“A wedding whose budget is below Sh4 million is not worth writing about.”
When a renowned wedding planner in Kenya said those words I knew I would cuddle myself to sleep for years.
Truth is, so many young couples would love posh weddings but they simply cannot afford.
Well, some plunge into debt ‘for the gram’ but others go for simple events that are pocket-friendly.
I am not saying you should not go out of your way for your wedding, in fact, ‘tumia pesa ikuzoee’.
A friend of mine recently showed me his budget that rekindled my hopes of getting a life partner.
He is not an accountant by the way, but his budget came to around Sh23,500.
I know some of you might be thinking, ‘kama hana pesa si aishi pekee yake.’ But this guy is in love and his partner is totally comfortable with his plan.
He intends to visit the Attorney General’s office and has everything planned out including cab fare (how considerate).
Here is his breakdown:
- Marriage license Sh9,700
- Cab fare Sh800
- Cake Sh3000
- Rings Sh10,000
The Marriage Act, 2014 recognizes Five (5) systems of marriage, namely: Civil, Christian, Customary, Hindu and Islamic marriages.
Below we have broken down how much it will cost you to get a marriage certificate in the different categories
Civil Marriage by Notice: Kenyans (only)
A fee of Ksh 3,900 is charged for the whole process.
Civil Marriage by Speial License (Applies to Kenyans and foreigners)
A fee of Ksh 9,700 is charged if the wedding is being conducted in the Registrar’s office and Ksh 16,700 if the wedding will take place in a garden.
Christian/ Hindu marriages by Notice
A fee Ksh 1,400.00 is charged for the whole process if the wedding is to be done in place of worship.
If parties had placed a notice of marriage with the intent to celebrate their marriage in a garden, the fee is Ksh 7,200.
Christian/ Hindu Marriages by Special License
A fee is Kshs. 7,200.00 is charged if the wedding is being conducted in a licensed place of worship and Kshs 14,200.00 if the wedding takes in a garden.
Marriages by Special License (where one party or both parties are foreigners)
A fee of Ksh 14,200 is charged if the wedding is being conducted in a licensed place of worship and Ksh 21,200 if the wedding takes place in a garden.
By Vincent Kejitan
My wedding budget is Sh23,500, here is the breakdown
