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Collin & Cheryl | E-session | Pretville
Laughter is the best medicine for the soul, and I can't get over how much fun Collin & Cheryl's engagement shoot at Pretville was!
“To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” David Viscott
I had so much fun during Collin & Cheryl's engagement shoot at Pretville. I did a couple shoot with them before they got engaged and I remember how much they enjoy each other's company! Cheryl has these moments where she just bursts into laughter, and I am sure its because she is cracking herself up for Collin, but perhaps she just have joy in her heart! If this follows the trend, then I am sure their wedding day is going to be epic!
I am in love with Pretville! It was my first time shooting in the village and I must say I could shoot there the whole day. My creative juices were in overdrive and this shoot was about 2 hours long. I could have gone for at least another hour. There is so much options. And Collin and Cheryl are also awesome clients...they went along with the ride and I am in love with the results! Thank you Pretville for the free milkshake!
Venue: Pretville, Hartebeespoort
Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!
Heinrich & Simone | Esession | Harmonie Proteas
Wow, I cant wait for Heinrich and Simone's wedding early next year! Their engagement session at Harmonie Proteas was epic, and they looked absolutely gorgeous! How did I get so lucky to have them as my clients...?
“When I sleep, I dream of you, and when I wake, I long to hold you in my arms. If anything, our time apart has only made me more certain that I want to spend my nights by your side, and my days with your heart.” —Nights in Rodanthe
Heinrich and Simone are such great people, and I have fallen in love with who they are since meeting up with them for the first time!
Simone has such a gentle yet strong spirit, and Heinrich is sooo much in love with her! Their chemistry in front of the camera is amazing, and I thoroughly enjoyed their engagement shoot. They are just gorgeous and naturals, and I can't get over the fact that they are my clients...super stoked!
It was my first time shooting at Harmonie Proteas, and the hype is true! This place is incredible, and their sunsets are out of this world!
Simone's makeup was exquisite, which was done at MAC Cosmetics in Edgars in Centurion. Heinrich also bought Simone's amazing engagement ring at Browns...wow, that is such a beautiful ring!
I really can't wait for their wedding, which will be in January next year at the amazing Lace on Timber!
Enjoy the pictures, and please leave a comment at the end!
Teaser! Collin & Cheryl | E-session at Pretville
Here's a sneak peak of Collin and Cheryl's e-session at the amazing Pretville!
“To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” David Viscott
Wow, I absolutely loved this vintage shoot at the incredible Pretville village! I could literally spend the whole day shooting, because is some much to work with! Colling and Cheryl has been clients for a while now and it made me super happy when Collin contacted me, after he asked Cheryl to be his bride, to capture their special day! Its such an honour and its going to be epic! I just love how you two can look at each other and just laugh...precious!
Here is a sneak peak...enjoy!
Teaser! Heinrich & Simone | Esession | Harmonie Proteas
Here is a sneak peak of Heinrich and Simone's engagement shoot at Harmonie Proteas!
“When I sleep, I dream of you, and when I wake, I long to hold you in my arms. If anything, our time apart has only made me more certain that I want to spend my nights by your side, and my days with your heart.” —Nights in Rodanthe
Wow, I can't get over this beautiful sunset colors...it's mesmerizing! This venue and surroundings are magical!
I decided to upload a teaser of Heinrich and Simone's engagement session, and I can't wait for their wedding in January next year at Lace on Timber!
Make-up: MAC Cosmetics
Venue: Harmonie Proteas
Duane & Tanya e-session {Bryanston Pine Forest}
Duane and Tanya's beautiful engagement photos are on the blog! They look so much in love and I can't wait for their wedding this Saturday!
“True love stories never have endings.” —Richard Bach, American writer
Wow, I just love it when my clients love it to be in front of the camera! Duane and Tanya are no exception. I took them to the Bryanston Pine Forest, and they just loved it! I must say every time I do a shoot there I am amazed at the results! This place is magical, and paired with an amazing couple, just makes for magical pictures!
I am involved with the youth at my church, and and I got to know Tanya's sister while she was attending youth at the church. But that is not how Tanya found me. She had seen some of my work on Instagram and contacted me, and only after we had our first meeting that I realized that I know her sister...a small world! Wow, what a privilege to capture their engagement shoot, as well as their wedding. Their wedding is this Saturday and I can't wait!
Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!
*Teaser! Rudolph & Angelique | E-session | Val Bonne Country Estate
Here is a sneak peak from Rudolf & Angelique's wonderful e-session at Val Bonne Country Estate.
"By my soul, I can neither eat, drink, nor sleep; nor, what's still worse, love any woman in the world but her." Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, or the History of a Young Lady
Here is a #sneakpeak from the wonderful e-session I had with Rudolph and Angelique at Val Bonne Country Estate in Modderfontein Nature Reserve.
Wow, what a lovely place. It was closed when we were there, but we loved it...felt like we own the place and it was for a brief moment our home! Rudolph and Angelique are such great clients, so relaxed and awesome to work with!
Vanessa & Fritz | The Bridge, Muldersdrift | E-session
Brand and Vanessa is so much in love and it was so wonderful to see behind the camera. We did their e-session at the venue, The Bridge Muldersdrift, where they will tie the knot!
“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.” —Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook
They are so much in love, and it is so beautiful to see! We officially met at the engagement shoot because Brand's mom actually made first contact with me regarding wedding photos. So for the first few minutes we had to get accustomed to each other, but it was quick for them to relax in front of the camera.
That is why I recommend and love engagement shoots, because couples get to learn how to relax in front of the camera, and to learn how to forget about me and to enjoy the moment...that is when they are spontaneous and that is when they just blossom! Priceless memories!
Brand and Vanessa wanted to their engagement shoot at the venue they are getting married at, and I am glad! I loved it! I have not captured a wedding here before and I am so looking forward to their wedding in May!
Venue: The Bridge, Muldersdrift
Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!
*Teaser. Duane & Tanya e-session {Bryanston Pine Forest}
Here is a sneakpeak of Duane & Tanya's e-session at the amazing Bryanston Pine Forest!
“True love stories never have endings.” —Richard Bach, American writer
Here is a sneakpeak of Duane & Tanya's e-session at the amazing Bryanston Pine Forest!
Enjoy!
An urban love affair | Ryan & Dawn's Urban E-session
Dawn & Ryan's beautiful e-session is up on my blog!
"Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold." -Zelda Fitzgerald
Dawn & Ryan entered the competition I hosted at the Oakfield Bridal Expo this year and won, so they qualified for a 50% discount...but I was super lucky to get such good looking people as clients!
They are such great people to be around with and the chemistry they have with the camera and with each other was special.
The were fun, yet stylish at the same time, and I enjoyed capturing them against the Urban setting of the Maboneng Precinct, which is very much a contrast to their wedding venue, The Orchard Wedding Venue, KZN! It's a long stretch till their wedding, but I can't wait for their wedding in September next year!
We ended the shoot at the Origin Coffee in Maboneng, and I must say there isn't coffee that tastes better than theirs! Amazing!
Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!
A dash of gold at Toadbury {Stefan & Ele's e-session}
Stefan & Ele's beautiful gold toned engagement shoot pictures, done at Toadbury Hall Country Hotel, are on my blog!
"A bell’s no bell ’til you ring it, a song’s not a song ’til you sing it, Love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay, Love isn’t love ’til you give it away." - Oscar Hammerstein II
How did I get so lucky....! I promise, this is not a styled shoot and they are not models. Elé is such a beauty!
We met up at Woolworths Cafe at Nicolway, and I immediately just fell in love with who they are as a couple. They are such down to earth people, fun to be around with, and yet super stylish. When I asked that they bring a bottle of champagne for the shoot, they brought a Moët. Impressive taste. Elé's ForeverNew dress was out of this world and her make-up, done by MAC, Sandton, was just perfect!
Wow, I loved doing this shoot and I can't wait for the wedding in January 2017!
The venue, Toadbury Hall, is one of those pinch-yourself-is-this-real venues, and I am so glad we did the shoot there. I chose to set up in the Rose Chapel with items from my house (yes, my wife decorates our house with Rose Gold (beautiful hey?), and she chose the theme for me for this shoot to fit Elé's dress). I bought a Petit Rouge chandelier stencil (IzzitArt) and the beautiful flowers from the Fourways Flower Market, and I used the chandelier to spraypaint chandeliers in Rose Gold on a pallet (or actually my wife did) and I just loved how this all complimented Elé's beautiful dress!
Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!
A carnival of color {Des & Madelize's Gold Reef City e-session}
Des & Madelize's colorful engagement session at the Gold Reef City Theme Park is on my blog!
“I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself but for what you are making of me.” Roy Croft
From the first moment we met I fell in love with Des & Madelize. I must say, they are one of those "perfect" clients who barely speaks to you (they met me very briefly at the Oakfield Farm Bridal Expo in January) and her mom phoned me, says she likes what I do, and paid the deposit, no questions asked. Makes you feel good, I must say.
I loved every second of this shoot! Madelize from the start wanted to do their engagement shoot at Gold Reef City, and wow...I am so glad we did the shoot there! I just love the bursts of color around every corner!
Madelize aslo wanted to have a vintage look for the shoot and they pulled it off amazingly on the day with Des' suspenders and Madelize beautiful dress, which she bought from Retrospective.
I just loved the chemistry between these two in front of the camera, and I must say it makes my life easier as a photographer when I have clients who just loves to be in front of the camera!
I can't wait for their wedding in Dullstroom next weekend!
Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!
She said YES! {Justin & Gen's engagement}
Justin and Genevieve got engaged and I was privileged to photograph how he proposed!
“Love is like a friendship caught on fire.” Jeremy Taylor
Justin and I became very good friends after we spent a year together in 2012 traveling the world, but it was only recently that I got to know Genevieve.
Justin is a hopeless romantic! He had this amazing plan to pop the Big Question, and he carried it out meticulously! He knew that Genevieve is a clever lady, and that she would become very suspicious if he planned something big, because they had talked about getting married and about wedding rings etc. So he decided to ask her on their 1st dating anniversary, because this would raise less suspicion as they would in any case go on a lunch or dinner date. Thats the event sorted. Next, how would he get the size of her ring? Well, it was at a specific dinner one evening when he played with one of her rings, and he had made a mental note about the size of the ring on one of his fingers at a specific joint. She picked up that he played with her ring, and thought it was suspicious, but eventually forgot about it. Luckily. Incredibly he got the size of the ring just perfect by doing a calculated guess, because the ring fitted perfectly! Next, he wanted great pictures while popping the question, so we had a talk, secretly of course, at his 30th birthday party in July this year. He said to me he wanted to do a picnic (Gen's favourite thing is having a picnic) at Jan Cilliers Park, and that he would design a photo book with pictures containing special memories of them dating and knowing each other, and that the last page would have a picture of the exact spot where he would pop the question, with the words "This is where I will ask you to make me the happiest man alive and marry me!". So romantic.
Amazingly everything worked out perfectly, even the weekend before the Big Day, Genevieve mentioned to Justin that she thinks he must ask a professional photographer to take some nice pictures of them on their first anniversary....no way...so he said: "Thats a brilliant idea, I will have a talk with Wynand." Meanwhile he had this planned all along!
Well, long story short, he had a nice picnic organised with me there to take professional pictures. They each had a gift bag with anniversary gifts for each other, but what she didn't know was that his bag, along with the chocolates and other small gifts, had the photo book with the question. When the photo shoot started, I told them both that I will take documentary pictures of them enjoying their picnic because I want "more natural pictures", but my actual intentions were to capture the exact moment when he asks her unobtrusively. So I chose to position myself in the garden in the bushes, to get a vantage point to see the sequence of events clearly and to capture the moment which would change their lives forever. I was however probably as nervous as he was because I knew what was going to happen! And then it happened, they were on the last page of the photo book, and she clamped her mouth in astonishment and shock, he went on his knees, popped the question and she said yes! What a privilege!
