This wedding at Landtscap was one of the highlights of the year so far. We went to their launch last year and couldn’t wait to do a wedding here. When Jaco and Henriette told me their wedding was here I was over the moon.

Jaco and Henriette are two of the most gentle souls you will ever meet. Considerate, caring and selflessness are the qualities you pick up within 5 minutes of meeting them.
We did an engagement shoot for them as well and you could really how they relaxed on the wedding day about the photos. In my opinion it’s a huge plus to do a engagement shoot.
 
They both work in the fruit/agriculture industry and they really love the outdoors. Landtscap was the perfect place to start their married life together.

Where did you meet?
Jaco and I met through a mutual friend. We both started working in Paarl and moved in together as housemates with another girl. Soon our friendship grew stronger and we became best friends. We only started dating formally two years later when he moved out of the house. 
 
Vendors:
- Venue – Landtscap, Stellenbosch
- Dressmaker  Alana van Heerden
- Hair: Wilene Visser
- Make-up: Helga Strydom
- Flowers – Annegret from Sitting Pretty
- Videographer -Chris van der Sandt

One wedding tip that you can give other wedding couples:
Enjoy every minute of the planning and the wedding day. It is a wonderful, happy time in your life.
 
Trivia:
Jaco and I are best friends. Jaco comes from the Karoo and his heart is in farming. I come from Stellenbosch and am a sailor’s daughter that loves the sea. Therefore we spend hours outdoors. We are both very neat people and gives attention to detail.  Our biggest treat is fine dining. God has blessed us richly in everything we do.
 
See their photos here

We have three male cats. Wimpie, Dawie and Thabo-Nel. We got them right after we got married at the Animal Anti cruelty league. We were supposed to get only one, maybe two. In the end we left with three. We obviously enjoy them a lot. They are extremely tame and loveable. However in their minds they are lions.
I enjoy the most playing with them with a piece of string. They will goof around but at some point they crouch and wait to pounce. Its as if they go into a different mode.
They get a look in their eyes. It’s go time. They have become the Hidden dragon.

It feels like that at weddings as well. Everbody is goofing and playing around. And then at some point the magnitude of the day steps in. Some people freak out, some giggle all the time and some get focused.
The back Story
Anita (the bride) is one of Iza’s best friends and they got married a while back in Robertson. They had to travel a bit of  distance from Worchester to Robertson.
As they arrived at the venue, Anita saw all the people as well as her future husband standing there. The look on her face is priceless.
Obviously a 1000 things running through her mind. She was focused though. Ready to pounce and get married!

I love doing the wedding photography at Nooitgedacht Estate in Stellenbosch. The facilities are great and the backdrops are to die for.

When I met Lauren and David I just knew I wanted to work with them. They were super excited to get married. Lauren were the ultimate organized bride with a lot of attention to detail.
David is the counterbalance. Laid back and relaxed. They make an awesome team!

Where did you guys meet?
We both did our articles at Ernst & Young. I started in 2008 and Dave was already in his 2nd year. But we only really started to get to know each other in 2009 when we started doing more things socially together. We started officially dating in July 2009.

Vendors:
Venue: Nooitgedacht Estate Stellenbosch
Dress: Maggie Sottero, bought from Eve’s Bridalwear in Claremont
Groom’s suit: Rozanne from Moi Styling 
Bridesmaids Dresses: Patrick Mullins Couture
Hair: Mia van Aarde
Make up: Bronwen James
Flowers and Decor: Gerrit Snyman from Royalblu
Cake: Wilna van der Westhuizen from Sweet Cakes
Stationery: Lezanne from Lezanne’s Designs
Wedding entertainment: Gabriel Shai

Trivia:
Dave is from Durban and I am a born and bred Capetonian. This causes many an argument during the Super Rugby and Currie Cup seasons, especially when the Stormers play the Sharks However despite the fact that we support rival rugby teams, we are each best friends and we complement each other well. Because we have similar interests, values and beliefs, we believe we have found the perfect match.
 
Any wedding tips to future couples?
Plan and book as many of the big items as soon as possible. Anything that can be done early on, do it, because time runs out as you get closer to the wedding. I love lists so I kept a “to do list” showing what had to be done in each month leading up to the wedding. The wedding day goes so quickly so try to take a moment to step back and appreciate that all of your loved ones are in one place celebrating your special day. Try where possible to get your guests to write their names on the wrapping paper of their gifts, because gifts and cards get separated and then it’s very tricky to match a gift to a guest and makes doing thank you cards a nightmare.

See their photos here

Every now and then I get the chance to go and surf. Earlier in life I loved bodysurfing though. I would get on my wetsuit and flippers and swim out to the big waves. I would wait patiently until a proper set came through and then enjoy the ride. Sometimes you would land in a wave that are too big and powerful. Times like these you just hold and try to ride it out. You don’t look left or right. You just keep going.

Photography can be sometimes like this. You find yourself in a situation where you don’t look left or right. You just keep shooting. No matter what.

