Jules & Kim | Shepstone Gardens | Wedding

Jurie & Annika | Wedding | Green Leaves

Julian & Nicci | Wedding | Simbali Lodge

Teaser! Damien & Steph | Wedding | Oakfield

Wow, what a special wedding! Damien and Steph…you guys are gorgeous!

Teaser! Henco & Elouise | Wedding | The Greenhouse Cafe

Teaser! Anthony & Sarah | Wedding | Cradle Valley Wedding Venue

Teaser! Jean & Chandre | Wedding | Bell Amour

James & Dania | Wedding | Avianto Wedding Venue (Part2)

You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known and even that is an understatement. —F. Scott Fitzgerald

James & Dania | Wedding | Avianto Wedding Venue (Part1)

You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known and even that is an understatement. —F. Scott Fitzgerald

Teaser! James & Dania | Wedding | Avianto Wedding Venue

You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known and even that is an understatement. —F. Scott Fitzgerald

Lerato & Anele | Wedding | Pont de Val, Freestate {Day1}

There is always a first in everything. I have been a photographer for more than 10 years, but I have never photographed a traditional African Wedding before…until now!

Lerato and Anele entrusted me to capture their love story over three days, and what I found out was that the wedding actually went on for another 2 days. Wow, their wedding was 5 days long.

The first day was their white dress wedding at Pont De Val, Freestate. South Africa had crazy rains this year, and during April it almost had a climax, with most rivers in Gauteng, Freestate and Limpopo flooding. Pont De Val is right next to Vaalriver and the river rose almost 2 meters, and the usual reception venue got completely flooded, with only the roof visible. The buidling where they set up the ceremony almost got flooded as well. Pont De Val made a plan by erecting a tent on higher grounds, and it turned out quite amazingly beautiful. It was not the usual Pont de Val splendour, but it was still beautiful and special.

The second day was their traditional wedding in Welkom, Freestate, at their family homes. What a celebration! It was my first time witnessing the traditional side of a wedding, and how much each respective families are involved in African Weddings. I definitely didn’t understand everything that happened in front of me. I have found out after the wedding that the MC even tolk jokes about me during the reception, and I was laughing with everyone not knowing the joke was about me.

The third day was with their respective families at their homes.

Thank you for allowing me to witness the union between you two, and also between the two families! Congrats again and may God grant you happiness and peace during your marriage!

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Suppliers who made the day possible:

Venue: @pontdeval | Jewellery - sterns (@sternssharejoy) | Stationery - @LN_Bespoke | Makeup - @moteesignatures (Motee) | Hair - @briblisshairandbeauty (Mapuleng) | Wedding Dress - @diamondlovebridal | Shoes - @Bequest_bridal_shoes | Flowers - @LN_Bespoke | Cake - @ChefZondi

Kyle and Ashton | Wedding | Kuthaba Bush Lodge

“You are every reason, every hope and every dream I’ve ever had.” Nicholas Sparks

I love Bush weddings, and Kuthaba Bush Lodge is still one of my favourite wedding venues to shoot at!

So many people believe that rain is a blessing during your wedding, so Kyle and Ashton must be SUPER BLESSED….wow, we got wet, but it luckily cleared later during the day. They even had a true African Bushveld sunset! Wow.

The more weddings I cover the more I love shooting during the afterparty. Wow, these are a super cool bunch of people and they surely know how to party. When you party at the end of the day, the stress is gone and you can just enjoy the remainder of the day! What fun, and it shows in the photos!

We also did their wedding video, and I cant wait to share the sneakpeak!

Enough said. Congrats again Kyle and Ashton, may your years be blessed and may your love for each other fuel the passion you have in life! Enjoy the photos! Thank you for allowing us to witness your beautiful day!

