‘Dr D’ is in the house! So here’s the thing. Sometimes I get a bit mixed up simply because I think very quickly when I shoot. This can lead to moments of complete chaos. So for example, at Candice and Adrian’s wedding, I kept calling Adrian, um, Richard (and of course Adrian, being Adrian and not Richard wouldn’t respond to what I was saying to him which made things a bit tricky here and there). I’ve also been known to call more than one bride by her mother’s name and sometimes I completely lose it and call a bride (or a groom) by the wrong name altogether. Then of course there are those moments when a name, without any prior warning, just vanishes from my head. You’ll notice this happening when I stop speaking and stare blankly at the bride for a few seconds – and in those few seconds I have absolutely no idea whatsoever what her name is. In severe instances I might even look across at Helen with pure panic in my eyes as if to say: ‘help me out here, what is this chick’s name again!’ But then the grey matter clicks in and I remember who I am, where I am, what I’m doing and who the girl in the white dress is. Hey, every occupation has its hazzards! Now, in the case of Corrie and Danelo, I could not for the life of me pronounce Danelo’s name properly (I tried making up little rhymes in my head to help out, but it just didn’t work). So in the end I just said to him, ‘my boy, from hereon out your are to be known as, and to answer to the call of Doctor D – do you understand me?’ He nodded obediently and we became immediate friends. So Doctor D, here’s to you and your lekker-schmekker wife Corrie (who, when she smiles, makes everyone else around her smile too).. And lastly, but not leastly by any means, Izandi, once again you did a magnificent job on organising their awesome wedding. Check out Izandi’s site here: http://www.ido4u.co.za/

There are many, many good reasons to become a wedding photographer – all good (not the least of which is that you get to go to work in shorts from Monday to Friday). Perhaps the only drawback is having to sometimes work in the searing heat while your mates are all relaxing around the pool with a cold beer. But to be quite honest, I hate cold water and my 6-pack isn’t really what it used to be (well Helen doesn’t think so and recently when I walk past the kids in a towel I get the somewhat boring: ‘Howzit Fat Guy’ comment). Anyway, it’s far nicer to be an integral part of all the goings-on and all the little stories that go into a wedding day. Some of those stories are small, some are big, and some just ignite goose-bumps all over your body. And this was most certainly the case at Misha and Michael’s wedding where I was given an awesome glimpse of days gone by in the lives of these  wonderful people and their families. There was laughter, there were tears, there were nerves, there were tributes, there was a happy couple (and there were very happy parents). Take a bow chaps and here’s to the future!

There must be very few countries across the world that offer the variety of wedding settings that South Africa offers. There must be even fewer cities across the globe that offer what we do. Cape Town truly is a wedding venue heavyweight. By way of example, if we step away from the beach venues and the wine route venues, we end up having to console ourselves with shooting at places like Constantia Uitsig. It’s ridiculous really - awesome views of the Constantiaberg Mountains, sweeping paddocks filled with horses and gardens, vineyards, nooks & crannies that’ll have you saying: ‘oh wow.’ It makes you wonder if any other venue anywhere else in the world can actually even contemplate competing with us. In fact, Wilter and Christin’s wedding had family and guests flying in from all over show to celebrate their day with them. They must have been just a little bit more than impressed with the views and the service afforded them. Nice work Constantia Uitsig! Natalie from NDG Events put the wedding together and did a pretty good job as well – everything looked amazing and the day ran without a hitch. As for Wilter and Christin, well, they celebrated their wedding as one should – by relaxing into it and soaking up every little moment along the way. Stunning couple, stunning day, stunning start to their life together. Cheers!

Let me tell you something about Christiaan. He looks like a pretty decent guy. He even acts like a pretty decent guy. But I’m not so sure. You see, Christiaan was a lecturer at Stellenbosch. And uh-huh, Candice was a student at Stellenbosch. In Christiaan’s class. And soon, very soon, Candice was passing her course with flying colours. Consistently. Which tells a bit of a story doesn’t it? A story which happened to end one chapter and open another chapter at Blydschap no 17 December 2011. But this time there were no lecture books in sight, just a lot of really good-looking people and a very pleased looking Christiaan. He’d got his A-grade student you see, so all those very late hours doing extra lessons had finally paid off! And Candice, well, Candice was Candice – bubbly, talkative, emotional, smart, witty – all the things that make lecturers look their students a bit um, differently. So girls, be careful of your lecturers, you never quite know who they might turn out to be one day! Nice wedding guys – and Christiaan, well done ‘Slakkie’ – you pulled off a great win!