The back story:
It’s probably straight to see what happened here. At some point during the Groom Speech the “audience” (Groom’s friends) started spraying him with stuff.
Not sure why this is a tradition at Afrikaans weddings but this was one where they didn’t hold back. Somehow I got caught in the middle. Half of me wanted to protect my gear and get out there. The other half just knew that I had to keep shooting. So that’s what I did.

If there were ever a wedding venue I would want to live in… this is it! Ryan and Jolette had their celebration at “The Kitchen, Maison Estate” in Franschhoek. The venue is part of the Weylandts Group. As you can imagine the décor were immaculate. One of those venues where you don’t even had to add anything. I want to live here…

Smitten. That is the best way that I can describe Ryan and Jolette. They are absolutely so in Love that nothing else matters. It really was a privilege to have been part of their day wedding. Always a bit of a challenge with the midday sun, we luckily had shade. In the end it was impossible to get bad photos with the two of them.
Service providers:
- Venue The Kitchen at Maison Estate
- Dressmaker Maggie Sottero (Eve’s Bridal) 
- Hair and make-up Iza Cloete
- Flowers Sue Ackerman
- Wedding coordinator Amy van Graan
- Videographer Moments to Media 
- Wedding Stationary – Good Letter Best
- Wedding cake – Lindt Chocolate Studio 

One wedding tip that you can give other wedding couples?
The best tip we can give is to be true to yourselves. There are no rules that has to be followed – make the day your own. Choose a venue which you as a couple absolutely love (i.e. where you would actually go to for a Sunday afternoon lunch).  Indulge in having the things which you enjoy in everyday life to be present at the wedding (for example, I am a chocoholic, so indulging in a Lindor Wedding Cake was a definite highlight).  Opt for a small wedding if you as a couple enjoy having an intimate celebration with your closest family and friends.  Choose suppliers whom you as a couple relate to (this makes the process natural and fun). Opt for a ‘wedding look’ that resembles who and what you are (if you wear your hair down all the time, wear it down too on your special day – with a special touch, of course).  The list goes on and on.

Trivia about the wedding?
We work hard to play hard.  We centered our wedding date and time around flights to leave for honeymoon on the same day and wake up the next morning in paradise…and was it paradise! 

See their photos here

I did the shoot for a stunning new guesthouse that opened just outside Paarl.
I LOVE how they mixed the old and the new.
Their website will probably be up soon!

See the full set here

We had had Alexis and Nicola’s wedding in Franchoek on a lovely sunny summer day.

The two of them met in the boardroom of clients. The two attorneys knew immediately there was something in the air. Business first though!
After the matter was over Alexis made his move. Nicola ruled in his favor!

Wedding suppliers:
- Venue -  Holden Manz
- Dressmaker – Robin Roberts

They had a quite a busy day and the photo session was probably one of the more relaxed part of the day.  We had some amazing mountains and vineyards to play with. Another day at the office… Yes I know!

See their photos here

In the past if have spoken about the Confetti part being one of my favorite parts ever. Yes there is fun and laughter. Yes it always makes beautiful amazing photos. Yes everybody looks happy. But there hidden moments there. The ones that you see in slow motion if you are lucky.
Your first instinct is always to check your camera. Normally the sun are extremely awkward. The light changes constantly. People jump in front of you. You sometimes deal with some over eager amateur photographers posing as guests. Everyone thinking that they need to “help” me out.
You have this constant fear of “did I get the shot?

The back Story:
As the confetti rained down on us the couple passed me toward the back end of the confetti cue.  I struggled again NOT to Chimp (Check my LCD) and kept shooting the bride from behind. Suddenly it felt like a car crash. Everything happened in slow motion. The laughter and voices were “blurred” out. The bride’s dad pulled her closer and gave her a hug. Not just any hug. It was as if the rest of the people just disappeared for that 3 seconds
It was amazing.

When the possibility of shooting this wedding at Molenvliet came up I was extremely excited. I have heard many good things about this venue and it did not disappoint. Clinton and Katie are two of the sweetest people you will ever meet. What you see is what you get! The wedding were an exact reflection of who they are.

One of the highlights of the day were the pre-drinks. It was a road in the middle of vineyards. The views were breathtaking all around.

 Where did you guys meet?
 We met in Natal where Katie was at school with my sister.

Service providers
 - Venue Molenvliet
 - Dressmaker Anmari Honiball
 - Hair and make-up-  Iza Cloete
 - Flowers Anet Nepgen
 - Videographer Silverline Productions

One wedding tip that you can give other wedding couples.
Just remember, at the end of the day you will be married to the person of your dreams.
All the small seemingly stressful things mean nothing in the broader scheme of things!