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Suppliers who made the day possible:
Venue: Kuthaba Bush Lodge | Decor and flowers: The Love Knot | Photos and Video: Wynand van der Merwe Photography | DJ: Alex Donaldson | Make-up: Kim Roberts | Hair: Santa Holmes | Wedding dress: Timeless Bridal Couture | Wedding Suit: London Royal | Bridesmaid dresses: custom-made at The Bridal House | Groomsmen and MC suits: Black Tie | Stationery: Say it Creative | Cake: Baker Boys | Rings: Clare Appleyard from Katannuta Diamonds

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Teaser! Kyle and Ashton | Wedding | Kuthaba Bush Lodge

“You are every reason, every hope and every dream I’ve ever had.” Nicholas Sparks

Venue: Kuthaba Bush Lodge | Photos and Video: Wynand van der Merwe Photography | DJ: Alex Donaldson | Make-up: Kim Roberts | Hair: Santa Holmes | Wedding dress: Timeless Bridal Couture | Wedding Suit: London Royal | Bridesmaid dresses: custom- made at The Bridal House | Groomsmen and MC suits: Black Tie | Stationery: Say it Creative | Cake: Baker Boys | Rings: Clare Appleyard from Katannuta Diamonds

Mario and Marissa | Wedding | Harmonie Proteas

PLAY ME!

I have ticked a bucket list with Mario and Marissa’s wedding! I have done a few engagement shoots at Harmonie Proteas, but this was my first wedding shoot….and I fell in love with this venue on another level! WOW, just look at their photos against the red of the proteas!

Mario and Marissa are South Africans working and residing in the Netherlands, and they got married here because their friends are here. And due to this fact, their wedding had moved quite a bit due to Covid.

Thank you Mario and Marissa for trusting me with my crazy ideas…they left me completely to do my magic and to push my creative boundaries….which I loved. They are such an easy couple to photograph, and the love they have for each other was sooooo tangible! Marissa you looked incredible and I could see Mario was biting his lip not to cry when you walked down the aisle!

Enough said, congrats again on your union! May God bless you in your walk in your marriage but also in the Netherlands!

Please leave a comment at the end for the couple! A little love can go a long way!

Vendors making the day possible:

Venue: @harmonieproteas | Flowers: @floral_by_dd | Dress: @bruidspaleis | DJ: @gauteng_dj | Shoes: @annafield_official | Cake: @ddcc_cakes | Rings: @poggenpoeljewel

Nolan and Seshnee | Wedding | Southern Sun Maharani Durban

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.” William W. Purkey

I really believe that 2022 will be a great year with new challenges, but especially with new heights.

I have official added video to my range of services, yeah!

I have always advertised that I do photo and video packages but the video was always done as a sub-contract and I wasn’t involved in the editing. Nolan and Seshnee booked a combo package and I did photos and Nicholas did the videos, but I edited their video…and IV LOVED IT!

It is very exciting where my brand is heading to, and I can’t wait to edit my next video. Its so different telling stories behind a stills camera compared to video…I mean the endless possibilities to invoke senses and emotion in video is amazing! Long story short, you will see a lot more videos coming your way!

Nolan and Seshnee tied the knot in Durban, so we flew down in December to capture their wedding love story at the coast. They had their ceremony at the most amazing church, the St Thomas Anglican Church. The church was built in 1864 and it’s such a gorgeous setting for a wedding! Wow, I prepared myself for typical Durban weather: hot and very humid. But we had a cold rainy day. Yes, very strange! I must say, the whole of South Africa had the weirdest weather during the December. The temperature on the day was around 19 degrees, and it was windy and cloudy…Luckily no rain.

It started drizzling at some point during the couple shoot, but we were still at the church. We then decided to go to the Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani (where the reception was held). We planned to go on the roof, then go to the pier for photos, but when we reached the Hotel it started pouring. I normally get very excited when it rains because rain shots are really cool, but this it was different. We tried a few roof shots, but the wind was unbearable, so we then did photos in the Sky Venue (it’s an inside venue at the hotel)…and said we will try outside photos later when the rain stops…but it unfortunately never stopped.

Nolan and Seshnee, you are such a special couple. Your day was interrupted by rain, but that couldn’t stop you from having the wedding of your dreams! The decor was gorgeous, oh my word! And you guys looked amazing, especially Seshnee! Again, the rain couldn’t dampen all the feels for the day! Congrats again, and may the Lord bless you abundantly!

