We had such an incredible day in Khayelitsha with everyone. Such an incredible experience and an honour to work with some great professionals!

The images showed the atmosphere of the day perfectly, the colours of the homes, the conditions in which the residents of the townships live AND the genuine lust for life that the incredible people of Khayelitsha have.

Their ability to rejoice, express themselves through song and dance and to welcome us with open arms is a testament to how genuinely happy they are as people regardless of their situation. We learned that most of the people living in Khayelitsha are from the Xhosa Tribe who are known for their smiles, laughter and song and after our wedding, it was easy to understand why.

See the video below and you too will find your feet tapping and your smile stretching with the infectious music.

We felt truly blessed to be able to spend such a special day there; I had worried so much about what to expect, how I would be treated and if I would be judged. I quickly learned that all of my fears were selfish ones and all of them reflective of the negativity in todays society.

I had worried that I would be scared or feel threatened because of presumptions about the way the people live, the poverty they face and the issues they deal with in the townships.

I was scared that residents would try to steal from us as they had no way of knowing what little we have…not even considering that what we have is not what they would ever want.

I was petrified that I would be judged because of the colour of my skin, because I had the money to travel or because I was there to ‘look’ at them and the way they live; ultimately, as a tourist.

All of these fears were washed away the moment I stepped into Lungis B&B and  was greeted by Gladys. Immediately I knew that I would not be held responsible for the problems in the township or for the apartheid, I was not going to be seen as a voyeur but as a guest and I was certainly not going to feel threatened by anyone. If anything I may be hugged to death by the children but everything I had worried about had been proven ridiculous.

I felt stupid and ashamed of myself for allowing so much negativity seep into my brain. I’m not completely naive and know that there are problems with housing, violence, abuse and gangsterism in the townships. I know that some still blame the apartheid for leaving a bitter legacy of poverty, inequality, and the nobility of violence, BUT…I left Khayelitsha feeling lifted and proud that Gladys and her neighbours had been willing to help us on our wild wedding adventure and knowing that in the future I would do whatever I could to help them.

They had given us something precious.

VIDEO – Joanne Corrigall

HALO (Annika Olah) – Shoes and Jewellery | ANNIES ANGELS – Hat and Belt | COSTUME HIRE – Dress, Purse and Shoes | SECOND TIME AROUND – Alex hat, shirt and suit | HAIRPIECE – Robyn Roberts | WENDYS in OBSERVATORY – Dress | LOCATIONS – Lungis B&B | PHOTOGRAPHY- www.blink-photography.co.za | STYLING – Annika Olah olah.styles@im-www.de | MAKE UP – Debbie Jean www.realwomenmakeup.com