Trivia:
We did long distance for 6 years! If that is possible then anything else is! We share a passion for white wine, live music and Asian food. Our primary arguments are for the TV remote…Katie’s reality TV vs. Clinton’s sport

See their photos here

To see more please click here

As a wedding photographer you have to manage many situations and people. One of these includes the minister/priest/pastor at a ceremony. Most of them are super nice and allow you to do your thing. Sometimes you get a guy that had a bad experience or two in the past with other photographers. They are usually a bit hostile and strict in the beginning. After a quick chat they normally relax and I can proceed.  I call this “the Dance with the Dominees”.
 
I try to be very respectful and as little of a distraction as possible.
You obviously want to get great images but in the end the ceremony is about the wedding. NOT about the photos. With that in mind I almost become as quiet as a cat burglar, sneaking around and getting my shots. A long zoom lens works well and you have to be extra sensitive to get the great moments.
 
The back story
I was a few minutes early and the bride was a few minutes late for this wedding. I was sitting in one of the pews trying to be “stealth”. I noticed the Dominee being in deep thought with his sermon. Preparing. Listening. I realised at that point that for him weddings are also a passion. Same as my photography. He lives for this and approaches it with the greatest respect. I learnt a lot that day.

The wide angle
I have a Nikon 14-24 F2.8 lens in my bag. It’s one of those lenses that you only use 5% of the time at a wedding. It’s good for landscape, venue and reception photos. Not usually associated with “moments”. But you will be amazed how many times I have managed to get moment photos with this big baby. It’s amazing for tight spots. You can fit everybody in.  It has become one of my favourite lenses in my camera bag.
 
 
The back story:
First things first. This photo was NOT staged! It literally was like a scene from the movie “Bridesmaids”.  When I arrived we were a bit behind schedule. The bride was on time but everyone else was all over the place. As the bride was doing her last getting ready rituals everybody’s worlds collided and converged in the small bathroom at the same time.  The only thing I could do was grab my wide angle lens, get onto the edge of the bath tub and snap away.

It’s always really funny how emotions change when I arrive at the place where the bride is getting dressed. I am usually a few minutes early and will scout around to see where we will be doing the bridals. I say hi quickly and then start my scouting. Normally the girls are all in a very light mood. Laughing, joking etc. I then slowly start to take pictures behind the scenes. I always notice how it’s almost a switch happening. People realise it’s now GO TIME.  Some people start to giggle, others get loud, some will start fidgeting, some will just become quiet. It is so important to recognise this and capture the character of the person. It’s difficult, but so rewarding if you get it right.
 
The back story
We did a wedding outside Paarl recently. The bride was ready quite early so we had more than enough time to do her bridal portraits.
Obviously that makes a huge difference in having enough time to get great images. We were actually finished with the first set of the bride’s photos at this point. As I walked to fetch my camera bag, I noticed her sitting contemplatively on the couch. She was alone in the room. Waiting. It was as if the MOMENT arrived. Her big day. To date this is one of my favourite moments ever.

I always enjoy it when the couple actually join for a part of the pre-drinks. It is such a social and casual event and it gives people the opportunity to really mingle and loosen up. Group photos also work great during this time.
Obviously at some stage you have to slip away for the couple shoot.
This means entertaining the guests.
 
Here are some ideas for pre-drinks entertainment:
-  DJ – ask the DJ to start playing earlier the day. Cafe Del Mar works well.
-  Wedding games – have a look at www.weddinggames.co.za
-  Photo booth - Hire a professional booth or even create your own. With or without props.
-  If you are getting married on a wine farm why not get the winemaker in for some culture?
-  Caricature sketch artist – Nice souvenir for the guests to take home
-  Drumming – we had it at our wedding and it was AWESOME!
- Live music – a music trio or live band
- Canvas painting/name signing – instead of the regular old guestbook, you have a big   
  “Message Canvas”
- Cocktails – get someone to make cocktails and teach people how to make their own
-  Polaroid/guestbook – get the guests to take photos, stick them in your book and write messages next to them

If you think creatively your guests can enjoy the pre-drinks a lot more and not always call it “the long wait”.
If you have some great ideas please feel free to comment and I will add to this article.

One of the main lessons I have learnt at weddings is to always look behind you and have your camera EVERYWHERE you go as you never know what you might find.  I even take my camera to the toilet, just in case.  This means that whatever happens, you are ready to get the elusive moments.
 
The back story:
A while back we did a pretty amazing beach wedding in Lambertsbaai.  Not only was the food the best EVER, but we really got some great images on the day.  At some point we had to go to my car to fetch something.
 
As I was walking to the parking lot I saw three of the guests hanging out on the beach.  It was the perfect picture.  Three best buddies just shooting the breeze during sunset. Throwing rocks into the waves.  I couldn’t resist.  They probably never even knew that I took the photo.
 
This photo takes me back to the carefree days of being a student. I’d love to have picture like this of me and my besties (yes, I said besties)…

At weddings we sometimes do something to set up a shot. You almost create the environment for something to happen. If you are really lucky something happens and you have to be ready to capture it.
One of these times are during the groupshots.
At some point during the wedding we normally try to do a big group shot of all the guests. We start of with the standard shot of all the guests looking at me. Then we get the couple to kiss for 10 seconds. During this time is when the emotion starts to happen. Shyness, jokes,  laughter etc
This is when I normally put on my Zoom lens and focus on specific people.

