Love-struck couple say ‘I do’ from hospital bed
By BONIFACE MWANGI
A wedding was on Saturday conducted by a hospital bedside after an accident temporarily immobilised the bride who, nevertheless, would not let the misfortune dampen her day.
Nairobi-based businessman James Mwangi, 26, and 31-year-old computer system administrator Miriam Gakenia, said their vows at the Outspan Hospital grounds in Nyeri where they were offered a venue by the management.
The two love birds, who have dated for one-and-a-half years, were injured in a road accident involving a 14-seater matatu and a lorry on the Nyeri-Nairobi highway on Tuesday evening.
And, as they took their vows, both shed tears of joy with Mr Mwangi taking the opportunity to show his love towards his wife, Miriam, by wiping her tears using his white handkerchief.
Miriam, however, could not stand as she broke her hip bone and left arm. She took her vows lying on her bed in the hospital grounds. Mwangi broke his right arm. The couple said they could not postpone their wedding since they had planned it for a long time.
“Postponing the wedding would have been a sign of defeat. We just don’t want to give the devil a chance, what we had planned must go on since we are both alive,” she said.
HONEYMOON SUITE
Mr Mwangi said that he loved Miriam so much and nothing short of death would have stopped their wedding.
“We thank God for keeping us alive and fit to carry on with our plans. I want to tell my wife that our honeymoon plans will go on. I am waiting for the day she will be back on her feet,” he said.
Outspan Hospital donated a special room in the hospital which will be the couple’s honeymoon suite.
Clad in a black jacket with blue stripes, white shirt and a navy blue pair of trouser, Mwangi stood beside Miriam who was radiant in a white wedding gown.
The entire hospital was decorated with flowers. It was an unplanned garden wedding. The dancing bridal party escorted Miriam from her ward to the grounds where she was wheeled for the colourful wedding.
The Reverend Stephen Mungai, of Deliverance Church, said: “I was shocked when Mr Mwangi came to me and told me that they would go on with the wedding. But it made sense,” said the Rev Mungai.
There were about 300 guests who attended the reception party after the ceremony that lasted one-and-a-half hours.