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Stuart and Nicole | Wedding | Hertford Country Hotel
Such a beautiful and wet wedding at Hertford Country Hotel. Stuart and Nicole looked amazing and I love all the colours!
A real man loves his wife, and places his family as the most important thing in life. Nothing has brought me more peace and content in life than simply being a good husband and father. Frank Abagnale
Wow, what a wet few days before the wedding, and also during the wedding. It started to rain on the Thursday and it never really stopped, and we had some good downpours during the wedding! But that doesn’t stop Stuart and Nicole and her guests…I have a smile in almost every photo I have taken! It was probably the most challenging wedding for me to date due to the weather, because it’s darker than normal and having people cramped in small spaces because they can’t be out in the rain makes it very difficult…and the rain delayed almost everyone getting to the venue…but I really love the outcome!
I told Stuart and Nicole that we will take photos in the rain during their couple shoot, and they were like “Yeah, sure!”…I mean Nicole woke up with a sore throat and she had 20% of her voice the whole day, but they were keen to tackle the rain. Luckily we didn’t have pouring rain during the couple shoot, and we even improvised a little by adding some water (one of the groomsmen squirted water on them to create lots of water for a really cool rain shot). I realised that with the really cool rain photos out there, there was lots and lots of rain, and we only had a little rain…so to make “lots of rain” I made holes in a water bottle to create a soft downpour on the couple…and it WORKED!
The bridesmaids were also full of ideas…I can’t take credit for the photos where they opened the umbrellas to get water on Stuart and Nicole…so I guess they are also to blame for making Nicole wet…hehehe.
This was my last wedding for 2019 and what a way to end of the year!
Enjoy the photos. Please be so kind and leave a comment at the end of the blog post! a little love goes a long way!
Here’s a list of all the suppliers who were involved to make the day special.
Venue: Hertford Country Hotel | Live Music: We Will Worship, Muneyi Romeo, Mpho Ntuli | Wedding dress: De La Vida (La Sposa design) | Shoes: Shwezu | Flowers and decor: Talita from Flowers Direct | DJ: Victor from Flash Mobile Studios | Makeup: Tash Studio | Stationery: Express Marketing
(Click on the image to enlarge)
Teaser! Stuart and Nicole | Wedding | Hertford Country Hotel
Such a beautiful and wet wedding at Hertford Country Hotel. Stuart and Nicole looked amazing and I love all the colours!
A real man loves his wife, and places his family as the most important thing in life. Nothing has brought me more peace and content in life than simply being a good husband and father. Frank Abagnale
Wow, what a wet few days before the wedding, and also during the wedding. It started to rain on the Thursday and it never really stopped, and we had some good downpours during the wedding! But that doesn’t stop Stuart and Nicole and her guests…I have a smile in almost every photo I have taken! It was probably the most challenging wedding for me to date due to the weather, because it’s darker than normal and having people cramped in small spaces because they can’t be out in the rain makes it very difficult…and the rain delayed almost everyone getting to the venue…but I really love the outcome!
I told Stuart and Nicole that we will take photos in the rain during their couple shoot, and they were like “Yeah, sure!”…I mean Nicole woke up with a sore throat and she had 20% of her voice the whole day, but they were keen to tackle the rain. Luckily we didn’t have pouring rain during the couple shoot, and we even improvised a little by adding some water (one of the groomsmen squirted water on them to create lots of water for a really cool rain shot). I realised that with the really cool rain photos out there, there was lots and lots of rain, and we only had a little rain…so to make “lots of rain” I made holes in a water bottle to create a soft downpour on the couple…and it WORKED!
The bridesmaids were also full of ideas…I can’t take credit for the photos where they opened the umbrellas to get water on Stuart and Nicole…so I guess they are also to blame for making Nicole wet…hehehe.
This was my last wedding for 2019 and what a way to end of the year!
Enjoy the photos. Please be so kind and leave a comment at the end of the blog post! a little love goes a long way!
Here’s a list of all the suppliers who were involved to make the day special.
Venue: Hertford Country Hotel | Live Music: We Will Worship, Muneyi Romeo, Mpho Ntuli | Wedding dress: De La Vida (La Sposa design) | Shoes: Shwezu | Flowers and decor: Talita from Flowers Direct | DJ: Victor from Flash Mobile Studios | Makeup: Tash Studio | Stationery: Express Marketing
(Click on the image to enlarge)
Ferreira and Michelle | Engagement session | Hertford Country Hotel
Wow, how beautiful! Just love Ferreira and Michelle’s engagement photos!
Ferreira & Michelle | Engagement session | Hertford Country Hotel
Elegance is the only beauty that never fades.