Backstory
Right after the 10 seconds people were all making jokes and laughing He whispered in her ear something that only she could hear. She started blushing and laughing at the same time. She looked for the safety of his body and that gave me the perfect shot! Man I am curious! Aren’t you?

One of the questions I get the most on e-mail is probably: How far in advance do we need to book you?
 
The answer: I don’t  know. Probably anything from 1 day to 2 years. It all depends on the date.
 
Here is an example:
In 2013 – April 13 – Currently I still have that date open. It’s 2 months away.
In 2014 – April 12 – A bride just booked me. It’s 14 months away.
It’s the same weekend, but a whole year apart!
 
It’s always frustrating to get an e-mail saying: “We are getting married in September, are you still available?” That question has many answers. All depends on exactly which date.
 
I understand the reasoning behind the question. People are planning weddings, looking at venues and checking schedules.  They have a few venues in mind which have different dates open. They are looking at the options.
 
However, if you have a specific date in mind please state that in your e-mail. If you have a venue and wedding time in mind please also advise that. The more info I have, the better to give you the correct info.
 
I sometimes get brides that will e-mail me the following:  “We are young couple with X situation. We are getting married on Easter weekend Saturday/Long Weekend in December/New Year’s day. Can you please give us discount because of X reason?”
 
Now my mother always told me when I was little: “Vra is vry”.
 
And I do appreciate the concept. But weddings are a lot like “airline seats”. You can’t expect do get discount on flights the day before Christmas.
Same with weddings. There are certain month/dates that are our working Saturdays. These are the dates that we need to charge full price.
I have actually looked back on the past 3 years to check the Saturday closest to 16 December. I received 16 enquiries for  Saturday 11 December 2010. It doesn’t make business sense to offer any discounts on this date and other prime wedding dates.
 
Iza and I got married during December 2009. We appreciated that all service providers need to ask their full prices in December. We didn’t expect discount from anybody, even though we knew everybody really well. In the end we decided on a Wednesday.
 
This gave the service providers an extra working day and made it easier to give us better rates. It was also a bit easier negotiating with service providers we didn’t personally know.
 
So my advice if you are on a tight budget: consider Fridays, Sundays and weekdays for your wedding.
1.       Your dream service providers might actually still be available.
2.       If you are lucky they might have a “non-Saturday” rate.
 
Consider Months that are not peak months:
January, May, June, July, August, November
 
 
I hope this gives you a little bit of insight into dates.

According to Wikipedia Serendipity means a “happy accident” or “pleasant surprise” – specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it.
 
This is pretty much how you could view Rochelle and Dirkie’s love story.
 
How did you meet? 
In Ceres in October 2010 on a weekend away with mutual friends.  This was the first time when we really noticed each other.
 
Before that their paths “crossed” many times.
•         Rochelle and Dirkie stayed 81 km apart when they were small kids. 1200 km away from where they eventually met and lived
•         Rochelle’s dad and Dirkie’s granddad at some point were both teachers at the same school in Bellville
•         Both their moms were also teachers in Despatch at some point
•         Dirkie’s mom and Rochelle’s dad both were teachers at some point in Saldanha at the same school
•         Dirkie and Rochelle were at the same Matric farewell when she was in grade 11
•         They met once in 2006
•         They attended the same wedding in 2009
In aisle 5 in Pick ‘n Pay the chemistry started when they were officially introduced. Only a few weeks later at another function did they see each other again en toe is die koeël deur die kerk!
 
It was our privilege to have been part of their amazing wedding at Kronenburg just outside of Paarl.  They are such a fun couple with a love for life and really seeing the lighter side of life. They are one of those couples that you just really want to be around when you meet them.
 
Service providers:
Venue: Kronenburg Estate
Dressmaker: Elizabeth Stockenstrom
Hair and make-up: Anine Fourie
Flowers: Mint & Magnolia -
DJ: Clinton Hattingh
Wedding cake: Sugar & Spice Bakery 

One wedding tip to other couples:
Communicate, communicate, communicate… OK that was 3
 
To read more about their story go to their website: 
 
To see their photos click here.

The reception is one of my favourite happenings at a wedding.  It’s a time when I can be a bit more relaxed.  The pressure is off.  The lighting is constant.  There are not too many surprises that can jump up. This is always where I go into paparazzo mode.
 
I especially love the dancing photos. People are cutting loose… Footloose, everybody cuts footloose… There I go again! I start singing with the music, swaying my hips, tapping my feet, basically getting jiggy with it!
 
During this its normally chaos on the dancefloor. Guests and wedding party are relaxing and just going bonkers. It’s during these times that the “moments” just jumps out.
 
