10 Reasons why not to miss Kenya’s Biggest Wedding Fair

February 24, 2015 Samantha's Bridal Team Leave a comment

Here are the top 10 highlights which make the Samantha’s Bridal Fair the biggest wedding fair an essential day out for brides and grooms together with family and friends.

All under one roof: Buy and hire everything for your big day under one roof! Whether you are recently engaged or your big day is just around the corner, Samantha’s Wedding fair is the ultimate destination for wedding planning perfection! You can do everything from trying on dresses, shoes and accessories to sampling cakes, buying beauty essentials to booking your perfect honeymoon, all in a day’s work!

Meet the experts: Meet over 100 experts specializing in everything from beautiful bridal wear and suave menswear to magical photography and exciting entertainment.

Find your dream dress: The Bridal ready-to-wear boutiques and designers will be on hand to help you findthe dress of your dreams. Browse through collections from Kenya’s finest bridal designers like Wambui Mukenyi, Monica Kanari and Ogake just to name a few.
Unmissable feature areas: Immerse yourself in inspiration heaven at the show’s unmissable feature areas which include the breath-taking Catwalk Show, Big Day Top 10 Tips at the Wedding Trends Theatre and the Cake Gallery where you can vote and win a wedding cake.

The catwalk show: The breath-taking Catwalk Show brings the latest wedding themes and bridal trends to life on the runway, showcasing collections from the hottest designers, retailers and boutiques.

The Big Day Top 10 Tips: The Big Day Top 10 Tips provide you with valuable advice on hair, beauty, styling and planning. Featuring experts including leading wedding planner Marion Obura and bridal stylist and makeup artist guru Corrine Nyumoo. Each session will reveal 10 essential tips and tricks in a live and interactive countdown.

Reception Essentials: Discover all the fabulous essentials for your reception from mouth-watering cakes to striking stationery. Whether you’re dreaming of a fairy tale wedding or a modern chic wedding, there are stylish solutions for all themes.

Dazzling Décor: If you need help transforming your venue into a magical haven, seek inspiration from exhibiting wedding planners and décor specialists. Dazzling lighting, stylish tableware, stunning colour schemes and beautiful blooms from the finest florists will be featured to help you create your perfect setting.

Relax and unwind: Round off an exciting day in the lounge Room, where you can relax and unwind with a cup of tea, or head to The Champagne Bar in the lounge room and toast to future happiness with a glass of bubbly champagne.

Enjoy the show in star style: Bag yourself VIP tickets. This exclusive experience includes fast track entrance, reserved seating at the Catwalk Show, a complimentary glass of bubbly and an exclusive luxury goody bag filled with beauty products to pamper yourself in the build up to your big day.For those looking for an extra-special day out with the girls, this glitzy VIP ticket package is the ultimate purchase. Your big day will go off in style, why shouldn’t the planning too?

Wedding Fair

Bridal Fair – What to expect

February 19, 2015 Samantha's Bridal Team Leave a comment

Preparations for the Samantha’s Bridal Wedding Fair are well under way. We have been busy beavering away to create a truly unique event showcasing the best vendors in the wedding business will be some amazing wedding suppliers.

Over the next few days, read about individual exhibitors and learn about the different talks and demonstrations lined up for the fair. Also a brief introduction to the music acts who will be entertaining you throughout the fair. For now, take a look at what to expect.

You can read more about the upcoming fair here — Samanthas Bridal Fair – 2015

Date: February 27-March 1, 2015

Location: The Sarit Centre

Time: 9am – 6pm

Fee: Ksh 400 per person for adults. Free entry for children below 10

Wedding Ideas

OH-SO-LOVELY HATS

February 17, 2015 Anne Nduku Leave a comment

Remember the hat feature we did about the royal wedding? Remember the elegant, grand and overtly stylish hats worn by the nobles and the gentry? Would you believe me if I told you that hats in similar style are available here in Kenya?

Some of us have had the distasteful experience of seeing someone else with a hat just like yours especially at a wedding. Sometimes, even the mother-of-the-bride has this horrific experience when she, of all people should be exceptional.

Well, worry no more because Drop of a Hat has literally come to the rescue. Every single hat is unique and has absolutely no replica. Drop of a Hat will be showcasing their classy, tasteful hats at the highly anticipated Samantha’s Bridal Wedding Fair.

