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| All Things Bride and Beautiful | Page 24

Military Wedding

When a man in uniform decides to get married, there are certain protocols that have to be observed.
So what happens when the church comes into play and certain regulations have to be integrated? The Catholic Church has a set of requirements for the members one of which is that a couple must wed in the church for it to be considered sacred. This was the reason Sarah and Lieutenant colonel Thomas had to do a church wedding after twenty years of marriage and four children later.
Besides the Catholic regulations, the military itself has requirements to be followed during ceremonies.
“As a military officer, one has to declare to their immediate boss if you are married or not married” says Thomas.
The norm usually is the groom’s family goes to the bride’s house to beg for her. In a military wedding however, the groom’s colleagues arrive at the bride’s house chanting celebratory songs, storm in and carry the bride away to a waiting car.
After the church service, the couple has to enter the signature archway of sabers held up by honor guards. It is significant that before completing the symbolic safe passage into marriage, the last two members of the honor guards block their journey, while one of the guards gives their newlywed colleague a ceremonial swat on the rear and a warm welcome to whatever branch of service the bride has married into.

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Esther and Eric

Esther’s dream wedding was a wedding in a grand castle, in a large ballroom with lots of lighting and flowers. Her guests gently swaying and twirling to the soft music emanating from the walls of the ballroom. And to complete the picture she’d be wearing a lovely Cinderella-type/ball gown with a long train. Well, for her real wedding she got something close – a garden wedding at the Marula Manor, Karen.

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For her bridal team she decided to go with coral, while the junior bridesmaids adorned champagne. She was fortunate to get those particular shades from her vendor Blooms and Drapes Events, and she bought all the choral material that they had! “I decided to settle for subtle and happy colours that will blend” explains Esther. “My bridal team were so excited and I could see them standing together, their colours blending well.  They looked like they just walked out of a magazine… Beautiful!”

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10 months is how long it took them before they could finally decide on their colour scheme. They even attended two Samantha’s Bridal Weddings Fairs to get ideas. In the end they decided to go with a fairy-tale-themed wedding of coral and champagne colours with accents of navy blue, and baby’s breath as the main flowers.

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“At the ceremony area were cascading white drapes, over garden chairs and the arbor. The reception was an elegant statement of a mixture of gold and white chiavari chairs by Lily of the Valley, with champagne table overlays, baby’s breath flowers all under hexagon tents. I like the idea that we were not going to drape them, that’s what I really like about the Hex tents. I was very happy with the outcome,” Esther describes.They [vendors] exceeded my expectations. I was really blown away” Eric admits.

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“I decided on this [theme] because as a little girl I pictured my wedding with white flowers. Coral and champagne blend well together and navy blue is Eric’s favorite color,” Esther explains Marula Manor where their ceremony and reception took place offered enough room for creativity with its vast manicured ground and angelic flowers on the patio.

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Esther Shwashwa, a marketer and Eric Chachi met in December 2005 at a mutual friend’s birthday party. “We clicked after maybe talking for two or three hours. I gave her my watch as a way of making sure I see her again” quips Eric. Sleek as he was, he needn’t be as Esther had already set her heart on him: “Immediately he walked in, he had this crazy Santa hat and I was impressed. He just took over the room; he was himself. I told one of my friends, that guy is going to marry me,” recounts Esther

In December 29, 2012 the time was ripe with their friends and family alike eagerly anticipating a decent proposal. Eric decided to throw a party for his friends, who he had let in on is his little secret. Of course Esther was invited, and over a game of monopoly Eric pretended to have dropped a monopoly piece under the table. He asked Esther to help him retrieve it. She obliged and went under, and by the time she came up Eric had assumed his position on bended knee, as he flashed the engagement ring on her face with the proposal ‘Will you Marry Me’. “Her legs gave way” Eric laughs explaining, “that’s when I gave her the ring; she was completely caught off-guard!”

A shaken Esther finally recovered and said yes, although she was more concerned over the state of her un-manicured nails. “I hadn’t done my nails… but I wouldn’t change anything how it happened!” she quips back

 Soon after they had to set a wedding date. They had to compromise on a date since Eric wanted a wedding at the end of the year while, Esther favored a wedding at the beginning of the year. Their middle ground hence became August 2014.

