Wedding fever grips Namibia’s north: Pastors marry up to 40 a day 

Northern pastors are marrying dozens of couples in one go

Some pastors in northern Namibia say they are helping up to 40 couples tie the knot in a single day.

This means they could be marrying more than 10 couples at the same time, the pastors say.

The trend is quickly gaining traction among denominations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (Elcin), with church leaders saying it is more due to their packed schedules than “wedding fever”.

Additionally, pastors’ availability is limited, with long-standing seasonal patterns demanding that couples scramble for space at the altar in December.

Taarah Shalyefu of the Saint Patrick Anglican Church at Ongwediva in the Oshana region says the highest number of couples he has had to marry at his congregation in one session was 14.

He says bigger congregations could, however, wed up to 40 couples in one day.

“People are getting married more, I don’t know what is motivating them,” he says.

The Eenhana Elcin parish in the Ohangwena region is fully booked for this weekend, with 14 couples waiting to exchange wedding vows just days before Christmas.

Church treasurer Vicky Nghiluwa confirms the trend, saying she has seen 26 weddings taking place since the beginning of December.

“Couples who intend to get married are required to register with the church at the beginning of the year, which helps us to plan,” she says.

Nghiluwa says no major challenges have been experienced, as the December wedding rush has become the annual norm in the north.

Pastor Ndeshipanda Ashipala from the Tsandi parish in the Omusati region says he has officiated six weddings in one single weekend before.

He says time becomes a challenge with multiple weddings taking place at once.

‘NEXT, PLEASE’

Pastor Epafrus Haingumbi from the Oniipa parish in the Oshikoto region says administrative processes and limited office space add to the pressure during peak periods such as December.

“If there are many weddings, usually about seven in a day, time becomes the main challenge, especially when couples are filling in forms,” he says.

At Engela Parish in the Ohangwena region, pastor Martin Kashihakumwa says couples register their intention to marry at the beginning of the year, with many insisting on tying the knot in December.

“When many want the same dates in December, we agree on one or two days, depending on availability,” he says.

Kashihakumwa says the Engela parish in the Ohangwena region has registered more than 20 weddings for December, but they will not be taking place in a single day or weekend.

“It depends on organisation and availability. If a pastor is on leave, weddings may be done in one day. There is nothing preventing that,” he says.

Kashihakumwa says weddings have become more frequent throughout the year, reflecting changing social patterns.

“In the past, weddings were mainly in August or December. Now, from February to December, you can have weddings every month,” he says.

He says teachers especially often still prefer school holidays to walk down the aisle.

Proper marriage counselling needs to be done to prepare couples for marriage, he says, noting that marriage is about more than just exchanging vows.

POPULATION INCREASE

Ongwediva Elcin pastor Aina Sheetheni attributes the large number of weddings to an increase in population.

“In the past if you even see three couples in a day, people will be shocked. The highest I have had so far is 12 in a day,” she says.

Sheetheni urges couples to be understanding and share the church space, adding that pastors cannot turn couples away.

Elcin secretary general Johannes Haufiku says the church recorded 1 764 weddings in 2022, while this number dropped to 1 596 in 2023 due to the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Statistics for 2024 and 2025 are not available yet.

“We see a lot of excitement during this time of the year, but the same commitment should apply to staying together after the wedding,” he says.

“Many people are getting married, but we are also aware that the divorce rate remains high.”

Although several northern churches have reported the trend of mass weddings, other pastors say the situation varies widely between congregations.

Pastor Jeremia Ekandjo of the Tsandi parish in the Omusati region says his church has not experienced unusually high numbers this year.

“So far we have not had more than 10 weddings. Last year we had around 20, and they were easy to manage,” he says.

Meanwhile, pastor Lamek Nambahu of Ohote Church at Otjiwarongo says some congregations rarely experience wedding surges.

“Here at Otjiwarongo we barely have weddings. We mainly offer premarital counselling,” he says.

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