‘Til 3005’ – Inside Morgan and Sekayi’s Safari-inspired Wedding!

Sekayi Fundafunda, one half of the Zambian dynamic blogging duo MaFashio Co., and Morgan Lungu tied the knot in a Safari-inspired wedding last year in April.

“I had always believed I would be married at 40 – this was my half-hearted plan,” Sekayi writes on her blog. “Partly because, not without reason, my father had said to me, that most men would “get in the way of my greatness”. I was to stay vigilant, if I wished to accomplish all the things I had my heart set on achieving.”

In this reblogged story she shares her entire wedding story. Read on.

I remember being surrounded by my mothers and sisters, whizzing in and out of my room at Lilayi Lodge, while playing everything from Gospel music to some strong afro-beat to get us prepped (read: amped) for the day ahead.

All the while, Kii floating around me like my guardian angel, putting everyone in their place – fully owning her ‘Maid of Honour’ title.

The process leading up to the wedding is one I will probably never forget. I wondered every day as we prepared, if every bride went through this. I am a naturally impatient person, and so while we planned our wedding, deciding to be present for all of it often felt like a trial by fire. LOL

I like to think I was present for most of it. The highs and lows, the disappointments, the worry, the breakthroughs, the love, the loss. 

I had always believed I would be married at 40 – this was my half-hearted plan. Partly because, not without reason, my father had said to me, that most men would “get in the way of my greatness”. I was to stay vigilant, if I wished to accomplish all the things I had my heart set on achieving. 

Unbeknownst to me, my mind held on to these words.

I’m always telling Morgan that he was one of life’s biggest blindsides, mostly because I walked into “us” blissfully unaware of the sheer havoc he would cause. LOL

With a mother that made wedding dresses (for the past 25 years), I got to play dress up A LOT as a child. Kii and I re-enacted our fair share of ‘No One But You’ (those of you that watched ZNBC TV can relate), with me vying for the role of Raquel, Antonio’s love. 

Fast forward 15-20 years, and almost all ideas of fairy tales had left me. Note, “almost all” and not “all”. A part of me still wanted the big day, with love, food, wine and the party.

Once I knew that this (relationship) was heading in the direction of marriage – which Morgan made abundantly clear from the jump – the wheels started to turn.

We talked extensively about the kind of day we wanted and created a list of one word top priorities. At the time it looked like:

1. God
2. Family
3. Friends
4. Africa (its fashion, mostly)
5. Japanese Culture
6. Music
7. Comics/Anime

Once we had our list down we set about mapping the kind of event we could have – the why/what/who/where/how necessary to integrate all the aforementioned elements.

I stalked several vendors, up until about 5 or so months to the wedding (eeek!) before we went with Victoria – of Victoria’s Tailor Made Events – who came to us like a dream.

Victoria was everything from our event coordinator, planner, event designer and decor lead to Matron. LOL

We went over the details – over and over and over again before we got a series of events and spaces we liked.

I am terribly grateful to Scott at Lilayi Lodge for agreeing to let us have the ceremony in their circular restaurant space – something they had never done before. It was the perfect cosy start to what was to be a beautiful day. 

But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

One thing that was fundamental to Morgan and I, was to be the centre of attention, without being the centre of attention. 

As such, we decided that we wouldn’t have a sweetheart table, but instead sit with our closest friends, flanked by our parents, then family and friends.

We also decided against having a bridal party, opting to have Kii as my Maid of Honour and each of Morgan’s closest friends being called on for one specific task each. 

Although I did not have bridesmaids, all day I was surrounded by all the women I hold dear. 

The Looks

I have always wanted my mother to be the one to create my wedding dress and was so glad that despite having been through surgery a few months before, she was still able to make it for me. 

I’m a sucker for texture, I love to feel my fabric, to somehow connect with it. I knew I didn’t want bridal satin, because I’ve never really liked what it felt like to the touch. 

My Mummy Joyce (who essentially set the ball rolling in that department) sent over some swatches of fabric from the UK to help ease the fabric selection process. We found one that I instantly fell in-love with. It was a stretch raw silk in ivory. 

The price point? £45 per metre. For the dress I had envisioned, we would need nearly 12 metres of fabric.

I was never ready. LOL

I spent a couple of days feeling defeated, wondering what to do. My mum asked that we make a day of going through Kamwala to find a fabric that could perhaps be an alternative. I indulged her, and the three of us went looking.

This is still one of the biggest pre-wedding wins. We found the exact same fabric, tucked away behind piles and piles of bridal satin – at less than half the cost. The attendant even looked a little shook at our selecting that fabric.

I’m still in awe at the fact that we managed to find it.  

We went against the “safari bride” grain by opting for a more traditional ball gown, with everything from the off-the-shoulder top, to more than 120 buttons on the train – each of which were hand stitched on.

In keeping with the handmade feel of my dress, my mum hand placed pearls all along the bottom of my veil.

Because Africa – and it’s fashion –  is such a big deal to both Morgan and I, it was imperative that we both had our outfits made locally. As such, Morgan’s two suits (and my accessories) were done by Esnoko; and my evening suit and Kii’s dresses, were brought to life by Lwenje.

In as far as hair and makeup is concerned, Kii and I both went for a more natural look – our style for the past 2 years.

I’m grateful to have had Kaluba, my baby sister and makeup artist behind Looks by Lulu, present to do my makeup and Serah Kamwimba to style my hair.

The Day

In keeping with our laid back, “chilling with friends and family” vision for the day, our marriage blessing was intimate and followed almost immediately by our first round of images. We had a performance by a Japanese dance troupe (yassss), after which we were taken through lunch, speeches and surprises (for Morgan) by the phenomenal Lulu Haangala Wood. The Newlyweds – us –  snuck away (again) for pictures with Team BalistiQ under the setting sun.

We closed off the day with drinks and more dancing on the deck.

Grateful for such a beautiful day, for our love, and that of friends and family.

The Present

In my mind, getting married, and building “home” with someone new, some place new, is summed up pretty well by Irene Yuan Sun, in her book, The Next Factory of The World, that explores Chinese presence on the African continent (btw, highly recommended reading for anyone interested in the conversation on African development, economics and China’s role in all of it).

“Building a home is first and foremost an enormous feat of imagination. It requires imagining oneself belonging to a place that feels simultaneously familiar and alien.”

Irene Yuan Sun, ‘The Next Factory of the World’ 

pg 126

Thank you to the following people and teams, for making our day so unforgettable!

Event Design – MaFashio, Morgan, Victoria’s Tailor Made Events

Event Decor/Planner/Coordinator – Victoria’s Tailor Made Events

Tent and Seating – Rooney’s 

Venue – Lilayi Lodge

Photography and Video – BalistiQ

Wedding Invitations – Lo Kamwendo & Paper Face

MC – Lulu Haangala Wood

Cocktail Bar – The Chic Bar

Morgan’s Suit(s) – Esnoko

Kayi’s Hat and Fan – Esnoko

Kayi’s Evening Suit – Lwenje

Kii’s Dresses – Lwenje 

Kayi’s Wedding Dress – Brides by Gina

Kayi and Kii’s Hair – Serah Kamwimba

Kayi’s Make-up – Looks by Lulu

Kii’s Makeup – Tendai Shumba

Source: Mafashio.co.zm

weddings@satisfashionug.com