What drew Esther to Eric she says is his “zest for life, his caring, kind and loving nature”

Venue: Marula manor

Photography: Wedding Affair photography

Decor: Blooms and drapes events

Garden Wedding Ideas for the Rainy Season

The rainy season is here and lately the weather has been quiet unpredictable.

 

Don’t we all love garden weddings! Natural elements come to play, providing a serene backdrop that blends in earthiness and provides a feeling of openness. Garden weddings do however have drawbacks, especially during the rainy seasons. Brides and guests who prefer to show up in stylish high heels often have a hard time walking on wet grounds. So for the sole reason of comfort and preserving those gorgeous shoes, rent some marquee flooring and stunt with no worries.

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From wooden floors to carpet flooring with an underlay to plastic flooring, there is an option for every ground condition.

A Frame Tent profloor(1)

This flooring idea is perfect for creating an indoor feel to an outdoor venue and with a wide range of floor types to choose from; whatever the vision, it will be brought to life. From wooden floors to carpet flooring with an underlay to plastic flooring, there is an option for every ground condition.

Walkway

Available at Sunflower Tents and Decor

Tel: 0722790632

E-mail: Info@sunflowertents.com

 

Daddy’s Little Girl

A father is a daughter’s first love.

From time immemorial, girls have been known to be fond of their fathers, cultivating a closeness that surpasses -if I may say- any other relationship. Fathers have been and still are the male figures of which their daughters look up to and from a young age learn from on how to relate with other men. Only reason why they say a girl marries a man who is just like her father.

Sarah and her father have always been close and this was evident on the day of her wedding. Her father had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he was giving away his daughter. “Today you are going to be someone’s wife but you will always be my little girl” this is what Sarah’s dad told her on her wedding day as they drove to the church in which the ceremony was to take place.

As they walked down the aisle she asked him how he was feeling, he said to her “If it was not for the fact that this wedding had to happen, I would not give you away,” an emotional utterance of a father -who in his mind was giving away his daughter in all completeness. “He is happy but he is not happy because he has to give me away,” Sarah remarks.

A good father is one who raises his daughter to be strong, independent and one who makes good choices all the while being an example of how a man should treat a woman based on how he relates with her mother. Fathers set the standards on how a man should treat their daughters.

Most dads are not concerned with the flowers, centre pieces, linens or décor, their only concern is that the man they are walking their daughter down the aisle to is a good man who will treat their little girl like the queen she was raised to be.

Rhoda and Tony

What started as a chance meeting at a party through a mutual friend led to a lovely spectacle of an unyielding love being sealed before God and man alike.

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Their wedding theme was Live,Laugh, Love.”we wanted the wedding to be a fun way to start our wedded life so we wanted laughter with the people we love (our guests) to mark the beginning of our life” she says.

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“It took a very short time before we became an item. Less than a month; the chemistry was undeniable” Rodah narrates. It was a usual valentine’s getaway, or so she thought, until they were called up on stage to read their love note, one of many that were placed on every couple’s table, each one with a different message. As soon as Rodah finished reading the note, she turned around only to find Anthony on one knee holding out a ring.

As for the vows, Rhoda says, “what stood out was the thought of how binding this is, for better for worse; it made me feel good to be saying this to the man of my dreams.” When asked what she would do differently if given the chance… “Maybe have a longer day if possible (Laughs). It was too short!”

Venue:Consolata School

Words: Anne Nduku

Marriage Expectations

Don’t we all have expectations?

Realistic, imaginary, necessary, basic or deep…expectations are indeed one of the pivotal parts of a marriage. Many couples go into a marriage with certain ideas of what it is and expect only what they imagine it to be. Nothing can truly prepare you for a marriage and all that comes with it. Living with your partner has a way of unraveling their habits and mannerisms which are in most cases shocking, irritating and downright annoying.
It can be from the simplest of things such as untidiness, preferences in certain product brands to complex issues such as morals on which the children will be raised and spending habits.
The risk of divorce is highest earlier on in the marriage because this is the time when two people who have grown up accustomed to certain ways now start to realize how indifferent they are to each other’s customs and values. Premarital counseling is vital for couples planning to tie the knot. This process helps to partly prepare you for marriage and teaches you on communicating and compromise. Though you cannot be fully prepared for marriage, one main thing that can help immensely is communicating and discussing in depth the most vital issues, before getting into the lifelong commitment after which, a common ground is arrived at. These issues include:

  • Beliefs and values-which common values do you wish to accustom your family to?
  • Roles in marriage- bills, household chores and family duties.
  • Sex-intimacy and allocation of quality time.
  • Children and parenting-religion, rules and disciplining.
  • Family relationships-allocation of time and finances to both sides of the family and conflict resolution.
  • Decision making-checking with your partner before making any big decisions.
  • Conflict resolution-ways to go about disagreements and arguments and how to resolve them.
  • Time management-how much time will you put aside exclusively for your wife or husband and children?
  • Money-discuss investments, big purchase, savings etc

Discussing what either of you expect before and after the wedding enables you and your partner to better understand and support each other in the marriage. This process helps couples to develop realistic expectations, better communication and is important for establishing a positive attitude towards marriage.

