While it is true that every person loves compliment, women, in particular, are never disarmed when you give them one. So besides carrying your gift vouchers and presents, a nice word will keep them smiling all the way. From the research we conducted, we found out that brides love to be told all things nice ranging from their makeup, to their wedding gown to the tiniest details of what stood out on their big day. As a guest at a wedding, here are some of the nice things you can tell a bride:
1. This gown really looks good on you!
If youve ever assisted a bride look for a wedding gown, you can attest to the fact that it is one of the most challenging things to do. So when she finds it and looks perfect on her big day, genuinely compliment her by telling her she looks beautiful. You can never go wrong by telling her how spectacular her gown is.
2. You are beautiful
Especially when it comes to make up. From research, ever bride wants to know that her look made each of her guests shed a tear or two. From her gorgeous hair, to her breathtaking vision and her beautiful face the compliment will stick with her long after the wedding.
3. You two are perfect together.
One of the most relieving things you can tell a bride is to let her know that she made the right choice in as far as her husband is concerned. Compliment both her and the hubby and let them know how well they look like soul mates.
4. Im enjoying myself so much, thanks a lot for inviting me.
After alls been said and done, every couple wants to know that everything they went through to make this big event happen was worth it. And nothing makes them smile than to know that their guests enjoyed and loved everything in the wedding.
5. Your choice of dcor was stunning!
Research indicates that most brides spend 90 %of their time on dcor. Since they spend all this time making their wedding look good, why not make them feel awesome by how their whole reception or their church set up looks! Whether it’s a creative table arrangement or just a well arranged bouquet, its these little things that go a long way to make the brides day feel worthwhile.

6. Whatever is in your heart!
Everything is meaningful when it comes from the heart. It might not be just about the wedding but find out how to make the bride smile. Their wedding day is all about celebrating the love they share with each other and the significant people in their lives hence thats the perfect chance of showing how much they mean to you!

There are many debates on whether its important for married women to change their names to their husbands. Despite the fact that one is not bound by law to do so, we have compiled 5 important reasons why you should consider doing so:
1. It shows your commitment.
Changing you last name is an act of love, submission as well as a sign that you are fully committed to the union. Psychologists argue that a name change means a lot to me and boosts their ego.
2. It bond you together
If you are fond of spirituality, theres a traditional Chinese culture known as feng shui, which purports that joining names declares to the universe that you and your spouse are a complete unit. Together is a powerful energy, which solidifies the bond in marriage.
3. Its more convenient and easier for you with kids.
This works in case you are planning to have children in future. It brings clarity and assists in bringing the family together.
4. To help you feel like you fit in.
In the African culture, the change of name gives a woman a sense of belonging not just in her husband life but also with his entire clan. Shows that she now belongs to the new family and is ready to learn its ways.

5. People will know youre truly off the market.
Theres no better way to tell the world that you are taken than changing your name! Especially, all stalkers on social media, old boyfriends, workmates and business associates who may need to know this fact.
6. The only way to change that name that you hate!
In case, you hate your last name or its too hard to pronounce, it might be a nice change of pace to have a change, dont you think so?
7. Its a prestigious surname.
Change of name brings prestige and honor especially if your spouse comes from a powerful family.

Changing your maiden name to your husband’s name after saying I do is a dainty task that few women embrace with the enthusiasm. However, once you are done, it will be such an amazing feeling to have all your cards and vital documents in your new name. To save you all the trouble, we’ve come up with what you require to make this seemingly hard process be as easy as ABC.

1. Changing your ID name
According to Lawyer Nelson Osiemo, the process of changing your maiden name to your husband’s surname in your ID is pretty simple. Just head over to the chief’s office or at Huduma center with:
• Your husband’s ID
• Your ID
• Certified copy of your marriage certificate
• A certified copy of your Birth Certificate
After completing the entire process, wait for a week for your new ID.
2. Get a New Passport and Travel Documents
For the passport, one has to begin the application again and pay the fee for a new passport depending on the number of pages. If you have booked a ticket for your honeymoon, ensure you use your maiden name unless you are traveling out of the country and have already change your name on your passport. At the Immigration office, you may require:
• Completed passport application forms (Form 19)
• A certified copy of your marriage license.
• Your current passport.
• A recent color photograph that meets the requirement of the passport.
• An affidavit
NB: Honeymooning out of the country definitely requires your passport, which must match your tickets. In case you have a new passport by this time; ensure that you book your ticket under the new name. If you won’t have changed your name, ensure that your ticket is booked with your maiden’s name.
5. Change the Name on Your Bank Accounts
As soon as your ID had been updated with your new name, head over to your local bank branch and update the info on your bank accounts. If you’re going in person, bring the following documents with you:
• A certified copy of your marriage license.
• Your national ID
Don’t forget to request a new set of cards and new checkbooks.

