Bridal competition ends on a colourful note

The tension was running high in the minutes before the big announcement that Eddy and Sylvia Likando had won the title of Republikein’s Bridal Couple of the Year for 2022.
Together with runners up Janetta and Marko du Plessis and Pomwene and Landuleni Kaleb, they went home with prizes valued over N$200 000, that had been recruited by NMH client executives.
The final event that took place at the Namibia Tourism Expo, came after months of planning, and due to Covid-19 restrictions last year, attracted couples that got married over the last two years.
As organisers, Republikein received a total of 219 entries for this year’s edition, with the first round of judges choosing 30 semi-finalists based on their entry photos and letters. Thereafter the onus fell on the public to vote for their favourite couples to determine the top 12 finalists.
These 12 couples gathered for an introductory evening hosted by the Avani hotel on Friday evening, where the couples got to know each other in an informal setting, where they shared their stories and received some advice to live by as a married couple from life coach Suoma Andreas.
During the final on Saturday morning, the couples were introduced to the audience and a second panel of judges. They were also faced with the challenge of decorating doors, that through the African Child Development Trust, will be handed over the early childhood development centres that have no classroom doors.
This challenge was won by Martha and Mathew Samba, that won a N$2500 paint voucher from Neo Paints.
The organisers thank their sponsors – Avani, Build-It, Candy (Nictus), Charitree & Wutow Trading, Coca-Cola, Cymot, Droombos, Eden Chalets, Fly Namibia, Gondwana, Hilton Hotel, Hotel Deutsches Haus, NeoPaints, Lüderitz Nest Hotel, Seaside Hotel & Spa, Seboa Guesthouse, Soulstice Day Spa, The Dome Serenity Spa, Lerike Drotsche Photography and YouNique Medi Spa – for coming on board to make this event yet another success.
The Likando’s who hail from Katima Mulilo, follow in the footsteps of previous winners Kevin and Genevieve Fisch, Verile and Esperance Nicol-Wilson, Patrick and Jennieke Kafuka, James and Natassja Mnyupe, Ingo and Candice Goliath, Wayne and Siobhan Soloman, Roland and Mariaan van Greunen, Clyde and Nastasja Besser, and Rebecca and Joel Eelu.