How 'Nyama Choma' landed me a proposal

BRIDE: Sharon Mwende

GROOM: Daniel Kamanza

GUESTS: 300

DATE: March 5, 2016

VENUE: Stedmak Gardens, Karen

BUDGET: Sh2 million

FIRST DATE

DANIEL: We consider ours a very special relationship because we were childhood friends. I met Sharon when I was in Class 7 and she was in Class 2. After primary school, we didn’t meet much until one day at their home in Sultan Hamud in 2006. She was in Form 2 and I had just completed my first year of campus.

By then, our families had become close friends. Her sister was even my classmate. That worked to my advantage since her strict parents were protective of their daughter and never allowed her to meet anyone, leave alone boys.

But since I was a family friend, I had her at my disposal, though with limited engagements. On that afternoon at their home, we talked for about four hours, exploring everything from school to social life. By the time we parted, we had decided we needed to be there for each other and even put this commitment on paper.

THE PROPOSAL

SHARON: Daniel enjoys pulling surprises on me. I lived and worked in Mombasa and on June 27, 2015 he asked me to accompany him to an unknown destination with a week’s worth of clothes. We drove to what I came to learn was Mbweha Camp amidst my protests because we had passed through some rugged routes and it was getting late.

We were warmly received and shown to our cottage to freshen up before a game drive. As I took a shower, Daniel said he would choose the dress I would wear. I jumped from the shower to find a new dress, shoes, watch, necklace and earrings well laid out on the bed for me.

Shocked, I sat on the bed waiting for him to finish his shower; when I asked what this was all about he dismissively said he was just choosing what I was wearing for the night

We left for the game drive at 8pm, accompanied by a photographer who said he was on assignment for an upcoming magazine. We drove through the thick dark game reserve searching for animals before the land rover came to a sudden halt. I panicked but Daniel looked calm. He just murmured casually that things will be well.

The driver ‘tried making calls asking for help from the manager’ but he said the network was bad. After a while, the driver started the car without any external assistance. I was to later learn that it was all part of the script.

Somewhere within the reserve, Daniel held my hand as we alighted from the van and led me through a lamp-lit walkway to some seats besides a bonfire. When I asked what we were doing there, instead of going to camp, he said we will have a special dinner without the other camp visitors.

After dinner, the manager said we had to try some game meat that was being prepared a walking distance away. But I was so tired and full, asked the manager to save the meat for the following day. He insisted.

On our walk to where the meat was set up, the manager asked one staff member to blindfold me so he can finalise the set up. When the blindfold was removed, Daniel was on one knee with a ring and a flowery banner with the words ‘Sharon will you marry me’. I was lost for words and strength and even had to be escorted to sit. A cake was waiting on the table for us to cut with the words, ‘Sharon I take you to be my Wife’.

THE WEDDING

DANIEL: We pride ourselves in doing our due diligence in appointing service providers. We got the best save for some few hitches from the decor.

ADVICE

DANIEL: Our advice to young couples is to have a clear, detailed picture of what kind of wedding you want then organise and plan your finances in advance and ensure you can meet your budget without external assistance. Let any additional support from friends and families be a bonus to you and not a key variable whether you will have a successful wedding or not.

SHARON: Take criticism positively and adjust where need be but do not be swayed into people’s thoughts of what your dream wedding should look like. Also trust God and allow him to order your steps and you will find favour with Him and men.

WORDS: Rose Kwamboka

PHOTOS: Wilberforce Okwiri