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family photography Wynand van der Merwe family photography Wynand van der Merwe

Tyron & Simone {Hotagterklip, Struisbaai}

Tyron and Simone's family photos at Hotagterklip, Struisbaai, are stunning! They are such an amazing family! 

Family is not an important thing. It's everything. Michael J. Fox

I hosted a competition over the December holidays for a family shoot in Struisbaai, and Simone was the winner! I wanted to do a beach shoot but we had to hide from the wind! 

Tyron and Simone are such simple and loving people, and their daughter is just too cute! 

I had an amazing session with them, and the little fisherman's houses at Hotagterklip are such an amazing location for photos! This place also has sentimental value because some of my own wedding pictures where done in front of this very house!  

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!

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Pienaar family {L'Aghulas beach session}

The Pienaar family is a loving God-fearing family and I thoroughly enjoyed doing their beach session in at the most Southernly Point in Africa!

But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD. Jos24:15b

The Pienaar family is a beautiful, God-fearing family and the love of the Lord oozes out of them! I know Leona and Francois personally, and it was an absolute privilege photographing them while they were on holiday in Struisbaai over the December holidays.

Ek het dit so baie geniet om hulle af te neem en die lig op die strand is net ongelooflik! 

Venue: Beach between Struisbaai and Cape L'Aghulas

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!   

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Erasmus family {Struisbaai beach mini-session}

I had loads of fun with the Erasmus family on the beach at Struisbaai! The are such a fun and loving family!

What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family! Mother Theresa

I had loads of fun doing this very early morning mini family shoot on the beach at Struisbaai! I was hoping for early morning sunshine but we had a different sight to behold...the sun made magic through the clouds...

And I really enjoyed the Erasmus family! They are such loving and gracious people, and lots of fun!

Dankie Adele en Pieter! Julle is 'n mooi gesin en julel straal baie liefde uit! Ek het dit geniet om julle af te neem!

Enjoy the pictures and do not hesitate to comment at the end!

Venue: Struisbay main beach

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A burgundy country wedding | Renanda Trout Farm Dullstroom

Desmond and Madelize's tearful wedding in Dullstroom was one of the highlights of my 2016!

When love is not madness, it is not love.  ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca

What a year 2016 has been, and what a wedding to end 2016 with! This one is going to be remembered for years to come.

The day was filled with excitement, tears and a lot of beauty. Desmond and Madelize got married on the wedding venue Madelize's parents had built on their trout family farm, Renanda Trout and Leisure Farm, and what a beauty! They chose to have the ceremony at the foot of the trout dam, and the reception was held in the shed or barn they had built for functions and weddings. There is also a little barn next to the watch tower which they used to serve the champagne and sushi, and the views over the countryside from there is impeccable! The wedding was full of DIY elements, and the whole family helped out where they could. Madelize did most of the planning with some help from Desmond. I must say it didn't look like a DIY wedding.

Madelize had the most amazing wedding dress from Lady Marmalade. The dress was off-white with long sleeves and the touch of lace and toile finished the design off with elegance and style! She looked incredible, no wonder Desmond teared up when he saw her walking down the grass aisle!

I immediately fell in love with who Desmond and Madelize are as a couple when we first met. They are detailed, personal (and this was evident at this tearful wedding) and elegant. I just loved the engagement shoot we did for the guest book I prepared. We went to Gold Reef City Theme Park (Click here) and their elegance and style can also be seen in the way they dressed in 50s theme...they went all out. I just loved it! 

Their love story started as a blind date (yeah right, no one ever believes or expect that a blind date can turn into true love) and they dated for 3 years before Desmond popped the question in the French Alps (wow, this man has got style)!  

They had the most amazing chemistry in front of the camera and this paired with the most incredible golden hour sunlight created some magic, which they will savour for the rest of their lives! Dullstroom has late sunsets, which made them very late for the reception, but it meant the golden hour sunlight also lasted longer than expected!

