WATCH | Inside the grand, Bali ‘fairy-tale wedding of the year’

A five-tier floating cake, doves, fireworks, a designer wedding dress with a 5m train, a decadent menu prepared by the finest chefs and a luxurious five-day holiday in Bali.

All this and more awaited 120 guests flown to the five-star Apurva Kempinski resort  in Indonesia to witness KwaZulu-Natal entrepreneurs Nomfundo Mcoyi and her husband Bahle Zondo tie the knot in an oceanfront chapel last week.

Champagne flowed at the extravagant event and wedding guests were treated to their own gifts in the form of headgear and kaftans to wear to the celebrations. Festivities continued when Mcoyi celebrated her birthday two days later.

Among the guests were media personality and entrepreneur Zanele Mbokazi, celebrity makeup artist Samke “Embelesh” Shelembe, musician Dladla Mshunqisi and DJ Happygal.

South African event decorating specialist Helen Koo Mhlongo of Function Images, who oversaw the wedding planning, said Zondo proposed to Mcoyi, who is the niece of politician Wiseman Mcoyi, at her birthday party in Knysna last year. 

“The groom proposed in a very traditional Zulu way, instead of an engagement ring, he gave her isidwaba — a pleated hide skirt worn by a Zulu woman as a sign of betrothal or marriage,” said Mhlongo.

Wedding co-ordinator Diana Permata Sari of One & Only Bali Weddings told the Sunday Times the event ranked among the “most extravagant”.  She did not reveal how much was spent, saying: “We believe this is an issue best addressed by the client.”

Based on current flight and hotel booking rates, it would have cost at least R1.3m just for the guests. This excludes the cost of the wedding, clothes, cake, entertainment, excursions, post-wedding festivities, transport and food.

The Apurva Kempinski resort is described as the “epitome of Bali’s beachfront luxury” and stands atop Nusa Dua cliff, with ocean views and a tropical garden.

Mcoyi, a former teacher, is the founder of the Icebolethu Group, whose  core business is funerals and burials.

Since starting her empire in 2009, the 48-year-old mother of three, who managed the funeral and memorial for the late King Goodwill Zwelithini, has expanded to catering, tombstones and financial services. She  also offers a funeral service in the UK.

Mcoyi’s previous marriage, to a police officer, was shown on Top Billing.

Zondo, who grew up in poverty-ridden Msinga in KwaZulu-Natal, worked in the insurance industry before training to become a commercial pilot and working for, among others,   British Airways. 

He started his business Amahle Benefits Scheme in 2007 — a funeral scheme and undertaker service that now has more than 500,000 clients throughout South Africa. Zondo owns and pilots a fleet of helicopters, which he rents out.

When guests arrived in Bali last week, they were presented with a 19-page programme titled “Baliganza wedding”. Each guest received wedding favours to wear to the themed events and were transported in chartered buses.

The arrival dinner with a Balinese theme was hosted at the resort’s glass-walled restaurant, which is surrounded by reflecting pools.

“Each guest wore traditional Balinese headpieces, gamelan music was playing and three Balinese ladies welcomed the guests with marigold leis,” said Sari.

The theme for the wedding was “timeless, romantic elegance”.

“Based on the love story of Bahle and Nomfundo, we included white birds into the theme in the ceremony and reception,” said Sari.

“We released a dove as part of the procession. Bearing in mind that Bahle is a pilot, the birds are symbolic of their union, souls soaring together lifted by their mutual love and collective hopes.”

South African designer Birgit Gibbs of Biji La Maison designed the wedding dress and reception gown.

Guests feasted on a four-course menu that included crispy shell crab in a fusion style, creamy asparagus and spinach soup, Angus beef steak or duck breast, vanilla panna cotta and chocolate fudge patisserie.

Sari said Jakarta patisserie Le Nouvelle Cake created a showstopper cake that drew gasps from guests as it glided towards the couple.

“The cake had to be grand and dramatic — as it appears near the end it represents a dramatic and emotional crescendo. It was a five-tier cake with white flowers and a fairy lighting accent.”

The day after the wedding denim-clad guests were  treated to a “party like a rock star” party at a bar-lounge perched atop rocks jutting over the ocean.

The next day was Mcoyi’s birthday celebration, which was marked by a Bali beach glamping affair, where the partygoers wore kaftans.

“The celebration of Nomfundo’s birthday was at a beachfront property located amid rice fields. Guests were transported in a procession of safari-style convertible VWs and led by a police escort,” said Sari.