DROP OF A HAT

Drop of a Hat is a local bespoke hat business, designing exclusively elegant, stylish hats for the fashion conscious lady. Using mostly locally sourced materials, all the hats are handmade and finely hand stitched leaving no detail to chance. The name; Drop of a Hat came about when Chloé Mitchell made a list of suitable names all with the word –hat- and got friends to vote for their favourite. Drop of a Hat was the most voted hence it became the name of the brand.

Chloé Mitchell’s Bio

Taught by Rose Cory, the appointed milliner of the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen mother, Chloé Mitchell, founder and CEO of Drop of a Hat, kicked off her career after inheriting her great aunt Dora’s antique flower stamen business, a stable and solid foundation to pursue her new found passion of becoming a milliner. Mitchell founded Drop of a Hat -a couture millinery- when she relocated back to Kenya after advancing her skills with Louise of Louise Pocock Bespoke Millinery in the Cotswolds, UK.

Mitchell is involved in charity work and is currently working with a young handicapped girl, whom she has trained to hand stitch. Mitchell is making plans to work with and to use materials made locally by handicapped persons.

About the Hats

With the use of materials such as rabbit fur felt, wool felt, straw and sinamay, the hats, which include fedoras, fascinators, fashion sun hats, turbans, buttons and headpieces are of high quality with a grand and fine finish and provide a wide variety for both men and women. With prices ranging from Ksh 3,000 to Ksh 24,000, every client is catered to and can boast a bespoke hat with no –one- hat looking like the other; complete with a name as Mitchell names every one of her hats.

Drop of a Hat caters to all styles and occasions and the elegance exuded by the one-of-a-kind hats is sure to make heads turn in every instance. below are pictures of some of Drop of a Hat’s pieces…

Chloé Mitchell in; My Slanted Hat: Royal Dream Photograph by Neil Thomas — Chloé Mitchell in; My Slanted Hat: Royal Dream
Photograph by Neil Thomas

Raw Silk three roses egg percher: Cupid’s Cup

Calla lily pink button 3 flowers: Lily the Pink

Blue roses and peacock swords on comb: Tamu Sword

HAT ETIQUETTE

Hats have over the years gained popularity in fashion, reaching an unrivaled high after Kate Middleton strutted her hat fashion with almost every outfit she wore and while there are guidelines, proper topper protocol is by far the most complicated out there.

Women’s Hat Etiquette

Fashion hats should only be removed in an office, if blocking anyone’s view at the theater or at a wedding, or if you so wish.
Anything attached to the hat band, for example a flower, should be on the right-hand side.
Women can keep their hats on throughout, indoors or outdoors, be it at a wedding, a funeral, a tea event, in church or at a polo event and can stay on even during the national anthem.
Large-brimmed hats are inappropriate for night time as they are only to be worn out when it’s sunny.
Small-brimmed or no-brim hats can however be worn at night time and in restaurants as well.
Fashion hats are not worn with evening or ball gowns; fascinators, small veil hats, fancy combs or cocktail hats are.

Men’s Hat Etiquette

Men should remove their hats in-doors i.e. offices, church, classrooms and also when the national anthem is playing.
Anything placed on the hat band, should be on the left-hand side.
Men should tip or remove their hats at the presence of a woman especially when being introduced for the first time. It is however unnecessary to tip your hat for women you are acquainted to.

Etiquette Exceptions

Any religious head coverings are exempted from the etiquette rules and can be kept on wherever, whenever.
Any hats or head coverings worn to cover results of any illness such as hair loss or albinism are also exempted from hat etiquette rules.

Wedding Fair

Samanthas Bridal Fair 2016

February 14, 2015 Samantha's Bridal Team Leave a comment

With just 4 months, the countdown to The Samantha’s Wedding Fair has begun. Taking place on February 26 to 28th 2016 from 9am to 6pm daily, the fair is the ultimate place to be to make planning for your dream wedding run as smoothly as it possibly can. There will be more than 100 local exhibitors all on hand to offer advice and suggestions on every area of wedding planning.

The highlight of the weekend is the two-times-a-day catwalk show, which is acknowledged as the best in the business and is well worth every cent.The choreographed shows with presentations of the latest in bridal gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses, menswear and mother-of-the-bride outfits are guaranteed to have the audience in awe and excited about the perfect weaving together of great music, fashion, raffle competitions and amazing fashion.

This is the ultimate haven for wedding planning: The Samantha’s Bridal Fair, will have car rental / limousine services, wedding cake sampling from amazing cake houses, floral design displays from the best florists, plenty photographers and videographers and of course, wedding planners at hand to discuss ideas and help bring your vision to life.