The back story:
We had this wonderful beach wedding at Britannia Bay. This couple did not hold back. Neither did their guests. Their opening dance was CRAZY! A bit of moshing and head banging inbetween.  As you can imagine it was high energy throughout the night.  At one point I noticed the bride was dancing with her father.  As the song ended he pulled her close and gave a her a quick kiss on the forehead.
Luckily I had my camera ready. I took the photo. It was magic.

Riekert

When Sasha contacted me about doing their wedding photos I was  overwhelmed. She is best friends with two of the best photographers in South Africa. Greg Lumley and Yvette Gilbert.  They both referred me and it was a huge honour coming from them. It was also really awesome to meet up with them at Sasha’s wedding!

Sasha and Steve had an amazing wedding at Backsburg just outside Paarl. Their personalities’ absolutely shone through everything and this fun couple had a spectacular night of their life! They don’t do things half-way and I had to be on my game to keep up! And get a word in!

How did you guys meet?
A very different story … “Sasha’s mom introduced us”.
So Steve already had approval. We met via an e-mail introduction from Sasha’s mom and then after e-mailing for a while we finally went on our first date in August 2009! After an awkward ‘hello’ we haven’t stopped talking since.

We were both born in Johannesburg, both moved to Cape Town and met in Cape Town, both work in IT and luckily have the same sense of humour … we have so much in common with each other that we just fit together – we finally found the missing piece of our puzzles.

Wedding vendors:
- Venue: Backsberg – Paarl
- Dressmaker: Sasha’s mom, Ingrid
- Hair and make-up: Iza Cloete
- Flowers: Moondrops
- Videopgrapher: Arjen from Dutch Tulip Productions
- Invites – Hayley from Invitation Cafe
- DJ – Laurie
- Limo – Limousine Extreme
- Hair for bridesmaids – Riana  and Danielle
- Manor House to get dressed – Marianne’s
- Minister – Andred
- Photobooth – Kiekiekoors

One wedding tip that you can give other wedding couples?
We took everyone’s tips into account like ‘Enjoy yourself’, ’Take it all in’, ‘It goes so fast’. Also add our tip: plan, plan, plan so that on the day you are relaxed. Delegate tasks to your bridal party you can be calm and happy and have nothing to worry about on the big day!

See their photos here

I am a big fan of fast, loud music. The guitar riff of a good Killers song is pretty much as close to perfection as you can get. My Ipod has 99% “loud” music on it. Occasionally you have the one slow song coming along that suddenly transports you to a world where you know everything will be fine.
 
Wedding photography can be exactly the same. Weddings are frantic. Most of the time I am running at full speed to ensure everything is covered. So when the quiet moments do come along and I see them, I realise why I do this job. It’s then where you have to relax and enjoy the “slow song”.
 
The back story:
I did this wedding in 2012. I arrived at the house of one of the family members of the bride. It was  pretty much organised chaos. Women EVERWHERE.  MOMS. Sisters, Bridesmaids,flower girls,  friends, nieces, make-up and hair ladies were all over the place. As I walked into the hurricane of female voices I noticed him sitting in the corner of one of the rooms. Another male! It was the Bride’s father.
He was writing his speech. In his own world. Oblivious to all the high-pitched laughs and screams. As the shutter clicked he looked up at me and smiled. That’s the face of a proud father.

Engagement/personal photo book
I recently took a couple’s personal photos as well as some engagement photos we took for them and did a square coffee table book.  There were a few white blocks left open so that guests could write messages in it. The nice thing about the book is that you have a history of your relationship in book form now PLUS it’s entertaining for the guests.

Polaroid camera
Guests takes photos, stick them in the book and write messages next to it. This works especially well during pre-drinks.

Canvas
You print a big canvas with a photo of you and a blue sky or even beach in it.  The open space left on the canvas can be used as writing space for the guests.

Photo booth
This is a great way to get cool photos and maybe even write messages on the back. They normally print a copy for the guests as well the bridal couple.

Video Messages
A video booth where you leave messages “Big Brother” style.

Paintings
You can give people small canvasses or something to paint on.

It’s crucial to keep reminding your guests to make use of the message tools. They tend to leave it until the end of the evening and then you get half a book as all are tired and a bit tipsy! This works really well during pre-drinks. You can even designate a best man or bridesmaid to organise this.

Hope you guys have Merry Christmas tommorow. Remember what it is all about and cherish your loved ones!

The Confetti part of the wedding has and always will be a great deal of fun and makes for great photos. It’s the first time the guests can say congratulations and pour “blessing” over the couple.
According to www.weddinggs.co.uk:
“Confetti is Italian for sweets which in Italy are thrown over the couple as they emerge from the Church in that same way we use paper confetti. Raisins and nuts may also be used.
Before the use of paper confetti the married couple were showered with flowers, petals, rice or grains. This was to bestow prosperity and fertility on the couple.”

