Publications
Partners
Johannesburg – It’s wedding season on M-Net (DStv 101) and you are cordially invited to witness 22 couples tie the knot.
The new reality show, The Wedding Bashers, kicks off on Sunday, 17 September at 17:00.
This a proudly South African production and a first of its kind as it is not based on any other format.
Channel24 attended the launch of the show where we got a sneak peek of what to expect. While we’re not big on spoilers we can reveal that the show will keep you glued to the screens!
Cindy Nell, Denise Zimba, Siba Mtongana and Zavion Kotze are The Wedding Bashers. (Read more here)
Cindy will judge the fashion, Siba the food, Denise the entertainment and Zavion the décor. While Denise is out of the country we got to chat to three of the bashers. The four travelled the country and attended 22 weddings.
“If you’re having a wedding don’t invite us, we won’t come,” jokes Cindy. After spending so much time together they have become a little family.
“It was lovely working together. We all have different personalities - we just vibed and feed off each other’s energy,” says Zavion .
Cindy adds: “We have a very nice dynamic. We tease and make fun of each other and we don’t agree with each other all the time. We had so much fun and we were the life and soul of the party.”
What’s in a rating?
For celebrity chef Siba the criteria she used to rate the food was the budget.
“It was my driving force. It wouldn’t be fair as I wouldn’t be comparing apples with apples. I would be comparing apples and bananas or apples and oranges. Which one is sweeter.”
She continues: “Knowing what they spent on the food and comparing it to what was served, it was easier for me to give a score accordingly.”
Apart from the budget she was looking for something out of the box and something that would impress her.
“The food tasting good was also on the top of my list and of course if you’re food fitted in with the overall theme of the wedding.”
Zavion, who is a wedding planner himself, found it very hard not to step on the toes of the other bashers.
“For this show specifically what I focused on was the planning aspect and how the event ran on the day, if it was smooth or not, if there were long moments that we waited and then a big thing for me was the flowers and décor.”
He continues: “I think I might have been a little too critical at times, but basic things like table cloths that don’t go down to the floor.”
With over 852 weddings under his belt there is nothing that he hasn’t experienced at a wedding yet. As a planner it is important for him that everything runs smoothly for a couple on the day.
So when something went pear shape at one of the weddings, Zavion stepped in.
“At one of the weddings we attended the cake arrived late and in bad shape. The wedding planner in me came out. And luckily things went smoothly,” says Zavion.
While the spotlight is always on the bride, Cindy believes that the entire retinue should be equally well-dressed and stylish.
“I was looking at brides who were stylish and elegant and their grooms to be stylish and elegant and slightly more dressed up. And that doesn’t always have to be a suit. Just a little effort.”
She continues: “I was also looking for the whole wedding to have a theme. The star is not just the bride it includes the entire wedding party. And I do think it helps that your guests dress stylish too.”
When it comes to an overall rating of South African wedding fashion, Cindy says while the brides were stylish on a whole people need to channel who they are as opposed to the perfect idea of what they think a wedding should be.
A showcase of diversity
One of the highlights of the show for Siba is that it is culturally diverse.
“I enjoyed experiencing so many different weddings and cultures which I would have never been invited to,” says Siba.
Zavion adds that it is a real showcase of South African weddings.
“The show is going to entertain you from start to finish. It will make you cringe, laugh and cry – in a good way. It will give people who are planning on getting married some really good tips.”
Tune if for all the wedding drama Sundays at 17:00 on M-Net (Dstv 101).
