This coronavirus free wedding happened just before the whole world went crazy.  When guests were still travelling from all over the globe to watch their special friends tie the knot on their home soil!

How things have changed in just under a month.  All my weddings have been postponed until later in the year.  All gatherings over 100 people were banned and then further stringent rules were put in place.  Venues had to close at 18hoo and no alcohol was allowed to be sold.

Consequently many weddings were postponed and  I totally understand the reason for postponing.  Weddings are definitely meant to be a celebration surrounded by all your loved ones far and near.

Carl and Kelly

Carl and Kelly are both South African and both left our shores to work on the Super Yachts .  Both jokingly said that they were keen to meet someone with a great passport but they met and fell hook, line and sinker for each other and decided that both were worth sticking to the “Green Mamba” (South African) passport for!

All their “yachtie” friends  and Durbanite family flocked to Cape Town to watch these two lovebirds tie the knot in front of friends and family at the picturesque Suikerbossie in Hout Bay.  Carl is originally from Cape Town hence the reason that they chose to get married in the Mother City!

The Wedding Day

They had thought of everything for their wedding.  Kelly and her aunt baked the wedding cake.  Kelly and her bridesmaids decorated the reception area.

Games were arranged on the Suikerbossie lawns to keep guests entertained during the bridal party photoshoot as well as a Photo Booth.

Suikerbossie laid out a delicious Harvest Table for all the guests to enjoy while they waited for the wedding party.  And if that wasn’t enough, the G&T’s were flowing all afternoon.

Carl and Kelly are super cute together and are totally comfortable with one another and were one of the fortunate couples to have had a Coronavirus free wedding!   Another couple of weeks and this wedding might not have happened.

To all my couples who have had to postpone because of the Coronavirus, your day will come.  It might have been delayed but when we do get to celebrate, we will celebrate in full force.  I am still excited to see all of you as beautiful brides just like Kelly!

Suppliers:

Venue:-  Suikerbossie Hout Bay

Dress:   Enzoani by The Wedding Boutique

Make-up artist:  Black Rabbit Make-up

Bridal lingerie:-  Free People

Photo Booth:  Bambooth

Videographer:  Gustav Films

See Kylie and Nick at Camps Bay

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Nina & Alex

This intimate Yzerfontein beach wedding took place in the middle of January in the middle of the week!

Most of the guests were from Johannesburg and flew down to Cape Town to celebrate with the happy couple and joined them in the beautiful west coast.

The minute I met Nina and Alex, they felt familiar to me.  I had just finished watching Younger on Netflix and Nina is the spitting image of Hilary Duff except Nina is a darker version.  It was surreal.

Alex on the other hand, reminded me of my sons best friend.  It wasn’t the looks but the mannerisms.  They were so familiar to me that I felt as if I had known them a long time.

Nina was a wedding event planner in Johannesburg and her attention to detail was phenomenal.  Even though her wedding was intimate, everything had been thought of and the decor was next level beautiful.

In fact, that is how Nina and Alex met.  She was the event planner at his brothers wedding.  Now doesn’t that remind you of Jennifer Lopez in the Wedding Planner!  How utterly romantic!

This intimate wedding took place on the beach in front of the beautiful Thyme & Tide Guesthouse in Yzerfontein.  Nina and Alex booked out the whole house for their wedding day and their guests were able to enjoy a beachfront property at its best.  Sitting on the decks and watching the sun set over the ocean while Nina and Alex had their photoshoot was an absolute treat.

While the guests enjoyed the sunset and the children swam in the pool, a small army of chefs were busy in the kitchen preparing a sumptuous gourmet meal for everyone to enjoy.

After the sun set, the happy couple returned to be surrounded by their loved ones and enjoy their wedding day with those who were really close to their hearts.

Their special  day was total perfection!

Suppliers:-

Make-up & Hairstylist – Makeup by Lauren

Florist – yes exclusive flowers

Dahlia’s – Adene’s flowers

Minister – Stephen Van Basten

Stationary – Oh Yay

Wedding cake and cupcakes – Florentines

Jewellery – GC Manufacturing

Planning & Designing- the beautiful bride, Nina!

Previous wedding can be viewed here!

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Hermanus, Overberg

Carl & Alex

This luxury, bespoke wedding took place at the upmarket Marine Hotel in Hermanus.  A perfect backdrop to a romantic wedding.

Alex was one of the most demure, shy brides that I have photographed and the camera loved her and so did I!Unfortunately due to strong winds, the planned outside ceremony had to be  indoors.

Luckily the team in charge of the decor (aka the brides mother) quickly changed their plans and created a beautiful set-up in one of the hotel reception rooms.

A Princess Grace lookalike!

The bride of this luxury, bespoke wedding, Alex, was absolutely regal and reminded me of the late Princess Grace of Monaco.  She exuded a serene elegance that was breathtaking.

Love finds a way!

Alex left Cape Town to go study at the prestigious Cambridge University in the UK.  She is currently doing a PHD in Film and Screen studies!  While studying her Masters, she met this cute Australian boy, Carl, and to begin with, they were just friends.

“It was pretty inevitable, we love so many of the same books, films, art… he was my favorite person to talk to and it was extremely hard to resist him. Altogether in our MPhil we were a class of 24 and somehow it always felt like the he was the only person in the room. I guess the rest is pretty much history!”

