The fabulous first episode of Somizi and Mohale: The Union, South Africa’s first gay celebrity wedding special, is now streaming exclusively on Showmax.
The episode captures Somizi Mhlongo and Mohale Motaung’s September 2019 traditional wedding in Kibler Park, Johannesburg, which 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...
We see Somizi read a very profound and heart warming message Mohale sent to him in the morning after the traditional ceremony of exchanging gifts and acknowledging their ancestors, which was held at The Motaung's family home the previous evening. It was a very emotional morning for the couple, as it felt so surreal for Somizi that they has finally sealed the deal.
"We must not forget the task God has given to us, our wedding is going to be historical in way that it will shake the whole continent and help people understand that loving a person of same sex was never and will never be wrong"_Mohale
Click to See: Episode 1 Trailer
A new episode of the Showmax Original four-part special drops every Monday, from the road to their wedding, to their individual bachelor parties, and then their white wedding as the finale on 16 March 2020.
My highlight of the first episode was Somizi's daughter, Bahumi. She gave a very powerful speech about her father's quest for happiness and top it off by acknowledging the role Mohale has played since he came into her father's life. Did we all sob bafwethuuu😥😪😢😭
"There have been many times that I would see my father and I would know that he wants to be happy, you know, And he's trying to seek for this happiness. And its very difficult for him to find it, especially in the space and industry that he's in. And to finally see him....and to finally know that he's beyond happy and that you make him happy. Oh my Goodness, this is a very very beautiful moment for me." Bahumi
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| Bahumi and her grand-ma, Mary Twala |
While there’s been endless talk about the white wedding’s dress code of red-bottom shoes and all-white outfits, further details have remained well-kept secrets till now, as all guests had their phones locked away on arrival.
Here are five reason to watch the series:
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,” says Somizi.
“I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to wear,” he adds. “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.”
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,” says 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,” says 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,” says 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.”
Somizi’s mom, actress Mary Twala from this year’s Sundance winner This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection, was also with him every step of the way. But Somizi would not let us in on what his mother said, as he’d love for the rest of South Africa to find out what she had to say when the wedding special premieres on Showmax. In the meantime, below you can watch her heart-warming message to him on the way to the traditional wedding:
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,” says 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,” says Mohale. “In the morning we were stressed about the outfits, so I had to go sort out a few outfits for the groomsmates 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.”
Watch the first episode exclusively on Showmax here: https://www.showmax.com/eng/