These two lovebirds met each other just as they hit their teen years, Danielle was 12 and JJ was 13 and they became good friends. It wasn’t until she was 15 that they began dating. JJ was Nella’s first kiss and she says she always had the biggest crush on him. A true love story!

Nella has an aunt who is a very talented photographer, Desi McCarthy whom I have known for years but this was her first wedding and she asked me to take their engagement photos as she is located in Bloemfontein and then to work alongside her at the wedding. I actually enjoyed covering the boys for a change and taking time with them. These boys had all been at school together and they wanted some photographs of them proudly wearing their St Andrews school blazer.

Both the groomsmen and bridesmaids had been there from the start. They had seen a young JJ and Nella meet and fall in love and be “the golden couple” all through high school.

Nella says that through the years they grew as a couple but also allowed each other the space to grow as individuals and to pursue their own dreams.

My talented friend, San-Marie from CreativeNook created the amazing eco-sustainable bouquets and table foliage. She always amazes me that she can create amazing bouquets and table foliage without harming our environment. She is a true creative!

Nella is a crazy talented graphic designer/artist and I just loved that she took the engagement photos that I took and created a stunning table placement with them! She did all the stationery, canvas bags, the seating charts, menu’s etc!

Check out their engagement photos here

Thanks to the talented suppliers:-

Make-up and Hair – Minke Du Plessis

Venue – Die Woud

Bouquets, corsages and decor – San-Marie from CreativeNook

Videography – Mikayla and Ebert from ES Films

Cake – Tessa’s Bakery

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Bryce and Angelique

This perfect Cape Town proposal has been in the planning for a good few months. Bryce had bought the engagement ring while Angelique was on an overseas hockey tour in Holland. He knew exactly what he wanted to do to make his proposal special for his ladylove. He wanted to take her away for a weekend and it had to be rustic and where nature was the main drawcard.

The downside was that they both had very busy schedules and trying to organise a surprise proposal with so many elements became difficult. Firstly all the cabins were fully booked, secondly Angelique was writing exams and finishing her university course and thirdly Bryce was fully booked with hockey coaching and tournaments and lastly, my availability dates also had to be consulted.

But life has a way of working out and these two were meant to be together and so the stars aligned and the universe made a plan. Copia Eco Cabins phoned Bryce and said they had had a cancellation and would he be interested in the first weekend of 2019! Bryce knew that he and Angelique had their first free weekend before heading off to a hockey tournament up country. All he had to do was double check if I was available and luckily I was. The stars had aligned, we could go ahead a plan this surprise engagement.

Bryce and I came up with the plan that I would contact Angelique and ask her if they could help me out as a couple had just dropped me for a photoshoot that I was doing at the Cabins in order to give them some content for their instagram page. If she had really done her homework, she would have realised that Copia Eco Cabins have plenty of content for their instagram page but hey it worked and she fell for it hook, line and sinker!

The cutest moments was when she got to the cabin and was so excited about the shoot and said the container cabins were awesome and she thought that this would be a perfect proposal spot. I was slightly worried that she had cottoned on but luckily she hadn’t.

Bryce definitely scored brownie points for his choice of the location. It was romantic, peaceful with no internet connection! Bryce had also got his mom to purchase all the supplies for the weekend! And when Angelique realised that this was the spot for her surprise proposal she was beyond elated.

Like most ladies, she couldn’t wait to tell the world that Bryce had put a ring on “it”. The most important people knew and were able to be phoned but social media had to wait! We all promised that we wouldn’t post until she was back in the land of the “internet” and could make the big announcement herself!

We all had a celebratory glass of champagne with the happy couple and then we all left them to enjoy this special time.

Congratulations Bryce and Angelique! You are absolutely perfect for one another!

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Jo Stokes Photography Coffee Table Books

We are firm believers in having your wedding photographs printed into a beautiful photobook but we understand that as you are starting to plan your wedding and budgets have to be considered, it can be overwhelming to commit to financially.

