When Sabata Khoetha and Dudu Zwane got married, they made sure to pay respect to their Zulu and Sotho roots.   Their parents and other elders were treated as guests of honour in a ceremony meant to give thanks to their ancestors.   According to the bride, what made the wedding special were the festivities on the street, “there was so much unity, up to 98% of our guests were wearing traditional clothing”.

The wedding took place at the bride’s home in Soweto.   A big white tent was pitched in the middle of the street to accommodate 200 of their 600 guests, which included everybody from politicians, movie producers to soccer players.

To symbolize their love the couple chose red as their wedding colour.  In keeping to theme, the bride wore a red traditional outfit called a isidwaba, which took her two hours (and the help of her bridesmaids) to get on.   The groom and groomsmen wore traditional blue seSotho blankets called seanamarena.

The festivities, which had,began with praise singing (izibongo) by Thembinkosi Zwane from Jozi FM at the bride’s home, reached peak with performances by no less than seven traditional music groups from across the country; a fitting tribute for a day that had been filled with so much music, dancing and festivity.

Tackle Registry Returns
Stop trying to convince yourself that two blenders may actually come in handy – just bite the bullet and return registry items within two months of your wedding. While stores are likely to be lenient with couples who’ve registered with them, each store will have a different return policy, so research who will accept what, and for how long.

Change Your Name (If You’ve Decided To!)
If you do choose to change your name, it’s a good idea to change all of your IDs within 90 days of getting married. This includes your driver’s license, passport, and credit cards.

Give Everyone Your New Address
If your marriage involved a move, it’s perfectly fine to send a mass email or an e-card with your new address.

Order Your Wedding Photos
On your first anniversary, wouldn’t you love to watch your wedding video and flip through your album? Don’t put off your photo selection and video requests too long! Most photographers and videographers issue a standard contract that gives you six months to a year to select album photos and edit footage for your video. If you don’t, you may have to pay extra.