How a soccer field was transformed into a palace for Somhale's big day

Event planner Maureen ‘Nono’ Skhosana takes us behind the scenes of the celebrity wedding that 'broke the internet'

02 October 2019 - 13:53 By Tswelopele Maputla
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'The tent was erected on a plain soccer field. We had to bring in a lot of trees to bring an aesthetically pleasing environment,' says Maureen ‘Nono’ Skhosana of Nono Events, who planned Somhale's big day.
'The tent was erected on a plain soccer field. We had to bring in a lot of trees to bring an aesthetically pleasing environment,' says Maureen ‘Nono’ Skhosana of Nono Events, who planned Somhale's big day.
Image: Supplied/Nono Events

There’s no denying that Somizi and Mohale’s traditional African wedding was a spectacular affair. The couple tied the knot at the weekend, celebrating with a host of A-listers at a lavish reception in Kibler Park, Johannesburg.

Their vision of a modern traditional wedding with a touch of elegance came to life with the help of Maureen “Nono” Skhosana of Nono Events.

Skhosana said they started discussing Somhale’s big day three months ago, and that it took about four weeks to put everything together.

From the opulent white and gold décor to the copious amounts of champagne, Skhosana and her team pulled out all the stops.

The opulent gold and white decor included a pair of thrones for the happy couple.
The opulent gold and white decor included a pair of thrones for the happy couple.
Image: Supplied/Nono Events

While the images and videos of the event paint a picture of perfection, planning one of the most extravagant weddings of the year didn’t come without its challenges.

Skhosana and her team were tasked with making a soccer field look glamorous.

“The tent was erected on a plain soccer field. We had to bring in a lot of trees to create an aesthetically pleasing environment” she said.

The tent housed a ginormous nine-tier wedding cake, flanked by a pair of “chandelier cakes” that seemed to defy gravity as they hung upside down from the ceiling. Kelly Jaynes Cake Boutique was responsible for the edible masterpieces.

“They had a great technical team that worked well with our marquee technical team to make sure that the cakes were rigid,” Skhosana explained.

Of the “wedding that broke the internet”, Skhosana said she’s humbled by the public's response to her work.

“I knew this wedding was going to attract a lot of attention, but I never anticipated such an unsurpassed response,” she said.

Somizi and Mohale are set to have a white wedding in January, but they haven’t discussed the possibility of using Nono Events again.


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