Arbantone artist VJ Patelo married his partner, Diana, over the weekend, and the lavish wedding has caused a stir online as Kenyans react to the break from tradition.
The groomsmen arrived at the venue in a black limousine, dressed in black suits, tuxedo shirts and bow ties, but it was the guests adorned in flashy knock-offs and street fashion, set against the lavish wedding set-up and location, that captured the fascination of people online.
In a recent interview, the artist said that the wedding cost KSh. 500Million.
“My wedding cost nearly KSh500 million – my wife’s dress KSh1.6M from Dubai, my suit KSh1.7M, and my 10 groomsmen KSh2.2M,” he said.
Videos of the wedding, which took place at beautiful Naiposha Gardens, continue to circulate online as more people ask about the meaning of “wepesi” and even more question some of the antics captured on video.
The video that sparked public debate features the very drunk groom walking down the aisle alongside his parents, wearing several chains around his neck.
Speaking in an interview, the bride, Diana, revealed that Patelo was her love: “He is the only person I wanted. I loved him because of his bad-boy personality.”
In addition to the bad boy persona, the internet has also been abuzz with debate about the outfits, the language, the drunkenness, to the appearance of the guests, now known as “Wepesi” online.
Beyond what Kenyans have now dubbed “bizarre but entertaining antics”, both the bride, dressed in a long sweeping Cinderella gown, and the groom appeared happy.
“Nothing can make us break up, even death cannot,” the couple said.
