SITHABISO & WASHINGTON LAKESIDE WEDDING HARARE, ZIMBABWE
Bride: Sithabiso Alice Dube
Groom: Washington Mukundi Khanda
Wedding Venue: Kingfisher Park, Harare
Wedding Date: Saturday, 19 December 2015
Something Me had the great pleasure of attending this wedding and if we were to choose a few words to describe this wedding, we would use words such as Beautiful, Refreshing, Family Love, Siblings Are a Joy and Dance your Feet Off. In addition, a great sense of humour and laughter surrounded this special occasion.
The couple tied the knot in a way that truly showcased their personalities. It’s not often that one gets to attend a wedding that takes place by the pond, features a stack of hay as the pull pit, has the bridesmaids dressed as gorgeous forest fairies, and serves a mouth-watering spit braai wedding menu with such style and elegance!
The guests were surely kept entertained throughout the day and we would be remiss not to mention the unforgettable dance moves showcased that were courtesy of the bride’s brothers. What a stunning union and a truly blessed day.
Tell us about how you met
Washington and I met in December 2011. At the time, I lived and worked in Kenya and had travelled to Zimbabwe to spend the Christmas holidays with my family. During that time, a cousin of mine introduced me to Washington. My first impression – I was taken aback by his presence. We actually argued about silly things and at the same time, this is how he got my attention. Fast forward to a few months later and we were communicating constantly, I mean constantly and over every form of social media. We managed to successfully make the long distance thing work until such time that I relocated to Zimbabwe. The rest, they say, is history!
How he proposed
The proposal happened on a lazy Sunday afternoon. He took me out for an Italian meal and then for a walk in the lovely Botanical Gardens of Harare. I remember being mad at him for making me drive his truck. You know, I was not exactly used to the gears and stuff. In retrospect I appreciate those driving lessons as I am a great driver on the road now. Anyway, back to the proposal story. So, at the Botanical Gardens, there were people walking their dogs and the sun had begun to set. We were drinking soft drinks out of cans with straws and seated on a bench with his head on my lap. He took his straw and made a circle shape and before I realised what he was doing, he had put the ‘straw ring’ around my finger and said “Sithabiso, I want to meet your Tete”.
Okay, so for those that are not fully familiar with African custom and traditions, in our culture this is as much of a proposal that you are going to get! (minus the “straw ring”) Hahaha but it was perfect in my eyes.
Tete is a Shona word for one’s Aunty (i.e. the bride’s father’s sister) and by man’s family approaching her and declaring their intentions to marry the daughter in that family, this officially marks the beginning of marriage negotiations in the African custom.
Describe your wedding style
Our style was very laid back. There were no specific colours however for the colours we did use, we went for pastels.
Describe your wedding dress
It was tulle princess, off shoulder, elbow sleeve dress. Basically a dress that hides all trouble areas!
What was the style of your bridesmaid’s dresses
My bridesmaids were supposed to be nymphs in the forest. They had mismatched tulle interchangeable dresses. They also had flower crowns and Masaai calf sandals from East Africa.
Describe some of your special wedding details
One of our favourite wow factors were the fireworks at the end of the night. It was a last minute addition but it was so worth it and it was a great surprise for our guests. We also loved the hay-bales, tree stump stands, stick centrepieces and the light that shone from the bottom of the vase creating patterns on the tent ceiling. We made most of the centrepiece pieces. We kept the reception deco quite bare and maximized on lighting effects so the reception tent kept changing colour throughout the night. We liked how the checked dance-floor looked too.
Why it’s easy to love hubby
Because he is lovable! He is a born leader who you can’t help but follow. He is a generous and kind person, who loves family and is a loyal friend. We spend a lot of our time laughing and joking.
Why it’s so easy to love wifey
She is beautiful, driven, intelligent and warm.
How was culture incorporated in your wedding day
We actually had two weddings. The first wedding took place a week prior in Bulawayo and this was our blessing ceremony with an African theme. A moment of culture in the white wedding was when my husband had to go on his knees to receive me from my father. It was quite a funny moment too.
Brides wedding day most memorable moment
Seeing him from the car before I walked down the aisle. My heart was so full.
Grooms wedding day most memorable moment
The first dance in front of everyone and kissing her in front of the world.
Advice to engaged couples planning their wedding
Do you! Don’t think too much about what everyone wants or thinks because you will end up pleasing everyone else but yourself. Have trusted people to help you. Cut down on the budget without cutting down on your dreams. And most importantly – pray!
Bride’s advice for future brides
Start planning way in advance and discover what you really really want. Involve your closest and dearest, you will need them.
THE INSIDE SCOOP:
Wedding colours: peach, grey, mint
Wedding Flowers: off white roses
Favourite item on the wedding menu: Portuguese chicken
Wedding cake flavour/s: traditional wedding fruit cake
First Dance Song: Stronger – Jah Cure
Bride’s shoe designer: RadoArts special
Bridesmaid’s gifts: Pink bridesmaid tops and they also received lovely personalised invites to be bridesmaids
Groomsman’s gifts: bow-ties and a bottle of whiskey
SUPPLIER LIST FEATURED IN THIS POST
Photography: Pxel Photography / Invitations: Graydezyn / Cake: Cakes by Nyarie / Hair Supplier: Pandora’s Shoe Box / Makeup Artist: Rosalie Ndlovu / Wedding Planner: Family Wedding Committee / Florist: Patrick from Unity Square/ Caterer: Creative Cuisines/ Decor: Eminence / DJ: Dj Redds
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