On paper this wedding day was looking like a 21 hour day which is fine if you are watching the full series of Star Wars on your couch at home with your remote in hand but when you are going to be working for that long out in the blazing sun, carrying your heavy equipment, running from one venue to the next, staying on your feet most of the time, concentrating non stop capturing all the action, it becomes a whole different story.  Weddings are usually long days but from waking up at 3:30am and only getting home at 00:30am the next morning it was indeed a long day to remember.

I have been doing work for Khanyisani for a long time and was excited when he asked if we could photograph and film his wedding.  I never say no to a Zulu wedding as my favourite part of photography is capturing special moments as they happen and Zulu weddings have an abundance of unique and animated moments that are just begging to be captured.  Khanyisani and Celiwe wanted to do everything in one day which meant them starting the Umbondo ceremony before sunrise and then continuing through the rest of the ceremonies until late into the evening.  That must have been just as hard for them especially when everybody’s attention was focused on them the entire day.  We had a few moments early in the morning where we waited for the next formality to start but once things got going we pretty much had non stop action until the end.  My favourite part of the day was out in the field where the Umabo took place.  There was a lot of dancing, animated celebrations, lively negotiations and generally a lot of excitement from everyone present.  After spending a few hours in the blazing sun Khanyisani and Celiwe had to rush off and get changed into their western wedding outfits.  There were even more guests attending this part of the function and it was an amazing site to see so many witnesses and friends coming to support this special couple.  The ceremony ended as the sun went down so we quickly headed off into the fading light to try get a few pics done before it became completely dark.  By the end of the 15 minute creative shoot it was pitch dark and we headed off to the next part which was the reception.  The reception looked stunning and a great end to the day with beautiful decor, fine speakers, colourful lighting, an amazing band, enthusiastic guests and of course a loving and excited newly wed couple.  Thank you to Khanyisani and Celiwe for sharing your day with us and we hope that the pics below bring back some fond memories and remind you of what a special and unique day your wedding day was.  P.S. don’t ever loose that naughty, cheeky smile that you had shared with us all throughout the day.  Thank you to Josh for capturing all these memories on film for us as well as for all your patience, creativity and support throughout the day.  This is going to be an incredible video to watch once it is finished.

 

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