I was blown away by the location.  That is the least I can say.  Its barren, its far away from anything, and it is basic….oh and it is the most awesome and beautiful place I have ever been to, where we can celebrate a wedding.  It wouldn’t be for everyone, but if you want a bush wedding in South Africa, then this is the place..Im serious.

When I moved to South Africa, I dreamed of exploring more than I do…well the interior at least  as exploring the coast is really what I do on my time off….looking for waves and having adventures with friends and family up on the WesKus.  Have you ever wondered while driving along the long lonely highway where all the dirt roads lead to.  Well one dirt road leads to Bushmans Cave Bergteater in the Clanwilliam area of the Western Cape.  The owner of the venue Erik De Milander is also an amazing person.  Going to weddings all the time, it can often seem like the venue is running a business, and sometimes lacks the “personal touch”.  But not this place, and not with Erik.  He has lived on the land for years, and will tell you amazing stories if you have some time to chat with him.  The most awesome thing that I saw besides the landscapes are the bushman paintings.  I would have thought that they would be guarded and under bullet proof glass,and lock and key, but they are not….they are just there….the same way they have been for generations and generations…. isn’t that crazy?  Apparently the paintings are thousands of years old.  I guess we dont know exactly what they depict (I dont atleast) and Erik told me that scientists and National Geographic and organisations like that have visited his farm to study the paintings.

When you stand at the reception area, you see a massive massive rock structure that shelters the area (the Cave).  It is the ultimate place to host a music event, a wedding and it is just so far away from anything and so awe inspiring …ok I should stop…but really this place is amazing and if you are looking to have a real bush wedding….please go and spend a day at Bushmans Cave before you make the final decision.  Or if you want to stand somewhere above it all and look on forever, then this is too is that place.

Never in my life have I seen stars in the sky like this area.  The only place I didn’t see stars was by looking down.   It is not something I can describe and even as a “photographer”, I could never attempt to do justice and capture it.  Please, if you dont know a place so far away from our concrete jungles, go here.  Just once.  You will never forget it.

Pietman (AKA Peter the Scotsman) and Arne are friends of ours, Celeste and Arne have known each other for many years, and I can even admit that it is because of Arne that I met Celeste.  A few years ago Arne discovered my work and told Celeste about it….the rest is history.

I was the photographer at the wedding, but also a guest.  It was a great wedding, and many of South Africa’s Afrikaans music elite were guests and friends of the couple.  So we all hung out.  It was grand!

A funny thing I have learnt over the years, and spending time here in SA is the West Coast.  South Africa, has its big economic power citys like Jozi, and its fashionista homes like Cape Town….but beyond that is really the real South Africa.  Not that I am a spokesperson, or even educated on the matter, but one thing I have noticed is that Afrikaans people and culture can sometimes be lumped into a certain stereotype.  It couldn’t be further from the truth.  Afrikaans people are amazing and creative people, and they have done and are able to do so much with what they have.  They are very expressive people and sometimes their fashion and expressions can seem different to non Afrikaans people, but its only because they are unique.  People from Pretoria, or Bloemfontein or the West Coast, Namaqualand are all very different, and very uniquely interesting.  The West Coast  and Namaqualand are really very simple places, and there really isnt much there.  I have often thought (as I spend much time on the West Coast and Namqualand) that I could never live there….as after awhile I would get way, way bored.  But then comes along the chance to meet the people, and once we can skip the language barrier, you get to see how creative, adventurous and brave these people really are…and how they can generate so much from so little, and without much support outside of their culture.  Arne is a perfect example.  Everything at the wedding she made and thought up, using basic materials, and it was all recycled.  And she didn’t order anything off the interweb, or hire the flavour of the month designer…rather she used bits and pieces from her area, and created the look and feel of the wedding.  Its a community thing…I think.   Real creativity, and what makes it special is that it is deeply personal.  Listen, I love going to a fancy wedding where everything is perfectly placed and beautiful…but many times, it really comes down to a lot of unnecessary money spent, and having other people create the feeling…and it does not always represent the people that are being celebrated.  Arne, and Peter are both creatives (Peter, is the only Afrikaans Scot I have ever met, btw and an amazing musician with a far out sense of humour…a comedian!!).  Maybe they are not creating the latest ad campaigns, or the latest online trends (stuff that is media savvy or currently trending)…but what they are doing is using the basic and timeless things, to create a deep and personal representation of who they are and what they love, and allowing them to live a fulfilling life amongst similar types of people….which make up a rich social group of friends.

