A Day Filled With Love

Minnie Dlamini and Quinton Jones’ traditional wedding was the kind of celebration fairytales are made of .

- Thulani Gqirana

A DAY bathed in golden sunshine, celebrity guests galore, family and friends lining the streets to ululate their excitement and enough food for everyone to feast on.

Welcome to the joyous occasion when one of South Africa’s best-known personalities marked the official start of her wedding celebrations.

“You can call me Mrs Jones,” a delighted Minenhle Dlamini – or Minnie as the nation knows her – says shortly after she and Quinton Jones wrap up the traditional ceremony.

The lovebirds, who dated secretly for more than two years before getting engaged in December, recently held their gift-giving ceremony, or umembeso, at her parents’ home in northern Durban.

Umembeso is held after the completion of lobola negotiations and the day was a celebration of Minnie’s Zulu culture and the coming together of her and Quinton’s families.

“Every beautiful memory I’ve ever had was represented at my parents’ home during my traditional wedding,” says Minnie, who celebrated her 27th birthday the day before. “No words can ever describe the feeling.

“It exceeded my expectations,” the actress and TV presenter tells us. “It was everything I ever dreamt of and more. And I can’t wait for my next [white] wedding.”

Durban defied the fact it was winter and sent a cloudless day to bless the couple, along with temperatures that soared towards 30°C. A guest at the wedding tells us the marquee wasn’t big enough to accommodate the crowds who’d come to witness the happy event.

“VIP guests had tags that allowed them into the marquee and all the other people were overflow. It was a beautiful wedding.”

And YOU can exclusively bring you all the details of the big day.

THE CEREMONY