How can we level our expectations?

1. Communication
Openly talk about your expectations to your spouse and encourage them to do the same to ensure that both of you are on the same page.
2. Be realistic
Don’t have outrageous expectations that are likely not to be met by your spouse. It is normal to expect, but don’t be vulnerable to disappointment because of unrealistic expectations.
3. Remember, you fail too
Your partner has expectations too, some of which you may not be willing or able to fulfill. So cut them some slack simply because you are only human too.

There is no manual for a marriage. You will learn as you go. Just keep an open mind and a calm spirit.

The Pregnant Bride

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Gone are the days when it was an abomination for a pregnant woman to wed. It has over the years become a common thing to wed during pregnancy so much so that there are wedding gowns being designed everyday for the pregnant bride.
A pregnant bride deserves to enjoy her big day without worrying about anything and below are tips on how to ensure that you breeze through your day radiantly and comfortable.
What Trimester is Best to Wed During?
If possible, try to get hitched in your second trimester. By this time, the pregnancy is much easier, your morning sickness should be easing up or entirely gone by then. Another advantage is that getting married in your second trimester will be much more comfortable as your belly will not be in the way.
Choosing your Wedding Gown
• The first thing you need to do is to inform your designer or bridal shop attendant of your pregnancy if it is not already noticeable and how far along you’ll be on the day of your wedding as this will help on the particulars of alterations and when they will need to be made.
• If you are buying a ready-made gown, try and make the purchase on a date much closer to the wedding date, to be sure of a comfortable fit and minimal alterations. If it is a tailored gown, ensure that your dressmaker bears in mind your belly’s growth rate and dynamics when making the dress so as to allow room for alterations that will preserve the design of the gown.
• Every body type has a particular design that will compliment it. However, pregnancies make most body types similar. With that in mind, the best looks for pregnant brides are empire waist-line gowns, princess cut gowns or A-line gowns. Avoid tight fits, small waists, and anything figure-hugging.
• The dress’s accents work best on your shoulders and bust as they will draw the eye away from your belly.

Tips on Comfort
• Comfort comfort comfort. Make this your first priority.
• Avoid corsets, tightly laced bodices, or any other constricting gear. Flow is the go for a woman with a bun in the oven, swollen feet and aching joints.
• Choose dresses with light fabric as it will ensure ease in movement. Bulky and heavy dresses will only add strain to your body and can be restricting.
• Ensure that you have on very comfortable shoes. Flats are the best way to go for a pregnant bride.

Wedding Accessory Tips
Accessoriez such as jewellery, the veil and the bouquet remain unaffected. A pregnant bride can have the usual accessories so have no worries.

Wedding Ring
For the wedding ring however, it is important to note that your finger size will also increase along with the rest of the body. There are two choices a bride can choose from when it comes to the wedding ring.
1. Either have a mock ring made for the wedding ceremony and later put on your real wedding ring which fits your usual sized finger after the pregnancy or
2. Have your wedding ring made to fit your finger at the time of your pregnancy and have it altered afterward.
Food Menu
Plan the menu ahead of the wedding keeping in mind what you need to eat and what you cannot eat. This doesn’t mean that your guests, the groom and wedding party get affected; it just means you need to find alternatives for you as well. So ensure that you have your own little menu on the side.
Honeymoon
• You deserve double the ultimate pampering. With the wedding planning and baby growing contributing to your exhaustion ensure that you find a destination that is easily accessible and that promises much peace, quiet, relaxation and pampering.
• Be sure that your insurance covers any pregnancy complications or even giving birth.
• Make sure that you have cash with you in case there is trouble with visa’s credit cards and debit cards as approval from certain banks may take some time when in foreign countries
• Also, know where hospitals are in case of an emergency.
• Another way around this is to simply postpone the honeymoon until after the baby is born.