But at this stage of the planning, you do not have to commit to the book.  We at Jo Stokes Photography offer the option of choosing a book after your wedding.  We give clients the opportunity of ordering the book up until one year after the wedding.

Your wedding photographs deserve to printed!

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PORTFOLIO – LARA

Portfolio shoots are always so much fun for me.  I get to get gorgeous young ladies …or men …in front of my lens and we get the chance to be creative and try out new locations and fashions …and  I get to call it work ..I mean seriously …what more could a girl ask for!  Lol, I know it sounds too wonderful ….and for an hour or two it seriously is ..but then we do get a reality check along the way ..we have to go back to the office and chain ourselves to the desk and edit.  Unfortunately the fun bit is about 10% of the total task ..but hey …I dont want it any other way!

It was so much fun hooking up with Lara again.  The camera seriously loves this young lady.  You might remember that about two years ago, I did a shoot for her when she was still in matric.  She is still a lovely young lady ..maybe slightly more matured ..I am sure varsity definitely matures you in lots of ways.  She is studying drama and I could imagine that will do brilliantly at it.  In actual fact, Lara studying drama made it so easy for me when I was directing poses for her.

We used a few locations locally.  I am always looking out for new and interesting locations but I also must admit that  I have my few trusted favourites, where the light is always awesome and the location always delivers!  Lara chose her own outfits and it gave us a good variety of looks to use.  Most agencies need to see models and actors in their natural states so it doesnt make any sense to make the portfolio shoot too styled and looking unlike themselves.  Check out Lara’s previous session with me here!

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A beach affair!

A beach maternity shoot is always fun …but especially so what it is like a flashback of past memories and nothing was more than the case as this beach maternity shoot.

It was super catching up with these two loveboards again and I was excited to see Sharon highly pregnant.  The last I had seen them was four years ago …very early one Sunday morning when they got me out of bed the day after their wedding to do a Trash The Dress Session.  Needless to say, I had the last laugh …as these Durbanites just about froze to death as waves came crashing down on them.  Nic found out fairly fast that the water in Cape Town is pretty cold.  Check out that session here!  I also had fun teasing Nic about his wedding day …he was the only groom that as the beach sunset, I wanted to see the back of his head …try and guess why ..ha,ha! Small hint, the party had been in full blast when we went to do their sunset beach pics!  Check their wedding photos here!

It is always great to catch up with my bridal couples and I love to see them grow into gorgeous families.  Sharon & Nic have tried for quite a while to fall pregnant and they actually had given up and decided not to try any longer.  Then one day while chatting to a friend at work, this truck driver came over and kind of invaded their space and told them God was great and he would within a year provide them with a son.  Needless to say, all three of them looked at him as if he was nuts ….but three weeks later …Sharon was pregnant ..finally!  They were convinced the truck driver had seen into their future.  Anyway to cut to the chase, they did a cake reveal …and only the doctor knew the sex of the baby …and he passed on that info to the baker ….imagine Sharon & Nics surprise when they cut into the cake …and the inside was all pink!!!

They have made the gynae check three times to make sure it isnt a boy …but he is convinced it is a girl!  But even their friend who was with them when the truck driver made his announcement says she will hold back and wait to see what they have before she buys any pink or blue outfits!

So ….is it a boy ….or is it a girl?  Time will only tell!  On the 5 January ….lets see if its a Miss or Master Sullivan!

Wishing you both, all of Gods richest blessings as you await this very special delivery!  God is truly great!

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Zouhar & Aintree

Local Newspaper, Tygerburger finalist!

The Curro Matric dance was held on the 23rd September 2015. It was definitely a night to remember for Zouhar & Aintree. They both looked amazing! They are both matric students at Curro Private High School in Durbanville.  Its not the first time that I have covered a Curro Matric Dance.  The first Curro Matric Dance I covered was Dylan and Robins matric dance.  I also covered Robins sisters, Bridgette’s Somerset College matric dance earlier this year. View it here!  Unknown to me, Bridgitte and Zouhar are best friends ..such a small world.