We had crazy cool night shots because of the mist we had at night, but there was a brief moment where the mist disappeared and we could do a sparkler fun shot with the stars! Amazing!

Other suppliers:

The flowers they got from Ludwigs Roses, the menu design was done by Madelize on Illustrator, their make-up and hair was done by Trevor Conn (Dullstroom, - Tete a Tete), a friend did the catering and the groom's suits were from Markhams.

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a message at the end!

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Andre & Lizbe's blissful wedding {Idlewild Country Estate}

Andre & Lizbe's beautiful and blissful wedding is on the blog! I just loved all the DIY elements!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Cor 13:4

This was the most tearful and memorable wedding, and also a very pretty one! Andre & Lizbe looked amazing and they are such cool cats when it comes to pictures...which made her somewhat late...which is not much of a problem because most brides are late for the ceremony. The problem was we were scared of a massive thunderstorm which was predicted and happened...but luckily on the farm next door. I could literally see the huge clouds emptying itself behind the ceremony. The ceremony was held under a tent on the lawn in front of the venue, Idlewild Country Estate. It was my first time at this venue, and I am absolutely in LOVE! What a beautiful and stylish venue!

Lizbe is my wife's cousin, which makes them all kinda family and though we are not very close, we are quite close to Lizbe's mom, Lizma. Hence me being the wedding photographer...I also know Andre from a while back when we attended the same church, and I have also met Lizbe's dad, Ben, at my a mining indaba which my father-in-law hosts in Johannesburg. Ben has been a speaker at the indaba for the past 2 years and I have been the event photographer for every event. Only recently did my wife tell me that I have been photographing Lizbe's dad during his talks...it's a small world!

My hat goes of to Lizma and my mother-in-law.  They bought the flowers at the Mall @ Reds flower shop and also some from the garden, and prepped all the flower arrangements in Andre's mom's garage. They did the styling of the venue just spectacularly! Lizma even arranged to bake the cake at Vingerlek Tuisnywerheid in Doringkloof and decorated the cake herself! Amazing!

Other suppliers:

Andre's ring: Unbreakable Man

Lizbe's wedding dress and make-up and hair: Jomari and her team from Mimie

DJ and sound: Up a Tone Events

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!

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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!

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These two are blessed | Wilmarie & Wilhelm | Maternity Session

Wilhelm and Wilmarie's maternity session at Hertford Country Hotel is on the blog!

She named him Samuel saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” 1 Sam 1:20

Wilhelm and Wilmarie are dear friends and Juanita and I love them dearly! I also do not know of two people who love Jesus more passionately and trust with absolute trust in Him like they do. They have taught me humility and perseverance, and while trying and trying to have children, and spending time on their knees for many years, the Lord granted their request to have children....and He gave them twins! Unbelievable...or wait believable! 

I did their beautiful maternity session at the amazing Hertford Country Hotel, which is one of my favourite venues to shoot at! We also had a little bit of rain during the shoot, but as with most storms the most amazing sunset followed! 

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!

 

 

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Desmond & Madelize | Dullstroom | Wedding Celebration

*Teaser! Desmond & Madelize's epic Dullstroom wedding celebration is on my blog!

What a weekend and wedding! I knew since Rentia, Madelize's mom, phoned me the first time, to my first meet-up with Desmond and Madelize, to our incredible engagement shoot at Gold Reef City's Theme Park that the wedding was going to be epic! The past weekend was full of tears and absolute splendor!

Madelize's parents built a wedding venue on their farm just outside of Dullstroom and what a beauty! 

Venue: Renanda Trout and Leisure Farm

I cant wait to post the full blog post.  Please enjoy the sneak peak!  

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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!

 

 

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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!

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A beautiful safari celebration {Awe & Elandi's wedding}

Awe & Elandi's safari wedding at Zebra Country lodge is on my blog!