It was only just before Carl had to return home to Sydney that they admitted their feelings to each other.

But love always finds a way and here we are, in Cape Town, amongst a few loved ones celebrating the marriage of Alex and Carl!

It was beautiful, intimate and special.

But the celebrations won’t stop here!  There will be celebrations held in Sydney and Cambridge for all their friends and family who weren’t able to attend.

Wedding suppliers:-

Wedding Dress – Ghost

Make-up Artist:-  Make-up by Ruth

Hair Stylist:-  The Salon, Hermanus

Wedding Rings:-  Aurate, New York

Grooms suit:- Dries Van Noten

Cake:-  Whisk and Bake

Wedding Shoes:-  Raid

Wedding decor:- Brides mom, Amelda

See previous wedding here!

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Carla & Hendrik

Part 2

This D&A model, Carla married her prince at the beginning of March in front of their huge group of family and friends in her backyard, Swellendam. Carla actually grew up in Riviersonderend so this is actually her happy place.

The next thing I knew this beautiful model had ridden off into the sunset with her gorgeous prince! Ok, this is sheer fantasy because anyone that knows Carla and Hendrik, also knows that they came back to the Reception and partied up a storm and never got to bed until 4am the following morning!

I am just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her!

Notting Hill

Would you believe that I have been fortunate enough to have had this gorgeous model couple in front of my lens once before. As a result, I knew that I was going to have loads of fun with them. I wasn’t wrong!!

Run to you,

cos when the feeling is right, I’m gonna run all night!

Bryan Adams

Picture Perfect

Omg, did we have fun! Carla and Hendrik are pretty natural together and it was awesome to see their interactions with one another. They are also the sweetest of people and you can understand why they are so loved by their army of friends! Thank you Hendrik, for delaying that beer and allowing me to get my “fluffies” photo and how lucky were we that at that exact moment after a rather grey overcast day, an African sunset erupted on the horizon! Needless to say, I was beyond excited and they couldn’t help but laugh at my screeches of delight!

“I wanna be your end game. I wanna be your first string. I wanna be your A-Team.”

Time to party!

Then it was time to go back and party with all their nearest and dearest!

How lucky were this young couple, that Hendrik’s uncle is none other, than the famous wedding cake maker, Wade’s Cakes! It was lovely to finally meet him as I have for years enjoyed his masterpieces!

So they didn’t head off into the sunset but they definitely did head off into the sunrise!! Not sure if they surfaced for breakfast with the family but I am happy to see they made their flight for their Bali Honeymoon! Congrats Carla & Hendrik, I loved photographing your special day!

• Part 1 can be viewed here!
• Venue: Chris-Elle Wedding Venue
• Getting ready venue: Rotterdam Boutique Guesthouse
• Wedding dress: Robyn Roberts Bridalwear
• Cake: Wade’s Cakes
• Make-up artist: Evelyn Francis
• Caterers: Krummelkoljander
• Wines: Nieuwedrift Wine Estate
• Videographers: Bravo & Thatcher
• Bridesmaids dresses: Tiara on Kloof
• Wedding decor: Allthingswedding
• Wedding planner: Zahn Kuyler

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Ell Spookfontein Wedding

I have a lot to be grateful for to this stunning wedding venue, ELL Spookfontein in the beautiful Hemel & Aarde Valley, Hermanus!  Originally Luan & Joni-Lee had booked to have their wedding on 13 December 2014 but then found out that I was already booked for that date, so they went and asked the venue if an alternative plan could made ..and lo and behold the ELL Spookfontein could accommodate them for the 16th!  I am forever grateful as I would have hated to have missed this beautiful couples wedding day!  But I am also very honoured that Luan & Joni-Lee wanted to change their date …I will forever love them for this!  This was such a beautiful coming together of God, family and special friends ..and also honouring Luans dad ..he was without a doubt sadly missed!  I think, Luans Mom felt it keenly …and wished that he could have been there to watch their gorgeous son marry the love of his life!  I have watched Luan mature into fine young man and I know Joni-Lee could not ask for a finer husband …and nor could he ask for a more loving, beautiful, devoted young wife as Joni-Lee!  This young couple will walk lifes path united in their love for each other and in God and will grow stronger with each step they take! A big thank you to my second shooter, Sarah Thorrold for covering the boys!  And I cannot forget to thank, Saskia Thiart, my assistant, for travelling in the wee hours of the morning with me to make sure that we got to Hermanus safely after Monique & Niels wedding the night before and to make sure that we were up bright and early with the sparrows for this fresh, gorgeous, morning wedding! 

Suppliers:

Venue:  ELL Spookfontein

Wedding dress:  Bride & Co

Groom suit :  Hilton Weiner

Flowers, Bouquets & Boutonnières: Joan Nixon (Grandma), Anthea Bosch (Aunt)

Hiring: Function Hire Hermanus

Make Up: Lara de Kock from TLC

Hair: Cecile from Hair-we-go

Décor & DIY: Mother of the Bride, Bridesmaids and Bride

Minister: Ross Anderson

Music at church: Tertia Hendricks

Cake and cupcakes: Leone Lanuti

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