Hotels like the prestigious Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club, Safari Park Hotel, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Sarova Hotels, Swahili Beach Resort, Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa, Fuchsia Gardens at Eldo Farm, face gardens among others will be exhibiting. So whether you are looking for a wedding destination, a first-night location or a honeymoon destination, Samantha’s Bridal Fair is the one place to find a suitable option.

Guests will take part in fun and exciting competitions and prize draws each day and will stand a chance to win a honeymoon package, a wedding cake and many more prizes. There will be workshops to engage those in attendance; entertainment, refreshments and a champagne bar for a truly exhilarating experience.

Date: February 26- February 28, 2016

Location: The Sarit Centre

Time: 9am – 6pm

Fee: Ksh 400 per person for adults. Free entry for children below 10

Contacts For Booking :0722480068

The Love Guide

Valentine’s for Him?

February 13, 2015 Anne Nduku Leave a comment

So Valentine’s Day is finally here! For most, flowers, sweet treats, heart shaped chocolates, and a special dinner are the details that make up this day. It is the one day that lovers express their love for each other with the ever-dependable gifts but it can also be a chance for you to be thoughtful and make the grandest gesture that will earn you countless days of unmatched bliss.

Most, if not all people have expectations for the biggest lover’s holiday in the world over and as surprising as it may seem, some of these people are men. There is no written rule that states that women are the only ones who should be celebrated on this day. The love is between two. Two hearts; two souls that become one. Why is the man being left out?

Buy him a gift; surprise him; treat him to a special holiday; make him a card with a list of all the pleasant things he does that make you happy. Remind him of how much you love him and make him feel appreciated. The reciprocity of gifting is almost too seldom that people think it is not necessary to gift both ways.

Men need to be celebrated too. Buy him that watch he has been eyeing for some time, buy him a scarf, a suit, anything really, because as it goes, they will appreciate whatever it is anyway. Valentine’s Day is about celebrating your significant other. So ladies, get to gifting and make it about your men too. A little thoughtfulness goes a very long way…

Giveaways & Competitions

WIN A DINNER FOR TWO THIS VALENTINE!

February 9, 2015 Samantha's Bridal Team Leave a comment

Romance is easy when one is dating. Once married, financial pressures, kids, busy schedules, among other things tend to squeeze out the romance. This week we explore ways in which we can keep the flame of romance ablaze long after the wedding.

You can participate by telling us how you have managed to keep the romance alive. If we like your idea, you stand a chance of winning a Romantic dinner for two at Sarova Panafric.

Guidelines

While we will review all of your posts to be considered for the dinner prize, also kindly submit your suggestions on how to keep the flame alive accompanied by a photo of you and your spouse on your wedding day.

To post on twitter: Use the hashtag #KeepingRomanceAlive And mention @SamanthasBridal

To post on Facebook: Post on our page Samantha Bridal

Awarding of prizes

We will announce the winner on Friday 13, 2015 . The winner will be chosen based on the practicality and originality of their idea and how much social media engagement their post receives. i.e. re-tweets/likes

Kindly email us at info@samanthasbridal.co.ke or contact us on twitter: @SamanthasBridal or on facebook: Samantha Bridal

Wedding Ideas

The Latest Issue Is Out! Do You Have Your Copy?

January 21, 2015 Samantha's Bridal Team Leave a comment

The new issue of your ultimate Bridal Magazine, Samantha’s Bridal is now on sale. Packed with gorgeous ideas and expert advice on weddings, this new issue is one you don’t want to miss! On the cover, Brenda Wairimu, the Star of the hit TV series MALI is dressed in a one shoulder Cinderella gown, which takes us back to a modern fairy tale wedding. One can’t help but feel ecstatic with the bright and colourful cover … and it’s just the tip of the inspiration iceberg!

From stunning gowns you can’t wait to try on, to the perfect wedding look, how to make a workable wedding budget and not forgetting some brilliant wedding day advice from past couples. This issue has got all you need to know about your perfect nuptial.

Plus, we have sampled some stunning real weddings that will fill your mind with diverse ideas on various themes for your big day. And in the happily ever after segment, three couples, Rev Kathy and Bishop Allan Kiuna, Joy and Steve Midiwo as well as Joy and DJ Krowbar share their marriage experiences and advice to help you after you say I do.

