The Morning Calm (and Excitement!)
The day usually begins in a room filled with laughter, makeup brushes, and the nervous excitement of family and friends. I slip in quietly, photographing the details — the dress hanging in soft window light, the rings, love letters exchanged. These little touches set the scene for the story. Sometimes, I even step in and help!
I try and capture as much as possible - one of my favourite photographs from my own wedding was when the photographer quietly snapped my Dad going over his speech. To me, when I saw this photo, it moved me. None of the details shots were as important as that one. I was so grateful that I just stepped back and let Neil (Neil Cuninghame was our photographer) do his thing. I would never have had such a special moment in time captured otherwise.
If time allows, I also try and do a shoot for the groom. Some of his details, some pics with his friends, and the laughter.
I work according to the room the bride is getting ready in. As a general rule, I do more close-up shots, as there are often suitcases all over the place! I have been doing this for twenty years, and I’ll get lovely preparation shots no matter how many people are crammed into a room!
Walking Down the Aisle
One of the most powerful moments is the pause just before the ceremony begins. As the music swells and all eyes turn, I’m focused on capturing the raw emotion: a deep breath, a proud parent’s tear. It’s always special to try and capture the groom as he sees his bride for the first time, or the handshake as the dad hands his daughter over.
It’s also an opportunity to get a photograph of the bride with her flowergirls. Often, when the flower girls are very young, the children meet the bride at the church, rather than get overwhelmed in the preparations beforehand.
Golden Hour Portraits
After the ceremony, I generally take the family photographs. Over the years, I have developed a systematic way of doing this, so that everyone looks good, and we can get these done while everyone looks great, and before we start losing light.
After this, I love whisking the couple away for portraits. This is often the only time they have to themselves all day. It’s quiet, it’s romantic, and the setting sun always delivers the dreamiest light. These images often become the heart of the wedding album.
Depending on where the wedding is, we sometimes do what I call a ‘drive by shooting’ creative shoot (only in South Africa!). We drive around a certain area (decided before the wedding), and get out a various spots. If someone has a nice verge, or there is a beautiful road or tree, we go there and get some shots. It makes for an exciting shoot.
While this all seems spontaneous on the day, we can only be ‘spontaneous’ because of all the planning beforehand. None of this is decided on the day. Often, if it is practical, I drive an area with my couple a few days before the wedding at the same time of day that we will be shooting.
It is easy to be relaxed on the day when the planning is done properly, and back-up plans are in place.
The Celebration
As the evening unfolds, I blend into the dance floor and dinner tables. Laughter, toasts, stolen glances, and crazy dance moves — this is where the personalities shine through. These candid shots tell the story of the joy shared by everyone who came to celebrate love.
Every wedding is unique, but one thing remains the same: my goal is to capture not just how the day looked, but how it felt. From start to finish, I’m there to preserve the big moments and the quiet in-betweens, so couples can relive their story forever.
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