It’s just past midnight, we finally made it to the hotel in Cape Town, there’s a dent in the rental car and I’m feeling a little crispy around the edges. I think we’ve had about six hours sleep in total over the last three days, not counting the hour or so on the plane, the only thing keeping me awake at the moment is nasty hotel coffee and what I think is Mao’s Last Dancer on the television. I listen to it in Chinese, I’m too tired to read the subtitles. I wanted to write down some thoughts about this weekend’s wedding before I pass out for the night.
I often hear people saying that after the wedding all you have are the photos. I think more important than the photos are the memories. I’m not sure that any photo can evoke waking up on your first day of being married, watching the sunrise over perfect white dunes near the southern most tip of Africa, freezing cold wind coming from the south, whales breaching the water less than 200 meters away. Hugging each other, wrapped in his jacket, smiling, happy. I like to capture those moments, but I’m not sure that any photos can be a patch on those memories.
I did write down some stuff in my journal, but they are early morning ramblings. Awake because it’s too silent, I can almost hear my neurons snap. For someone used to the snap snap of an electric fence, sleep is difficult. I spent a lot of time staring across the vlei, De Hoop is one of those microspots that make you believe that the world is a beautiful place.
I was going to write a separate post about Souli and Rozanne’s day after shoot, up and awake at 6am after being asleep for only two hours because their photographer promised them the best sunrise on the dunes. The night before a smudged memory of family and friends partying and hollering de hoop hoop. Greek dancing and emotions. Plates and a whole lot of shooters – most common heard phrase of the night, “let’s have some shooters!” We saw whales, many whales, leaping out of the water like National Geographic was auditioning. Amazing people, out of this world decor and location … I could carry on.
So I didn’t get any vendor details, cause I’m terrible at that. I can tell you that De Hoop was incredible in terms of service, food and pretty much everything. The decor, as you can see was insane, I did ask where the cutout pop-up bird place mats came from (Kaalkop) ’cause I thought they rocked.
[ quick update : 12 Oct ] – the wedding was put together by the rockstars at Antoinette Events. V and I were super impressed with the organisation and efficiency, and I know that Rozanne and Souli were as well.
The videographer was Jacques from Guava Graphics who was very unobtrusive and generally a nice guy – highly recommended if you need a videographer in the Cape area.
Ok, once last thing, we take on very few destination weddings every year, I am petrified of flying, and V and I are both very grateful to have been able to shoot this one for you guys.
More pics from Rozanne and Souli’s off the map wedding on our facebook page.
and from their day after shoot
More pics from Rozanne and Souli’s off the map wedding on our facebook page.
tag: real weddings, de hoop nature reserve weddings, de hoop nature reserve, RYAN SOULI, trash the dress nighttime photography, rozanne and souli, avatara weddings cape town,
