While most couples make a mountain of skuld for their big day, this groom was just happy that he could take his bride for a Big Mac on their wedding day.
Ebrahim Samboe, 26, from Worcester wedded the love of his life, teaching assistant Tayla Samboe, 28, on Saturday, even though he did not have a penny to his name.
The couple met six months ago at church, while Ebrahim is a former JCY gang leader who turned his life around after losing his child.
“It still feels like a dream to me. If I look at my past and where I am now, wow! There was a time I had nine criminal cases for murder and attempted murder.
“My friends are either high-ranking gang members in prison or dead.
“The Lord gave me a second chance and now I have stepped into a marriage and I could not be more grateful,” he told IOL.
Ebrahim said with zero in his bank account, he did not know where he would get a suit, or a wedding dress or if they’d even have a reception, but he had faith.
“I am currently unemployed and Tayla is a teaching assistant so she doesn’t earn that much.
“We told each other stressing about money for a wedding is a distraction for what God has planned for us. If we were going to worry about money, it would never happen.”
“Pastor Fritz told us he would charge us R1 000 to wed us (it usually costs over R2 000). We didn’t know how we were going to pay the money, but God put people on our path.
“My aunt placed a R200 in my pocket. At the time I didn’t know what we were going to do after the ceremony. Something said, let’s eat. I then told her (Tayla) let’s go to McDonald’s...She likes to eat, so I told her we’re going there. I told her to order anything she wanted and she did,” Ebrahim said proudly.
His advice to other couples is to gooi a bash if they can afford it, otherwise don’t sweat it.
“We live in a generation where everything needs to be fancy, but sometimes the most simple things carry so much strength and power. I thank God for this,” he added.