When Lerato and Siyabonga were planning their wedding, they wanted to make sure their ceremony showcased the celebration of two families coming together. Staying true to that goal, their two families and friends helped with every aspect of their wedding, from the bride’s gorgeous dress to the African style cake to the church ceremony. Similar to how Lerato felt when she met Siyabonga – “He truly was and still is a breath of fresh air in my life” – these photos of their beautiful wedding are a true inspiration for fusing a DIY theme and culture.
Their wedding was photographed by Anabela Lourenco Photography + you can find more coverage on BellaNaija Weddings.
Bride: Lerato Ngcakani – Personal Assistant Groom: Siyabonga Ngcakani – Musician & Entrepreneur Wedding date: June 30, 2012 Wedding Gallery – Click here
How They Met & The Proposal
I remember laying my eyes on Siya for the first time at a live music venue he was managing in one of Johannesburg’s very arty, bohemian like suburb called Melville. A cousin whose good friends with him took me there… We were introduced… Something about him stopped everything around me and blocked out the hustle and bustle of Melville’s busiest street, 7 Avenue… He was calm, gentle, humble and spoke with such ease and respect. I remember feeling like “I’d love to get to know this man”… We then continued to bump into each other at friend’s birthday parties, baby showers, and gigs till we started to chat more and exchange numbers. He truly was and still is a breath of fresh air in my life…
Now Siya’s an artist but don’t get it twisted, he’s not the mushy, soft, roses and poems kind… He’s hardcore; he’s a hip hop MC, also a very rooted Xhosa man. So, on one of my birthdays I come home from work, it was a Friday… He hands me a small plastic bag, says happy birthday and he goes off into the lounge. So I open it, there’s a small box and inside it is a beautiful ring! So, I’m frantic jumping up and down, I call him and ask him what it means… He’s response: “what do you think it means baby” as he shrugs…lol. To celebrate he’d planned a dinner and later to catch QuestLove of The Roots playing as he was in town. I wouldn’t have had it any other way!
The Wedding
Our wedding took place in Soweto, Johannesburg, SA in the middle of winter and because of this I decided to use bright warm colors together with earthy colors. So we used orange, brown, and beige. We are proud Africans and wanted to incorporate that so we used African print material for our attires, the cake had an African theme, décor and our wedding ceremony in Xhosa. We set-up our tent in the middle of Dikotsi Street, in Soweto just outside my dad’s home, the weather was lovely despite that it was winter… friends and family gathered singing, jubilating and dancing in the middle of the street! It was a true celebration of two families coming together, the Ngcakani’s and Dikotsi’s. What made this wedding even more special is that everything was done by family, no professionals where brought in apart from the company that set up the tent. I had unbelievable support from the Dikotsi family who cooked the most amazing food, decorated the tent, served guests and ensured things ran smoothly. The Ngcakani’s gave us spiritual guidance to prepare us for this covenant and ensured smooth running of the ceremony at the church and lastly a very bright young designer who put together this vision I had of my wedding dress and grooms suit, Kha”Iso Designs! Photography was done by the very talented and professional Anabela Lourenco Photography, she was the only person we could trust with capturing such an important day in the most artistic way as we’d worked with her before!
You Make Loving You So Easy
From him… I’m in love with this woman, we’re about to celebrate our 1st Anniversary of a good marriage and life to come.
From her… Siyabonga’s the truth, he’s real and I love that about him. He’s also the most humble person you’ll ever meet. He loves his family and is totally and completely dedicated to us. I love that he pushes us to grow together in all ways… Our marriage is sooooo exciting, loving, respectful and fulfilling… I’m truly blessed!
Click here for the full wedding gallery
Vendors
Photographer: Anabela Lourenco Photography Everything planned by the bride and her family.
Love how involved their family and friends were in incorporating the couple’s personality and vision into their wedding. Beautiful colors and gorgeous place settings!
Thank you! Yes, family definitely played a major role in this wedding.
dope