When choosing the colour of the confetti, always think about the background. E.g.. Green won’t be seen against green. Rice can be very small and not visible on photos. It is also hard and can end up in uncomfortable places!
Bubbles don’t work on a windy day. So think a bit practically about the confetti and the venue that you have. R50 notes works well!

Ask the MC to organize all the guests in two long rows that is wide enough. If the rows are too close together, visibility becomes difficult and guests step into the walkway and in front of me, which means your lovely wedding photos are ruined by your Aunt’s “Groenie die Draak” outfit.

Walk slowly if you are the star of the day and enjoy the petals and cheers. Don’t try to dodge the confetti. I promise it won’t hurt. If you smile and walk proud the photos will look great!

This wedding outside Durbanville was indeed a red carpet affair. There was a few faces that I thought I knew only to then realise it’s because I heard their music or saw them on television! Hiram is a brilliant saxophonist and has played all over the world. His amazing wife Chandrè is so softspoken and an absolute lady. You have to go far to meet two nicer people than them.
 
They had their wedding in Riebeeck-Kasteel and reception at Eenzgezind. From Chandrè’s arrival by helicopter to the performances this was indeed a day to remember.
 
 Where did you guys meet?
I met Chandrè at a 21st where my dad was invited to perform a song. While playing with my dad I spotted this girl in the audience. It was really hard to focus on the song – I couldn’t even remember what song it was and which parts to play.  After that horrible performance I asked her for her number – we started dating for twelve years.
 
Service providers:
- Venue – Eenzgezind bridal venue
- Dressmaker – Ilse Roux
- Make-up – Iza Cloete
- Hair – Oasis Hairsalon
- Flowers – Eenzgezind
- Invite designer – Lezaan Bester
  
One wedding tip that you can give other wedding couples?
When your soon-to-be wife says “we should do “this” or “anything” – the thing that you should say as a future husband is “yes”.
 
Never look for a partner that’s exactly the same as you. Both me and Chandrè have different personalities … Hiram is more of a free spirit whereas Chandrè is very much organised, but we complement each other very well!
 
Enjoy the moment and take time really look at what is happening and don’t forget that the event is all about two human beings starting a life (journey) together. Onthou dat “LIEFDE WEN” …

See their photos here

Chances are you have a found a service provider for your wedding that are REALLY good at what they do. They have been doing it for a while. You absolutely love their work and can’t wait for them to be part of your wedding.
They know the industry and the different service providers. They know the good ones and the bad ones. Probably in different price ranges. Use this knowledge!

I will never refer someone if I am not truly confident in that service provider’s ability. I will also not refer someone if their price is out of line with their product. It just makes business sense for me to refer someone who I know have and will do a great job for your wedding. I don’t take “kickbacks” at all. All my referrals are based on my confidence on the service provider.

This will probably ring true for any great service provider. So use their contacts and know that you probably will get a great product. (Dj’s, Venues, Videographers, Make-up artists etc, Musicians, Ministers)

Happy Hunting!

I was stuck in traffic today. Quite irrated I couldn’t understand what all the cars were doing on the roads 11:00 on a Friday morning. As I passed a school I could see kids running around. Absolute excitement and joy bursting from their faces. Then I realised. The school holidays are starting. It took me back to my schooldays. I can still feel that “Skole sluit” feeling. There is nothing like it!

At weddings you sometimes see this feeling. If you are really lucky you have a camera ready.

The back story:
We did a wedding in Cape Town. It was a winter wedding and in the end we had to do the group photos inside as it was cold and raining outside. We had a “photo spot” ready and were waiting for the groups to arrive. In the meantime great-grandma and baby niece waited on the couch. Ouma started talking to the little one and made fun of me. Suddenly the little cutie burst out laughing and everybody followed suit. In the midst of this laughter I managed to squeeze the trigger and got the shot. Don’t you just want to join in with a smile?

Four to five years ago “The Wedding car” was still a major issue at weddings. It was almost as important as the wedding dress. Probably the groom’s stamp on the wedding day. Recently most of the weddings that we do all happen at the same venue, so the wedding car has become a bit redundant. I think the best route to go is to look at your personality and decide then. Maybe your new hubby is real Gearhead TopGear fanatic.  Then it might be a good idea to get a wedding car on the day.

If you get the latest Mercedes, BMW or Bugatti please make sure that your driver doesn’t believe he is Michael Schumacher. I have heard horror stories of the bride being in an accident on her way to the church. I once got left behind on the way to the church, because my car  could not do 200 km/h.  They had to wait for me at the church.

The old vintage cars are also very nice. However, if you need to drive far from the church to the wedding venue, it could take a very long time to get there, as they can’t go high speeds. Also, the car might even break down along the way.  Not ideal for a blushing bride.  

I don’t prefer horse carriages. On a few occasions the owner/driver of the horse were trying to steal the show. Seriously people, I am not there to take photos of animals. It’s about the couple. This is not Animal planet. A nice to way to involve the groom’s dad on the day is to get him to drive the bride and her dad to the church.

