I have been meaning to write something on weddings for the longest time. That time has come. I dont know who these are on the above picture, but let me say all the things I love about it. Bride and the groom are radiant. Now you see all these weddings on the Wedding Show on Citizen TV where the bride and groom are looking like the have been forced to have a wedding and well that is not nice. Why are you sulking on your wedding day?!
I love weddings, which girl doesn't?
2. From the bit we can see of the bride's gown and general look, TOP MARKS! She has big hair so she has kept everything else minimal, just her dress and the veil.
3. The groom is spotting the classic black suit.
4. The bridesmaids, though I dont know how I feel about the sleeves there, but look good too, a nice earth tone color was chosen for the dresses.
That is more or less how you wedding should look in pictures.
So lets get on with it. First things first.
YOUR GOWN
Now I dont know how women think, but if I was getting married and scouting the market for a gown, in this age and era, my first stop would be google- google is a friend I tell you, take my word for it. So I did just that, I went to google. Loads and loads of nice things. I think what most of my women don't know is that LESS IS MORE; imprint this in your head, less is more, less is classy. And by less I dont mean you go dressed like a hooker. Take a look.
Have a good look at this whole outfit, its big at the bottom yes, but less is what has been done to it then look at her accessories, small and discrete, what you end up with is a timeless piece. You know the kind of gown where nobody will point at your pictures ten years later and go like "oh that was 1983 right?" Who wants that?
You are spoilt for choice!! So many incredibly good ideas. But noo, we have to pick ugly; please note the fabric that is used in these gown, do you see anything there shiny shiny? are you seeing them wearing all their favourite white things? The thing with us is this is the day we choose to wear all those white things we have nowhere to go with to, chocker, mara I dont know bangles, watches, clutch bags plus remember you have to hold the flowers!
And the curvy girl just sit down, because I know you want to tell me, oh my size bla bla bla... I have told you what to do with that katumbo especially on a day like this, there must be some sacrifices you are willing to make; particularly on this day!
Please note her skirt has ruffles not gathers!
And who said a curvy girl cant be sassy, I love this short skirt look below, sexy but still has loads of class.
And before you start shouting ati where are the examples, again, take a seat. Who remembers this cute mama, whose groom was acting all kinds of crazy, I think he is a pastor. She looked exquisitely flawless, radiant and picture perfect, and she is curvy! her groom nailed it too. Except for the parts where he was rolling on the grass and his best man was throwing him several shades of the "bitch please" look. That was priceless:-)
Now with all that knowledge, you know how the kenyan mama is going to do it? Your friends and yourself is cheating you that shiny is good, you want to wear satin and polyester on your wedding day because you want to be all shinny like a princess, and your best of friends is telling you oh that is just soo cute!!! Ditch that woman and get a gay guy, she is not looking out for your best interest! and really its not that I hate princess look, love it.
I love it like this.
Or this
Please (I cant say this enough) look at the way these women have accessorized! Minimal and on point, now you have seen all that then you go like this. Whats this? Why are you doing this to you and your guests?
Do I need to tell you what is wrong here? NO? I thought so.
THE AFRICAN LOOK
You may not want to have the classic white gown, that british kind of thing. You want to be an african queen!!! (bless your dear heart). That is all good. Different is always a good thing. Now in this case I strongly suggest you borrow a leaf from our naija sisters. They are experts.
Look at that!! As you can see the other thing our naija sisters have shindad us in is MAKE UP! They are too way ahead of us, but I am going to discuss that as a topic on its own. Abeg ma sista, you dont find this nice oo? If you dont find this nice, then holy water is all you need. In gallons.
There are many ideas
Find something that works for you. Our very own Paticia Mbela does amazing pieces. I had shown you that earlier here.
For the lazy one who dont want to click on that link.
This is how you add color to your gown. Not those things I was seeing at the Kisumu Fashion Week
HEAD PIECE - VEIL
This simple small piece of cloth is a disaster with most of us. First and foremost it should not look like a mosquito net you just picked off the rack from Nakumatt Supermarket. Once again, simplicity is key. Make a statement but in a subtle classy kind of way. You are the bride we can see you already, dont fear.
And you dont have to have a veil, you could go for something like this if you cant make up your mind. Very nubian, very royal.
It is not written on stone that you have to have a veil! And now on to the length, a short veil is always safe.
I love the italian veil; thats what I call it but I am sure it has a name, and the only person I ever saw it with is Jules, and I have not seen anyone with it ever since! LOVED HER VEIL to bits, this is how it looks like.
And do you see her hanging many many things around her neck? NO? why are you doing it?
Eds Note
Jules tells me the veil is called a Mantilla. Go find it!
On the length of veil unless you want to look as tacky as Mariah Carey, just dont go there; And by long I mean it is trailing 7 meters behind you. Otherwise if the word Duchess is going come before your name after you sign the marriage certificate then please by all means wear a super trail.
MAKE UP - TOO IMPORTANT. THINK OF IT THE SAME WAY YOU THINK OF YOUR CAKE.
And by that I dont mean CAKE YOUR FACE with make up, which is more or less what most of us have done in the past!
I dont know why we cant get it with the make up, yet in my opinion it is more important than the cake. Seriously how many pictures of your face are going to be on the album, and your cake?
It is an important day, for you and for your face too, so why would you let your friend who is not a make up artist work on your face? Those false eyelashes that are so huge your eyes cant open? and the glittery white eyeshadow, and then you forgot foundation even though you know your skin is bad?
Please invest in a good make up artist; And you could go for a test run, just ask around then go over and tell the makeup artist you want him/her to try out the look on your face, best try these weeks prior. If you can go for cake tasting, you can go for make up testing.
I am not done. So next we will shall go onto the brides maids and the other things that come with weddings, I am going to leave a teaser of some of the comments the girls had on what they hate on weddings, will post the rest later
- Verah Vashti Okeyo: And then the bridesmaid make baloon dresses and some of them like Verah Okeyo have no 'assets' to hold the dress. Ei a stick in a basket is the thing to decribe the phenomenon omera
- Connie Ketry: Those guests who come wearing jeans and branded T-shirts should be taken to the Hague..it is rude not make an effort to dress up to attend a wedding unless it is a matter of quantity over quality!(people should invite close friends )
Good night we talk later! Cheers
