goodbye to singlehood:
A bachelor’s party is a function that the groom-to-be holds for friends and family or friends hold for a groom to be towards the wedding. It is known as ‘kasiki’ among some people. This party is normally organised for the groom to say goodbye to singlehood. Juliet Kigongo narrates her experience at one of the parties.
Out of curiosity, I attended a friend’s bachelor’s party. As the groom’s friends prepared, I noticed a preference for certain venues. I was then told that a bachelor’s party should be in a somewhat quiet venue with less possibility for gate- crushers.
Once the venue has been confirmed, a guest list is quickly put together, usually not so many.
Payment
Even though the people that attend the bachelor parties usually contribute in some way to the drinks, eats and ‘miscellaneous’ expenses, you would be stunned at how quickly men are willing to fork out cash for a night of unconcealed shamelessness. The average contribution fee for us was between Shs10,000 to Shs50,000.
Directions were usually given at the last minute, on phone. Men and friends to the groom-to-be seemed to preferred with the reason of keeping secrets. It was very difficult to get onto the guest list unless you had ‘serious’ connections.
With the upfront fee that the guests had paid and the collection process quite strict, drinks and eats were guaranteed for the night.
The ‘coordinator’ of the bachelor party also suggested that we carry along some extra money in case, you may need something that is not part of the budget.
For this particular couple, the friends opted for a friend’s house and devised a setting to cater for the event. Once at the house, the men gathered around the improvised bar, making casual conversation, mellowing out, having the first and second round of drinks, and teasing the groom to be and his best man.
Before I knew it, people were happier, perhaps because almost everyone had had more than two drinks. The entertainment began. And this is where more ‘ladies’ started coming in. Being a big time friend to the groom, I had already sneaked in. I really needed to know what actually the ladies would be doing in an only -men’s thing.
Dress code and behaviour
To say that the girls were skimpily dressed is an understatement; dress tops worked as dresses and short shorts were the order of the day.
Bachelor parties of this kind are built around the ‘anything goes’ concept.
“It is the man’s last night of freedom after all,” said one executive director from a major company at the party. He was the best man, one of the people that get to have the most fun at the party.
His conduct was completely different from the quiet studious type that usually was in the office and there was almost something maniacal about him. “Let the man enjoy!” he often shouted.
The fact
that total privacy is ensured with those heavy curtains and phone cameras are strictly banned, and the fact that these are lads that are sworn to a code of secrecy that they actually follow means since it gets pretty naughty in there.
From simply having one girl as a striper who drops her clothes down to her underwear. I was naive, actually bachelor parties have teams of girls who take off everything, and strut and gyrate to Jamaican hits such as likes of Sean Paul and Demarco.
Touch-up
The girls themselves often need some Dutch courage of their own, and will be found in one of the rooms where they do their hair, drinking alcohol, do make up and try on clothes that they are soon going to throw off anyway.
The preferred brands are V&A Sherry and Smirnoff Black Ice; make of that what you will.
The groom and the bestman come in for some very special attention from the ladies.
The coordinator often sees to this (if he is a coordinator worth his salt) after all, they are the ‘bagole’. It is unbelievable but fun, before the night is through, they will each get tag- teamed by the girls, to raucous cheers from the watching friends.
No violence
Does it ever get out of hand? Not in the way you might think. At least for this one I attended; no one got violent, carried away, or abusive.
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