It’s back once again!This year’s 2nd edition will take place from the 27th to 29th July at the Sarit Center in Westlands.

The Samanthas Bridal 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.

The show constantly improving standard is clearly evident in the exquisitely decorated stands, with every exhibitor vying for the covetable title of Best Stand. This aesthetic benchmark has been set very high this year. Another sure draw card for the shows visitors will be the opportunity for the visitors to enter a draw and win various prizes which include weekend getaways, goodie bags, wedding cakes, complimentary makeup for bridal party, jewellery among others.

Schedule it on your diaries all brides, grooms, wedding fans from 27th to 29th July 2018 at the Sarit Center, Westlands. Miss it miss out!

It was all pomp and color as guests slayed in the fur and feathers theme at the much awaited event of the month, the Kenya Wedding Industry Awards which went down on Monday night at the Trademark Hotel in Village Market. The Awards recognized excellence across 48 categories within the wedding industry voted for by the public, industry peers, as well as past brides and grooms. Amongst those who graced the occasion was the PS for Tourism and Wildlife, Dr. Margret Mwakima who stood in for the Cabinet Secretary Hon. Najib Balala and the best wedding vendors in the industry dressed the part to be in line with the feathers and fur theme.
The Fairmont Kenya Hotels took the day bagging three awards for the best heritage hotel, best wedding venue in the wild with Villa Rosa Kempinski bagging the best ballroom award. Windsor Hotel received the best garden hotel venue while the best beach destination venue went to Swahili beach.
Jambo Jet received the best local airline award, Bonfire Adventures won the best travel agents for honeymoon while Ogake received an award for the best custom-made gown designer.

The Wedding Lifetime Achievement Award went to Matthew Gathua of Valentine Cake House. The Best Wedding Luxury Supplier went to Purple Tulips.

Photography by Versataille Photographers

It is Red Carpet Time!!
Please join us for the first annual Kenya Wedding Industry Awards Gala. This years Night Of The Stars awards gala will be held on 18th June 2018 at Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi. Join us on this historic night as we celebrate Kenya’s creme de la creme in the wedding industry.
We would like to recognize and thank our partners for their work and support for this gala. They include Standard Digital, KTN Kenya, Viva Africa Consultants, Eve Woman Magazine, Jays Pyrotechnics Limited, Discmen Entertainment, Cake City, Versatile Photographers and Amazing Tents & Decor Kenya
Come eat, drink and dance in your finest attire for a Gatsby night. RSVP

After a long wait and speculation, Meghan Markle and her charming Prince Harry took their marriage vows inside St Georges Chapel where the audience applauded in approval and awe. While all that was going on in the UK, here in Kenya the Samantha Bridal in partnership with KTN, Moet&Chandon, Magana Flowers, Splendid Weddings and the Windsor Hotel hosted a Royal Wedding Watch party where the who’s and who’s in the entertainment as well as the corporate world attended the event.
In preparation for the day, couples had to part with Sh1 million, which included an English brunch, a romantic night for two inclusive of dinner, champagne at the Windsor suite and a chopper ride to Mount Kenya along with breakfast as well as a meal prepared by an English chef.
Chef James Dennis from Soames Hotel, Nanyuki, was chosen to prepare the meal fit for royalty in this exclusive event. The event, which was a red carpet affair was hosted by Chero of Str8up and Micheal Gitonga of Morning Express and was aired live on KTN. Some of the celebs who turned up at Windsor Golf Hotel include: Vera Sidika, Catherine Kamau, Betty Kyallo and her sister Mercy Kyallo, Naomi Nganga, Mwende Macharia, Standard Group acting CEO Orlando Lyomu together with his wife Pauline, Laikipia Women Representative Kate Waruguru, Suzie Beauty founder Suzie Wokabi, Pinky Ghelani, and many others.

Photography by
Versataille Photography
Jackson Mwangi Photography
Kegan Photography
Decor by Splendid Events

Kensington Palace have kept the world in speculation on who will be designing Meghan Markel gown but have revealed that he/she will work closely with them. With the world full of expectations, experts cannot hold their thoughts on what type of gown befits the royal wedding and according to a British bridal designer Sassi Holford who designed Autumn Patricia Phillips gown when she was getting married to Peter Philips, the son of Princess Anne and the oldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh she expects the wedding gown to fit the venue, have enough detail to be seen from a distance to be-fit a royal wedding and also incorporate the glamorous Hollywood side of Meghans personality.

