By Buhlebenkosi Sibanda
Sometimes love shows its glorious face when you least expect it. Dorcas Magkatho happened to find it at church and it changed her life forever. Hers and Vuyisile Mbele’s story is proof that love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. Their journey began at Wealthy Word International church.
“We both serve in the house of the Lord, him as worshipper; a pianist and a guitarist and I serve as an usher. We became friends in 2015. I honestly saw him as a brother, nothing more.” However, feelings grew with the growth of their friendship. Both having Christianity backgrounds led things to be done the Christian way. After the church crossover service of the 1st of January 2016, their brethren-ship also crossed over to a love relationship as Vuyisile stepped up and introduced her to his family who approved her, leading to them dating.
“Our relationship got negative critics from people as they gave comments like ‘you have dated for too long, there is no way you guys will marry’. But as the saying goes ‘love conquers all’, we beat all odds” she explained. Fast forward to October 2019 when lobola negotiations were made, then engagement at church, following a church tradition of where engagement before lobola is a taboo. “The church served as a perfect background for the proposal, I wouldn’t have done it anywhere else” Vuyisile emphasized. In 2020 the wedding preps and planning began, which were somehow abrupted by the pandemic. But as they say, nothing is impossible with God. On October 20 the couple had their court wedding and the big day was set for November 21.
Dorcas opened up about how the load shedding delayed them as she needed to steam her two gowns. “My first gown had layers and layers that needed to be steamed, wasting several minutes of my time. The guests waited patiently and that wasn’t much of a challenge.” She clutched tightly to her brothers’ hand as they slowly walked down the aisle where Apostle Judge officiated the service. Plenty of laughs were captured by Mthokozisi Gwebu as they exchanged vows at 9 Linden Lane Gardens in front of 100 guests.
The bride looked so gorgeous in her Cinderella gown, flatteringly modified by Liz and Millinery Company. Her bridesmaids also looked stunning in long navy dresses. The groom and his team were not left out as Babsons dressed them to kill in navy suits and bowties. Upon joining their friends and family for the wedding reception where the service was immaculately decorated by Nokuthaba Manhungo from Amaris Events, the couple’s vision was finally a reality.
“I still remember Vuyi’s smile when he held my hand and whispered to me ‘you have made this day so special for me and I can’t wait to see how our life together will be like. I love you’. That, apart from the vows, made my entire day”, she added that while blushing and smiling at the recap. Impeccable music by Vesed Band and an outstanding service came together with navy and gold Formal/Traditional theme. Class Catering Company made a two-course delicious meal that wowed the couple and their guests. And the cake by Prominent Cakes was enough evidence everything was perfectly fit.
Dorcas confirmed that “I have gone through captivating episodes in my life but I do not think there’s any that beats my wedding. My favorite parts of the day started from my make-up and styling stage. Mandy from Facebitdiva and hairstylist Fungai Sibanda Noble transformed me into a queen within minutes. To the handover process, the exchanging of vows (we wrote them ourselves) to the kissing part.” For Vuyisile; besides exchanging of vows and the cutting of the cake, seeing her stepped out of the car as she walked down the aisle was one of the emotional breathtaking moments, “it was magical” he added.
When asked to advise our future couples, Vuyisile’s piece was “Gents, go out there and marry that special lady. And be realistic in your approach, marriage is a good thing.” For the ladies, Dorcas says patience is a virtue, don’t pressure them, just trust in the process. Also, she advises committing to the Lord, your man, and your budget. Comparison is the thief of all joy, plan wisely and do what’s compatible for you and your partner. People will bring their opinions to the table but remember only yours is prior and pray about everything, “we listed everything and prayed, we saw ourselves ticking everything on the list”.
