“We had spent so much time together… and we both felt that if what we have for each other was not legit, nothing would ever be…”
This month we are celebrating newlyweds Mongezi (28) and Refiloe (29) Skosana who knew from the moment they really spoke that they wanted to spend every moment together.
The Skosanas met in 2009. “It was Mongezi’s first year at university and it was Refiloe’s 2nd year. We happened to be chilling with friends and we didn’t even notice each other’s presence in the room, there were definitely no sparks between us at all. Later in the week, we were all (separately) partying at our annual Varsity bash where we bumped into each other. We starting having a conversation and ended up spending the rest of the night in each other’s company, talking about anything and everything. By the end of the night Mongezi managed to sneak in a kiss. After that, we spent most of our time together, okay; we spent all of our time together, between lectures and studying.”
The couple dated for 8 years before deciding to take their relationship to the next step. They share: “We had spent so much time together that we knew everything about each other and we both felt that if what we have for each other was not legit, nothing would ever be. There were also factors to consider such as culturally both families never recognised the other party as they were just a girlfriend or boyfriend…”
SEE ALSO: #BONAWeddings: A love that conquered all
Mongezi popped the question and Refiloe reminisces: “It was on my 28th birthday (crown birthday); he took me out for dinner with 2 of our closest friends. He had arranged for the restaurant staff to sing happy birthday for me, when everyone was done singing, he went down on one knee and popped the question – Of course I said yes!”
The big day
The couple married earlier this year, in two beautiful ceremonies. “We got married officially on the 21 March 2018 but had our traditional event on the 24 March 2018 at the grooms’ home in Soshanguve, Pretoria. There was no specific reason in choosing the date, we both felt, in the preparation phase, that this was a suitable date for both families. The week prior to the event had heavy rainfall for 4 consecutive days and we had not planned for that. On the morning of the event, the weather cleared and temperatures rose so high that our cake started melting – but luckily it kept strong throughout the formalities.”
Their first song was Love Potion by Mafikizolo, because “this song holds a lot of meaning based on the lyrics only, you would swear we both used some love potion on each other.”
The day was everything they dreamed of but their highlights were “the tremendous support we received from both of our friends and families. Our cake was absolutely gorgeous and delicious!”
You and me, just us two
The couple had moved in together in 2014 (four years before getting married) and share candidly “it was not an easy phase as we both needed to adjust to sharing space with the other. During this time, we learnt to compromise and respect each other’s space, because of this phase; the transition was easy after marriage.”
Changes and compromise
Like any love story, there have been some ups and downs. For Refiloe “it was blending into a very traditional family that always requires their “Makoti” to be dressed in long skirts, doeks and a blanket over your shoulder.” This was not an easy transition, the Skosanas share, but “this was overcome through compromise, understanding and a willingness to learn.”
Keeping love alive
“We are very open to new things; we always try to spend more time together doing things we enjoy. We also randomly spoil each other,” they reveal about their almost decade long love.
The Skosanas secrets for a happy marriage
- Respect for each other
- Compromise
- Communication
- Faithfulness
- Support
Tell us your love story and win with #BONAWeddings
List of wedding suppliers
Cake – Sinah’s Exquisite Cakes
Photography – Pablo Phofolo Photography
Outfits – DDZL Designs / Maria beading
Make Up – EllyM Hair and makeup artistry
Decor – Nancy Decor supplies
Catering – Skosana Family
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