Valentine’s Day is coming up, quite possibly the most romantic day of the year (or at least it’s marketed as such) and so you may be thinking that it’s the perfect day to propose. But, unless your hopefully soon to be fiance is a super duper lover of the Valentines day, it’s really not the best idea and we have 5 very good reasons why you should not propose on Valentine’s Day.
Everything will cost double, triple or more. It’s a couple’s day so every service and item associated with it will be marked up. Everything from flowers and chocolate to spa services and the meal.
All romantic restaurants will be packed. So, if you’re thinking about having part of the proposal or experience take place at a restaurant, you’ll be surrounded by other couples. Not super intimate or private.
Big romantic gestures will be happening left and right, including proposals. You don’t want yours to be just one amongst many.
Expectations are already too high. You want the proposal to be a surprise, but you don’t want to have to compete with your girlfriend/boyfriend expecting something already.
It’s totally overdone. Cupid and red hearts will be all over the place. Valentine’s day isn’t all that special in and of itself, so unless it means something to you or her/him, pick another day. You want this moment to feel special for both of you and not as a bandwagon to the day.
To answer that question, I think we need to first discuss wedding cake pricing. Most bakeries will price their wedding cakes at a per serving cost ie the number of people you intend to serve. So, for example, you may see that their wedding cakes are Ksh40/serving or Ksh100/serving. And a serving equals a person. Other bakeries will price their wedding cakes based on the size of the cake. So, for example, you may see that a 3 tiered round cake (6″, 8″ and 10″), is Ksh 35000. While these are two different ways of pricing, they are really the same. The price you see for the particular sized cake is based off of the number of servings you can get. So, essentially it’s all based on your guest count and the number of servings you need. Now, the cost of the wedding cake is a combination of a few different items;
First, you have the ingredients and the quality of those ingredients.
Then there is the labor, the actual time it takes to make it.
Then the craftsmanship of your baker and the artistry and design they bring to it.
Then, of course, comes the freshness and the taste.
And lastly, the customer service, how you are treated and what your experience is like.
So, the answers to your questions are one in the same. All of these items play a factor into that price per serving cost. So, the price will differ depending on the level and quality of those items. How much a wedding cake costs depends on what is important to you about that cake. If the design is important to you, you’ll be paying for their skill. If you want local, organic ingredients, you’ll be paying for that. When you’re looking at different companies, it’s hard to do an apples to apples comparison as you won’t have the information on many of those factors. But, know that a cheaper baker is cheaper for a reason. It might be because they are newer or because their cakes aren’t as fresh or because they only do really simple cakes with little design. And there isn’t anything wrong with those things. You just have to understand what you want and what is important to you about the wedding cake. Then you’ll know what you’re comfortable with and can go with the baker that makes most sense for you.
You know when you go shopping and you find an item you like and then you think, how much is this supposed to cost? You have some doubt and hesitation. You like it but, you’re not quite sure if it is worth it. And it’s because you have nothing to compare it to. It might be a great price or be totally overpriced. It’s all relative. But, once you understand that cost, you can make a decision on whether it is worth it to you or not. This same situation can apply to purchasing a notebook, a couch, a laptop, a T-shirt or your wedding cake. So, How much do wedding cakes cost? Find out in this post and interview with Beatrice from sweet inspirations. Q&A so that you can make a decision on what is worth it to you. Click here to read the answer and find out why there is such a big a difference in cake pricing . Happy planning
What comes into your mind when you think of a custom made gown? Well, to many, it may look like an unobtainable luxury, the preserve of the people with money as well as the extravagant brides who won’t mind going beyond their means once in a while. In the past, and this is during our grandparents time, handmade clothing was not so unusual. It would either be home-stitched or bought from a local seamstress. In comparison to an off-the-rack gown, a custom-made gown, or a Made-to-Measure (MTM) or bespoke gown is one that is made according to the bride’s specific measurements, design and requirements. The gown undergoes the whole design process taking anything from a week (pushing it) to a year, as you wait. An off-the-rack gown can also be referred to as ready-to-wear (RTW). It is made before purchase/order, and can either be bought online or from a local boutique. Off-the-rack gowns can also be rented. Companies plan their collections and production ahead of the season, and you choose from the existing styles.
Ogake Mosomi, an accomplished bridal wear designer who was voted the people’s choice for the FAFA Emerging designers Award in 2012 is one of those designers. She holds an impressive record, having dressed various celebrities like Wahu and Sauti Sol and her pieces have been worn at various corporate launches like Samsung, Lux and others. During an interview with Samantha’s bridal, Ogake explains how with technology and a bit of creative design have made it easy for the creative bride to be able to have a custom made gown designed according to her design.
Here are some of the misconceptions she gives of custom gowns:
People assume that it is cheap. It is not as materials have to be outsourced at times and it takes a lot of time for everything to be done based on what the bride desires.
Locally made gowns are not good quality: According to Ogake, fashion designers in Kenya are making effort to ensure that the quality of the trims, fabric as well as finishing is great hence brides should not be scared
To find out more on custom gowns and how you can have one perfectly made to suit your body, why don’t you meet her at the Samantha’s bridal Fair from 3rd -5th March? She promises to surprise you with the latest trends as well as give you advice on gowns and what will work for you.
