BRIDE: Nancy Owiye
GROOM: Elvis Oyugi
GUESTS: 250
DATE: June 6, 2015
CEREMONY: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Milimani, Kisumu
RECEPTION: Victoria Ripples Hotel, Kisumu
PHOTO SHOOT: Kisumu Impala Park, Eco Lodge and Sovereign Hotel
BUDGET: Sh700,000
FIRST DATE
Elvis: We met in March 2005. She had accompanied a mutual friend and college mate who had visited me at university. I remember ferrying plates of chicken and ugali from the university mess for my two guests and thinking how beautiful my lady guest was. Since my friend did not have a mobile phone then, I asked for her phone number with the excuse that I would reach my friend through her. She innocently gave it to me.
Nancy: This mutual friend of ours had asked me to accompany him to visit one of his friends. Elvis asked for my number in the evening just as we were leaving. A few days later, he began calling me just to check on me. I ignored him at first, but after numerous calls, I started warming up to him and our friendship grew before he asked me out on our first date eight months later.
Elvis: For our first date, we went to Fridays Restaurant in Nairobi and had lunch. It was a nice lunch, I enjoyed myself, although she tried to keep me off balance by insisting she was seeing someone else and that I should not waste my time pursuing her.
Nancy: I noticed that during the date, he was very confident. My insistence on telling him that I was seeing someone else was to gauge his seriousness. I had started liking him following the endless chats over the phone for more than eight months. When he asked that we make it official,
I told him I would think about it and give him a response in a week. He kept calling every day until I yielded.
THE PROPOSAL
Elvis: On Valentine’s day in 2012, we went out for lunch. While she had gone to the wash-room to freshen up, I slipped the ring in her glass of juice.
Nancy: As I gulped down the last of my juice, I saw a ring and was surprised. He was smiling at me. He asked me to marry him. I gave him a hug and said a big yes. And the ring fit perfectly, though I later found out that he had used one of the cocktail rings I had to approximate my ring size.
Elvis: We had dated for a considerably long time by then and even had a son together. I knew she was going to be happy.
THE DRAMA
Elvis: We had a wonderful planning committee that assisted in identifying good service providers within Kisumu. Our only challenge was the photographer; we were forced to source one from Nairobi.
Nancy: At the time of planning, I was attending Catholic catechist classes that ran late into the evening after work, which posed a great challenge with the planning.
On the wedding day, we left the house late, causing a two-hour delay in the start of the service.
WITH HINDSIGHT
Elvis: A good relationship requires true friendship built on mutual understanding, trust and aspirations. Nancy:For a relationship to grow and succeed, patience and perseverance are very important.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Elvis: Watching Nancy walk down the aisle was quite memorable. Then at the reception, we had a memorable bridal dance and my feet ached at the end of it.
Nancy: The exchange of vows and the rings. It was quite an emotional moment for me.
WORDS: Rose Kwamboka
PHOTOS: www.photoshots.co.ke