ALEXA & PAUL-HENRI: WEDDING

THE DATE: SATURDAY, 6TH FEBRUARY 2010
THE VENUE: SUIKERBOSSIE, HOUT BAY

As we sat planning the day’s shots, having calamari at Chapman’s Peak hotel we mused over how nice it was not to be rushed and to be fully prepared for the wedding ahead. In this case, though, it applied only to us!

We arrived at Tintswalo Atlantic Lodge(http://www.tintswalo.com/Atlantic/about_hotel.html) to find that the bride was running late coming back from her hair and make-up appointment in town, and when she finally bustled through the door we were caught up in a bit of a bridal frenzy! The bride was relatively calm – her main concern not leaving her husband-to-be waiting longer than necessary - it was her bridesmaids that were flitting about her! The boutique hotel had magnificent views over the bay – if we had more time it would have been ideal for a few pics of the bride, but we still managed to snap away as the bride got ready in the flurry that surrounded her. Before we knew it we were winging our way back over Chapman’s Peak, headed for Suikerbossie!

The ceremony was set up outside but the chilly wind did little to dampen the spirits of the guests, forty of which had flown in from France. The bride walked down the aisle to the beat of a live Marimba band – putting an authentic African spin on the wedding. One thing that stood out for this couple was their great ‘you may kiss the bride’ kiss – you know what they say about French men! It lasted long enough for all budding photographers in the congregation to get a decent shot! The Marimba band kept the atmosphere upbeat and the guests entertained with dances and face painting while we got underway with the group photos! These proved harder to organise than expected, for one the girls were all screeching as cold gusts of wind blew their skirts up, and for another there was a slight language barrier – which was an added obstacle, however entertaining!

Just before dusk we left the guests to get started on the impressive champagne fountain and stole the bridal couple away in their chauffeured Volvo for a photo shoot on Llandudno beach. The bride took a tumble on the rocky steps but hubby had his arm around her within seconds. Her main concern was a) to save her champagne which, miraculously, she did; and b) whether or not we got it on camera, which sadly, we didn’t!

The couple were in their element in the fading sun and we got some great pics, including one of Paul whisking her bride up and away from the surging tide.


When we returned to the reception we were glad we had already got the shots of the champagne fountain as it was all but evaporated, the evidence of it in the liveliness of the guests. And things only got more spirited as the night progressed. The table shots the bride wanted were out of the question as most of the wedding party were on the dance floor for the majority of the evening, some even before their dinner plates had been cleared! We did, however, get some brilliant action shots of people doing the twist, girls vying for the limelight lining up for photos with their friends and once the formalities were over, we left the bridal couple to dance the night away with their very entertaining guests!

DENISE & HERSCHEL: ENGAGEMENT SHOOT

THE DATE: 13TH FEBRUARY 2010
THE VENUE: LAGOON BEACH, MILNERTON

Just a few sneak peeks from the engagement shoot we did with Denise & Herschel at Lagoon Beach. It’s evident that all the worries she had about her make-up being okay for the beach lighting were in vain – the pics came out beautifully and she’s going to make a stunning bride!

We had the couple pose on the pier with the majestic Table Mountain as a backdrop – getting some great silhouette shots. They were naturally affectionate and happy to carry out any poses we suggested, including having them dance on the shoreline, Herschel with a rose between his teeth!

A freak surge in the tide left the couple knee deep in sea water, but this did little to diminish their good humour and it made for an interesting shot!

RENE & RUAN: WEDDING

THE DATE:       23RD JANUARY 2010
THE VENUE:     ZEVENWACHT WINE ESTATE, STELLENBOSCH

Three of the main elements that come into play when shooting a wedding are: the weather, the venue and the couple. We were lucky with Rene and Ruan’s wedding in these respects – the sun shone endlessly with not a cloud in the sky; we knew the venue inside and out from shooting previous weddings there and from the first meeting the couple struck us as carefree and fun loving and we knew we were guaranteed to get some good shots! We were right!

We captured some great moments on camera – after the intimate ceremony we began the challenging task of coordinating the group photos. The vivacious bridesmaids graciously posed as suggested but it proved a bit harder to organise the cheeky groomsmen who needed persuading that at least one or two formal photos were customary for a wedding such as this!

We stole the couple away for an hour for their private shoot and were excited to find that they weren’t averse to doing whatever was needed to get some fun photos. Rene’s dress dragged on gravel between the vines and collected a few twigs as they strolled among the ripening grapes. They risked splinters on the seesaw and dodged wobbly slats on the pier, trusting that their photographers wouldn’t push them to such lengths unless the photos would be worth it. It was thirsty work and we thought it only fair to allow the couple a quiet moment together to sip champagne on the lawn and prepare themselves for the attention from the lively gaggle of family and friends that awaited them at the reception hall.

Rene and Ruan, both motorbike fundies with boundless energy, opted to spice up the traditional wedding formalities with a few variations from the norm, which came as a welcome surprise to us photographers as well as the guests. The father-daughter dance started off as a traditional slow dance which was cut short almost immediately when it broke into an Elvis rock song with choreography to match. They even had the bridal party join in to show off their synchronised moves.