Audrey Hepburn
I always love coming back to Hertford Country Hotel, and I absolutely love the upgrades they did recently. The entrance has moved to Malibongwe’s side where the Spar is. Just love the beautiful little fountain at the gate!
Ferreira & Michelle are getting married at Oakfield Farm later this year and I really can’t wait for their wedding. I mean, they are really keen for me to try new things, like for instance the haziness in some of the photos was created using Atmosphere Aerosol South Africa. I over estimated the amount of fog it creates and obviously it doesn’t create fog like a smoke grenade where you are outside, BUT we really had a laugh! Ferrreira was holding the can and sprayed the fog behind them while I was taking photos. The ones on the inside of the venue I sprayed and stepped back to capture the moment. It’s fun, but I must say if you are looking for some serious fog then a smoke grenade will do the trick!
I also love my new Godox AD 200 flash, which allowed me to shoot at High-Speed Sync, ie. shutter speeds of more than 1/200s. Wow, this opens up so much new doors to creativity…LOVE IT!
In any case, I loved capturing Ferreira and Michelle’s engagement shoot and I can’t wait till the wedding! They are such a cool couple and I had loads of fun!
Beautiful make-up and hair by Chantelle Landman - Hair and Makeup.
Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!
Teaser! Ferreira & Michelle | Engagement session | Hertford Country Hotel
Wow, how beautiful! Just love Ferreira and Michelle’s engagement photos!
Teaser! Ferreira & Michelle | Engagement session | Hertford Country Hotel
Elegance is the only beauty that never fades.
Audrey Hepburn
Here’s a sneak peak from Ferreira & Michelle’s engagement shoot at the always beautiful Hertford Country Hotel.
The haziness in some of the photos was created using Atmosphere Aerosol South Africa.
Beautiful make-up and hair by Chantelle Landman - Hair and Makeup.
Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!
Portrait shoot with Annarika | SARIE Voorbladgesig | Hertford Country Hotel
Annerike is such a beautiful soul inside and out. She asked me to do some portraits for her because she wanted to enter into the SARIE Voorbladgesig competition.
Portrait shoot with Annarika | SARIE Voorbladgesig | Hertford Country Hotel
"Adornment, what a science! Beauty, what a weapon! Modesty, what elegance!" Gabrielle Chanel in Biarritz, 1920
Annerike is such a beautiful soul inside and out. She asked me to do some portraits for her because she wanted to enter into the SARIE Voorbladgesig competition (PLEASE Click on the link to vote for her!!).
I had such a wonderful time with her and she is so elegant and easy to photograph. I had some modelling and styling help from Missy. (thank you Missy...almost 90% of the shots were directed by Missy!!) Missy also did the make-up for the shoot and she is most probably the best out there! Her company is Missy Make Up Artist and another amazing thing about Missy is that her own make-up is always done so she doesn't mind to be in the photographs. :)
I always love shooting at Hertford Country Hotel. The venue is painted white on the inside so the creative opportunities in their spaces are endless. If you use off-camera flash the space even doubles up as a studio! Amazing.
I used a single flash setup. I used my Softbox for Speedlights and Nikon SB-910 flash with Phottix triggers on a lightstand and I used what they call butterfly lighting. The softbox was directly in front of the Annarike's face pointing slightly downward, so the light created a slight shadow under her nose. There were ambient light coming in from her left (photo right). I also tried to point the flash directly into her face so I moved the softbox around depending on how Annarike were standing.
Here is the make-up preperations with Missy.
This is the one Annarike selected for the cover.
And these 2 she also entered. She had to submit 3 images.
Here are some of the other images we created.
Janke & Ilé | Mom's Wedding Dress Shoot | Hertford Country Hotel
Wow, this photoshoot is one the cutest and most beautiful shoots I have done thus far. My niece and my daughter wore their mom's wedding dresses and the results are out of this world!
Venue: Hertford Country Hotel
Janke & Ilé | Mom's Wedding Dress Shoot | Hertford Country Hotel
We believe selecting a wedding dress is more than just a fitting, it’s a process – a memory in the making. Olivelli Cape Town
My wife Juanita have been wanting to do this shoot for almost five years now. Her twin sister Zinette's daughter (Janke) is 5 years old and my wife have been wanting to arrange a photoshoot where Janke would pose in her mom's wedding dress, and fantasy became reality when my daughter was born...my wife knew her dream would come true, so she started to plan this photoshoot: Janke will wear her mom's wedding dress, and Ilé will sleep or lie on her mom Juanita's wedding dress.
