The first episode of "Somizi & Mohale: The Union", captures Somizi Mhlongo and Mohale Motaung’s September 2019 traditional wedding in Kibler Park, Johannesburg.
The ceremony merged their respective Zulu and Sotho cultures in a flamboyant celebration full of romance, gorgeous decor, dazzling chandelier cakes, G.H. Mumm champagne and multiple costume changes.
Here are five secrets revealed:
1. Their wedding outfits were a secret
Somizi and Mohale’s main wedding outfits were created by designer to the stars Gert-Johan Coetzee, but they each had a different design consultation to keep their plans secret from each other.
“We made a deal that we were not going to do fittings together or the designs together because we wanted that element of surprise as we walked down the aisle,” said Somizi.
“I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to wear,” he added. “I just gave it to Gert to decide because I trust him that much. He came up with the entire concept and I happened to really love it.”g
2. They designed their wedding bands together, with Nungu Diamonds
When Somizi first revealed the design of his and Mohale’s wedding bands on Instagram, social media was abuzz with fans complimenting the couple on their unique approach.
The wedding bands were specially designed by Nungu Diamonds, founded in 2013 by married couple Kealeboga and Ursula Pule.
“We were a hundred percent involved in the design of our wedding bands,” said Mohale. “My husband and I decided that we wanted a rose-gold piece with lots of diamonds, and we even chose the writing and size of the rings.”
“Their rings look like woven baskets, and that’s because the rings are made up of diamonds in two different shapes - round-cut diamonds, and baguette diamonds,” said Ursula. “Together, they help create that interwoven look, representing two different human beings that have come together.”
3. Their parents were supportive
The grooms’ parents were all in attendance at the white wedding and left their sons with great words of encouragement and prayer before the ceremony.
“My parents came to me twenty minutes before the ceremony and we prayed together,” said Mohale. “These were the exact words from my mother: ‘God is here; the angels are here; everything is going to go well.’ For me, that really sealed the deal.”
4. Their vows were off the cuff
“We didn’t really pre-plan the vows for the wedding because we had said our vows while we were engaged,” said Mohale. “What we said at the white wedding were literally words that were unrehearsed and unscripted. I believe that sometimes people tend to over-plan and when the moment comes for you to execute, it doesn’t really come from the heart. So we wanted to exchange something that was really authentic rather than planned.”
5. “I literally had the best time of my life” - Mohale
“For me, the day started off on a rocky note,” said Mohale. “In the morning we were stressed about the outfits, so I had to go sort out a few outfits for the grooms mates and myself, but from the time the wedding started, I had never had so much fun. I literally had the best time of my life
“I always hear people say they never really enjoy their wedding but I had nothing to stress about. I was happy. I danced until the wee hours of the morning.”