Following in the footsteps of her soon to be sister in law,Markel will reportedly wear two gowns one to the ceremony and one to the reception. According to Markle, she best describes her wedding dress classic and simple is the name of the game perhaps with a modern twist.
The design and details of Princess Diana’s wedding dress managed to remain a complete mystery until hours before the ceremony.
Diana wore an ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown with a 25-foot train that was valued at 9000 pounds and later became one of the most famous dresses in the world that was also considered one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history.
Created by husband-and-wife design team David and Elizabeth Emanuel, the intricate ivory taffeta gown later sparked copycats around the world, but with elaborate embroidery, 10,000 pearls and a 25-foot-long train, no one’s ever come close to replicating the stunning bridal look.
The dress fittings were not as easy because Diana had developed bulimia and dropped from a size 14 to a size 10 few months before the wedding and this made even the seamstress concerned about her weight loss and feared the dress might not fit as it should.

After the wedding Princess Diana’s dress set the wedding fashion trends because of its Large puffed sleeves, a full skirt and “soft touch fabrics” that became popular requests. Copies by other dressmakers were available “within hours” of the 1981 wedding.

Many bridal experts considered the dress a “gold standard” in wedding fashion in the years after the wedding.
Just recently,Kate Middletons gown had an antique lace, Forties line confection with a deep v-neckline and corseted bodice, made by Sarah Burton, the long-time assistant to British fashion’s enfant terrible Alexander McQueen. The designer’s hallmarks of a strong but feminine silhouette were softened in ivory and White satin gazar, while the train ran to over 2 meters. The lace applique for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace, and for it to be perfect,workers washed their hands every 30 minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean.
Individual flowers were hand-cut from English lace and French Chantilly lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a “unique and organic” design hence becoming a masterpiece for the world to see.
In the British society, the special occasion is not complete without a hat,” Hilary Alexander, fashion director at the Daily Telegraph newspaper, says. Fascinators and hats always complete a look and its a finishing touch. Here in Kenya, Chloe of drop of a hat explains all u need to know when choosing a hat.

Well, hats is a must don for the royals especially on special or official occasions. When Tony Blair wife didn’t wear a hat on to the funeral of the Princess of Wales but instead wore black veil known as a mantilla it was considered rude and that caused quite an uproar.
And so for Prince Harry and Megan they have made sure to have all dress-code instructions on their invite. For men the card states that they must wear a uniform, morning coat, or lounge suits.
This means that if a gentleman is currently in the military, he may wear his uniform, but most men in attendance will be in morning coats and top hats. (According to Debretts, the British authority on modern etiquette, a lounge suit is an expression only seen on invitations as a dress code. In conversation the terms dark suit or business suit or possibly business dress or business attire are used.)
Women are to wear a day dress with hat, which can be open to interpretation and this can cause some anxiety for American guests who tend to under or overdress for weddings. For the royal wedding, female guests are expected to dress conservatively in a knee-length dress with sleeves (no bare shoulders in church!) and, of course, a hat.
The evening reception is black-tie. As an invited guest you would not like to have a miss on fashion especially in the presence of the royals but this indeed happened to David Beckam a British soccer legend, internationally known as a fashionista, wore his Order of the British Empire medal on the wrong side. The pin was affixed to the right side of his jacket rather than the left side.
It’s widely expected that Markle will turn to a British designer for the all-important gown, but a few sketches that leaked online from Israel-based bridal couturier Inbal dror could suggest Megan is going down on a different route.The Israelis spokesman confirmed that he had been asked to send a sketch of a proposed dress adding that its a secret and that they couldnt give more details.The sketches were showing showing lace-embellished designs with a nipped-in waist, high Victorian-inspired neckline and dramatic fishtail skirt. If Dror is indeed the dress designer of choice it would prove another break from tradition for Markel; while royal wedding gowns are generally fairly traditional in style, Dror is renowned for her sensual, figure-hugging dresses – plunging necklines, slinky silhouettes and sheer panels are common features.

In a previous article, the average cost of a wedding in Kenya was revealed to be 3.4 million. This is a huge amount of money and it is important to know what wedding activities eat up most of your wedding budget.

