Unique wedding ideas for this year

By Esther Muchene

For those planning to get married, this is your chance to do it differently.

Borrow a few ideas from what you liked at weddings you attended and complement them with your style and personality to get yourself a masterpiece. Here’s how to go about it.

1. Need someone to help you run around and do all the planning? That’s what wedding planners get paid to do. Forego the wedding committee stress and opt for professionals who will deliver without fail.

2. To cut costs in these tough economic times, think smart. Come up with a clever theme and work around it. For example, you can opt for an evening cocktail wedding reception where you will go for cocktail tables instead of the usual dining tables and chairs, which cost an arm and a leg. For bitings, keep it simple since it is not the usual lunch or mid-day reception where guests expect heavier meals. You can have a variety of roast meat, salads, ugali or roast potatoes and you’re good to go. Offer a variety of drinks and you could, if possible, give your guests a signature drink created especially for you on your special day.

3. When it comes to picking a venue, why not have your wedding at home, especially if you have a lush garden or a swimming pool? To some, this may be the last thing they would want to hear, but consider the cost savings that will result, the exclusivity it would offer, plus being at home gives you the leisure of taking advantage of certain things such as playing music all night long and security. This may also mean cutting back on transport costs.

4. Want your friends and family to remember your wedding forever? What better way to thank them for sharing that special day with you than to give them personalised gifts! Favours add an extra touch to your event. When picking the right favours, have your theme and colours in mind and while shopping around, determine whether you shall give edible or non-edible favours to save time.

5. Bold and daring colours have a way of making a statement. Don’t go for usual colours you see in every wedding. Try gold, royal purple, grays mixed with bright pinks and cheery yellow. Being the bride doesn’t mean your gown has to be white. Why not surprise everyone and wear a crazy coloured gown or have your dress encrusted with jewellery in bold colours in your colour theme. You could also have it embellished in African beads for an Afro based theme.

6. When it comes to your hair, visit your stylist early enough so you can both settle on a hairstyle that complements your face and works well with the dress. Depending on the design of your gown, you can let your hair free, hold it up or braid it, not forgetting all the accessories you can use from sparkly pins to feather fascinators.

7. When it comes to the wedding gown, most brides will not go wrong with a strapless gown. A-line gowns are also popular as they flatter most figures. All in all, make sure the type of gown you wear flatters your body and matches your personality, as it will be the centre of attention the entire day.

8. When it comes to the cake, there is so much you can do. The flavour, design, colours and display will depend on how far your mind is willing to go. For an African themed wedding, ugali and nyama choma can be a great substitute for the cake.

9. When it comes to photography, think outside the traditional posed photos and get into candid photos, black and white, and grainy photo shots. It’s all about capturing the story, the emotions and the marvelous candid scenes. If time is not on your side, have your photo session in the morning or on another scheduled date. It is not a written rule that photos have to be taken before the reception. Also, don’t be like every other couple that goes for garden photo shoots while you can opt for indoor venues as well.

10. For your wedding to stand out, it must have elements of you. It’s about personalising it to create a unique event that represents you.