I see so many beautiful matric dance dresses and Zouhars dress was no exception.  It was beautiful and accentuated her ravishing beauty.  I have just been informed today by her very proud mom that she is a finalist in Tygerburger’s (locl newspaper)matric dance dress competition.  How exciting is that!  If you love her dress and would like to vote for her, then go onto Tygerburgers website and give her your support.  If she won, what a great feather in the cap that would be for Curro Matric dance 2015 as well as for her as she gets ready to start studying to be a fashion designer with Fedisa. I dont doubt that she will make a great designer as her attention to detail was great.  Her dress suited her body shape, the colour of the dress was perfectly suited to her Lebanese colouring.  It goes to show that a matric dance dress does not need to be over the top to make a huge statement.  She also cleverly teamed the dress with a very sexy black pair of matric dance shoes.

Aintree was the perfect date for Zouhar.  He was courteous, respectful and yet loads of fun too.  They make such a cute couple and have been dating for six months.  He was very excited to get to drive the Mercedes Benz to the school.

I believe that Zouhar was also the Curro matric dance Miss Photogenic this year.  Now how come that doesnt surprise me.  The camera loved this young couple!  I couldnt have asked for more …perfect couple, perfect light, perfect weather …total perfection.

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High Tea Bacelorette parties opened my eyes as to how much things have changed since I got married. Gone are the days of receiving kitchen utensils.  Now the gifts are sexy lingerie.  Gifts that any man on his wedding night will think he had died and gone to heaven.  Rene’s maid of honour, Catherine and her sisters really went to town with this gorgeous High Tea.  Everything was very elegant and beautiful and high tea was served in the most beautiful antique bone china tea cups.  Catherine could have definitely given the Mount Nelson a run for their money with this High Tea celebration.   This Bachelorette party was held in the gorgeous leafy suburb of Constantia and the games were held in the beautiful grounds of the MOH’s house and the games were well thought out and had many in fits of laughter.  At one stage, Rene was getting so many penalities that she had a mouth full of candy …that she looked like a little chipmunk.  The grooms message definitely had her blushing big time ..especially in front of his mom!   This  Bachelorette Party was loads of fun and the girls still carried on and partied until late into the night. This was definitely one  Bachelorette party to remember!  I do believe that most ladies just love an excuse to go for High Tea, I mean who doesnt love the idea of High Tea …cakes, tea and champagne …what more can a girl ask for!

I don’t doubt that Rene is going to make the most beautiful bride as she was really gorgeous at her  Bachelorette Party and I have yet to see one bad photograph from this gorgeous lady!  Rene, I wish you a lifetime of happiness with Dirk!  He is definitely one very lucky man!

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Part of my learning curve in my photography business has been branding and packaging.  It has been an interesting if somewhat bumpy ride!  My logo took time to evolve and many mistakes were made along the way!  Initially, I allowed other opinions to sway me and to be honest that is in no way their fault ..the fault was all mine as it took time for me to develop my own style and understand what I liked and how important branding was in my business!   The same went for packaging.     I looked around for quite awhile …but what was on offer was what everyone else was using …and I felt that I needed to stand out from a very oversaturated market and have something that was uniquely mine …that suited my business branding!  Creative Albums have been extremely patient with me on my path to find the “right” packaging and worked alongside me every step of the way to making it all come together!  I will admit that finally I had a lightbulb moment and realised that I am not a designer …I am a photographer and that it was time to outsource this to the two very talented ladies (now three) who make up Two Sugars Advertising!  I was amazed at how quickly the packaging was sorted due to their experience in the world of design and marketing and this was purely because of their knowledge and knowing how to make the brand evolve!