Samantha Bridal did a research and came up with the following as the significant big spends:

VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Hiring a photographer for a wedding will prove costlier than usual, but theyre not pulling a fast one, says professional photographer David Macharia of Versatile photographers. David goes ahead to explain there is a lot of pre-production involved unlike the common assumption that a wedding photography is about just arriving, taking photos and leaving. For Macharia, a wedding photography and editing takes him around 2 weeks to complete, which is a lot of time hence should be compensated accordingly.

HAIR

If youre wondering why bridal hair costs more than your usual up-do at your salon, its down to time and expertise: A brides hair will involve working with other elements such as the accessories and veil, says celebrity hairdresser Corrine Muthoni. If you are tempted to use your regular hairdresser, check their portfolio as many salons will be equipped for hairstyling rather than hairdressing, and there is a difference. It takes years to develop the right skills, she adds. Many high-end hairdressers will offer complimentary consultations and trials, as well as transport as part of their packages.

VENUE

Your venue hire can account for up to half of your wedding budget and yet the price can fluctuate depending on the day of the week, or time of the year. But what sets your day aside from a christening or birthday celebration? Venue packages allow for extras, such as setting up the night before, accommodation for the bridal party and the extra cost of liaising with external vendors and suppliers, says Emma. That doesnt mean couples cant shop around for a good deal. Because weddings tend to fall on weekends, you could save if youre more flexible with the day, she explains. There are also some very good deals to be had for last-minute dates.

FLOWERS

There might not be an obvious difference between the table centers you want for your wedding and those at the corporate dinner across the corridor, so why will your bill be higher? Fatima of Aura event planners suggests it is because you are paying for a more tailored service. The vast majority of my weddings are bespoke and I will individually design each arrangement to suit the needs of the couple, she says. It only takes basic floristry skills to create a domed bouquet of roses, but for a wedding I would take the time to get to know the couple and help them choose the flowers and arrangements to suit their day.

Your florist will also look after every detail, from design, planning and production, to delivery, set-up and clear down. My customers arent just paying for the flowers, its the full bespoke service which ensures total trust and confidence in everything looking perfect on the day, Fatima adds.

ENTERTAINMENT

A packed dance floor is a sure sign of a great wedding, but DJs will charge more for a first dance gig. When I do a corporate event, in comparison to a wedding there are definitely differences in price, says DJ Kamjo For weddings, I spend around 20 hours preparing beforehand organizing meetings, writing personalized scripts and researching music. However, couples dont necessarily see this extra work. The presentation at weddings has to be impeccable for example, the equipment cant be scuffed with trailing wires. If the equipment fails at a birthday party, its a disappointment but its not a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. If my equipment breaks at a wedding, it will have ruined someones special day. To stop this from happening I have two of everything and bring double the amount of equipment I would usually need. explains DJ Kamjo

Did you think we missed out on something? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

From bold and modern,to traditional and classy, royal wedding attires not just gowns have always had a major impact on all areas of the fashion industry all over the world. No wonder there is so much speculation on what Prince Harry and Mergan Merkel will wear on their big day which will take place on May 19th 2018.

Here in Kenya, a man by the name Patrick, opted to follow by the book what Prince William wore on his big day to celebrate ten years since he met the love of his life, . During his interview On the Samantha’s Bridal episode dubbed, Say Yes to the dress verses here comes the bill, Patrick, who is an entrepreneur, admitted that he was inspired to wear this sensitive attire when he watched the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tie the knot and since they had the royalty as their theme, he settled to be donned in such a unique attire.
After getting a few tips from the Samantha’s Bridal on how best he could achieve the royal theme, His best man, who was once a royal guard, assisted him get to the UK to buy the military uniform.
“I did a research on how to get the royal uniform. My best man, who is an Englishman and a former royal guard, took me to the British military tailors to buy the uniforms for myself and my best man,” the excited Patrick said.
On his big day, Prince William wore a scarlet red home service order tunic with the Irish Shamrock embroidered on the collar. He only had one decoration; the queen’s jubilee golden medal to mark 50 anniversary of her reign. The tunic buttons came in groups of four. these groupings are reserved for the Irish guards as the fourth senior regiment of the foot guards. He wore a crimson sash around his waste which is a ceremonial belt worn by all guard officers.

The entire attire, which costed a whooping 3 million Kenyan shillings, was an exact replica of what Prince William’s wore except the crown which is only reserved for those of the royal lineage.

However, due to the sensitivity of the attire, Patrick and his best man had to sign an agreement that they would not use the suit for any other purpose other than wear it on the official day of the wedding.