“In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine.” Maya Angelou

Wow, what a wedding. I always say that the no matter what you do, it's always about the people, and people make and/or break your wedding day and your experience as a photographer. When we first met, I loved them from the first moment. I remember Awe was a bit reserved, but Elandi chatted like we were best buddies! Elandi got my details from her sister, Sunette, after the family shoot I did for Sunette and Stefan. We immediately clicked and I knew that the wedding was going to be special, and it truly was! Some say that "Laughter is the best medicine, and in almost every set of pictures I got to capture so many laughs, and funny moments. So much fun!

This wedding was full of so many emotions, and I just love the pictures of Elandi and her father. They are so special. I got to capture so many year's of love and this why I love what I do. Telling stories of love to be cherished forever!

I just love the venue, Zebra Country Lodge. They allowed us to the engagement shoot during winter earlier this year at the venue, and that made me very excited for the wedding. See the engagement shoot pictures here (click).

I just love engagement shoots. I got to know Awe and Elandi a little better, and I got to experience their amazing chemistry in front of the camera for the first time. They could also see the way I work, and get comfortable with me, because when they are more comfortable the better the pictures look at the end of the day. I always say that I can just imagine myself in their shoes when they arrive for a wedding and think "I hope the photographer will capture me in the best way" or "I wonder what I look like through his camera?". That is why I do engagement shoots, and almost always do engagement shoots with all my customers.

Something quite mysterious and funny, is that I found out at the wedding that we attend the same church. Elandi's dad, Arrie Genis, is the headmaster (he actually retired a day or 2 ago) for the Louw Geldenhuys Primary School, which is right across our church, and great deal of the kids in our church go to his school. The Genis family means a great deal to the Linden community, and they contribute in incredible ways. When we moved to Johannesburg, we moved to a flat (even before I got married) right across Linden church (our flat, Louw Geldenhuys and the church are on the 3 corners of 7th Street and 3rd Avenue in Linden). We then moved to Northcliff, and eventually to Fourways where stay at the moment, but we are still entwined in the Linden community. The mystery...how did we not cross paths before...? Don't know, but in any case...back to the wedding!

It was most probably the hottest day I experienced in a while, definitely the hottest wedding I shot at. I always feel sorry for the bride and groom when it's this hot...they probably wanted to wear shorts and a cocktail dress...I must say there were a pool not far from the reception hall, and the thought crossed my mind a few times..."I hope they jump in the pool with their wedding clothes...it will make for such a cool picture!" 

The decor was out of this world, and full of personal touches. Elandi and Awe did the table flower arrangements themselves. They bought the proteas from Doornkraal Proteas and the roses from Malanshof Flora. 

Elandi's beautiful make-up was done by Elzette van der Schyff, and her exquisite hair by Rory Sandilands from Blo Hairdressing Salon

Elandi's exquisite wedding dress was made by Eurobride & her bridesmaids' dresses by Gelique. Awe rented his suit from Eurosuit and he just looked amazing with his waistcoat! The cupcakes and cake was made by Magnolia Bake and Cake

Congratulations again on your wedding day, and may the Lord's blessing rest on your marriage, and may your love for Him give you the strength to love each other!  

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!

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Here's to another 50 years! {50th Birthday Party}

Karin's 50th Birthday party is on my blog!

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

Family is family, but you have not experienced love and intimacy until you have met these bunch of people! And they know how to through a great party, lot's of food including a skaap-op-die-spit and loads of great company!

Christi-Mari booked me for Karin's 50th Birthday Party, but little did I know that I will be pulled into the family. And that is what I love about my job. People get to trust you so much that you are considered as family. I immediately felt at home and it was amazing to see how Karin's family showed up in their numbers to celebrate the amazing woman she is!

Fire Desire Entertainment opened the night with an amazing fire dance show, and they entertained everybody until the rain started. We are in a very dry period...well today we had loads of rain...so when rain fell that night we all felt it was a sure blessing from the Lord.  

Christi-Mari also warned me that they had dressed up their 8 dogs as well, but I didn't know they were mostly going to be puppies and that they were going to wear Bow-Ties. They looked adorable.