I have to stop writing now, not because I want to, but because I feel like what I want to say could be a great novel about amazing people, and this is a wedding photography post on my website.  I hope you love the images…and catch a glimpse of what I am referring to.  And if you think Afrikaans culture can be dictated or described, then you are dead wrong, and if you love culture and history….its a very exciting and moving one to study.

I have to say that it is one of the most stunning valleys I have seen.

John and Orla celebrated their wedding in style and it was an honour to work with them.  I liked how they were into creating some fun and quirky shots.  Hope you love the shoots.   This post includes the Pre shoot, some shots of the Killarney and ofcourse their wedding.

Tim and Kim were married at Buitenverwachting Wine Estate in Constantia.  The ceremony was held at the chapel at Springfield Convent Girls School in Wynberg.

I met the bride and groom while they were getting ready at the vineyard hotel.  I really love the venue around Buitenverwachting, but you need some time and a car to get around to all the spots.

See the awesome pre shoot that I did with Tim and Kim in Tokai Forest.

Make up by Helga @ Helga Bridal http://www.helgabridal.com/
Cake by Wade from Wades Cakes

I had the great pleasure to work with Kerry and Zachariah and their family in the family portrait session we did recently in Kommetjie.  It is such a great thing to do as a family.  To go explore the local area and get some fun and real photos as a physical memory of the experience.  I really had fun doing this shoot and I love the idea to get more bookings like this where we can create cool photography that represents who we are, at this time in our journey.  I cant wait to make some awesome fine art prints from the shoot for Kerry and her family.

Henk and Fransisca are getting married next week!!  We met super early at Noordhoek beach and captured this early morning session.  The waves were big and nature was out in force, with a definite reminder of winter approaching   It was great to also bring Henk and Fransisca to a place they hadn’t been to before in Cape Town, and definitely we can agree that Noordhoek to Kommetjie is one amazing world location.  barren, vast and beautiful.

Johanna and Bengamin at Webersburg.  It was a perfect day and the venue was stunning.  The guests of Benjamin and Johanna were gathered from all over the world for this very lush and colourful day.

Webersburg is an exciting venue to work at, and after my 2 wedding shoots there I cant wait to explore there more.

All Image by Ian Mitchinson and Jason Gillman on this Wedding Shoot.

Avron and Jo-Anne met me recently at ridiculous O’clock (super early, it was still dark) in Cape Town and we headed up to capture some portraits along Signal Hill road where there is the most awesome view of Cape Town in the dark, with the city lit up with Table Mountain hovering above.

It was great to work with Avron and Jo-Anne, and I am looking forward to working with them again soon at their wedding in May.  It will be my last wedding of the season, and then I will be on to other projects, and lots of trips up the West Coast searching for Waves.  Cant wait for all!

Rolanda and George were married at Grootvlei near Lamberts Bay. It was a true West Coast wedding, on the beach with wilderness around, and as the West Coast is, in the remote beauty of the most beautiful place in the world. I think most people imagine Club Med Tropicana as paradise, but once you have been touched by the wild beauty of the West Coast, you can never let it go or deny its unique and charming beauty. Untouched, wild and free.

Grootvlei is an amazing venue if you are looking to have a relaxed and casual wedding in a beach setting. Rolanda and George had a spit Braai and it was awesome!! I really like when people are down to earth and do things out of simplicity. Thank you Rolanda and George for having me at your most special of days.

David and Leyla were married at the beautiful Tintswalo in Hout Bay.  David is very good friends with Jason Gillman whom I work with often on shoots.  I didn’t get to know David and Leyla before the wedding as they are based in the UK, but from the moment I arrived I saw that they both come from a great and caring family and have lots of life long friends.  It was fun to hang around and capture the day, and Tintswalo is really a great venue for a different kind of vibe wedding.  If your wanting a more 5 star cocktail feel in a casual setting for your wedding at one of the most beautiful coastal location in and around Cape Town…then this is it.  The ceremony was held on a beautiful deck over looking Hout Bay…when things were a bit quite or while taking a break from shooting, I was checking out Dungeons across the Bay.  I dont think people appreciate exactly how intense the ocean gets there… especially when it is so calm and beautiful like it was on the day.  I dont think I know either…its one of the bigest waves in the world.    So I guess im saying its a magical place by the sea.  It was a great wedding and I had fun getting to know everyone through out the day.  Mazel tov to David and Leyla, and thanks for having us capture your day.

I did a few different long exposure images of Hout Bay and Dungeons.  See below.  Im printing and framing a couple of them in my house!!

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