Please also tell the car’s owner NOT to polish the tyres of the car. You don’t want black marks on your wedding dress.

Also ensure to give the driver proper directions and telephone numbers. Get his mobile number where possible.

Get your mom to pack some refreshments in a cooler back and provide your own music to really make the drive more fun.

Enjoy the ride!

This West Coast beach wedding at the Sea Trader in Britannia Bay was absolutely a true reflection of who this couple is. It was as real as it gets.

Marina (an interior designer) and Duncan (copywriter) decided one day they had enough of the City. They made some lifestyle changes and eventually ended up running a stunning B&B in Britannia Bay. It’s called the Absolute Beach. This is part of a family business and they haven’t looked back since.

Their wedding was pretty amazing! It was the ultimate relaxed beach wedding. The food was out of this world. The couple were so in love and we had an awesome sunset. A perfect day at the office!

How did you meet?
We met 7 years ago in London, Duncan was a security guard and Marina a receptionist at the same business park.
We first became friends, went for a few dinners (“dates”) and then finally after 6 months Duncan scraped enough courage to give Marina a kiss.
Since then we’ve been inseparable.
Service providers:
- Venue – Sea Trader, Britannia Bay
- Dressmaker – Belinda (from George)
- Hair and make-up – Iza Cloete
- Flowers – Jackie Hutchinson & Marilo Cunningham
- Wedding planner – Insense Events (Marilo Cunningham)
- Videographer – Gerrit Visser

Some interesting facts:
“Though we both enjoy cooking and good food, Duncan cooks most of the time.
Marina can’t handle scary films. In fact, our friends have more fun watching her reactions than watching the movie itself. Our first movie together was seriously terrifying. Duncan had hoped it would send Marina flying into his arms, unfortunately that plan backfired and Duncan spent the movie watching Marina wide-eyed as she shrieked and attempted to block her view with her hands and feet – it’s funny now, but back then it really threw any chance of a romantic evening straight out of the window.”

Any wedding tips for future couples?
If you’re doing an outside wedding, always consider the weather for the time of year you want to get married. And always have a backup plan. Ours luckily worked out, but we still had to fall back on our plan B for a part of the wedding.
Try and be creative and make things for your wedding – it is an awesome feeling to see your handiwork at the wedding. It adds a BIG personal touch and people appreciate the effort.

See their pics here

This is probably the most important planning that the photographer can help you with for your big day. The reality is that you only have so many hours to get a LOT of stuff done.
You have to keep a lot of people happy plus you have to work with Mother Nature as well. Guests don’t want to wait long but you also want to get nice pictures. It is indeed a fine
balancing act to keep everybody happy.

It’s crucial to work out a realistic timeline. It’s no use to have one and then totally get it wrong on the wedding day. You are then going to put a lot of pressure on the venue (hot food),
guests, other service providers and most importantly yourself.

You must decide what parts of the day are really important and what parts aren’t. Before you send out invitations with ceremony starting time have a look at the following:

Preparation
This will depend on your make-up artist/hair dresser and driving time. I normally like to have the bride dressed and ready 45min before she needs to leave for the church. This gives enough time for bridal portraits and the bride will still get a few minutes alone to get her thoughts together.

Ceremony – 45min
On average it takes about 45min. This will normally include signing of the register. Obviously if the bride is very late this will also run late.

Pre-dinks vs. Starter
This is probably one part where I have a bit of a different view than the rest of the photographers. The pre-drinks is such a nice part of the day and it’s always sad if the couple misses out on this because they are taking photos. My suggestion is to rather join in the fun and miss out on the starter later. While we are busy with the couple shoot, the guests can enter the reception, find their seats and enjoy starters. This means our light will be better (softer) and you don’t have granny standing outside in the early evening cold because we are taking photos. People can take their seats, eat, drink and be merry. This means you will enjoy the couple shoot much more.

Group shots – 30 min
It’s great to do the group photos during the pre-dinks. This means it’s much more fun and it does not feel like waiting time. I prefer not to do table photos later on. That never work properly. If we have a list here you can get everybody somewhere on a photo.  This normally takes 1.30min per photo. 30 min in total is normally enough.

Couple shoot (Sunset) – 1 hour
For the photos it is crucial to know what time the sun sets. I love to start the couple shoot 40min before sunset. I normally shoot then 20 min into sunset. This means an average of 1 hour.
There are a few websites that you can check the times for sunset. www.timeanddate.com is one of them.
I always block out the couple shoot during this time and then fit everything around it. Winter weddings are easy as the couple shoot will probably happen right after the ceremony. Summer weddings I have done part of the couple shoot after main course (I am not joking!). It all will depend on what time your ceremony starts where we fit in what.

Speeches – 40 min
On average it takes 5 min per speech. And the groom’s speech is about 10-15min.  A total of 40min should be enough

Main course – 45 min
This takes between 30-45min depending on the size of the venue, guests etc.

