I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO

It was a double celebration when twin brothers married two sisters

- MARELIZE GRBICH

YOU have to do a doubletake to make sure you aren’t hallucinating. But yes, there are indeed two grooms waiting at the pulpit – and apart from variations in their beards, they look remarkably alike: hair in neat man-buns, dark grey suits, pale pink ties, same slightly nervous smiles.

Forget Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – this is a case of two brothers for two sisters.

Clement and Clint Petersen (32) are waiting for the loves of their lives: Olivia and Rhoshé Persent, the sisters they fell for more than a decade ago.

Dad Owen Persent is going to be one busy guy today. When the doors of the Holy Trinity Church in Paarl swing open and the wedding march booms joyously from the organ, he walks Rhoshé (29) down the aisle and hands her to her groom, Clement.

Then he turns back to fetch his older daughter, Olivia (35), who’s waiting in the doorway.

This time the wedding march wafts from a violin as Owen walks Olivia to her husband-to-be and their double dose of happiness begins – on Leap Day, no less.

Olivia and Rhoshé, who hail from near by Wellington, and Clement and Clint, from Paarl, have been inseparable since they met. They do everything together, so it made sense they’d tie the knot on the same day too.

After they’ve said their vows, the newlyweds-squared wait patiently for Pastor Denver Heugh to say the magic words: “You may kiss the brides.”

And when he does the church erupts in cheers from the 100-strong congregation – a double kiss for a double celebration of love.

“It was simply meant to be,” Rhoshé says. “It was absolutely magical.”