Wow, I love the result....it is "OUT OF THIS WORLD!"
My wife made the flower crowns herself. She bought the flowers and the wire and tape necessary to make the crowns and watched a youtube video for instructions. Amazing.
The beautiful Glitter Sequins Hanger in Silver is from The Lovilee Shop.
Venue: Hertford Country Hotel
Zinette's wedding photos was done by the talented Christiaan David Photography and Janke is holding the album he made for them for their wedding! So special!
Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!
a Father's love for his daughters | Father's Day | Hertford Country Hotel
A beautiful family shoot with Chandni and Kavita and their father Dave at Hertford Country Hotel. A father's love for his daughters is endless!
a Father's love for his daughters | Father's Day | Hertford Country Hotel
To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. - Euripides
I have been wanting to do a shoot for a while where I can try to capture a glimpse into the love a father has for his children. My daughter Ilé has been born since the #sneakpeak of this photoshoot, and she has just been a blessing and joy to our family. So my love as a father has doubled by having two children.
I hosted a competition on my Facebook page and Chandni was the winner of the Father's Day shoot. Her sister, Kavita, also entered and they nominated their dad, Devdas (or Dave), for the BEST DAD IN THE WORLD...and this what they have to say about their dad: dad:
Chandni: To me he is the greatest man that has ever set foot on this earth. He has taught us many life lessons, inspired each of his children to be better than they ever thought possible and supported us completely in every journey we have taken. He is the one person who will always be there. No judgements, no questions asked. This was done to not only his children but with friends and family as well. This has taught me what true love really is. Love u to the ends of the earth dad!!!
Kavita: You are the best dad ever! You've always worked hard to put us first in life and you've never said no to us for anything in life. You always give us your unconditional support in everything that we do and you're always there to motivate us to be our best. As a girl growing up, you were my super man and always will be. Love you lots Dad!
Wow, inspirational stuff! I can truly see that their dad is a great guy, and during the shoot I could see he has this grace about him. He is sure of himself, and he is absolutely in love with his two daughters.
Dave is a cattle farmer in Middelburg, so I wanted to do the shoot on a farm (which is fairly difficult to find in Johannesburg) but I knew The Hertford Country Hotel has a little horse stable with two horses so this worked well for the farm element in the shoot. I just love doing shoots at the Hertford because there is so many different aspects to work with, and every shoot I do there looks different. Chandni and her sister had dungarees which they wanted to wear, and it worked perfectly in the shoot, and when they added the "cowboy" hats it finished off the look I was aiming for.
A smile starts on the lips, a grin spreads to the eyes, a chuckle comes from the belly; but a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, overflows, and bubbles all around. - Carolyn Birmingham
I think I am a funny person but my wife Juanita doesn't necessarily share the sentiment. Chandni on the other hand cracked herself for my jokes. I always try and make my clients laugh naturally in front of my camera. I believe it produces natural smiles and authentic moments, rather than asking my clients to "fake" laugh and the moment isn't authentic and it looks unnatural. I also believe that they have a light spirit, meaning they find joy in life and laugh frequently with each other. Their hearts are full of joy, so I think it wasn't difficult to make them laugh as much as they did in front of the camera. :)
Enough said. Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end.
Janke & Ilé | Mom's Wedding Dress Shoot | Hertford Country Hotel
Wow, this photoshoot is one the cutest and most beautiful shoots I have done thus far. My niece and my daughter wore their mom's wedding dress and the results are out of this world! Venue: Hertford Country Hotel
Janke & Ilé | Mom's Wedding Dress Shoot | Hertford Country Hotel
We believe selecting a wedding dress is more than just a fitting, it’s a process – a memory in the making. Olivelli Cape Town
My wife Juanita have been wanting to do this shoot for almost five years now. Her twin sister Zinette's daughter (Janke) is 5 years old and my wife knew since her birth that she would one day arrange a photoshoot with her wearing her mom's wedding dress. So when my little girl was born, my wife knew her dream would come true, and she started to plan this photoshoot: Janke will wear her mom's wedding dress, and Ilé will sleep or lie on her mom Juanita's wedding dress.
Well, that happened today, and the results are "OUT OF THIS WORLD!"
My wife made the flower crowns herself. She bought the flowers and the wire and tape necessary to make the crowns and watched a youtube video for instructions. Amazing.
The beautiful Glitter Sequins Hanger in Silver is from The Lovilee Shop.
Venue: Hertford Country Hotel
Enjoy the sneak peak and please leave a comment at the end!