First dance, Garter + Bouquet + cutting of the cake
It works well to open the dance floor and then 30 min later to do the cutting of the cake. Right after that you do garter and bouquet. This means you are only stopping the music once.
The MC can then also say what time desert will be served.
A Typical October Wedding in Cape Town where everything happens on the same venue will have the following timeline:

15:00 – Bride finished with make-up/Hair/Getting dressed
15:00 – Riekert Arrives at the Bride/a few Prep photos/Bridal Portraits/Bride with Bridesmaids
16:30 – Ceremony start
17:15 – Confetti + congrats + pre-drinks
17:45 – Group photos during pre-drinks
18:15 – Couple shoot start
18:40 – Guests enter venue
18:50 – MC – Welcome/Admin
18:55 – Starter served
19:05 – Tables cleared/Sparkling wine
18:49 – Sunset
19:10 – Couple shoot finished
19:15 – Couple make grand entrance
19:20 – Speeches
20:00 – Main course
20:45 – First Dance
21:30 – Cutting of the cake/Bouquet/Garter
22:00 – Desert

My packages are all 7 hours. This is normally more than suitable to fit everything in and not rush it. Certain times couples may book an hour or 2 extra depending on their needs.

Although crucial to the day don’t stress out to much on the actual day. The MC needs to watch the clock, not you. Relax and enjoy the ride!

One of the most special photographs that I’ve ever seen in my life is the one you will see at many guys’ bar or braai area. The one where Joel Stransky wins South Africa the Rugby World Cup in 1995.
For obvious reasons I love this photo – but the real reason I enjoy this is the photographers at the bottom right underneath the goalposts.
They could not help themselves. Instead of getting the moment they were so emotionally involved that nothing else mattered. I hope they weren’t fired for missing the photo though!

In weddings we sometimes can get so emotionally involved in the day that you can easily miss something. It’s almost like you forget to take the picture. Be it sad, joyful, funny or whatever is happening.
It’s something that I and every other photographer have to watch out for. But I guess it is impossible to never feel emotion. The trick is to find the balance.

The back story
A while back we did this wedding at Backsburg outside Stellebosch. It was a Jewish wedding. They have a A LOT of traditions happening and by the end of the ceremony we had to sign a document to basically end the formal proceedings. As everybody were standing around and chatting while the signing was happening, I noticed the Rabbi sat with his own thoughts.
I am not sure if he was very tired or maybe did one too many weddings in his life, but you could see he had enough. He wanted to be somewhere else. I had to take a picture.
To do this day whenever I look at it I chuckle by myself. If only I knew what he was thinking.

This destination wedding at Grootbos Nature Reserve was probably one of the most beautiful I have been to. In South Africa we always glorify travel destinations abroad. When you go to a place like this you realise the beauty that we have locked up right here under our noses.
It started out as a beach wedding and ended up at a five star game lodge. World class is what I can say of this venue. I sometimes have to pinch myself to realise how privileged we are to see such amazing places.

Grobler and Erika are both Town and Regional Planners and they met during varsity. What started out as friendship soon blossomed into a romance and finally soul mates. They are very down to earth and crazy about each other. Truly an example for everyone around them.
Service providers:
- Venue – Grootbos Nature Reserve 
- Dressmaker – Ilze Roux Bridal Couture
- Hair and make-up – Iza Cloete 
- Flowers – Grootbos Nature Reserve
- Band - Kaleidoskoop

One wedding tip for other couples getting married.
Don’t get caught up in the little things! Remember to always see the bigger picture of marrying your best friend and the one you love! Your wedding day should be a celebration with friends and family so just enjoy it!

See their photos here.

I’ve been to ceremonies in/on the following places:
Churches, cellars, gardens, mountains, lawns, Living rooms, patios, forests, fields, ballrooms and even on a boat once. I have seen very formal and very relaxed ceremonies.
Some awesome priests and even some dominees constantly giving me the evil eye. I think the most important tip I can give on this is to get the ceremony to reflect your personalities.
If you are fun couple get a fun minister/priest/officer etc.

If you get married outside, choose the spot wisely. Don’t stand in half shade. Shadow blotches made by leaves doesn’t flatter your smooth skin Rather have the sun directly behind your back than squinting all the time. The best is even shade.

Inside our outside keep the size and quantity of your décor/flower arrangements in mind. Less space means its more difficult capturing those intimate moments.

If there are windows and doors…open them. Natural light is your friend.

If you have a lot of people walking down the isle in front of you, give them a chance to clear the isle before you make your grand entrance.

Have your bridesmaids and best men take a seat with everybody else. Four people on each side can have the ceremony look very cramped.

I prefer the couple to be half facing the guests. It works well to have them standing towards the left or right on a 45 degree angle.The marriage officer would then be standing on the opposite side also at a 45 degree angle. Viewing angles are much better this way.

Block off certain parts of the church so that your guests aren’t sitting too scattered.

If the wedding is outside and very warm give the guests some water to take to the ceremony. Even music before the ceremony can break the ice a bit.