Whenever I drive out to shoot a wedding in Franschhoek it feels like I should include a pack horse and a few mules to help me get there. For some or other reason it just feels a long, long way away. In the case of Ernst and Aleksa’s wedding, Chamonix is on the other side of Franschhoek, sandwiched between a rock and a hard place. I should have taken rock climbing equipment to get there. But believe me, once you do finally arrive, bedraggled and dehydrated, it’s worth the trip. Because very very few venues can compete with the raw beauty that Chamonix offers. I was truly gobsmacked by the surroundings. You feel as though you’ve stepped out into some sort of great, big panoramic MGM movie. I expected to see Kevin Costner walking towards me with Two Socks in tow. Instead, I got Ernst and his Bestman Kabous who were in mighty fine spirits indeed, thanks to a pre-wedding drinkie-poo or two. Anyway, we walked around a bit, checking out the mountains, the waterfalls, Springbok, Zebra blah, blah, blah. It was all rather surreal and the perfect backdrop to a wedding that was packed with laughter, amazing people and incredibly bad dancing. Which brings me to my next point – Ernst and Aleksa had their dance floor on the deck that juts out over the dam. It was a very cool touch indeed as Jovan and Thelma (who are bloody good by the way) belted out hit after hit deep into the night. I doubt even one Zebra slept that night. As I type this, Aleksa has just popped in to pick up her photos. The party ended at 5.00am. Point made!

At school, I matriculated with an E in Maths. I didn’t do that much better at Science either. I was okay at History, below average at Art, and my Afrikaans was fair to mild. Every report I ever received said: ‘Warren must stop daydreaming and pay attention.’ I loved school, but I hated memorising what seemed irrelevant to me. I think I just saw the world differently to my contemporaries. School plays invigorated me because I could get lost in a fantasy world (as did writing English essays). What Einstein did (or did not do) I really could not give two hoots about – that was his business and I’m sure he had fun doing it, but inverse square laws, atoms, cloud formations, and war treaties signed by politicians on some river somewhere far away wasn’t really my scene. So where is this all going? Well, Fortune and Onasis’ wedding was one of those invigorating fantasy things that appeal to me. When it comes to weddings I have an acute ability to remember just about anything from any wedding I’ve shot anywhere. In the case of Fortune and Onasis’ wedding I’ll remember the absolutely amazingly stylish outfits worn by one and all. I’ll remember very, very cute little page boys named Abi and Denzel. I’ll remember Onasis and his ‘bodyguards.’ I’ll remember that the service started a mere 90-minutes late (Fortune, you were right when you told me your wedding would run on African time when we first met at the News Cafe in Blouberg). I’ll remember Fortune’s dad saying after the formal family shots that he had had such a good time as he pumped my hand. Wedding days should be made of memories and this one was. So Algebra and Winston Churchill, I’m sure you have your place, but if you don’t mind, I’ll just stick to reading Bill Bryson’s ‘ A Short History of Nearly Everything’ for now. Right, where’s my camera…

How does one even begin to describe this wedding? ‘Oh wow’ would probably do the briefest trick. It’s actually quite difficult to describe it in words – it’s one of those ‘you had to be there’ weddings. It goes without saying of course that Sarah and Paul are terribly, terribly nice people. But that’s just boring stuff, so let me tell you a bit about the wedding. There were about 120 guests at the wedding, of which about 108 flew in from the UK. Oh, and there was an Aussie guest too who nearly didn’t get into any of the photos thanks to Bryce Lawrence (but we put that behind us and allowed the poor bugger in anyway). It was very clear from the start that everyone at the wedding was there to have a darned good time and I was particularly struck by the friendliness of one and all. Still, I did feel a bit like a duck out of water amongst the British contigent. But Sarah and Paul had clearly thought this might be the case so they employed the exceptional services of a Xhosa Choir to sing in the church and at the start to the reception. It was goose-bump, brilliant, awesome stuff. A Xhosa Choir in a church ululating as the bride and groom go about their first kiss has few peers. Add to that a bride who is a madhatter and who doesn’t stop smiling and laughing all day and you have a recipe for awesomeness personified. Then add in a round of speeches that were absolutely exceptional to say the least and as a wedding photographer, you have a plan that is coming together very nicely thank you. Throw in Mont Rochelle Country Kitchen’s outstanding food and service and Bob’s your aunty. By the time I left, lots of wine and some fairly interesting dance techniques had the party in full swing. The following morning it was back to Franschhoek for Paul and Sarah’s post-wedding day cricket match. I do think there were a few sore heads amongst the mob, but the lads hung in there gallantly and even the odd 6 headed over the boundary. Paul and Sarah have subsequently headed back to the UK for a quick celebration there before flying back to Jo’burg to resume life as Mr & Mrs Marchand. And long may they live!

