The Wedding Governor

The photographer does not have transport to come to the venue, one of your bridesmaid's dresses is bursting on the seams, The ceremony is about to start and we need two miracle hours to finish up getting ready, Unity candles!but where is the matches? the caterer might not be ready to serve lunch on time, the groom has a headache and needs painkillers fast! 

Everybody's getting ready! Wedding day chaos. 'Lovely ladies though!'

These are but a fraction of the drama that one may or will encounter on their wedding day. Wedding day just spells out drama, no matter how well coordinated everything is, there will always be a glitch or two, for some the whole day is a glitch.

I personally am an organisation freak, I'm OCD like that and I planned my wedding day to the very last detail, and I mean that literally. I even had a schedule detailing the shade of nail polish I would wear and what time I would do it. 

A screenshot of my basic on the day timetable, fyi there was a more thorough timetable on the details page

Be that as it may; not everything went according to plan, the ceremony started 15 minutes late due to an electrical fault in the chapel, but it was totally worth the wait, 

otherwise we wouldn't have walked down this beautiful aisle 

The lovely aisle courtesy of 'Design by Janet'

to all my planned music, lol. Yep I did tell you I'm a plan freak... literally. On a percentile scale I would give Mr A. and I's wedding  an 80% in terms of going according to plan. 

Music List

Regardless of all the planning I couldn't have done it without the amazing help of my bridal team, friends, family and amazing vendors, I won't mention specifics but I downloaded all our ideas onto them and they tried their level best to see my vision come to life. Despite being a planning freak, I am quite a calm person if things do not go according to plan. My motto is 'Let's make the best of what we have and move on'. 

That leads me to my main issue which is Wedding governing. After my wedding a lot of people urged me to go into wedding planning, I was really tempted to try it out but biggest challenge is time. I work a full time demanding job and would not want to short change my work by dividing my attention. However a good friend of mine who was getting married approached me to assist her by running around for her on her big day. Sounded like an awesome idea, I wouldn't have to totally immerse myself into the planning and would let the bride put most of her ideas together. I would then attend a few wedding meetings and sit with her and get all her information and ideas. Come wedding day I would then be her voice , ensuring everything she desires would come to pass. I then went straight to google to research more on this type of wedding coordinating and discovered that it actually exists and is thriving. Some call these people an On the day Wedding coordinator, a day of wedding runner, a wedding sitter.... and a few more terms I am yet to discover. 

The day finally came and my friend got married, tell you what, after the wedding I thought to myself I should have hired a wedding runner for our wedding, that 20% deficit would have been filled out. During the final meetings I stood up for dear bride with regards to things she couldn't openly express to her family. Her husband and her handed the reigns to me and I placed ground rules that if anyone had a problem or a question it would be directed to me as of the day before the wedding. Her Whatsapp status even said 'For all wedding related issues call ........' and she put my number. From as early as 4 am on the wedding day my phone was ringing like a call centre. When I look back I can imagine all those people calling her instead of me! it would have spelt out nightmare..... an unhappy bride..

Though not everything was 100% up to scratch, I had a happy bride and groom, they had nothing to worry about, even the bridal team and family had developed the response 'Ask Nyasha!' Everyone managed to have fun. One Aunty decided to call me 'The Wedding Governor". I like it! it made sense because I was a bit of a 'meany' (a nice meany with a smile), but that's what you need on a wedding day or else things just won't happen.

There is nothing I enjoyed more than seeing my friend's sisters dance, enjoy and laugh instead of having to worry about when lunch would be served and where the cake knife was. You and your family do not need to worry about such things on your wedding day. Sit back and relax, you've done all you can and now it's time to cash in your efforts.

I thoroughly enjoyed dealing with the chaos in the background and helping my friend enjoy her day. I have a few weddings coming up soon that I will be governing. And have decided to put up my services for all who are interested, sharing is caring:). Believe me it's a small investment you will be glad you made for the rest of your life. I love "LOVE" itself and get a rush from witnessing two hearts joining as one, it doesn't matter who you are and we've never met. On your special day you are what I always tell brides and grooms to be - The ultimate VIPs and Guests of Honour. 