“Packaging is powerful because it tells consumers why your product and brand are different. Apple is known for its clean, minimalist packaging. If you’ve ever watched an unboxing video for a new iPhone, you know people love Apple’s packaging.”  I believe the packaging should be an important part of the hand-over experience to my clients and hence the reason that I have spent a lot of time researching it.

The quality of my Photography should also be communicated by good packaging!  My aim is for it to be a sensory overload!  It should definitely be a texture and visual experience!  I do believe touch is as important as the visual experience!

What I love about the new packaging is that it is subtle ..its timeless, classic, beautifully textured and luxurious!  It can carry on evolving with my business!  It is not going to date or go out of style!  It will always be uniquely mine!

A Jo Stokes experience!

Research material :

Inc

Interpak

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While hiring a professional wedding photographer that you trust is the first step toward incredible wedding photographs, there are additional tricks you should be employing to get the most out of your time in front of the camera. The following tips from Cape Town based wedding photographer extraordinaire, Jo Stokes, will get you looking and feeling incredible in your wedding photos!

Posture

Posture is paramount to a good photograph. Observe yourself in the mirror prior to your wedding day and assess your bad postural habits; examples that can ruin even the best photographer’s work include slumped shoulders and a jutting pelvis. While you may feel a bit silly practising; actively working on your posture before your wedding day will ensure you look statuesque and elegant in your photographs.

Make-up mishaps

While professional make-up artists ought to know these tricks of the trade, if you are doing your own make-up, or would like to ensure you are receiving the stellar service you deserve; take note of the following:

• Choose a foundation with no or minimal SPF – SPF causes harsh white reflections when you are being photographed with a flash or additional lighting.
• Contouring with highlighter and shading crèmes plays up your most striking features and makes for a stunning photograph – ensure that your make-up is thoroughly blended though to avoid dark streaks or harsh white reflections.
• Be true to you – you want to look like the most beautiful version of YOURSELF on your wedding day. This is not the day to experiment with new looks and bold colours; stick to enhancing your best features naturally.

Everyone’s a critic

Everyone has a part of their body that they are first to criticize when looking at photos. Your wedding photographs are a celebration of the best day of your life and should reflect that joy and excitement – smile with your eyes, even if they get a bit scrunched up; laugh out loud and often, even if you think your teeth are a bit wonky; the best photographs are those which capture the essence of a moment in pure emotion! Nobody is going to criticize you as harshly as yourself.

Handling hands

Make sure that you relax your hands in your photographs. Our hands carry a lot of tension that we often overlook; witch-hands are something any professional photographer will be on the lookout for and will call you out on; but it always helps to be aware of your hands so that no beautiful spontaneous shots get ruined by witchy claws.

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Coordinate

This doesn’t mean you and your future spouse should be wearing the exact same outfit, but rather that your outfits should complement one another without being too “matchy-matchy”.

Dress Code

Agree on a dress code beforehand in order to ensure that it is location- appropriate; be it formal for your engagement photographs which are to be taken in an upmarket hotel, or casual-sporty for your photographs to be taken while horse-riding at your local equestrian club.

Colour

It is advisable to choose colours that complement one another well, for example navy-blue and yellow. The season in which your engagement photographs are being taken should also be taken into consideration; especially if the engagement photographs are being taken outdoors! Darker colours in warmer tones tend to lend themselves to winter ‘themes’, while bright colours such as fuchsia and mango evoke thoughts of spring.

Dress for the weather

It may be ill advised to try and reconcile dreams of an outdoor engagement shoot in the middle of winter with your desire to wear your new sundress. Dress weather-appropriately. If you dress too warmly you run the risk of sweating; which could lead to running make-up and unflattering sweat-stained clothing. In contrast; if you DO wear your new sundress in July, you’ll end up with unattractive goosebumps and a blue tint to your lips in all your engagement photographs!

Celebrate you!

Ultimately all these tips can be thrown out the window as long as you are being you! Engagement photographs are all about celebrating who you and your fiancé are as a couple. Be yourselves and your beauty and happiness are sure to light up every photograph!

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