There is always a sense of great excitement within us prior to photographing a wedding.  Wayne and Nikita’s was no exception.

We arrived at Damarakloof an hour before we had initially indicated we would be there.  We had been to Damarakloof before, but wanted to take another look at the venue and also consider options for the family and couple photo shoot that would take place after the ceremony.

Our Bride and Groom had each been given their own little cottage that they, along with their respective bridal entourage and parents were enjoying.  At each of these cottages we were instantly engaged with photographing aspects of the “getting ready” stage of the day.  Beautiful dresses in the bride's cottage were hung in front the windows, and the suits of the groom and his "merry men" all hung in the main room of the Groom's cottage. The atmosphere in these cottages was electric.

One of the best parts of photographing a wedding is the absolute joy and excitement evident on the faces of all involved; one definitely does not have to ask anyone from the bridal party to smile.

Wayne and Nikita had written beautiful letters, filled with loving words and sincere promises to each other.  What a joy to capture this raw emotion.  Much later they would be able to relive the particular moment while looking through their wedding photographs.

Once we had photographed "first looks" and special “before” moments, we headed to the Chapel.  What we saw through the lens; the beautiful touches and carefully chosen décor, not only in the Chapel, but all around, left us exhilarated.

Working together allows us to capture all those special moments; both on video and stills.  We ensure that we plan before we start, e.g. where we will be standing in order not to be in each other's way and with as little disturbance during the Service as possible.  This allows us to capture those moments for all eternity.

Prior to the Wedding, we had compiled a list of family photographs to be taken, i.e. identifying all who needed to be in each family photograph.  This is a real time saver for any wedding photographer having to consider all the different combinations of photographs of parents, siblings and friends to be taken.

The weather was not playing along and we needed to still get some beautiful shots of the bridal couple before the rain came down.   Lorraine is incredibly adept at getting the couple into the preferred position and kept a record of all the poses Wayne and Nikita had selected ahead of time.  Emil is fantastic with an ability to get the couple to relax, regardless of the time and/or situation and consistently captures beautiful and natural-looking images.

Nikita’s main request was to have cows in at least one photograph.  We had already scouted around Damarakloof for this ahead of time and therefore managed to produce a number of bovine-enhanced photographs.  After a hilarious shoot (Hilarious, because the cows were more scared of us than we were of them and often bolted whenever we approached them), the chill in the air drove us back to the reception.

We were ready for the Grand Entrance by the Bridal Couple, the speeches, First Dance, as well as the Cutting of the Cake.   Instead of photographing wedding guests at their tables as is customary, Wayne and Nikita opted to go with our idea.  We had each guest of a specific table surround the Bridal Couple with an unusual and humorous pose.   This may not be for everyone, although in this instance, it was one of the highlights of the reception.    We are sensitive to the needs of each couple and family and realise that they may have their own ideas regarding their wedding and in particular the reception.

Wayne and Nikita, we wish you only the best for the first chapter of your being husband and wife.  May your story be one of health, prosperity and happiness.

Should you wish to have us photograph the magic moments of your wedding, click the link to Chapter One Wedding Photography.

We hope you enjoy the wedding photographs in these galleries as much as we enjoyed taking them and viewing them afterwards.