African celebrities, royalty and ultra wealthy women can never keep their wedding gowns entirely under wraps, regardless of how private they keep the ceremony. The public expects them to be impeccably dressed at all times, so on their wedding day, women in high places tend to deliver. Here are 8 of the loveliest wedding dresses worn by African celebrities, royalty and the well connected.
Simi Osomo
Simi Osomo was the assistant to a fashion editor and she wore a breathtaking Carolina Herrera dress when she married musician Dr Sid Esiri. They married at Ikoyi Baptist church in Lagos and had their reception at Oriental Hotel. The color scheme for the ceremony was pink and purple, while the color scheme for the reception was vibrant oranges and reds.
Olive Liemba Disita is the wife of President Joseph Kabila. They married in 2006, when Kabila was 35 and Disita was 26. Long-time sweethearts before tying the knot, they had a son together before getting married. Their wedding was broadcast on state TV so everyone could see the glamorous event.
Nelius Rwamba Mukami of Kenya is the wife of Member of Parliament Isaac Mwaura. They married at the Green Gardens grounds in Nairobi—one of the top wedding venues in the city. President Uhuru Kenyatta attended. The bride wore a flattering strapless, sweetheart neckline dress with beaded detail and an embroidered train.
Musical sensation Tiwa Savage married Tunji Balogun in a Vera Wang dress — a timeless white strapless with a shiny trim, dramatic train, and extra long veil. The bride held a cascading bouquet of white orchids that complemented her dress perfectly. Her groom wore a matching white suit. They married in Dubai.
Princess of Tooro Ruth Nsemere Komuntale married Christopher Thomas in the hills of Fort Portal in 2012. The traditional pre-marriage ceremony took place at the home of the bride’s paternal uncle before the wedding. Komuntale wore a delicate and sophisticated dress with transparent and embroidered sleeves, a beaded dress and tiara. The marriage barely lasted a year before the princess announced they were separating.
Nigerian actress Ighodaro wore a timeless Mai Atafo dress with incredible attention to detail when she married entertainment guru Gbenro Ajibade. The wedding was in New York City on July Fourth, 2015. The groomsmen wore electric blue suits and the groom wore a classic tuxedo with a double-button panel in the front.
Nigerian TV personality Toke Makinwa married Maje Ayida in 2014. They barely knew each other a year before tying the knot, so their wedding came as a surprise to the public. They are in the throes of a divorce but nobody can deny they had a gorgeous wedding. Makinwa wore an April by Kunbi gown to the intimate ceremony.
Zulu Princess Bukhosibemvelo married businessman Sipho Nyawo in Durban, South Africa in 2009. The religious ceremony was held at Ntuzuma Full Gospel Community Church, and the reception was at the Durban Botanical Gardens. Hundreds of people were in attendance, including President Jacob Zuma and Swaziland’s royal family.