Tina and Robert

“This man, my miracle, he found me, he fought for me with the wrath of a God when not even I thought that I was enough… the warmth of his heart gives me a sense of salvation… this is such a happy ever after.” These are the moving words of a poem that Tina composed and recited for her husband Robert.

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HOW THEY MET
Their story began in the year 2010 when Tina was seeking an internship at the firm in which Robert was a member of staff. “I was walking out… I was going for a site visit in Naivasha and I was like damn, who is that girl at the reception? I had to go back and ask the receptionist who the girl was” narrates Robert. They say a man knows within the first five minutes of seeing or meeting a lady whether she will be his wife or not and that was evident in this case. The receptionist told Robert that she was there to inquire if there was an opening for an internship position and upon learning that, Robert was insistent to make sure the receptionist ensures that their boss offers her a position and indeed, she got it.
Robert worked up the courage to introduce himself and soon after, he asked her out on a date with no fruition. Tina was reluctant for some time, but eventually she gave in. They officially began dating in May of 2011 “22nd to be precise” Robert interrupts Tina.
THE ENGAGEMENT
Tina does not like surprises and she took it as far as wanting her husband to tell her when he would propose. “I decided to pop the question on a random day.” The groom and his friends came up with the idea of making a decoy birthday party for one of them in which Tina would be a guest. Then the surprise came when they begun ripping off their t shirts to reveal the question -will you marry me?-
THE WEDDING
“I would have never chosen anyone else to get married to. He was and still is my ideal” says an emotional Tina. Despite being up by 5 am in the morning, the bridal party was in fact late to the ceremony. Tina opted to have her cousins as bridesmaids and her best friend as the maid of honour so as to avoid having a hard time choosing her bridesmaids. The wedding setting was exquisitely breathtaking, tucked under a canopy, the white chairs complimented by the bold red flowers strung all around in a decorative pattern; it was a little heaven. The groom’s breath literally taken away to the point of tears was the icing on the cake.

The poem rang through the air and when he realized it was Tina’s voice he was listening to, the tears began to fill up his eyes blinding him. “It got to a point where I couldn’t see her because my eyes were filled with tears, so I had to make the call, it’s either I drain the tears or I don’t see my bride coming down the aisle [laughs]” says Robert. A unique twist is that Tina walked down the aisle to her own rendition of Adore You by Miley Cyrus.
The bride looked stunning in her drop waist ball gown, walking down the aisle all the while whispering -kick and pose- to help her walk gracefully in her gorgeous gown. Her bridesmaids were in little fitted ivory dresses with a sash draped on their left sides all making for a lovely ceremony.

THE RECEPTION
“We danced a lot at the entrance of the reception” Robert says. Robert and his groom’s men surprised Tina yet again with a silly, funny and adorable dance that got everyone glued and swaying to, eager to join in.
The couple agreed on 300 guests comprising only of close friends and close relatives and it was as intended. Everyone danced and made merry to the unrelenting love in the air and celebrated the couple and their new married status.
The centerpiece that completed the beautiful theme was their cake which was modeled into a construction site to represent their passion, seeing as both are civil engineers.

They were now one in soul, in spirit, in body and in mind.

 

Photography: Ben Kiruthi

Venue:Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club

Words: Anne Nduku

THE 2015 SAMANTHA’S BRIDAL WEDDING FAIR CAKE CHALLENGE

The Samantha’s Bridal Wedding Fair Cake Challenge which was one of the highlights of the wedding fair was a fantastic success. The competition attracted cake makers whose entries were displayed in a special area at the show for visitors to admire and sample out. Being a first time competition, the expectations for the Cake Challenge were very high and they were met by the array of exquisite cakes that contested for the big price.
It was an excellent showcase of the combination of high quality products and high levels of creativity of the participants. The wedding cakes were both beautiful to look at and delicious.

“The Samantha’s Bridal Wedding Fair Cake Challenge was the most fabulous demonstration of baking and cake design talent. The sheer variety of cakes and the quality of entries was excellent. This competition was interesting and exciting to judge as there were several beautiful cakes on display. We were impressed by the creativity, techniques and flavor combinations presented and I definitely see this competition becoming a sought-after event on the wedding cake maker’s calendar” says Doreen Mbaya, marketing director at KTN who was one of the judges of the competition.

