The Royal wedding is over,all the brouhaha has died down and life has gone to normal.It has been estimated that over billion people watched the ceremony and twitter listed it among its top five trending topics this year.
After swearing i would be watching teletubbies with my son i finally succumbed to the urge to see Kate's dress and i watched the whole ceremony from 1.02pm to 2.03pm when it ended,just so i could see if there were any differences with Kenyan
weddings.Granted ours are more colorful and there is more song and dance but i did pick a few pointers on how Kenyans can make their weddings easier on the pocket and for those attending.
The money we spend on our weddings is just a drop in the ocean compared to the royal wedding that but who says you have to bust the bank to have a simple and elegant event.
Seeing the way wedding planners are growing by the day i decided to write some tips on how you can carry the same elegance and simplicity to your event without being shackled with loan repayments.
1. Time
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was picked from a hotel,and she drove with her dad to the church for the ceremony.It took just over 9 minutes from the upmarket Goring Hotel to Westminster Abbey,and she did not have a convoy of luxury vehicles adorned with flowers or ribbons trailing her.
It is interesting when i hear of some brides who insist on being picked from their mother's house even if they live 2 hours from where the ceremony will be held.If you love the man please do not let him walk on live coals to prove he loves you.
Take into account the time of day you are going to have the wedding,traffic snarl ups that may ensue especially if you have it month end and plan accordingly.This is so as to have enough time to make it from the house to the church using the shortest route and time possible.
2.Walking down the aisle
Kate was walked down the aisle by her father while her mum sat at the front of the church , on her next walk up the aisle after the ceremony she would have be turned from commoner to royalty.
Having watched and attended many Kenyan weddings it is painful to see the bride's walk down the aisle with both her parents squeezing between the aisles which always never have enough room for three people to make the walk down.In mot weddings men are just by standers,its the women who get all excited.I am an old fashioned kind of girl and i feel dad's do need to have the seconds of fame as you make your walk down the aisle as daddy's little girl. Seeing as it is dad's have to watch their daughters leave their homes,while maintaining a calm demeanor and holding your hand as you walk down to meet your future prince should make the transition easier for them.
If you do choose to have both you parents walking you down the aisle ,please increase the walkway by pushing back the pews to create enough walking space for the three of you.
3.Flowers and Decor
Westminster abbey had a minimal amount of flowers with trees lining the last few yards to the altar.Kate had a really small bouquet and her maid of honor had none,the only other people who had flowers were the small girls who had garlands on their heads.
Flowers and decor take a huge chunk of the wedding budget,with flowers for the altar,entrance arch,the church pews,the reception not forgetting the cars and the flowers for both the bride and her maids there is a lot of money to be spent to look good.If you add all the other elements incorporated at mot weddings like ribbons and fabric you get to see that the florist walks away with almost a third of your budget.
Minimal decor gives you the simplicity and style that was exhibited at the church ceremony.The only decor lining the last few yards to the altar were trees that had been brought into the abbey to lend it some feel of nature and to blend with the Gothic arches at the abbey.
4.Wedding party
The wedding had a small party that was just made up of four girls and two page boys,the only other grown ups were Kate's sister Pippa and Williams brother Harry.
Having a smaller wedding party not only saves you and your friends money,but it is also more manageable logistically because you do not have to have a fleet of cars reserved or hired for their exclusive use.You do not love or appreciate your friends or family any less just because they did not march down the aisle with you and in my opinion flower girls are just the highlight of any wedding.
5.The Dress
Kate's dress was simple ,it was an off white lace Chantilly creation by Sarah Burton .It fit her perfectly ,didn't show off too much cleavage and it didn't look too heavy,it was the perfect gown for the church gave it the reverence it deserved by not showing off too much.
Most Kenyan brides opt for the Cinderella type ,bare shoulder approach.It is important to bear in mind the location you will have your ceremony at,be it church or outside,weather and your body shape.Wedding dresses arent all made for the same body types.Too many brides have been seen pulling up their bodices for fear that they may reveal too much during the ceremony.Find something that fits and complements your body shape,what may look good on slim Jane might not quite have the same effect on me who is a little bit more endowed.Resist the urge to take that dress that is oh so beautiful off the rack no matter how much you have fantasized about it if it doesn't suit you.
Something i find quite fascinating was that Kate chose to mix in something old as part of her ensemble when she wore an old Tiara of the queens going back to 1936.
6.The Sermon
The Sermon delivered by then Bishop of London was beautiful-short and straight to the point.He started off with quoting Catherine of Sienna who said"Become whom God wanted you to be and you will set the world on fire".He asked the couple to remember marriage was a way to transform each other into the best they could be and not reform them.
Yes,let us keep wedding ceremonies short,the bride and groom already have a long day ahead of them and an hour in church should be enough.Sometimes pastors and priests do get overly excited and deliver long sermons,a short one that delivers the intended message would be twice as good.
7.Wedding Songs
The songs sang and played at the wedding were out of the norm,some were old classics and there was even a Gregorian chant- Ubi Caritas Em Amor(where charity and love are God is) which brought to the ceremony a lot of rich history and old world glamor .
When choosing wedding songs pick the ones that mean or lend some symbolism to your event,too many weddings are caught in the moment where pop songs are played.Some of them have no meaning but are just creative creations with a play of words and a funky beat added.Carefully though out songs give meaning to your event and are a way for you to reflect on how you want to start off life as a married couple.
8.The Kiss
There was no kiss at the altar and instead the couple opted to exchange the first kiss as a married couple on the famous balcony at Buckingham palace.
A lot of our wedding practices are borrowed from the American way of doing things and the kiss the bride now common at most services has made famous by Hollywood.
Many a Kenyan pastor have been caught in the excitement of the moment and i have seen blushing couples being asked to repeat the kiss in front of their grandmothers and elderly relatives,lets us spare them the drama and have the kiss at the reception.It does not make the wedding any less special if you choose to do it later.
Happy planning!
