“He proposed at a jazz concert”

David Macharia, 33, and Shiro Macharia, 26, were both serving in the youth ministry in their local church when they first met. At first they often clashed due to their different personalities but with time they came to understand each other and eventually fell in love. This warm and interesting couple shared their love story with ESTHER KIRAGU.                          

When I met David and Shiro for this interview, it almost felt like I had known them for a long time. They chatted and cracked jokes with me like long-lost friends, making the interview easy and quite enjoyable. Shiro’s unique African top with matching earrings stood out and when she said she was an interior designer, her unique dressing all added up. We sipped our drinks as the couple settled down for this interview.

“Ours wasn’t a love at first sight story. Infact, when we first met, we didn’t connect,” says the couple as they look at each other before bursting out with laughter. They met in January 2011 while serving in their local church. “David looked very serious and focused while I am very spontaneous,” says a bubbly Shiro.

Dating and courtship…

After a lot of interaction in church a strong friendship developed between Shiro and David. They spent a lot of time together and had long phone conversations in a bid to get to know each other better. “I learnt that Shiro was passionate about God and respected strong family values, which resonated with me,” says David an IT specialist. David asked Shiro to be his girlfriend over a coffee date on April 11, 2011 and she agreed.

The couple says that their dating was public because they wanted their friends to keep them accountable. They set boundaries early in the relationship and chose to date purely till marriage.  Although they spent time with their friends, they also went on private dates but were still accountable to their friends.

Through constant communication, they were able to talk about important issues such as finances, investments and family, which helped eliminate many areas of conflict. However, the couple admits that they often clashed due to their different personalities but with time they learnt to accommodate each other.

 Surprise proposal…

David proposed to Shiro on December 15, 2011 in the midst of a well-orchestrated jazz concert at the Village Market by Aaron Rimbui.  “The proposal was a pleasant surprise especially when David walked up to the stage wearing a white suit. At first I thought he was going to sing but when he went on one knee and asked me to marry him in front of everyone, I went into a daze. I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be his wife and so I said yes,” says a thrilled Shiro.

In preparation to marriage life, the couple took pre-wedding classes in their local church after which they informed their parents of their decision to get married. Soon dowry negotiations and other arrangements were set in motion. Their wedding cost Ksh 650,000 and was financed through their savings and contributions from family and friends. A wedding committee, steered by their ‘Life Group’ members and close friends, helped raise funds and plan the wedding. “Our family and friends came through for us and we feel indebted to them,” says the couple.

They had a beautiful garden wedding on September 1, 2012 at the Jockey Club on Ngong Road in Nairobi, followed by a reception at the same venue.  The wedding colour theme was blue, hot pink and silver, which the couple says looked fabulous. They had a “trash the dress” photography –  a style of wedding photography that contrasts elegant clothing with an environment that is out of place, such as on a river, waterfall, in the city streets, rooftops and garbage dumpsites; places where the wedding dress may effectively be ruined in the process.

“We were relaxed, had lots of fun and the photos turned out to be excellent memories of our day, “ says the jubilant couple. They went to Funzi Keys Resort, in Funzi Island, off the coast of Mombasa for their honeymoon.

We wish the couple an enjoyable marriage.

Wedding photography by Mwangi “Mwarv” Kirubi of Click Pictureworks Africa.

Published on June 2013