Congrats again Karin, and may you enjoy another 50 years!

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!

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A beautiful Urban Maternity Session {Ohna & Melt + Twins}

Ohna & Melt's maternity session are on my blog! Its twins!

There's two to wash, two to dry; There's two who argue, two who cry; There's two to kiss, two to hug; and best of all, there's two to love!     

Jerry Smith

I get to do really fun things with regards to photography. So when I don't have a wedding to photograph I get to photograph fun people like Ohna & Melt!

Ohna is expecting twins, and she asked me to do this Urban shoot early enough before she becomes super uncomfortable. I mean, she is carrying twins, and there isn't a lot of space to grow for one little kiddo in your tummy, and she has two in there.

Wow, being a parent is probably the best thing that happened to me after I got married. It's the best feeling in the world to be loved by my son, and I can just imagine being loved by two of them! And the one thing nobody can teach you or people say it but you never really fully understand...is the fact that no matter how many sleepless nights, how many diapers you change, how many times you go to the doctor because you kiddos are sick....it's all worth it in the end!

We did this shoot early in the morning in the streets of Mellville, Johannesburg and we had loads of fun!

May you experience God's love every day when you look at your children, and may they learn how to love from you both! Lots of blessings!

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!

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Princes & Princesses do exist {Matric Farewell shoot}

The Matric Farewell shoot I did recently are on the blog! Linden, Gauteng

Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates. Kate Angell

I know the Schutte family well, and it was a massive privilege to capture Pierre's Matric Farewell photos! Such a huge honor. I am involved with the youth at our church and I have seen how the kids grow into young adults, and then in a blink of an eye they become adults!

Wow, it's amazing how young people can change into adults in front of your eyes when they dress for a Matric Farewell. They are not kids anymore, they are confident, beautiful young people and they rocked their exquisite dresses and suits for this shoot! I loved every minute of this shoot!

My expectations were to photograph the Schnakenberg triplets (two girls and a boy) with their dates, where Pierre was the date of Theresa, what I didn't know is that Heinrich (the boy of the triplets) is Ingrid's date, whom I also know from church! Amazing. She wore an amazing red Casper Designer Wear dress. And Renate and Theresa's mom Retha made the their beautiful dresses!

I did the shoot in Linden, Gauteng at the Schnackenberg's house, in their amazing garden!

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the end!

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David & Kate's South African Wedding {The Forum The Campus}

Kate & David's South African Wedding is on my blog!

“When there is love in a marriage, there is harmony in the home; when there is harmony in the home, there is contentment in the community; when there is contentment in the community, there is prosperity in the nation; when there is prosperity in the nation, there is peace in the world.” -Chinese Proverb

Jia Lu Wang and Kai-ting Yang (or David and Kate) have been staying in South Africa for a long time. David is from China, and Kate from Taiwan, and something that is custom in China is they do very stylish pre-wedding photos. But when David showed me the pictures from their 8-hour-6-wardrobe-change-photo-shoot I knew the game was on (and the heat was on). The photos, which was done in Shanghai by a Chinese well-known photographer, are exquisite. Head on over to The Wedding Event's Instagram feed...Simone posted a few of the pics there.

Wow, they were made to be in front of a camera. They are so beautiful, and Kate and her bridesmaids looked like supermodels from a magazine. They were also such a lovely bunch of people, always full of joy and laughter!

Kate's dress, which is an Ellie Saab design, were out of this world. The detail and the way it fitted was incredible. Her dress and the exquisite bridesmaids' dresses were bought outside of South Africa, and the same for Kate's beautiful Christian Louboutin shoes.

The wedding was held at The Forum | The Campus, and they delivered the most amazing décor with the most beautiful white orchids. What an amazing venue!

I know Simone from The Wedding Event for a little while now, but we have never worked together on a wedding before, and I really looked forward to this wedding. She is such an amazing wedding planner and everything at this wedding just went smooth (I am not so sure behind the curtains). She is incredible at her job, and if you want your dream wedding, or perhaps greater than your dream wedding, then you need to get in touch with her!