East Africa’s leading wedding fair once again ignites the 2017 wedding market with a line-up of cutting edge surprises and performers designed to amaze, inspire, educate, and delight all that attend. The Samantha’s wedding expo is an event that will not only allow you, the bride, to source and see the hippest, hottest trends in the wedding industry, but it will allow you to experience them in action too. Miss it miss out!
Are you ready to work for yourself? Want to have more time and money in your hands? Come and be trained by the industry leader in wedding and event certification and training.
You’ll find a series of connected education programs as well as support services that will assist you in beginning your career, opening a new business or even advance in the competitive wedding and event industry.
Once registered, you’ll have an option to take both full time (2 weeks) and part time (3 months courses)
All the weddings programs commence all year round at different intervals.
Space is limited, so hurry up and secure your place for the 2017 class to avoid missing out!
Small and beautiful is what KAZURI means. True to the description it is a heavenly space of beautiful beaded accessories and pottery. Every piece is hand crafted to bring to life African inspired beauty with the best quality in mind.
Colour is the new royal; a ceramic necklace will give your wedding gown that edge. On the wedding day everyone must look bright and better yet colourful. Well, sometimes you want something valuable for your bridal team to carry home. Your bridesmaids could use a good quality bracelet or necklace.
The kitchen also needs a good theme, how about the almighty Kenyan wild life? At Kazuri 2000 Ltd. Artistic skills have been merged with ceramic knowledge to create unique attractive pottery-ware that will be perfect for your kitchen. This will also be a perfect wedding gift for a friend.
Kazuri is a course that goes beyond business and beauty; it’s existence was propelled by the need to provide employment for women especially single mothers around Nairobi who are in dire need of employment. The factory has a clinic that provides medical services for its employees and their immediate family. It also absorbs 80% of medical bills for treatment received outside the factory clinic.
Its workforce has grown immensely now supplying its products across 20 countries worldwide. Each piece is hand made and hand painted in rich colours that reflect Kenyan cultures and wildlife. Kazuri’s range is extensive; from individual collector pieces to dinnerware.
Kazuri’s products are top quality; positioning it favourably amongst competitors internationally. Make your wedding a colourful African adventure.
The rustic wedding setting does not demand the opulence of traditional weddings that in most instances are held in hotels or other special wedding venues. They best work with the outdoor setting which is clearly the easiest way to really get that rustic feel. The idea behind a rustic theme is to incorporate nature and all of it’s beauty into your big day. In addition, creativity is required where the couple can express their individuality, taste and preference.
Many personal touches can be incorporated in a rustic wedding reception . Guests can be greeted with chalkboard signs on wedding sentiments, directions, or anything that meets the couple’s fancy. Signs can also be painted on wood or other natural materials outlining the day’s activities or menu. Guests will be seated at long tables draped with clean, white tablecloths accented with burlap runners and wildflowers that burst with vibrant colors. The best thing about rustic weddings is that they lack of predictability and cannot be able make distinctive differences come together in a delightful way, creating a feast for the senses.
The event, which took place in 2005, was sponsored by Nivea and more than 400 couples,engaged to be married or planning their wedding, participated in the groundbreaking event. You cant step foot on the catwalk these days without merging cultures and ideas together. The Asians bridal show set the tone for the rest of the evening succinctly and beautifully. It was exciting to see the models bringing the vibrant spirit of Asian fashion with them. It was good to see an African model in a sari, and feeling sassy in it. We predict fantastic things for the sari in the coming months in the African bridal market. After the show the guests wanted to buy the clothes off the models. Here’s flashback of the Asian fashion and culture during the event:
Rakhi Shah- Asian Bride Editor
Male models in the latest and trendiest Asian men’s wear
Mr. Shah of Shahi Creations played the role of the Asian priest.
A dhol, very significant instrument in Asian wedding
An African model showing off a sari from Occasions ‘N Days
This is for the spicy chic who is not afraid of color. All hair up displays the details of make up,dress and jewellery well.Side parting with hair on the face helps hide the high foreheads or receding hair lines.Its important to do any color procedures two weeks before your
big day.If one does not have hair strong enough for a color process it is advisable to used colored hair extensions instead.
Hair by Corrine Nyumoo @cmnyumoo @rickykish 0721515927
Make up by Lorna Irungu
Photography by Digital Eye
Putting together the grand finale of the Samantha gala dinner at the prestigious hotel intercontinental, the organizers had one thing common. For you to leave the show full of ideas and inspiration and make sure you enjoy all things bride and beautiful. This was such a good decision considering we gathered more than 400couples all engaged to be married thus planning their wedding. .
…and this was the elegant setup for the gala dinner.
A well tied tie……..
Mr. & Mrs. Pattni of Zaveris Jewellers
Miss. Martha Wanjiru and Eddie Wokabi enjoying a cocktail as they awaited to know if the were the lucky couple to walk away with the dream wedding worth Kshs. 2 million.
African Heritage
Malaika brides
Elaborate , grand and regal- who said the modern bride is subtle? You are in for a surprise
Bridal place
The outfits brought out the best in our models and the reaction from the audience was
fabulous.
