BRIDE-TO-BE: The road to ‘I Do’

You have been dating for a while (or not) and you are head over heels for each other.

You are sure about him. If he asked you today, at this moment, your answer would be yes. Surprise, surprise he pops the question.

You cannot wait to tell everyone the good news. The ring shows he has great taste and this can only be the beginning of a grand life ahead, right?

Going through wedding blogs and articles, as is very overtly said, is what you need to start planning for the big day and the marriage.

There are so many variables. He might have asked today and you get married say three to six months later. Or it may take years before he walks you down the aisle.

If it is a short engagement, are you ready for the whirlwind that is meeting the family, the traditional ceremonies, the planning?

If it is a long engagement, get ready for the eventual loss of excitement at being engaged and the constant question, ‘when is the wedding?’

Either way people will have an opinion.

MONEY

Then there is the money. It’s all about the money.

How much do you have? How much are you willing to spend? Small intimate wedding (if you are African and manage to pull this off, kudos to you) or a wedding with hundreds of people to appease your parents’ demands?

Is your dress getting imported or will it be custom-made, or will you opt for a nice white dress off the rack?

Which service providers will help you bring your Pinterest board to life?

Of course you want to share your love with everyone so there has to be an engagement shoot with a creative theme to it.

You share it on social media and get a buzz of excitement with each new like and comment.

Then after that there is the traditional ceremony where you have to shonesha matching vitenges, and then you post the photos for all to see.

You might want to take it even a notch higher and closer to the date have a save-the-date video (which is redundant if you are sending out invites).

Lucky are you if you have all the money that you need, but majority of us need a little help.

With all the vitriol that has been spilled in recent times over wedding committees you wonder whether you should trim your budget or bite the bullet and ask for help. Days fly by when you are in need and you silently and fervently pray for all the pledges to come in on time.

You hope your service providers will be patient with you and that somehow all the money you have spent will come back in those nice envelopes at the end of the wedding.

HONEYMOON

A honeymoon is important, don’t skip on it.

But if your wedding is during the high seasons of April, August and December you will pay dearly for your vacation. A beach getaway seems ideal where you can run your toes through the sand and wake up to the ocean waves. The evening will be perfect with the sunset in the horizon; heavens forbid you have to change your dream to a simple stay in Nakuru or Naivasha.

At the end of the day, whatever you decide, it is your day, as the couple.

Months, maybe years, of planning will come down to a few hours that will be quickly forgotten. So, do your best to make sure you do not look back on that day with regret.

If that gown will make you happy get it, but not at the risk of sleeping hungry after the splurge.

If you want something small, even an AG’s wedding will suffice. Once you sign the papers in the presence of witnesses, you are married.

Feelings may be caught but life will move on.

On the flip side if a huge number does not bother you and you can afford it, go big.

There is a beauty in seeing your parents happy and sad as they hand you over to each other. A joy in seeing your friends rejoice and celebrate with you.

The road to I do is fraught with many challenges but so is anything that is worth doing.

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