Justin has a seriousness to him, and then also a very fun side. He loves baked beans and has a very unnerving fascination with Llamas. The most memorable thing Justin has told me was that he wants a Llama to carry the rings down the isle at his wedding (What? Don't think Gen will approve?) and that the reason why people wear their wedding ring on the 4th finger on your left hand, is because he believed that that finger is the only finger with a vein directly linked to your heart! Huh? But all fingers and body parts has veins going to and from their heart...Well, that's what I thought! Funny enough, about a month ago, I found out that that was exactly what the ancient Egyptians believed was the truth about your ring finger. (giggle)
Genevieve is a little gem, which Justin kept as a secret for quite a while before he introduced her to my wife and I. We thoroughly enjoy her, and she has a sweat tenderness to her, and above all she makes Justin's knees melt and he just can't stop smiling when talks about her! They are also so much in love, and this chemistry were magical in front of the camera!
Enough stories for now. Please enjoy the pictures, and do not hesitate to leave a comment at the end!
Kenton & Natalie's lovely forest e-session!
Kenton & Natalie's beautiful forest e-session is on my blog! #engagement #weddingphotography
I have found the one whom my soul loves. Song of Solomon
Kenton and Natalie are such naturals in front of the camera, and boy oh boy are they beautiful people! I had a blast photographing them at the Pine Forest in Bryanston, and the element of adding their dog just made this an epic shoot! I think I am going to phone you guys if I need models for a styled shoot, most definitely! I also knew while I was doing their e-session that their wedding celebration was happening in 2 weeks, which made me super excited doing this shoot!
Their love for each other are so tangible which made the resulting images much more amazing!
Natalie's beautiful make-up was done by Made-up by Kylie!
Enjoy the rest of the pics and do not hesitate to leave a comment at the end!
Awe & Elandi's winter safari {e-session}
Awe & Elandi's beautiful winter safari e-session is on my blog!
“Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So, today is my new favorite day.” – A. A. Milne
Awe and Elandi are such great people to be around with and the love Elandi has for Awe is contagious! They are so much in love that I didn't need to create moments to photograph, they just rocked the shoot!
I can't wait for their wedding at the Zebra Country Lodge in Pretoria later this year, and they asked that we do the engagement session there as well. We chose to do a cold early morning safari, but we ended up to be super early...even before the sun was up. The advantage was that the light was OUT OF THIS WORLD!
Venue: Zebra Country Lodge
Enjoy the pics and do not hesitate to leave comment at the end!
Jorge & Kerry-Ann's beautiful e-session
Jorge & Kerry-Ann's beautiful e-session is on the Blog!
“What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
When Jorge and Kerry-Ann said they wanted to do their shoot at Modderfontein Nature Reserve, I got really exited. I have heard many great stories about this place, and it definitely did NOT disappoint!
Jorge and Kerry are so much in love, and I just loved doing this shoot with them! They are naturals in front of the camera, and I cannot wait for their wedding in March next year!
I just love autumn/winter weather, because the light was incredible. It was a bit chilly, but there are ways to work around it.
Just check out the detail in Kerry's ring! Just amazing!
Kerry's make-up by Courtney Chadwick Make-up Artist looked amazing! Great make-up makes for easy editing, and Kerry looked absolutely stunning!
Venue: Modderfontein Nature Reserve
#engagement #love #savethedate #picoftheday #esession #wedding #weddingphotographer #weddingphotography #photographer #nikond700 #modderfonteinnaturereserve #courtneychadwick #makeup #bridetobe #groomtobe #gautengwedding #johannesburgwedding #gautengweddingphotographer #sawedding #saweddingphotographer #wynandvandermerwedotcom
Eddie & Terri's forest picnic {e-session}
Eddie & Terri's forest picnic e-session is on the blog!
"Faith makes all things possible. Love makes all things easy.” Dwight L. Moody
These two, Eddie and Terri, are just fun people to be around! They were full of sports for their engagement shoot, and Eddie is the sweet romantic... they had a picnic basket with sushi, fruits, bubbly and white balloons! They look so happy together and just couldn't stop laughing during the shoot...just amazing!
Can't wait for the wedding in August in Sedgefield! Its going to be epic!
Venue: Bryanston Pine Forest
#engagement #esession #weddingphotography #wedding #balloons#loveatfirstsight #nikond700 #cute #fun #sushi #bryanstonpineforest #sparklers #gautengphotographer #johannesburgphotographer #engagement #bridetobe #groomtobe #inlove #love #SAwedding #sedgefield #easterncape #destinationwedding #travelphotographer #destinationphotographer
Awe & Elandi's winter safari {e-session} - teaser
Awe and Elandi's amazing safari e-session is on the blog!
“Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.” —Unknown Author
I had such a great experience with Awe and Elandi! They such great people to be around with and I can't wait for the wedding later this year! It's going to be epic!
Awe and Elandi's wedding will be hosted at the Zebra Country Lodge in Pretoria, and they asked that we do the engagement session there as well. So we decided to have an early morning safari...we ended up to be super early...even before the sun was up. This allowed me to do a night shot in the morning...!
And the light was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Wow. I am definitely doing this again!
#engagementsession #engagement #wedding #verloof #verloofde #gautengfotograaf #gautengwedding #zebracountrylodge
Irene & David {e-session}
Irene & David's e-session are on the blog now!
"Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own." H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
I just loved my time with Irene & David. We had this huge plan of doing the shoot in between pine trees, which are almost like a little forest just outside their estate. But we soon realised that it was located inside someone's yard and we had no access to it...oops. So I had to put my thinking cap on ones again, and I had to improvise! I love these moments which allows me to show one of my clients that I can think on my feet, which is so very important when strange things happen on your big day!
We still used the area in front of their estate, but I ended up shooting with the trees in the background! The results are epic, and Irene & David looked amazing on their engagement shoot! And Irene couldnt stop laughing. They are such easy going and fun people!
Irene also asked me to incorporate their two dogs in the pics and they added a cool element to shoot way at the end of the day!
I also played around in #Photoshop to create the double exposure shots, and they are definitively my favourite shots of the day! #shotoftheday
Can't wait for their wedding next year in the bushveld!
#engagement #wedding #weddingphotography #weddingphotographer #suchalovelycouple #couple #inlove #liefde #trou #troue #bruid #bruidegom #troufotograaf #verloof #verloofde #gelukkig #fotograaf #photographer #doubleexposure
Stephen & Gena's urban e-session
Stepen & Gena's urban e-session in the inner city of Johannesburg!
Wow. This was a super fun shoot. We got to go to the inner city of Johannesburg to do an urban shoot, and Stephen & Gena just rocked! They looked absolutely exquisite, and I just love the way that they contrasted with the surroundings...amazing!
I had a bit of a laugh with Stephen because he was very stiff and on his nerves, and I had to train him in front of the camera. The greatest moment for me was when we were almost at the end of the shoot Gena said: "Wow, I have never seen Stephen smile this much". Thanks for the compliment.
I so wish I was going to take their wedding pictures, which I am not. They already have a photographer booked, but I can just imagine how wonderful their weddings pics are going to be!
We had an interesting moment though during the shoot. My camera was almost nabbed. There was a guy who came up to me and asked that I take a picture of him, but while his buddy was behind me looking for an opportunity to nab my camera (I didn't know this, Gena told me afterwards). Gena went into a praying frenzy and her faith got us out of that situation. The 2 guys left us but our nerves only really settled once we left the area after the shoot.
A big thank you to Fourways Flower Market at Pineslopes, JHB, for the bouquet of flowers!
#urban #engagementshoot #esession #wedding #weddingphotography
Ivan & Maryke's love story begins here!
I cant wait to do the wedding for Ivan and Maryke! its going to be epic!
I am looking forward to the wedding of this amazingly beautiful couple!
Maryke and Ivan blossomed in front of the camera and I thoroughly enjoyed capturing their funky engagement shoot. Maryke's mom works at Roedean School South Africa and she organised that we can have the shoot at the school, which is such a beautiful venue. The gorgeous historic buildings, the lawns, the view of the Johannesburg General Hospital chimney in the background, and the majestic gardens makes this a stunning venue. The school was opened in 1903 and there is a lot of heritage here, and I believe that it meant a lot to Maryke to do this shoot at the school.
I definitely take my hat off for Maryke, because she had food poisoning or something on the day. Every 20min she had to go to the bathroom, and she still smiled and looked so beautifully. And Ivan looked great as well. It's always a challenge to capture photos of a photographer, which meant that I had to up my game. The amazing reality of this is it shows in the pictures! I believe this shoot came out amazing and that they will have a good taste of the pictures to come at their wedding day!
Please don't hesitate to leave a comment at the end!
