They say distance makes the heart grow fonder — but no one talks about what it does to your inbox.

For this UK-based couple, planning a Southern African wedding from thousands of miles away meant juggling time zones, currency conversions, and late-night WhatsApp calls that started with “Can you hear me now?”

Still, they pulled it off — a celebration that was elegant, heartfelt, and undeniably homegrown.

Here’s how they did it.

💻 Q: What made you decide to plan your wedding back home instead of in the UK?

A: Home is where our story began — and where our hearts still belong.

We met in the UK, but our families, our memories, our roots — they’re all back in Zimbabwe. We didn’t want a cold registry office; we wanted a wedding that felt alive.

There’s just something about the sound of ululations, the smell of roasted maize from the roadside, the colours, the laughter. That’s what we wanted — not just a wedding, but a reunion of worlds.

“We wanted our British friends to experience the magic of Africa — the rhythm, the warmth, the chaos, the beauty.”

🕓 Q: What was the hardest part about planning from abroad?

A: Time zones!

There’s nothing like trying to confirm your florist while your planner’s at lunch, your mum’s at church, and your best man’s at work in Bulawayo.

We’d spend evenings scrolling through suppliers online, watching venue walkthroughs, and sending screenshots at 2 a.m.

There were moments of frustration — missed emails, differing prices, and the occasional “Oh no, the decorator’s booked that date!” moment — but we learned quickly that communication is everything.

We set up one WhatsApp group for “wedding planning only” (no memes allowed!) and used shared Google Sheets for our checklist.

“It became a full-time job, but the excitement kept us going.”

💐 Q: How did you choose your vendors without meeting them in person?

A: Honestly — trust and referrals.

We started by browsing Plan My Wedding Africa and Instagram, checking reviews and real photos. Once we found people whose work matched our vision, we jumped on video calls.

Our wedding planner was our anchor — she did site visits, sent videos, and gave us honest feedback. She became our eyes and ears on the ground.

We also relied on family. My sister went to taste the cake samples; my cousin met the DJ in person.

“You’d be amazed at how helpful everyone becomes when they know you’re flying halfway across the world to get married.”

✈️ Q: When did you actually fly home?

A: Two weeks before the wedding — and those two weeks were a blur!

Between fittings, vendor meet-ups, and family dinners, it felt like we lived in our car. But seeing everything we’d planned from afar finally come together? Unreal.

The best moment was walking into the venue the night before and realizing — this was ours.

“We’d seen it in videos for months, but standing there in real life felt like magic.”

💍 Q: What was your favourite moment on the day?

A: That first look.

After all the chaos, all the planning, all the travel — the moment we finally saw each other felt still. We both cried (yes, both).

Everything — the months of emails, the budgeting, the distance — disappeared. All that mattered was us, right there, surrounded by the people who shaped us.

The sound of our families cheering, our friends who flew in from the UK and SA, the smell of flowers in the air — it was everything we dreamed of.

“It felt like we’d brought two worlds together — London polish with African soul.”

🕊️ Q: What advice would you give to other diaspora couples planning from abroad?

A:

Find a planner you trust. They’ll be your lifeline.

Use tech wisely. Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Drive — they’re your best friends.

Plan for delays. Things move differently back home — and that’s okay.

Visit if you can — but if you can’t, rely on video and community.

Stay flexible. What matters most is the moment, not the menu.

Remember why you’re doing it. When you say your vows, none of the logistics matter.

“At the end of the day, we didn’t just plan a wedding — we planned a homecoming.”

💫 Final Thoughts

For couples in the diaspora, weddings back home are more than ceremonies — they’re reunions of identity. They’re where the past meets the present, and love becomes a bridge between continents.

This couple’s journey was proof that you don’t have to be in the same place to build something beautiful.

Because love — much like home — is never too far away.