No committee in our wedding

First date

Maggie: We met in 2009 in the Christian Union at Moi University, Eldoret. He was quite the gentleman. He treated me well and even walked me to my hostel as he engaged me in an intelligent conversation. We immediately became friends and we met several times after that, which led us to this day.

The proposal

Maggie: On the first of January this year, he took me out for lunch. While there, he suggested and insisted that we go for a boat ride. I noticed that his cousins and nephew had accompanied us for the boat ride and, in fact, one of his cousins was filming the boat ride. It was unusual but I did not have the slightest of clues that a proposal was on the way.

Isaiah: I wanted something unique and the video was to ensure we captured the moment. Since we love privacy, I knew a public proposal would make her uncomfortable, hence my choice of the boat ride. When I went down on one knee and I saw her freeze and cry, I knew I had hit the nail on the head.

The drama

Isaiah: The number of processes and visits we had to make to the venue and service providers were numerous and cumbersome. We had to be careful lest we fall into the same trap of a shoddy job as we did during our traditional ceremony. The photographer let us down by failing to deliver our photos and giving excuses every time we tried contacting him.  We had to look into every one of our service providers and counter check their prior works.

Maggie: Our friends were not as supportive in actualising their pledges and ideas. Some made verbal promises that never saw light of day. Due to this, we decided not to employ the services of a committee as we felt that they do not add value. The only meeting we had with close friends was an initial session to brainstorm and a final session during the wedding rehearsal. It is a bit tiring when you don’t have a committee but it is worth it.

Isaiah: Apart from the planning, after five years of dating, we were bound to clash more often. I remember at times when we disagreed, the disagreement would degenerate over days and when we resolved our differences, we would even wonder why we quarreled in the first place.

In hindsight

Isaiah: Go for what you want regardless of what people say. Knowing what you want entails doing your homework thoroughly. You need to visit many prospective venues so that in the end, your decision is not swayed by a friend telling you of a better place that would have been more suitable.

Maggie: Go out of the ordinary as it is that moment you want to be unique. In as much as you can involve family and friends, you will need them as a support system and for advice from time to time.