Why our wedding gobbled up Ksh300, 000 despite event lasting only 30 minutes and with 9 attendees

When George Lewis Kariuki, 30, and his better half, Rachel Wanjugu Irungu, 26, started their wedding plans in April 2019, they had envisioned a Ksh1.2 million grand ceremony that will forever be engraved in their love history books.

They had planned to invite tens of guests, hold the ceremony in a lush venue and feed attendees the best food Kenyan outside catering service providers could offer. The event was originally scheduled for April 25, 2020.

With such grand elements to the wedding, the Ksh1.2 million figure for a day’s event was justified.

Fast forward to April 2020, the year Kariuki, a Nairobi-based businessman, and Irungu, a hotel manager in Nyeri, were to exchange wedding vows, their budget had been slashed by three quarters to Ksh300, 000 from Ksh1.2 million.

And, on April 7, the lovebirds tied the knot in a ceremony that was only attended by nine people, and was conducted in record 30 minutes.

The wedding held at PCEA Muhito Church in Mukurwe area of Nyeri County was attended by the couple’s parents (four of them), the best man, the maid of honour, the officiating priest, Rev. Moses Muriu, and two bridesmaids.

And, after the two had exchanged their wedding vows, and telling us that the event cost Ksh300, 000, we were curious to know how they arrived at the figure, given the ceremony was relieved of certain expenses such as venue charges, transport, food, lighting, sound apparatus, among others, which usually consume a chunk of wedding monies.

Kariuki told K24 Digital that they had already made payments towards tent bookings, outfit acquisition, venue booking, emcee cost, among other costs, that totaled to Ksh300, 000. They said the payments were made way before coronavirus outbreak wreaked havoc in the world.

Asked whether they will claim a refund, given they did not use any of the service providers’ items, the couple said: “As of now we are not sure. We wanted to wed first, and then follow up whether our money would be given back to us.”

In February this year, Kariuki visited Irungu’s parents’ home in Nyeri, where he met her parents, and was given the go-ahead to marry her.

Following a March 2020 Government directive outlawing public gatherings with persons more than 15, Kariuki and his partner had to settle on a leaner composition of those they would allow attend their nuptials.

The directive issued mid-March was announced after at least seven Kenyans were confirmed to have tested positive for coronavirus.