We also captured some terrific action shots of Ruan animatedly feeding a giant piece of wedding cake to his new bride. To the amusement of all who were watching, Rene, as payback, teased him by twirling the garter on her finger while he rummaged under her dress looking for it with no success. After the congo line had weaved its way between the tables for the second time, and we felt satisfied with the shots of the day, shots of a different kind were being lined up along the bar and we took this as our cue to pack up the cameras and leave the party to carry on into the night.

CELESTE & GERMAINNE: WEDDING

THE DATE: SATURDAY, 19TH DECEMBER 2010
THE VENUE: LAGOON BEACH HOTEL, MILNERTON


To quote Billy Idol, it was a ‘nice day for a white wedding’! In fact, it was a great day – the sun shone bright as ever and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately, there also wasn’t any shade on the pool deck at the Lagoon Beach Hotel!

We met Celeste in her room with her two young children playing excitedly at her feet. We snapped away as she did her make-up and laughed when Germainne came into the room with eyes fast shut feeling his way along the wall to the en-suite where he got himself dressed and ready! It was the first time we’d experienced the bride and groom getting ready in the same room, but since he wasn’t looking we figured it was still in keeping with tradition, and therefore no luck was lost!


The ceremony, set up on the pool deck just up from the beach was in full sun and some of the guests had to line up alongside the hotel to escape sunburn! Celeste looked gorgeous walking down the aisle in a simple white dress with a beautiful orchid bouquet in hand to meet her groom standing beneath a white pagoda wearing loose white linen pants and shirt to match. It was the perfect beach wedding.


Table Mountain stood out prominently and made the perfect backdrop for a big group photos which we took on the beach before whisking the bridal couple off for an exclusive photo shoot on the beach a little further up. The conditions were perfect – mountain view, tranquil blue sea, gorgeous couple. We managed to get some amazing shots and since Celeste and Germaine were so natural and spontaneous, shooting them and capturing their day proved a dream!

We returned to the hotel and spent a while coordinating group shots indoors (with bright sun comes squinting and shadows and indoors seemed the best possible place!) before moving to the reception hall. The tables were decorated with seashells and sand and the theme was carried over to the cake which was beautifully decorated with white chocolate shells and marine life.


We got some lovely photos of the kids taking over the dance floor and later the bride and groom dancing with friends and family – it was a celebration and the photos definitely reflect the happiness of this day.


Links:
http://www.lagoonbeachhotel.co.za/

MELANIE & GARTH: WEDDING

The Date:     Wednesday, 16th December 2009
The Venue:   The Duck Pond, Welmoed Wine Estate

The Duck Pond in Stellenbosch is quaint and tranquil and perfect for a small wedding like this one. For a photographer, though, it poses a few challenges!

Firstly, with the ceremony being held on a small island in the middle of the pond, it’s tricky to capture all the guests and the wedding couple together without actually taking a plunge into the water and shooting from there! I decided to risk a shot from the front and gingerly crept onto the reeds, doing my best not to make too much noise and disturb the vows being affirmed and hoping I could execute the shot I’d envisaged before sinking into the mud.

Secondly, the afternoon sun proved difficult for family poses and it was hard to capture the moments without squinted eyes and harsh shadows. The venue also didn’t give us much to work with by way of ideal locations for couple photos; but Tim (from Tim Holmes Photography) and I applied a some additional creativity and a little experimentation and despite all these challenges, managed to get some great shots of the lovely couple!

The reception was a striking black and white theme in an alfresco setting beside the pond. This was broken up by the guests’ outfits and the colourful DVDs the wedding couple had thoughtfully created for all their guests.

The mood was festive and as the light faded and the duck pond disappeared into the darkness, I left the wedding party to continue their celebrations into the night.

Links:
The Duck Pond at Welmoed Wine Estate: http://www.duckpond.co.za/
Tim Holmes Photography: http://www.timholmesphotography.co.za/

LLIZANE & NATASHA: WEDDING

THE DATE: SATURDAY, 28th NOVEMBER 2009

THE VENUE: KIRSTENBOSCH GARDENS, NEWLANDS

The photography for this wedding started at the actual ceremony, as the brides were walking down the aisle. It was a gorgeous summer’s day and the clouds hung like cotton balls in the blue sky.

The girls were kitted in custom made dress and suit and made their way down the aisle flanked by black chairs with red ribbons to the archway which was decorated with white drapes and red roses and stood out boldly from the green scenery.

The ceremony was intimate and both bride and bride were bundles of nerves and excitement and were ultimately thrilled to finally be tying the knot after a very bumpy road of wedding planning. There was a beautiful pouring of coloured sand ceremony to signify their union and we got some terrific shots of the created layered glass sandbox.

While the guests gathered on the lawns outside the restaurant having drinks, we took the brides and bridal party off around the gardens for a few photos. We took some fun action shots of the two with their son and later some intimate ones of the couple in the wake of the mountain and used a quaint footbridge as a setting for the classic couple pics.

We later found out that Kirstenbosch Gardens held particular meaning to the couple as it was where they first met and also had their first kiss and had waited a year before Kirstenbosch allowed gay weddings to take place on their grounds.


The happiness that surrounded the couple carried into the reception where it was very clear they were much loved amongst friends and we got some great pictures of them all breaking it down on the dance floor and celebrating the marriage.


Links:
http://www.sanbi.org/