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Man-U Vs Arsenal conversation gave me a chance with her

Bridal
 Photo; Courtesy

BRIDE: Njeri Wamarite

GROOM: Oliver Mathenge

GUESTS: 750

DATE: February 28, 2015

VENUE: Seraphic Gardens, Kiambu Road

BUDGET: Sh700,000

 

FIRST DATE

Njeri: We met in Daystar, Main Campus in 2005. Oliver was a Second Year student and I had just joined. We were both pursuing a degree in Communication but specializing in different fields; I in PR and Marketing and he in Electronic Media.

 It was one day when I was heading to class that I bumped into him and apart from striking a conversation, he struck me as handsome. I remember talking football; he is an Arsenal fan and I support Manchester United.

We talked from that day on, but every time we kept making plans to have a date, he would stand me up. He was really playing hard to get. When we finally hooked up, we went for drinks and danced the evening away. From then on, he could not get enough of me and here we are.

Oliver: We did meet in Daystar and I couldn’t help noticing the beautiful Njeri. I was not really playing hard to get. I was seeing someone then. But a few years later after ending the prior relationship, the first date was enough to show me that she was the one.

THE PROPOSAL

Njeri: After a long day at work on September 1, last year, I came home to find Oliver in the house, a box of chocolates on the table – the only good thing that had happened to me that day. I reached out for the box, glad that he had sensed I’d had a bad day and settled down to enjoy the treat.

It was on opening the box that I saw the ring. I was dumbfounded. I burst into tears. After I had calmed down, I called my dad to tell him the good news. Although we had talked about marriage, I knew a proposal was on the way but the timelines had been unclear.

Oliver: My way of proposing was informed by the fact that I wanted a simple and intimate proposal - I wanted to make it about us.

 Photo; Courtesy

THE DRAMA

Njeri: We did the entire planning on our own and did not have a committee. As such there was definitely pressure from family and friends on almost everything since they were not involved in the planning.

They kept asking if we were sure everything was in place. They doubted we would be well prepared since they were not involved in the planning. On the other hand, our decision worked to our advantage as we did not have to hold many meetings and did not have too many ideas to choose from.

Oliver: Balancing work with the planning was also stressful and we found ourselves sometimes arguing over small things such as the number of guests and who was to follow up on what.

 At the end of the day, we came up with the best compromises. On the actual day, due to miscommunication, the driver of the bride’s car was nowhere to be found causing a delay in getting to the wedding venue as we searched for an alternative.

IN HINDSIGHT

Oliver: We realise that when it comes to a wedding and the marriage, it is about the two of you. It is not about your friends or your family and their aspirations. They are important but at the end of the day, it is what works best for the two of you.

It is important to identify mentor couples and also get into pre-marital counselling. We went through a ten-week course called Ndoa facilitated by Mavuno Church. We do not regret as it prepared us not only for the wedding but for marriage.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Oliver: The point when she stared into my eyes as I said my vows was just a confirmation of what I believed.

Njeri: Walking into the reception to a crowd of friends and family, dancing with joy melted my heart. We also had a great MC who made the day memorable with his wittiness.

 

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