Enough said, the photos will do the talking!

Please leave a message at the end of the blog…perhaps I can add the messages in their album!

Suppliers who made the day special:

Southern Sun Maharani Hotel | Church: St Thomas Anglican Church | Dress: @jasminsbridal | Suit: @b_gangaram_za | Hair: @hashtaghbn | Makeup: @makeupby_pooja_m

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Krzyz and Nastasja | Wedding | Memoire Venue

“Love recognises no barriers, it jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination, full of hope.” Maya Angelou

I am still pinching myself over this wedding. Wow, a lot of emotions, and man oh man…these 2 are GORGEOUS! Nastasja says she has no modelling experience, and I remember her bridesmaids were like mobile fashionistas helping her with how to pose and to look oh-so-wonderful…and it worked! I am considering hiring them for my future shoots…hahaha.

Covid is real and in your face everyday, but it was the first wedding where I could feel Covid’s interference on my skin. Krzyz and Nastasja’s wedding was super emotional.

Krzyz and Nastasja celebrated their third wedding ( due to Covid) at Memoire Wedding Venue. The first wedding was a very small event at home, because Nastasja is a lawyer and she had to get married and she registered under her new surname. Covid was in full swing a year later (last year) and they had another small wedding, because they made bookings they couldn’t cancel. They initially thought the wedding will happen, but it was dependant on the borders opening up (Krzyz and his side of the family is Polish), but Covid got worse especially across the borders due their winter being in our summer time. So they posponed the big wedding to a year later with all the family that couldn’t join because of the restrictions. It was a little stressful because they moved the date a few times, and finally settled on December and amazingly the restrictions got lighter in SA, and everyone thought the wedding is going to go as planned. But low and behold…the borders abruptly closed for the UK, and Nastasja’s brother couldn’t be at the wedding. Wow, the days had massive lows and massive highs. During the ceremony Nastasja was chatting with her brother on video call, and the tears were streaming, and a special moment was was when everyone sang for her brother’s birthday. It was his birthday on their wedding day! Congrats again to you both!

Enough said. Enjoy the photos and please leave a comment at the end!

Venue: @memoireweddingvenue | DJ: Discotech Events SA | Makeup: @paigepestana | Dress:@tarikedizofficial (dress came all the way from Turkey!) | Flowers: @memoirelanguageofflowers | Cake: @jaybagels_sa | Nails: Rene Nailtech Studio

Brandon & Carmen | Wedding | Avianto Hotel and Venue

This year has been tough on so many levels. Covid and restrictions, and everything that went with it made it so stressful and difficult, but there is always a silver lining to every cloud. When we first made contact, Carmen said I have a stalker…I mean she had been following me very closely on social media! I really felt flattered (and I was smiling from ear to ear), and she said “Doesn’t matter what happens, but we MUST have you as our photographer!”. It means a lot to know through my images I am able to brighten up someone’s day! I always strive to give my clients exceptional images, but as authentic as possible…and that is what she wanted in a photographer! For me there is always a risk, because my clients must “connect” with me as a photographer, and but I also have to make the connection in return…and that is exactly what happened.

Wow, Brandon and Carmen, you are such super down-to-earth people and easy to work with…and the bond between the two of you, wow, that made the photos so freakin’ special!! I enjoyed every second of your wedding, and despite the crazy rain or the Covid regulations, your photos look amazing! And not just because it’s beautiful, but because of the love you have for each other, and due to love your family and friends have for you! There were so many in-between-special-moments that I literally smiled while preparing your images!

We had crazy rain, I mean serious rain…and Carmen was very reluctant to get her hair wet…but we just had to get those rain shots and we did!! You were so brave, and I remember I told Carmen that you can’t have a rainbow if there is no rain! And amazingly, we even had the privilege to end the couple shoot with a rainbow!

Thank you for trusting me with your photos, even after when we met up for coffee, and you had a fright because I had a cast on my left arm. I broke my left elbow really bad, and I had to get 2 screws in my arm. Luckily it happened on the 1st of Nov (yes, it was Voting Day, and I voted with a broken arm) and it had 3 weeks to heal…well up to a point that my cast could come off and I didn’t scare the whole wedding because the photographer arrived with a cast on his arm. I in fact captured 3 weddings in Nov and my arm held up quite nicely!

