Had me at hello: How Philomena and James met

Marcella Akinyi

Where did this love story begin?

Phil: We fellowship in the same church, and we met at a dinner organised by the church. It all started with a conversation and we realised that we had many things in common. We continued the conversation even after the dinner, and began serious dating with marriage in mind.

What traits did James have that attracted you to him?

James has 101 qualities that made me love him, but these are outstanding; I love the fact that he is loving, honest, dependable, loves kids, and most importantly, God-fearing.

Tell us about dating and the proposal

We dated for one year, and the proposal was during my birthday – a surprise. He pretended he was too busy on that day with dowry stuff, only to appear with a ring hidden in the birthday cake.

How was it planning your wedding, and did you work with a planner or a committee?

We didn’t have a wedding planner. Planning for the wedding was hectic as so much had to be done within a short span of time. There were also so many adjustments to be made here and there because of new wedding regulations by the government under the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, there were finances required at every point, but we are grateful to our friends and family, who came through and supported us in the process. We had a very supportive committee. God bless them, we pulled off a great wedding.

What’s most memorable to you about your big day?

It was such a beautiful day, and I thanked God that He brought us that far. It was a blessing to have such a colourful wedding after months of planning; overwhelming support from friends, church mates, work colleagues, and family. Our MC too, MC Elvis, made it livelier by psyching us to dance, and also coordinating things well.

What do you regret about the day?

We wish we would have invited more people to our wedding, but due to Covid-19 restrictions, we had to reduce the number of guests to 50.

We also regret the fact that we were not able to fly out of the country for our honeymoon due to Ministry of Health guidelines, though we rescheduled that to a later date.

What would you advise couples who are planning their wedding?

I would tell them to trust in God, pray together and if possible, have some savings towards their wedding and spare some money for after the wedding, and to not take loans.

They should also be extra careful with tailors when it comes to their attire for the big day, as they can get really disappointed. Last but not least, always remember that a wedding is just a day, but you have a marriage to plan for eternity. Make great memories on that day as a couple, but always remember that there is life after the party is over.

Suppliers;

MC: MC Elvo

Photography: Luther Kin Photography

Cake: House of Rina

Décor: Ecoworld Events