Kate's beautiful make-up and hair was done by Susan Kang Make Up and Hair.

Liam from Wedding DJs - Pulse DJs rocked the music once again! And the cake from Belle's Patisserie was out of this world!

David and Kate, please enjoy your love for each other, which was so event in the way you looked at each other. And the family you guys have are amazing, and I loved the laughing and cheering at your reception dinner at the Lotus Restaurant in Rosebank!

Please enjoy the pictures and do leave a comment at the end!

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Michelle & Marcus {Couple shoot in Melville}

Marcus and Michelle's urban couple shoot in Melville is on my blog!

"In your light, I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest where no one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art."  Rumi

I recently hosted a competition on Facebook for a #FREECoupleShoot, and Michelle Daniels was the winner. She is currently dating Marcus Ras, and I decided to take them to Melville, Johannesburg, because they wanted to do an Urban Shoot. Wow, they are an amazing couple, and boy oh boy...they are such a photogenic couple. They are such beautiful people and so much in love....the way Marcus looks at Michelle is just mesmerizing!  

Venue: Café De La Crème, Melville and surroundings

Enjoy the pictures and do not hesitate to leave a comment at the end!

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Zoya Naturals {Product Photography}

Zoya Naturals' product pictures are on my blog!

Marcia Notsh has launched new haircare products called Zoya Natural.  

I am in love with the logo, and I believe she will be doing great with these products.

She is sharing office space with me, so to help her out, I have done some products shots for her and I believe they came out amazing!

The products are for sale on their website! www.zoyanaturals.co.za

Venue: Little Green Number, Bryanston offices (boardroom)

Please tell me what you think by leaving a comment at the end.

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Tracey Swanepoel's New Book Launch Party

Tracey Swanepoel's book launch photos are on my blog!

Tracey Swanepoel is one of those people who get a lot of things done, and on top of all that writes a book...and a brilliant book if I must say myself!

 
 

The Leadership Riptide and How to Escape

She writes out of personal experiences while working in the mining industry, and she gives an honest view of what she learnt, and what it means to be true leader. Amazing. She is truly an inspiration. 

When someone like Brand Pretorius, retired CEO of McCarthy Limited, endorses your book and writes a foreword in your book, then you know it has to be a good book to read. 

The book is for sale in Exclusive Books stores across South Africa.  

The book launch was held at the The Eatalian Restaurant in Parkmore, Johannesburg. If you haven't eaten there, then you are surely missing out! 

The wine from The Taillard Family Wines was also out of this world. 

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Christo & Laraine's Wedding Celebration {Foxwood House}

Christo & Laraine's wedding celebration is on my blog!

“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” When Harry Met Sally

It has been a while since I have seen two people so much in love with each other! While editing I got emotional every time I saw how Christo looked at Laraine, and I couldn't help but think...that is how Christ looks at us! Amazing. 

Christo & Laraine wanted a small and intimate wedding, and that is exactly what they had. The decor was out of this world, and so was the venue...just stunning. I am truly privileged to have captured this special day for them, and I their love story inspired and still inspires me, and I believe that it flows over into their family!  

This wedding was also different than what I am used to. For instance they did their couple shoot before the ceremony, but this allowed me to capture the moment when Christo saw Laraine for the first time. What a privilege!

 
Christo & Laraine GIF
 

Thank you for being who you are Christo & Laraine, and may your love stay strong and rooted in our Lord Jesus Christ! 

Enjoy the pictures and do not hesitate to leave a comment at the end!

Venue: Foxwood House, Houghton

Make-up and hair: ComposureSA

Decor & Wedding Planning: Sonja Ward from Hot Chili Designs

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She said YES! {Justin & Gen's engagement}

Justin and Genevieve got engaged and I was privileged to photograph how he proposed!

Engagement photos
“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!

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