By Eve bridal Team
Couple: Judy Bliss Thuguri and Kenneth Ngotho
When: August 18, 2012.
Where: PCEA Bahati Martyrs’ Church, Nairobi.
Reception: Loreto Convent, Valley Road, Nairobi.
Photo Session: Serena Hotel.
Number of Guests: 800.
Budget: Sh520,000.
Interviewer: Thorn Mulli.
How did the two of you meet?
Ken: We met in 2006 during a kesha at a PCEA church in Ngong. I was one of the preachers that night and Bliss had accompanied her friend, who was also one of the speakers.
How did he propose?
Bliss: He proposed in December last year at Sopa Lodge, Naivasha. It was really funny… he waited till we reached a foot bridge at the lodge. The next thing I saw was Ken down on one knee asking me to marry him! At first, I thought he fell until I saw the ring. I was confused for a split second, pacing up and down the bridge forgetting he was still down on one knee! Well, after coming back to my senses, I looked at him looking so humble, and I just said yes!
How did you finance the wedding?
Bliss and Ken: We saved some money for the wedding. We also had support from our friends and family members who helped us meet our budget.
Did you seek the services of a wedding planner?
Bliss and Ken: No, we planned the wedding with the help of our wedding committee. Awesome team we had!
Yours was a unique event, what led to it?
Bliss and Ken: Honestly… most importantly, putting God first. Our prayer was to see His glory on that day and indeed we did!
We also did our best to plan early. That way, we had time to look for service providers, get the best and at reasonable prices too.
Any challenges faced?
Ken: Balancing between work, school and the wedding. For example, Bliss had exams sometime in July and I had exams a week to the wedding yet we still had a wedding to plan.
What were the highlights of the day?
Bliss and Ken: It was such an honour to have our very close friends in our bridal party … and their dancing down the aisle at the beginning and the end of the church service was such fun. They lit up the event. Another highlight was the number of guests. We expected 800 guests but had over 1,000 guests! That was unexpected but humbling as it showed the love and dedication. Our wedding theme colours were a great highlight too. It was not a sunny day but the orange and black effect lit up the day.
Honeymoon...
Bliss: We went to Dubai. I had no idea where we were going until we got to the airport and our best man goofed and mentioned that we were heading to Dubai in one of his conversations with Ken. I guessed we would be going outside the country, like Zanzibar or something, certainly not Dubai! It was a lovely surprise.
Any words of advice to couples planning to wed?
First, have faith in God and dedicate all your plans to Him. He is one friend who will never leave nor forsake you. It is never in vain to trust in God. He came through for us. Second, plan early. Even a year before the wedding is not too early to start. It will help you lay down a good plan, give you ample time to execute it and you will not be overwhelmed as the wedding draws near. Third, remember that a wedding is for a day but marriage is for a lifetime. Do not dwell too much on the wedding and forget to invest in your marriage.
