And so their big day arrived!  I made sure I was my usual early bird and arrived at the Evertsdal Guest House in Durbanville a full ten minutes ahead of time!  And for the first time ever ….the bride was ready for me …hair and make-up was finished …in fact the make-up artist, Roxanne from Mac had already left!!! So we had plenty of time for bridal photo ..we had a blast!  And because she was so early …we were finished early ..and Gemma ended up having to take a ride around Durbanville or end up arriving way before her guests and maybe even her groom!  Although that wasn”t the case as HC was eagerly awaiting Gemma at Cassia Restaurant on the Nitida Wine Estate where their ceremony and reception was being held!  Before I got to Gemma at the guesthouse, I had gone down to the restaurant to photograph the decor and was simply amazed at what an fantastic job My Pretty Vintage had done with the decor!  And the cake just blended in with the decor perfectly …Linda from Sugar cakes had done a perfect marriage with the decor!

I asked Chris what he remembered most about the day ..and his reply was when Gemma walked up the aisle and he saw her for the first time in her wedding dress and how utterly gorgeous she looked and how she took his breath away!  Gemma had chosen her perfect dress from Bridal Lane!  Special mention also to her videographers, Tolken Media, I look forward to seeing thier special day on film!  Part 2 can be viewed here!
Gemma skyping her grandparents in England who couldn”t make it to her wedding!  This way they got to see how beautiful she looked!

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I have to be honest, I  loved these family portraits….but for so many reasons!  Chris, their son, is actually my go to “computer expert” …he is amazing …whenever I have a problem ….I shout for him and because he too has a love for photography, he actually understands exactly where I am coming from!  So when his mom, Louise contacted me and asked me to take photos of the family as a special gift for her husband for his 60th birthday, I thought it was such a beautiful present and it was also lovely to meet Chris’s family as he talks about them often with such affection.  As a mother of grown up children, I know how difficult it can be to get the family together to get family photographs.  And Louise was in the same predicament as myself as  Julia, their arty, creative daugher,  was heading back to France very shortly!  Their youngest daughter, Hanja is just sucha joy ….the madhatter of the family and a bundle of fun ….she had everyone laughing …a gorgeous little character!!  The other thing that i loved about doing the Fourie family shoot was that they brought their furry family members too.  Their dogs are beautiful …and it was fun to watch them having an awesome time running around the forest as if it was Christmas but luckily Louise was able to control them quickly for the photoshoot!  I must also admit that doing a family shoot in winter when the light is softer and sets quicker is also gorgeous …and being surrounded by beautiful farms …especially Altydgedacht farm which is famous for its divine wines and which is run by the most amazing Parker family.  I really would suggest that if you havent done so before …take a ride out to the farm and go buy some of their gorgeous wines and sit under the trees and have some wholesome, hearty food at eat@altydgedacht ….your taste buds will be totally tantalised!  They also do weddings and functions at Pampoenkraal and if you are a local resident of Durbanville then we really should support our local farmers!  And if you are a local Durbanville resident ….then you might recognise or have heard of Dr Fourie, he is a well known pediatrician in our area ….and I could imagine that children will always feel loved and cherished in his hands as he is such a soft, gentle soul …and you feel as if you have been in the presence of an angel!

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