A South African couple has paid no mind to being laughed at for their proposal that took place in a fast food restaurant. After all, the proposal that went viral last November led to support for their wedding from brands, celebrities and internet users.
The couple, Hector Mkansi, 37, and Nonhlanhla Soldaat, 28, said “I do” at the wedding of their dreams last Tuesday, Dec. 31.
The two already married in 2012 but the ceremony was not the most ideal for them, Sowetan Live reported in November. Mkansi hoped to make up for it and bought new rings to propose to Soldaat in her favorite restaurant, which happens to be KFC.
They became internet sensations when the fast-food chain posted their proposal on Twitter and asked social media users to help identify them.
Mzansi please help us find this beautiful couple, re batla ho ba blesser 😊 DM us any leads, there might be a Finger Lickin' Good surprise in it for you too. Batho ba Vaal re thuseng! We love love 😍❤️ #KFCProposal pic.twitter.com/6bj89dtj4j
— KFC South Africa (@KFCSA) November 7, 2019
While some mocked the engagement as cheap, many more were touched by Mkansi’s gesture. Brands offered to sponsor wedding needs ranging from wine, travel, jewelry and their honeymoon. South African artists pitched in for entertainment at the wedding.
The fast-food chain gifted them with a wedding planner to assist with the event. The couple opted for a royal theme with regal colors of gold and champagne, W24 reported on Monday, Dec. 30. Soldaat stunned in an off-shoulder gown worth R30,000 (about P109,000).
“I want my wife to feel like a queen because she is my queen, even her dress will show that,” Mkansi said. The groom himself looked sharp in a beige tuxedo on the big day.
The wedding also had media coverage—it was recorded by Eyewitness News and posted on YouTube.
A preview of their romantic reception was posted by their organizer: candles and white roses adorned tables while strings of lights hung from the ceiling.
Honoured to have designed & coordinated all the pledges + sponsors to making Nonhlanhla & Hector’s wedding celebration special today, such a beautiful couple, they deserve their elegantly timeless wedding🌿 #KFCWEDDING #KFCProposal #PreciousThePlanner pic.twitter.com/pyi9oQyYBq
— Precious The Planner®️ (@preciousplanner) December 31, 2019
The couple had hoped for a bigger venue to include their fans online, but the football stadium they had in mind was booked, as per their interview with W24.
Still, their relatively smaller wedding held at luxury hotel Thaba Eco Hotel was a momentous occasion for 250 of the people they love.
“They see something they have never seen before in the family. We are both the first to get this kind of love and wedding,” Mkansi told W24.
Mkansi and Soldaat will head to America for their honeymoon and will return to the coastal city of Durban for their second honeymoon. JB
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