A proposal like no other

Bride: Gathoni Kiruthi

GROOM: Ben Kiruthi

Wedding date:  February, 14, 2014

Number of guests: 1,000

Reception venue: PCEA Kahawa Farmers and Sportsview Hotel, Kasarani in Nairobi

Budget: Sh600,000

First date 

Ben: We met in 2005 at a Church retreat. We met later in 2009 while doing skits in church and as we were leaving in the evening, I escorted her home with some pals. That’s when we talked and got to know each other more.

The proposal

Gathoni: It was awesome; it totally caught me off guard. We headed to his place and when we got to the door, he gave me a key and told me to open the door. I found a piece of paper with a Bible verse from 1st Corinthians 13. He said it was a game like treasure hunt. The paper directed me to the mirror where I found the second clue, which implied cool water. I decided it had something to do with the fridge, but when I opened it, I couldn’t find anything. I was just about to give up when I saw a piece of paper stuck on the fridge. It was another Bible verse, Jonah 1:7, that implied a ship. I was a bit lost again, but I remembered there was a ship model on top of the TV. Inside that ‘ship’ was a pink box. I opened it and found the ring. At this point, he was already on one knee. I couldn’t say no.

The story behind the wedding

Ben: Our main challenge was finances. There were so many things to do. God came through for us and we were able to achieve our dream wedding.

In hindsight (lessons)

Our advice to young couples planning to get married is:

• Take time to pray for God to protect you during the wedding preparation, in the marriage and in future endeavours.

• Focus on the end result and that is the marriage since the wedding is just a day’s event.

• Strive to be unique and simple.

Memorable moments

Gathoni: The selfie we took in church during the first kiss. We also had a surprise dance by Igniters Dance Group. We had gifts for one another.

Photo: benkiruthi.com