Please find attached a link for further reading on why 'Day-of coordination' is the future and why you need to get in touch with me..... Spread the word :)

http://www.theweddingsitter.com/day_of_coordinator.html

courtesy of Kimberly Pilson

As your wedding governor I will also be available to offer advise on any wedding related matters. Once you get in touch you will learn that my services go beyond wedding governing, I have a few more tricks up this wedding sleeve.

Regards

Mrs A

Your Wedding Governor

I Wish This was a Wedding Trend: Natural Hair

While going through wedding websites, catching up on wedding trends of 2014, I found myself wishing for a wedding trend for our Zimbabwean brides: Natural hair. The time has come for us to celebrate our natural hair on one of the most special days of our lives. Here are some ideas I came across as inspiration:

Lovely thick braids with a flower, a simple and classy bridal look.

This bride looks gorgeous with short hair. 

Stunning if you have natural long hair

Relax your short hair and add a birdcage veil... no need for a weave!

For more natural hair inspiration, check out our Crown & Glory board on Pinterest. Let's celebrate our African hair for 2014 and beyond!!!

Wedding Blues

It's been a tremendously long time since we posted anything on this blog, from the time one of us got married:) and the other got engaged it's been crazy, but we still do much pinning on Pinterest which shows that we aren't dead. hahaha

What I want to talk about in today's blog is something that I think enough brides go through but never know how to put a finger to... Wedding blues:(
Now there are two types of wedding blues, the pre and the post, I am going to mainly talk about the pre as I have experience on that....

It's all so very confusing really when what is supposed to be the happiest time of your life kinda pulls a fast one on you and all of a sudden you feel gloomy. You see this one big day is associated with so much, family reunions, unresolved conflict, financial strife, you name it, Wedding planning and the day itself is like the battleground that hasn't been there since the last family wedding or funeral.

And so it starts you tell your family your 'friend wants to come and marry you (lol for those foreign to this concept let's just say, you are engaged) Everyone is really excited, well most of them are, your parents especially (in a normal set up) Some start cooking up bride prices in their heads and enquiring what sort of work does this 'friend' of yours do.... Then the big traditional wedding day comes, drumroll please because the drama begins, your cousin's uncle's niece's grandpa's whatever shows up from nowhere whom you haven't seen in ages and that is really for a good reason too, why you haven't seen him in a while. Now that something exciting is happening everyone has an opinion and everybody really must have a say regardless of where they've been all these years or what not. Everybody wants to be invited to the big white wedding, oh did I say big? yes I did say Big, that you probably have to pay for.
At this point you look at the vision that you had for your wedding and what seems to be going on around it, and slowly but surely you begin to lose it. Everyone is calling and asking when their wedding invite is coming, who is doing the flowers? did you find a dress? did you do this, did you do that? I totally get your concern but what you do not realise is there's 1 of me and 500 of you asking pretty much the same thing over and over. This then leads to what I call shut down mode, where you just go blank or else you will go bonkers. There seems to be this weird heaviness that you cannot describe how or where it got there and you begin to just float.. Wedding blues. Is there a way to avoid them? A friend said just go to court and get married there you would so avoid them, another said play along, agree with everything they say ( though you might end up throwing a circus instead of a wedding) another said , stand your ground, let them know who's boss.... I don't know really, the purpose of this blog is not to give a solution to the wedding blues thing but to actually inform all brides out there that you are not crazy but you could feel a tad bit under the weather before your wedding, it's not unique to you so please don't go throw yourself over the bridge, they do say that after all is said and done and you are standing at that altar about to marry your best friend, everything will be worth it. Clear cut diamonds really have to go through the rough, what''s a testimony without the test!