The best designer and best tasting by Cake Affair
The best designer and best tasting by Cake Affair

Winner of Best Overall and Best Tasting categories, Mercy Munywoki from Cake Affair says she is “over the moon with this win and still floating on cloud nine”. Her goal for 2016 is to stay on top and unshaken. “Winning this award was completely unexpected. The cakes were spectacular and the competition was tough. Thank you to the Samantha’s Wedding Fair team for helping push cake decorating in Kenya to the next level and for giving us an outlet to push the boundaries and showcase our work.”

The best design by Cake Affair
The best design by Cake City

Winner of the Best Design Cake category Mr. Zahir Nazir Cake City was also delighted with the recognition he received for his finely crafted cake. “We are thrilled that the judges appreciated the workmanship that went into our cake and awarded this accolade to us. The standard was definitely high and we look forward to more cake designers participating in this competition in future,” he adds.

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The runners up for the Best cake Design by Cake Couture

The runners up award for the Best cake Design was awarded to Phylis from Cake Couture.

 

To enter the competition, cake makers were required to submit a dummy wedding cake and a piece of real cake for tasting, together with a description of their cake and details on what motivated their design. All cakes were submitted to a blind judging. The panel of judges featured Beatrice from Sweet Inspirations, international chef Solomon Obano from S&J Caterers, Doreen Mbaya, marketing director at KTN and Anne Nduku from Samantha’s Bridal.
Samantha’s Bridal is proud to be associated with a competition that attracts baking of such high standards.

There is no denying that these days; brides-to-be want wedding cakes that are anything but ordinary. And meeting the challenge head-on, entrants for the wedding cake challenge bakers have elevated baking to an art form that defies the boundaries of tradition, construction and flavor. The next competition will take place at The Samantha’s Bridal Wedding Fair 2016, and we are eager to see what innovative creations will be showcased at East Africa’s ultimate bridal event. An event like this gives bakers and fans alike the opportunity to experience first-hand the quality and versatility of cake bakers. Cake Bakers will be invited to interpret a set theme for the competition. The overriding requirement will be for bakers to innovate and break tradition. They will need to showcase their talent in such a way as to truly wow the judges, who will comprise of several highly-respected representatives in the baking, culinary and media worlds. The 2016 competition will not just be about appearances cakes will have to taste as good as they look. We look forward to many more exhilarating and equally successful cake challenges.

 

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Cake by Cake City
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Cake by Pastry Pleasures
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Cake by Larimar
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Cake by Cake n More Kenya
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Vendors List – Hotel Wedding Venues

Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club

WindsorGolfResort

Phone: 356550 / 8647000
Email: caroldona@windsor.co.ke / jmuthoni@windsor.co.ke
Website: http://www.windsorgolfresort.com/
Contact Person: Jane / Caroldona

 Prideinn Hotels& Conferencing

Pride Inn

Phone: 020-8000415/6
Email: sales@prideinn.co.ke
Website: http://www.prideinn.co.ke/
Contact Person: Mubeen Shah

Sarova Hotels

Sarova Hotels

Phone: +254202767000 / +25470111000
Email: Shanna-mahihu@sarovahtels.com
Website: http://www.sarovahotels.com/
Contact Person: Shanna

Sun N Sand Beach Resort

SunnSand

Phone: 0202057950/1/2/3  / 0722204333 
Email: admin@sunnsand.co.ke
Website: http://sunnsand.info/
Contact Person: Daudi

Nyali International Beach Hotel & Spa

Nyali2

Phone: 0734469842
Email: aftab@nyali-international.com
Website: http://www.nyali-international.com/
Contact Person: Aftab Rupshi

Safari park hotel

Safari Park

Phone: 0203633000
Email:
Website: http://www.safaripark-hotel.com/
Contact Person: Mercy / Ruth

Swahili Beach Resort

Swahili Beach

Phone: 0707730753
Email: shyamollae@swahilibeach.com
Website: http://www.swahilibeach.com/
Contact Person: Shyamollae

Fairmont Hotel

Fairmont

Phone:  + 254 (0) 20 2265555
Email: kenya.reservations@fairmont.com
Website: http://www.fairmont.com/
Contact Person:

Diani Reef Beach Resort &Spa

Diani Reef

Phone: 0722509998
Email: Judith.mtsonga@dianireef.com
Website: http://www.dianireef.com/
Contact Person: Diani

 

 

All Things Bride and Beautiful