It was a real-life romantic drama for David and Elmarie Dukas, who were married exactly four years after they met in Grahamstown at the 2008 National Arts Festival.
It was a real-life romantic drama for David and Elmarie Dukas, who were married exactly four years after they met in Grahamstown at the 2008 National Arts Festival.
The couple were married last Sunday in a small private ceremony conducted by reverends Lawrence Nzwane, Isaias Chachine and Victor Monhange at St Phillips Church in Fingo Village.
The Church is also the venue at the Festival for the site-specific play, Princess Emma-Ukazazi, written and directed by Ingrid Wylde, in which Dukas plays the part of Sir George Grey. It is the site of the mission school where the real Princess Emma taught between 1864 and 1866.
“My wife and I simply fell in love with this beautiful church, steeped in such rich history, and I just knew that this was the perfect place for us to be married,” said Dukas this week. “But I wanted it to be a surprise for her and with only four days in which to make it happen, timing was of the essence.”
Dukas proposed to Elmarie on bended knee in Bathurst last Wednesday night. The couple met as perfect strangers in Grahamstown on the night of 1 July 2008, in the gardens outside Atherstone House. “It was love at first sight,” said Dukas.
At the time, Dukas was performing in the play, Biko: Where the soul resides and his wife was accompanying her best friend to the festival. Good friend to the couple, Msasa Mbangeni, who plays the part of Princess Emma, along with Thami Baba (musical director and composer for Princess Emma-Ukuzazi) and Yolisa Nwoka (the young princess Emma), took on the duty of dressing the bride.
“Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how breathtakingly beautiful my wife looked,” said Dukas. “It was just perfect, the church, the weather, the ceremony and my husband, so handsome and dapper in Victorian attire,” said Elmarie.
The reception was held at the Drill Hall in Hill Street. “A fantastic time was had by all”, said Ashley Dowd, who plays the part of Bishop Gray in the show. “I don’t think they could have planned such a perfect and spontaneous day, even if they had been given a year in which to do so.”
After the Festival the couple will be honeymooning in the Eastern Cape. In closing, Elmarie said the Eastern Cape, especially Grahamstown, has and will always hold a most special place in our hearts”.