Enough about me. I have been capturing weddings since 2011 and a first at a wedding happened for me. Brandon and Carmen also had a Baby Reveal….because Carmen was 6 months pregnant at the time of the wedding….and it is a BOY! Congrats! My firstborn is also a boy, and its challenging but such a huge blessing…wait having kids is a challenge but the reward is INCREDIBLE!

Enjoy the photos, and please leave a comment for the couple on my blog! Perhaps I can add it in their album!

Venue: Avianto Hotel and Venue | Jewellery @tying_the_knot_bridal_boutique | Makeup @vowed_sa | Wedding Dress @thebridalsecretsa | Wedding Suit @Tophat | Wedding planner @lanice.png | DJ: Frost Beat Entertainment

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Dickson and Lydia | Wedding | UrbanTREE

Dickson booked me in 2019, and they finally had their wedding with family and friends! And wow, what is special and unique wedding! They were already married traditionally, and they did their religious ceremonial wedding at The Urban Tree in Sandton. They wanted to do their religious wedding sooner, but Covid interfered.

Lydia and the girls got ready at the gorgeous Masingita Towers, which was an Airbnb booking. Airbnb makes its very easy to arrange venues or locations for getting ready, because its very cost effective and you have access to the place for 24 hours….and its usually very pretty…so you can also use it for your first night after the wedding!

It’s amazing how much you learn at weddings. Dickson and Lydia had a Nigerian wedding, which means the groom’s family wore a specific colour and fabric, the bride’s family a different colour and fabric and then also the friends of the families another colour and fabric. This is called ASO-EBI or “family clothes”, and this made for a very colourful and beautiful wedding…which I LOVED! The girls also had a headpiece each, which is called a GELE. Ooooh, I loved this because I love colourful weddings, because I can be very creative!

Wow, again, what a special wedding…lets make the photos do the talking! Enjoy and please leave a comment at the end!

Suppliers who made the day possible: Hair: @leeannes_hair_beauty | Makeup: @refentse_munyai | Dress: @the.onebridal | Cake: @Aqd cakery | Flowers/ decor: The Wedding Warehouse

Bheki and Tendi | Wedding | Toadbury Hall Country Hotel

"The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10)

Bheki and Tendi tied the knot at the gorgeous Toadbury Hall Country Hotel and it was such a joyous occasion. They are such a sweet couple with a the joy of the Lord in their hearts…I mean they were literally dancing the whole day!

Wow, Cheri from 2IC Event Management, you guys did an amazing job with setting up their wedding. Bheki and Tendi initially planned to have their wedding in Mauritius but Covid made it impossible.

Wow, I don’t have many words but I think the photos will do the talking! Enjoy, and please share…we need more joy in the world!

Ramon and Ashleigh | Inimitable | Wedding

The wedding season is definitely in full swing, and what a month! September has been a busy month, and the month started off with Ramon and Ashleigh’s beautiful wedding at the incredible Inimitable Wedding Venue. This was also a reunion for myself and her bridesmaids, Natalia and Jenalea, because I captured their weddings as well. This wedding was postponed by a year because of Covid, but that didn’t stop them for eventually having their wedding!

This wedding was out of this world, and what it even more special were the people. I always walk away from a wedding feeling like family, and this time I arrived already feeling like family! Ramon and Ashleigh, you guys looked incredible! May you love for each other just blossom year in and year out, may God bless your marriage abundantly!

Other suppliers who made the day possible and also very special:

Video: Bespoke Creations | Makeup: @makeupbyryno | Hair: @ellarockafella31 | Dress: @veilbridalcouture Shoes: @opari_za | Flowers: @zavionkotzeeventscompany | Cake: Ashleigh’s mom Shelagh DJ:@perfect_tone_music | Gifts & Stationery: @papermoonza

Jason was my second shooter, and you were a gem to work with! Thank you!

Please enjoy the photos, I think they speak for themselves!

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