By Stephanie Saville
President Thabo Mbeki, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and former deputy president Jacob Zuma are expected to be among guests at the wedding this weekend of Princess Nombuso Zulu - daughter of King Goodwill Zwelithini and Queen Madlamini - and Seshi Chonco.
The nuptials will take place in Pietermaritzburg at the Cathedral of the Holy Nativity with the Bishop Suffragan of Natal, Funginkosi Mbhele, officiating.
Other dignitaries will include members of national and provincial parliaments, the diplomatic corps and captains of industry.
Thousands of people are expected to converge on the cathedral on Saturday and two giant screens televising the ceremony will be placed in Chapel Street to cater for the crowd.
A section of Chapel Street between Longmarket and Church streets will be closed to traffic.
Andile Mafu, a close friend and business associate of the groom, said that the wedding dress remained, by the bride's strict instructions, "a wonderful surprise".
He would not divulge any details of the dress. However, Mafu said that the princess had commented that the gown "was the kind of dress she wouldn't mind wearing on each anniversary of her wedding".
The wedding had been postponed from its original date of April 30, as the logistics of arranging such a large function had proved too difficult to execute in time, said Mafu.
He said teams from Durban, Cape Town, the Zulu royal household and Pietermaritzburg had been working on the wedding preparations.
Mafu said the couple had been offered trips abroad as gifts by close friends but would not be honeymooning immediately because of the groom's workload.
"He has spent much time planning this wedding and now has to catch up at work before he can relax."
Asked if Mangosuthu Buthelezi had been invited, Mafu said the Inkhatha Freedom Party leader was a member of the royal family. Invitations were not issued to family members but they were "taken as given".
The cathedral seats 1 000 people.
After the wedding ceremony, guests would feast on a finger lunch in a marquee in the cathedral grounds, while the bride and groom went to the Botanical Gardens to have their photographs taken.
Thereafter, the event would move to the International Convention Centre in Durban, where a lavish reception would be held for 1 000 family members and friends.
Although Mafu said that he was unable to divulge the menu for the reception, he said it had been "specially formulated for the occasion".
Security was expected to be tight for the royal wedding with police, traffic officials, the royal protection services and the groom's own security company, Roman Protection Solutions, keeping an eye on proceedings.
The Pietermaritzburg Choral Society, conducted by Joshua Hadebe, would provide music for the ceremony at the cathedral.
The princess would have a large entourage inside the church with six bridesmaids, a matron of honour, two page boys and two flower girls.
The groom would have six attendants.
A throne would be placed near the altar for the couple to sit on after the ceremony, which would include Holy Communion.
The couple met at a private function three years ago.
The diamond engagement ring had been specially commissioned and locally manufactured, said Mafu.