Don’t forget a chance to win a honeymoon and romantic gateway to Abu dhabi. We have teamed up with Etihad Airways to give one lucky couple, two return tickets to Abu Dhabi with 4 nights accommodation.

Keep up with the action by following us on Twitter @Samanthasbridal, like us on Facebook: Samantha Bridal TV Show and don’t forget to check us out on Instagram: SamanthasBridal!

Giveaways & Competitions

WIN A HONEYMOON TRIP TO ABU DHABI!!!

January 20, 2015 Samantha's Bridal Team Leave a comment

This March, one lucky bride is going to win a honeymoon at the amazing Abu Dhabi courtesy Etihad Airways & Samantha’s Bridal! All you have to do is get a copy of the latest Samantha’s Bridal Magazine to a raffle ticket. Read more about Abu Dhabi and see what you will experience should you win this trip…

Abu Dhabi is the capital United Arab Emirates and is also capital of the largest of the UAE’s seven member emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. As one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the world, Abu Dhabi is perhaps best-known for offering pristine white beaches and year-round sunshine.

Abu Dhabi is packed with fun-filled attractions for all ages, making it the perfect destination for holidays. From the undeniable thrill of world-class amusement parks and sporting facilities to the cultural lure of traditional mosques and heritage villages, the UAE capital has it covered. With so many options, choosing where to start can be a challenge.
The first impression of Abu Dhabi, whether viewed from the air or driving along the impeccably maintained Corniche, is of a thoroughly modern city with gleaming skyscrapers and beautifully landscaped gardens. But behind this modern facade of city life stands the traditions and rich heritage of its past which stands the traditions and rich heritage of its past. The unique culture and heritage is showcased at numerous landmarks across the emirate.

Some of the places of interest in Abu Dhabi include:

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

A trip to the world-renowned Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is highly-recommended during a visit to Abu Dhabi. The impressive monument is located on a 22,412 square metre site (the equivalent of five football fields. Leading artisans from around the world were involved in the mosque’s design and construction, with a major focus on materials such as ceramics, marble, gold, semi-precious stones and crystals for their long-lasting qualities.

Abu Dhabi Heritage Village

A traditional oasis village has been reconstructed at Abu Dhabi Heritage Village, offering a unique opportunity to step back in time and experience the UAE capital’s past. It includes an open museum with examples of desert campfires, old-fashioned tents made from goat hair, sea houses made from palm tree fronds, traditional water wells, and the ‘falaj’ irrigation system.

Sheikh Zayed Centre

Known as the ‘Father of the Nation’, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is a much-loved figure in the UAE. To celebrate his extraordinary life, the Sheikh Zayed Centre was opened back in 2009, with a prime location in Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen district. The centre, which has a traditional ‘Emirati village’ design, contains an exclusive gallery with photos of Sheikh Zayed personal memorabilia his favourite hunting rifles and daggers, together with some of the cherished gifts that he received from well-wishers over the years, including stuffed lions and cheetahs.

Experiences & Tours

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi- Ferrari World is a Ferrari themed amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.The central park is situated under a 200,000 m2 (2,152,782 sq ft) roof making it the largest indoor amusement park in the world. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi was designed to appeal to a broad audience of families, including women and children, thrill seekers and racing fans of different ages, nationalities and interests.
Yas Water World – Yas Water World offers 43 rides, slide and attractions, five one of a kind rides that have never been seen before in a water park, a unique pearl diving experience that showcases traditional Emirati pearl diving culture.

*The winner of the honeymoon will be announced on the 1st of March 2015 at the Samantha’s Bridal Fair.*

Wedding Tips

Wine Etiquette in Weddings

December 8, 2014 Samantha's Bridal Team Leave a comment

Gone are the old, but simple wine pairing rules of red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry. Today’s complexity of multi-ethnic and subtly flavored foods, in addition to a wide variety of wines from around the world that is easily available, are giving way to new wine-food paring tips and suggestions. These have become the hard and first rules. It now allows for considerable room to experiment and express your wedding personality; from pure adventure, to a celebratory and triumphatic mood and anything between this. Soraiya Meghji of The Wine Shop Kenya offers some guidelines on wine and food paring and the basic etiquette to go with it.

Given that there will be quite a variety of both a large variety of servings to choose from and most probably all prepared with different themes, you can start by considering the season and weather forecast; drinking habits take an interesting pattern in tandem with weather patterns. For instance, during the cold and chilly days, people tend to drink more red wine; consider a mix of about 50% of red wine for a cold season or cold destination wedding. On the other hand, guests on a hot day will tend to drink more white wine; consider a mix of 30% each of all three styles of wine. You might also think about serving rosé, especially if you’re serving fish or seafood.

