours. "Our anxiety is that marriage as an institution may collapse. Poor families may ignore the church's role in marriage, thinking it's a place for the rich to show off their wealth," Bishop Kilaini said.
Just a simple testorganize a fundraising for your childs education or medical expenses, very few pledges will come up, but invite members to contribute for the wedding you will receive many pledges.
I invited some relatives and friends to a fundraising for my daughters education abroad, but only few people turned out seven years agobut during her wedding last year, we raised about Sh 20 million. A resident of Mwanza city who declined to be named told The Guardian on Sunday recently.
Various people interviewed by The Guardian on Sunday also admitted that they receive an average of 12 wedding fundraising cards annually. But majority of them dont remember when was the last time they were invited to education or health fundraising.
Where the money goes?
Weddings have become a big business for car hire companies, salons and boutiques. Some cars are so popular they must be booked even months in advance, according to Niko Kyeyeu, a car hire supervisor at Victoria in Dar es Salaam. And even if the customer has the cash, there is no guarantee that he will get the car he wants, said Kyeyeu when interviewed by The Guardian on Sunday.]
Victoria has become famous for its variety of Mercedes Benzes available for weddings. Kyeyeu said a Mercedes Benz S 380 is hired for 480,000/- per day, while a CDI 270 goes for 450,000/-, and both the Compressor classic and Compressor E 200 can be hired for 380,000/-
"It's really a lucrative business," he said. Formal wear shops in Dar es Salaam attract a good number of customers as well. At Mlimani City, shops are always busy with engaged couples shopping, or window-shopping at least.
Prices range between 150,000/- and Sh500,000 for both grooms' suits and brides' wedding gowns, said Cyprian John, a shop attendant at Mlimani City. Business for wedding gowns is booming, John said. They sell between 20 and 40 wedding dresses per month. And it's not just the dresses. Looking good on your big day can cost you big time, said Janet John, a 25-year-old lady who recently got married.
John said she spent 55,000/- and 63,000/- on hair and make-up for her send-off and wedding respectively at a salon in Tabata, but in areas like Sinza, a salon hair-do and makeover can go for as much as Sh100,000..
Mwanaisha Masoud, a hairstylist and make-up artist, said the cost of hairdressing depends on your taste, but generally ranges between 50,000/- and 100,000/-. She added that couples should book a space at least two weeks before the wedding, as her salon is always fully booked.
Another equally booming business is the renting out of reception halls. Depending on the size of the hall, location and decorations, halls range between 400,000/- and 2m/- for the night. Some halls are booked months or even a year before the ceremony.
"Here at Msimbazi we have three halls which are fully booked annually. You have to book at least six months before the event, or to be safe, even earlier than that," said one employee at Msimbazi, a hall owned by the Roman Catholic Church that is reasonably priced.
"For instance, no one can manage to get any of our halls now. In November we have only one vacant booking by now," he said.
Though some can't understand why anyone would spend so much for an event that will last a few hours, for many parents a well-executed wedding is a strong demonstration of the honour bestowed upon the couples' families by guests and organizers.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
