I’ve been editing Elize and Michal’s wedding and I can’t get over how happy they looked. So one more pic, well kind of a contact sheet really.

Just checked my stats and some dedicated stalker has looked through the entire blog, going all the way back to page 24 – that’s five years worth of blog posts! If that’s you, contact me for your dedicated stalker of the year award (it comes with a free photoshoot).

She walks up to him, taps him on the shoulder and says “Hey baby“. He turns around and exhales “wow“, “wow“, about five or six times before he sweeps her off her feet, swings her around, puts her down and says “wow, I can’t believe you’re mine“. I’m behind the big black camera trying to concentrate on framing the shot, but I can feel a huge smile on my face (and I don’t smile too often, but this is a contagious moment, a contact high of joy that would have made Meredith Grey smile).

We’re standing in the garden of the No 4 chalet at the Moon and Sixpence, framing and photographing. Elize and Michal are getting married in about two hours. They’ve decided to do their photoshoot before the wedding, and we’ve set up a cali style shoot* – the groom stands with his back to the garden and the bride walks up behind him, he turns around and sees her for the first time. You get the whole experience of seeing each other for the first time and it gives you a chance to spend a few moments together without a hundred people watching you, plus you get to spend your cocktail hour with your guests.

Today, almost 24 hours later, we’re watching telly, V is draping blonde hair over the black cat and I’m writing and smiling, thinking about that moment. They both just looked so happy, so amazed to be getting married to each other.

* I have no idea where I picked up that it is called Cali style or if it is indeed called Cali style.

We photographed our first intimate wedding at The Grace in Rosebank this weekend. An intimate wedding is a package for those couples that are looking for a photojournalistic approach to their small wedding.

It was a beautiful sunset wedding for a really amazing couple. Christine and JP’s wedding was emotional and touching and perfectly located on the terrace at The Grace with an incredible view of the sun setting over Johannesburg. I also loved the fact that they had placed photos of loved ones who couldn’t make it to the wedding on the mantelpiece in the centre of the room. You guys belong together and it shows.

Another first for us was the fact that Christine and JP decided to see each other before the ceremony. It was a beautiful and touching moment seeing them see each other for the first time surrounded by their close family, tears on their faces, hugging each other, whispering in each other’s ear. A few moments alone before the wedding, getting ready to face the future together.

I’ve heard people refer to this as cali-style, and I must say that it isn’t very popular in South Africa, but I think it really works. You get a couple of moments together before the wedding, alone, with close family, without the weight of being in a chapel in front of a priest. Just a couple of moments together, to hug, to whisper, to clutch each other before the ceremony.

There are actually too many amazing photos.

[Vendor Prop] – This one has to go out to The Grace. Excellent service, amazing venue and wow, what a view off that terrace.