Keep your head up high dear bride and smile smile smile because God and your hubby to be loves you, focus on those seemingly small little things that make you happy and you are looking forward to, such as; your walk down the aisle, rather than the relative who had a mouthful to say to you, think of those lovely flowers you will have, the look on your husband's face when he sets his eyes upon you, his precious gem...
Above all try not to lose too much sleep over 'The day' and forget about 'the Days' which is your actual marriage. One person said to me , when you go for your honeymoon, enjoy it, have tons of fun, unwind, it's your love vacation, you earned it

Fan-tastic Fans!

My dear friend got married exactly 8 days ago, and I'm still giddy with excitement for them! It's such a wonderful thing when someone close to you gets married.

In the days leading up to the wedding, Harare was experiencing a heat wave. The temperatures, I cannot talk about them, I think back and I start to sweat. While I was crispifying in the heat one day, I realised my friend was such a genius for getting us fans for the wedding instead of  bouquets. They totally came in handy... and... they're so fun!

The fans our friend bought for us at her wedding... Super fun!! $5, Pink, Joina City, Harare

Other places to look are at Floral Wonder at Sam Levy's Village, and Favourize, along Kwame Nkrumah avenue in the Harare CBD.

To the Zimbo brides in the diaspora who love shopping online, check out this and other beauties on eBay.com:

Gorgeous antique ivory fan

Another place to look is Etsy.com:

Gold Lace wedding fan

The list is by no means exhaustive, I advise you to shop around, and make your wedding cool and creative!

What do you say ladies? Will we be seeing fans at your wedding?

Kitchen Party Outfit Ideas

Phew! I’m surfacing from the tidal wave of kitchen parties, just long enough to write this post and dive in again into the sea of “5 more days before my friend gets married!” So we went for our final dress fittings, we’re getting our hair done tomorrow, and yep, we’re still practising masteps! So this’ll be a short post, with lots of pictures!

I’ve had kitchen parties on my brain for a while now... planning and attending so many will do that to you. It’s such a huge deal for a Zimbo bride to have a kitchen party, and for many it was the highlight before the wedding. With the diasporisation of our nation, the kitchen party format has changed. For some, the tete no longer does the planning. Nowadays it can be the bridesmaids, a female relative, or even the mother, when at some point it was taboo for her to even attend! With the modernisation of kitchen parties, comes the addition of themes and dress code. It’s pretty much the norm in other countries, but frankly quite new in Zimbabwe, where we’re still paying to see the muroora’s face! So when you receive an invitation with a dress code, here’s a handy little guide for you:

Casual
Many kitchen parties don’t really have a dress code, so it’s safer to stick to the casual dress code. Here are a few ideas:

                                

                

If the kitchen party doesn’t have a dress code, the above ideas would be appropriate if the kitchen party’s hosted by the bridesmaids, and has lots of young people, with a young speaker, or one who’s young at heart.

Smart Casual

I would put the majority of kitchen parties in this category. Where the party’s hosted by the bride’s in-laws or her female relatives, you could expect a lot of older ladies among the bride’s friends. The mood is a bit more formal, and your dress should reflect that:

            

            

Smart

Some kitchen parties are becoming fancier and fancier, with the invite specifying a smart or formal dress code. Here are some ideas:

            

            

Other

If you like your outfits a bit more edgy, try the following:

  

I found all these ideas at Asos Fashion Finder. Check out their website for more ideas.

What do you say ladies? What would you wear on your kitchen party? What did you wear? What other outfits would you like to see on this page? I’d love to hear from you!

Vaperekedzi's Bill of Rights

My dear readers, I apologize for my hiatus. It’s been quite hectic, with moving cities, trying to figure out the logistics of planning a wedding across the country, and settling in to the rhythm of work. But I am back and ready to inspire!

I’m a bridesmaid at a dear friend of mine’s wedding, on the 13^th of October. It’s been a fun journey; I’m in the thick of making phone calls, comforting an anxious bride, and practising for steps. Ah... masteps.... I’m loving the gown she got for herself, and the dresses she picked out for us, and I’m truly excited for the both of them.