Teaser! a Father's love for his daughters | Hertford Country Hotel
A beautiful family shoot with Chandnit, Kavita and their father Dave at Hertford Country Hotel. A father's love for his daughters is endless!
a Father's love for his daughters | Hertford Country Hotel
I have been wanting to do a shoot for a while where I can try to capture a glimpse into the love a Father has for his children. I am already a dad to a son, but my daughter Ile is coming any day now...I can't wait!
To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter.
—Euripides
So I am privileged to share a sneak peak of the shoot I did on Sunday with Chandni, her sister Kavita and her dad Dave! Dave is a cattle farmer in Middelburg so I therefore wanted to add a farming element in the shoot, and Hertford Country Hotel and their horse stable was the perfect setting for this shoot. It's not a cattle farm, but at least the surroundings was as if they were on a farm. Chandni and her sister had dungarees which they wanted to wear, and it worked perfectly in the shoot, and when they added the "cowboy" hats it finished off the look I was aiming for.
Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!
Mother's Day mini-styled shoot | Hertford Country Hotel
Wow, I wanted to showcase the love of a mother and a daughter in a mini-styled shoot to commemorate Mother's Day, and Lindie and Charlene's love for each other was so tangible! I had so much fun with them, and they are such beautiful souls!
Mother's Day mini-styled shoot | Hertford Country Hotel
"Mothers and their children are in a category all their own. There's no bond so strong in the entire world. No love so instantaneous and forgiving." Gail Tsukiyama, Dreaming Water
I don't know what its like to be a mother. I'm a father. But what I know is I love my mother very much, and that they are the pillars of society! Even Jesus had a mother. So I believe God knew what He was doing when He created mothers. They are a shoulder to cry on, they are the glue of the family, they are the Chief Operating Officer of our homes and they are so important in all of our lives. Just look at African families, the are run by the Grandma's. Amazing.
This shoot was inspired by the love mothers have for their daughters, seeing that my daughter is coming very soon! I can't wait!
My wife, Juanita, who is also a mother, has a super eye for style, and most of the Rose Gold items are from our home! She has shown me how to turn ordinary things into works of art with Rose Gold spray paint. The cycad leaf and Consol glass jar was painted using spray paint.
I hosted a competition on Facebook for Mother's Day, and Lindie were the winner. This what she said about her mother Charlene:
"She is the most INCREDIBLE woman I have ever known! and we are so alike in the things we do. We love each other very much and I can only hope to follow in her footsteps and become as amazing as she is!"
I had so much fun with both of them during the shoot. They are such beautiful souls and they enjoy each other's company so much! I love how they laugh at each others jokes and how they finish each other's sentences...it was almost like I photographed twins! You guys were amazing!
Here are some of the suppliers featured in the shoot:
Flowers: Impala Flora
Venue: Hertford Country Hotel
Make up: Made Up by Kylie
Bouquet: Simone Pheiffer from The Wedding Event
Styling and photographer: Me :)
Decor ball & Gold lamp: Mr Price Home
Gold String Lights: Typo
Ivan & Maryke's epic wedding celebration!
Ivan & Maryke's epic wedding celebration is live on my blog!
“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” Coco Chanel
It was a huge privilege to be a part of their big day and I enjoyed every second of it!
It is amazing how their love story unfolded from their engagement shoot late last year up to their wedding celebration! It is very rare to find two people so much in love for the Heavenly Father and each other! They are a joy to be around and their beauty shines through in interacting with them and also in the pictures.
Enjoy the pictures and I pray a rich blessing over your marriage! and please do not hesitate to leave a comment at the end!
Venue: Hertford Country Hotel
Make-up: Giruldi Spurling (friend of Maryke)
Wedding gown: Bridal Room, Pretoria
Wedding Ring: Poggenpoel Diamante
Wedding Suit: Trenery, Woolworths
Ivan's Shoes: Aldo
Flowers: Magnifique Floral Art, Erna Swart
Badges and menu design: You & Me Design
Photobooth Video: https://vimeo.com/171584491
Teaser! Ivan & Maryke's epic wedding at the Hertford Country Hotel
Teaser! Ivan & Maryke's epic wedding at the Hertford Country Hotel!
“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” Coco Chanel
Maryke & Ivan's #weddingday is going to be one of those #weddings I will never forget! They looked absolutely amazing on Friday, and the wedding was so special to me. I know both of them personally and it was a privilege to be a part of this day!
Venue: Hertford Country Hotel
#weddingphotography #teaser #weddingphotographer #hertfordcountryhotel #wedding #weddings @wvdmphotography #wynandvandermerwedotcom #nikon750 #sigma50mmart #dewetpret @rykie10 @ivan_de_wet @pictography_1