"Our lockdown wedding was beautiful, but awkward"
After two wedding setbacks, Darius and Omolemo Morethe were not willing to let
anything get in their way of living happily ever after as husband and wife.
Darius and Omolemo Morethe met in 2018 at church. The two of them say they knew right from the beginning that they were meant to be.
“She caught my eye and mind,” says Darius, who praises his wife as 'the best singer' in the world.
“To cut the story short, Omolemo and I started talking and that led to long conversations over the phone and WhatsApp.”
After four months of chatting and getting to know each other, the couple started dating.
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Omolemo says she knew Darius was the one because of his personality and how he has shown her love that she has never received from other guys.
“I knew he was the one when he opened his heart to me,” she says.
She adds that Darius was so committed to their relationship that he “cancelled his job offer at Cape Town just to make sure our relationship grows."
“He is a good man with a colourful personality, and I fell in love with the fact that he was different to the guys I have dated before,” said Omolemo.
Although the two of them planned to get married the following year (2019), things did not go as planned.
“We planned to tie a knot on the 9th of November 2019, and all was stopped or must we say paused because of family challenges,” says the couple.
They set a second date for 2 May 2020, but President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a national lockdown that prohibited weddings.
The couple says when lockdown regulations were eased under level three, they could not allow anything to stop them from getting married.
READ: Conditions for wedding ceremonies under Level 3 lockdown
“When level 3 of lockdown was announced by our President and the possibility for couples to marry but not in a huge celebration, was opened, we then talked with our pastor, Wanka Mogale, to officiate us to marry. So, our pastor agreed to do so, and the open date was the 19th of June 2020. A date we never thought of, but it finally came, to make our union official,” says the couple.
They add that although a ‘lockdown wedding’ was never something they planned, it turned out to be a blessing.
“It was beautiful but at the same time awkward because we never planned of such and never have seen anything like this. The beautiful part was that those who went with us to sign were our family even though it was under lockdown restrictions.”
READ: India's lavish weddings go online in virus lockdown
Apart from not having a big celebration, the couple says another different thing that happened at their wedding was that they couldn’t kiss.
“We also did not do 'kiss the bride' part. Our Pastor and wife, Joy Mogale, made sure that all rules were adhered to,” they said.
Omolemo says walking down the aisle alongside her dad, exchanging her vows, and making their marriage official was the most special part about their wedding.
Darius, on the other hand, says the most special part of the wedding was them being pronounced husband and wife.
“When we were announced husband and wife, then I knew nothing can or will be reversed.”
The couple says them finally tying the knot proves that no set back should stop anyone from getting married.
“The blessing of getting married under lockdown was that this showed us that it is possible to marry despite the lockdown and all the disappointments we have experienced in the process of preparing for our wedding day,” said the couple.
For those planning to tie the knot during the lockdown, Omolemo and Darius say preparation is key.
“Never undermine getting married under lockdown, prepare yourself, wear your best because every moment counts. Remember it is your big day even if there are no lot of guests (family & friends) to witness, treat it with respect and elegance. The purpose is for God to join you in marriage, so enjoy every step of your journey.”
They say couples must not forget to get the best outfits, photographer, ID Copies of themselves, and their witnesses.
“Inform your witnesses in time, plan with your pastor and do not forget your rings,” says the couple.
Images credit: Supplied by Omolemo Morethe