In the midst of all the planning, I came across an article in Glamour SA, “The Bridesmaids’Bill of Rights”, and I could not help but laugh. Wedding planning is so stressful, sometimes we need a good laugh. So I’ve written our own version, the Vaperekedzi Bill of Rights:

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• The right to refuse to be placed on any committee that wakes you up at 6am to discuss the mundane issues of the wedding. Like cutlery. And who’s going to buy cabbage for the salad.

• The right to walk down the aisle with a full stomach. “When I was a bridesmaid, the bride’s mother woke us up to an amazing breakfast,” says Samantha, 25. “I’m truly grateful to her for her thoughtfulness, because the next meal we had was at the reception in the afternoon.”

•  The right to make the bride get up and dance each time she unwraps her kitchen tea present, because hey, she’s making you practise for masteps!

• The right to not go into debt  over your friend’s wedding, because frankly, she’s not the only one who’s getting married.

• The right to be genuinely outraged when a guest wears a dress just like your bridesmaid dress. “My friend’s future sisters-in-law were upset at not being made bridesmaids, that they went and had their own dresses made, that looked exactly like the bridesmaid dresses,” says L, 27. “I couldn’t say anything, I was too shocked.” True story.

• The right to fight over that bouquet. That little superstition could have some truth, so bring it on!!!

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• The right to not be considered fair game for every single guy attending the wedding. “I was a bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding, and one of her uncles got drunk and started harassing me. I literally had to fight him off. It was quite awkward.”

• The right to ask the dance coach to choreograph steps that are better than “kick, lock, 1-2-3...” and the infamous bus stop.

     

      

• The right to gang up on and speak some sense into a fellow bridesmaid who’s not picking up the slack. Because we’re all in this together. And it’s not about us, it’s about our friend who’s getting married.

• The right to celebrate your friend on one of the happiest days of her life, with no regrets.

What else would you add on this list? I would love to hear from you!

Emporium Bridal Expo Recap Part 3

Yeah! The final instalment of my Bridal Expo Recaps! I feel like Peter Jackson with the Lord of the Rings! Or Twilight... this is my Twilight post! Trilogies are so in nowadays *chuckle chuckle*. Though technically, Twilight wasn’t really a trilogy... or was it? They had 4 movies, but the book set, had 3 books. But I digress... back to work. This recap deals with the rest of the vendors who exhibited at the Bridal Expo.

Equipment Hiring & Decor

1.       Rooney’s

You know you’re Zimbabwean when you’ve been to a function that hired equipment from Rooney’s. They’ve stood the test of time and they just keep getting better. I loved this quote from their pamphlet: “We’re not saying we are good because we’re 60 years old. We’re saying we’re 60 years old because we’re good at what we do.” Happy 60^th, Rooney’s!

144 Seke Road, Harare, Zimbabwe

P.O. Box 1351, Harare, Zimbabwe

Tel(Skype): +263 4 748621-7, 771560-3

Fax:+263 4 770348

Email: hire@rooneys.co.zw

Arundel Office

Arundel Village

50 Quorn Ave

Mount Pleasant, Harare

Tel(Skype): +263 4 302417, 302421

Website: www.rooneys.co.zw

2.       Dreams Hiring Services

I came across this company at work when I was considering a certain venue for my upcoming wedding. They’re good at what they do. I have not dealt with them personally, but from afar, I love their  work!

Address: 303 Empowerment Way, Willowvale, Harare

Tel: +263 4 2911527/8

Mobile: +263 772 254 959, +263 772 700 283

Email: info@dreamshiring.co.zw

Website: www.dreamshiring.co.zw

3.       Oreac Events

I remember Oreac from Bulawayo, so you could imagine my excitement when I saw them exhibiting, and telling me that they’re also based in Harare! They do it all! Not only do they do equipment hire, they do decor, catering, they supply PA systems, DJs, photography and videography. Excellent!

