👑 Craft Queen Diaries: How I Turned My Home Into My Wedding Venue

Bride: Chido Marembo
Location: Greendale, Harare, Zimbabwe
Theme: Afro-Boho Backyard Bliss
Budget: Under $5,000 for the entire wedding
Hashtags: #CraftQueenBride #HomeVenueHustle #DIYWithHeart

When COVID postponed their venue wedding twice, Chido and Simba decided to stop waiting. “One day I looked at my mom’s garden and thought—this is it. This is where we’ll begin our forever.” And just like that, a suburban home transformed into a full-blown wedding wonderland, all thanks to creativity, paint, and a little bit of chaos.

🧱 Step 1: The Game Plan

6 months before
"I grabbed a notebook and sketched my dream wedding layout:

Ceremony under the mango tree

Reception on the back lawn

Lounge area on the verandah

Kids' zone near the gate

Dance floor in the driveway!"

I measured every section with tape, noted the sun angles, and asked my cousin to do a mock-up in Canva. We created a Pinterest board, colour-coded mood chart, and DIY calendar.

🪵 Step 2: Turning Junk into Joy (a.k.a. Décor)

4 months before
We raided our garage, gogo’s house, and Facebook Marketplace. Here’s what we transformed:

Pallets became our welcome signage, drink station, and low-seating tables

Old bedframes turned into a boho altar with macrame curtains

Jam jars became lanterns, painted and filled with fairy lights

Leftover paint from house renovations was used to colour-code corners (nude, mustard, green & terra-cotta)

We sourced local baskets from Mbare, borrowed vintage chairs from aunties, and spray-painted tins gold for vases. Every guest chair had a custom cushion made by my sewing club girls.

💐 Step 3: The Garden Glow-Up

3 months before
We hired a gardener to help us:

Trim trees and hedges

Plant fresh bougainvillea and wild daisies

Dig a trench for cable runs (electricity for lights & music)

We added:

DIY trellises with string lights

Bamboo poles from a friend in Domboshava for the arch

Hanging fruit crates filled with succulents

By the wedding week, the entire yard looked like Pinterest met Harare suburbia.

🪑 Step 4: Rent Smart, DIY the Rest

2 months before
We rented:

A backup marquee (just in case)

50 white chairs

Glassware and cutlery

Everything else was DIY:

Fabric table runners made from African print scraps

Napkin rings were beaded bangles we made during a wine night

Chalkboard signs borrowed from a local coffee shop we love

Even our gift table was Simba’s grandmother’s wooden trunk, draped in lace.

🍽️ Step 5: Home Kitchen, Big Love

1 month before
Auntie Ruva offered to cook. We said YES.
She turned the garage into a temporary kitchen, complete with gas stove, water drums, and prep tables.

Menu:

Sadza, peanut butter stew, grilled chicken

Vegetable skewers & chakalaka rice

Dessert was Simba’s favourite: homemade chocolate cake with Amarula glaze

We served watermelon mocktails in wine glasses and iced rooibos tea in glass dispensers we DIY’d with taps.

🎉 Step 6: The Wedding Weekend

2 days before:

We laid out rugs from every aunt in the family

My cousins strung lights until 2AM

Simba’s brothers assembled the ceremony arch

The kids helped stuff favour bags with handmade soap bars and dried lavender

On the day:

I walked barefoot down the grass aisle with my veil trailing behind

Simba cried before I even reached the arch

Our dog, Tinta, carried the rings in a pouch on her collar

We danced under string lights until midnight on the driveway dance floor, surrounded by fire pits and our people

💡 Lessons From My Home-Venue Hustle

You don’t need a ballroom. You need a blank canvas and bold vision.

Delegate wisely. People want to help—give them a glue gun or a paintbrush.

Own your roots. I used my mom’s vases and my gogo’s table—it made the day rich with meaning.

Don’t aim for Pinterest-perfect. Aim for personal. That’s what people remember.

Budget check: Total cost for decor, setup, rentals, and food? Just under $5,000.

📸 Vendor Shoutouts:

Photography: LensQueen Zim

Catering: Ruva’s Kitchen (aunt-run & iconic)

DIY Help: My bridesmaids + local vendors from Avondale market

Hair & Makeup: Bridal Glam by Tash

🧡 Final Words From Chido:

“I didn’t walk into a venue—I walked into my childhood. Into the garden where I played, now turned into the place where I married my best friend. Every DIY piece was part of my story. Every jar, rug, and cushion carried love.”