Another factor that will guide you is the venue of your party; people will tend to drink more red wine in an indoor wedding than while celebrating vows out in the sun; for outdoor weddings consider a higher percentage of white wine.

Always remember to get a sparkling wine for your toast but the rest of the wine is up to you based on food items, theme, budget and personal preference. Consider the following:

Who’s attending (non-drinkers, young people, older relatives)
If you’re serving rich meats for dinner consider a full bodied red wine ,
If you’re serving fish as the main, consider selecting a rose or a crisp sauvignon blanc.
Think about the time of year and time of day and the theme (black tie, casual, tropical)

Red wine is a classic crowd favorite and will be about 50-60% of a wedding wine purchase. It’s one of the wines where if you find you have a lot left over, then you can just store it and enjoy it after the wedding. Choosing the perfect ‘crowd pleaser’ red wine is actually a lot of fun.

CHAMPAGNE POPPING

As important as the Champagne toast is, most folks won’t drink more than a half-glass of sparkling wine. So unless your wedding attendees are all bonafide Champagne hounds, you don’t have to buy that much. You just need enough to fill glasses to half way; about 1 bottle per 8-10 people.

If the toast happens during the day or outside, consider getting aromatic sparklers such as Prosecco, Cava, or sparkling Rosé.

If the toast is happening at night or inside, look towards richer styled sparkling wines such or classic French Champagne.
The best man usually makes the toast and can trained to correctly open the champagne, the pop sound is considered a novelty and a sign of class with champagne.
Couples should raise their glasses and lightly clink their glasses in a polite toast to their future. Avoid pulling comical stunts which could result in embarrassing incidents. Its good to practice before your wedding day.

Toast etiquette: Who should call out the first toast at the wedding reception and to who?

MAKING A MEMORABLE TOAST

A Champagne toast is a public gesture to appreciate something, but it does more than just that: it unites a group of people. A toast can be so appealing that everyone attending will feel good. How do you do it? You’ll need enough sparkling wine and some inspiring themes for what to say that will bring everyone together.

The secret to toasting is to remember that everyone wants to be appreciated. When thinking about what to say, choose a theme that ties everyone together.

Family: toast to good happiness and health
Friends: toast to enduring togetherness
Work party: toast to appreciation and thanks
Wine People: toast to the next bottle!
Wedding: a toast to the future that holds bountiful love and hope for the happy couple.

So how much wine should you purchase for your guests? Let’s say the wedding will have 100 guests. If you divide the number of guests by 2.15 you should expect to get about 46 bottles of wine for the event. Make sure when you order to round up by the case. This should make a good basic ratio of wine is to guests regardless of the numbers.

If you’re looking into buying your own wedding wines, then you’ve already taken the smartest step forward by caring enough to find out more.

Wine is a highlight to a wedding, so it’s a great idea to find one that’s right for you. Keep your budget in mind as well, just how much liquid wine do you need at the party; you can then figure out what fraction of the budget will go into this fair merry making!

This article first appeared on the Samantha`s Bridal Wedddings Magazine Issue 24

Written by Soraiya Meghji

From the Experts

Make your Reception unforgettable- DANCE!

November 21, 2014 Samantha's Bridal Team Leave a comment

Wedding receptions are the highlight of any wedding (okay, second to the bride walking down the aisle and the eagerly awaited kiss). Make your reception unforgettable by simply observing three things:

Provide good food
Serve delicious cake
Ensure lots and lots and lots of dancing

These three things make a reception.

We may not have much to say about food and cake, but DANCE . . . oh, DANCE IS OUR LANGUAGE! At your reception, have everyone put on those dancing shoes and dance. Let your guests dance, join them in dancing, have no end to dancing.

Dance is one language both the young and the old understand. So dance! Let the men dance, let the singles dance, let couples dance (including your parents), let Cucu and Guka dance too. Everyone should dance. Dance Luhya, Kalenjin, Kamba, Maasai, Kikuyu, Kisii, Luo even French and Spanish. Dance in between the speeches, before you cut the cake, after you serve the cake.

Let Dance be the center piece of your Wedding Reception, and we believe your reception will definitely be UNFORGETTABLE ! ! !

Source: sisimsha.com