Harare:

Address:18 Suffolk Road, Strathaven, Avondale, Harare

Mobile: +263 772 937 972, +263 772 815 195

Email: jullianoreac@yo.co.zw

jullian@oreacevents.com

Bulawayo:

Suite 201, 2^nd Floor, Sterling House

82A Jason Moyo St, btwn 8^th Ave & L. Takawira St. Bulawayo

Tel: +263 9 77044/5

Mobile: +263 772 937 972

Email:info@oreacevents.com

4.       Weddings Forever

Weddings Forever was established quite recently, and they have done quite a fair number of weddings so far. They are still new, but they are great at what they do, judging by their stand. They will go all out on your wedding day, cause they are still making a name for themselves, and for sure you will not be disappointed. They also supply wedding gowns and wedding accessories.

Address: 4 Edmonds Road, Belvedere, Harare

Mobile: +263 779 668 871, +263 713 357 049, +263 716 063 346

Stationery

1.       P. M. Sunflower Creations

I visited their stand and I was impressed beyond words. Not only do they have the normal invitation cards, favour boxes and table numbers, but they also have seating charts, gift boxes, and so on and so on. It’s delightfully overwhelming! If you want it, I guarantee, they probably have it. They also can do wedding websites, which is such a great help if you have family in the diaspora. So in other words, go get that wedding website! J

Address: 5 McGlew Close, Mount Pleasant, Harare

Mobile: +263 734 620 501

Email: eventstationeryzim@gmail.com

2.       The Posh Paper Place

I loved the creativity of this stand. Not only do they have amazing stationery, the owner, Denise, has such an eye for colours and beauty. It’s great to work with someone who can take your vision and make it into reality. You will not be let down.

Address:Willowmead Junction (upstairs), Cnr Willowmead Lane and Rolfe Avenue, Rolfe Valley, Harare

Mobile: +263 772 269 500

Email: denisemb@yoafrica.com

Hair and Beauty

1.       Lee’s Hair Salon

They do microbonding, highlights, blow waves, bridal styling, hair weaving, haircuts and relaxing. Go check them out!

Address: 5 McGlew Road, Arundel, Harare

Mobile: +263 772 330 254

Email: lnyamayaro@gmail.com

Website: www.leeshairsalon.co.za

2.       Makeup by Nyasha

Nyasha blew me away when I went to her stand! She knows her craft, and is truly skilled in it. I’d recommend booking her 6 months in advance, where she tells you how to prepare your skin. 2 months before, you’ll have your first makeup trial, and then make up for the day. That is professional! I was highly impressed!

Address: Mezzanine Floor 1, Rainbow Towers

Mobile: +263 773 827 079

Email: makeupbynyasha@gmail.com

PA System and DJing

1.       Premier Sounds Solution

They did the sound for the Bridal Expo, and if you were there, you would agree that they did an amazing job. So take that amazing...ness, and have it at your wedding. You’ll have a nonstop celebration!

Address: 44 Auckland Road, Southerton, Harare

Mobile: +263 772 679 825 (Romeo)

+263 772 950 860 (Tinashe)

+263 733 867 217 (Tanya)

Cakes

1.       Cake Link

Cake Link has been in existence for 11 years now, and they do gorgeous cakes in a variety of flavours. There was a cake tasting at the Expo, and I tried their red velvet cake. I now know what the fuss is with red velvet cake. It. Is. Divine. If you’re like me and you absolutely cannot stand fruit cake, Cake Link is the place for you. They also do special orders, special needs cakes, and their prices are  reasonable.

Address: 6 Normandy Road, Alexandra Park, Harare

Tel: +263 864 406 9958

Mobile: +263 773 372 295/6, +263 772 329 059

Email: cakelink@gmail.com

Website: www.cakelink.co.zw

*Sigh* The Bridal Expo Recap Trilogy is complete. I’m now pumped, what will be the subject of  my next trilogy? Just kidding, lol. I would love to hear from you, if you have worked with any of these vendors personally. All these reviews were just my views from my interaction with them at the expo. I recommend them all, if you’re planning your wedding, just give them a call, and see whom you’d love to work with!