Now don’t get me wrong – Ryno, Anel and their guests are really happy people. And everyone is really chuffed that they got married. But jeepers, at this wedding if you so much as looked at somebody they burst into tears! I was having a field day out there in the hot Paternoster sun. First one to go was bridesmaid Chandre. Next thing one of the guests in isle 6 starts to wobble. Whoa, swing right, mom’s lip is starting to quiver. No, no, wait, go further right, there goes dad now! And so it went – this one crying, that one having a quiet blub, Anel herself losing control. It was bloody fantastic mate! After the service we walked through town (to the absolute delight of the patrons at the Paternoster Hotel, who broke into spontaneous applause and cheering) for the family pics. It was quite fun really, traipsing around the dorp, bantering away, waving at hooting cars and so on.  We even met a really old granny who’d clearly had a bit too much of a party over lunch and who insisted on doing some impromptu (and fairly legless)  posing for us. Family pics over we jumped into the cars and drove down to Tiestiesbaai for a quick 45-minute session before the sun dipped below the horizon. Of course it was the start of the crayfish season so we were met by a ton of campers around their braai’s, just chilling out and soaking up all the good things in life. Well done chaps – love your work!

It’s my website and it’s my business, so for once I’m going to be unashamedly biased! But it’s for good reason. You see, Izandi and Du toit’s wedding holds a somewhat special place in my heart. Izandi and myself go back a bit. We first met at a wedding expo a few years back where she took the trouble to knock over her flower vase onto the floor. Helen ran over to help mop up the mess and from that moment on we started to get to know the very spirited, enthusiastic and delightful Izandi van Wyk. I was also to soon realise that this Wedding Planner not only has an incredible eye for all things weddingy, but also has the energy levels of a long distance desert camel. And then to top it all, she gives you 100 and fifty thousand percent commitment and encouragement and support and, and and. Yup, if she sounds to good to be true you’d be right. So Izandi my girl, for your wedding I’m bringing out this bumper edition and I’m going to pepper the photos here and there with my take on how the day unfolded. As for Du toit, well, he isn’t too bad himself – bit of a male schmodel and the perfect match for Izandi. One gets the feeling that he’ll do just about anything for his girl. Here is part 1 of the pics (I’m also putting in the links to some of Izandi’s suppliers, so check out their sites).

Izandi got ready on the perimeter of Stellenbosch at Wedgeview Country House and Spa. Beautiful surrounds, delightful and pleasant staff, and an environment which is very conducive to kicking off proceedings. The very talented Nicci from ‘Weddings by Nicolette’ did Izandi’s hair and make-up, cool as a cucumber amongst all the pre-wedding goings-on. I often think that make-up artists don’t get enough accolades for the job they do. It’s a huge responsibilty, and trying to get mom, bridesmaids and bride looking like they’re about to take the Best Actress Award at the Oscars is no mean feat in the melting pot that is the bride’s room. Well done Nicci, you were brilliant!

I knock on Izandi’s room door. No answer, but I can hear a lot of excited chatter inside, so I open the door and go in. This is always a somewhat tricky part because you never quite know what you’re about to step into. I generally drop my eyes to the floor as I walk in while asking if everyone has clothes on. It can be a bit of an awkward moment if you strut through the door only to be met by Gran in her undies. Anyway, all was good and it was kiss Izandi, hug Izandi and meet the bridesmaids time.  Quite often, I’ll throw a bit of a chirp at the bridesmaids to see how they’ll react. It’s a telling moment in that it allows me to very quickly assess how they’ll respond to me later on in the day. In this instance I think I said something like: ‘Oh, you guys are quite ugly!’ Make-up artist Nicci retorted with an: ‘Uh-oh’ and the fun and games began. We all got on like a house on fire for the rest of the day. Nana and Miena you guys were marvellous and a shining example of what bridesmaids should be. Thanks for making my job so easy! And as for those bridesmaids dresses, my oath.

Meet Du toit. Good, good, good, good oke. Du toit is one of those people who you like immediately simply because it feels like you’ve known him forever. I could tell you all about his bachelor party and the fact that he had Izandi’s initials branded on his bum by his mates, but I won’t because the next time I see him I’ll probably have to down a Tequila. So we’ll leave it there. Du toit, you’re a legend my friend and you made your wedding day an incredible experience for me from the moment I saw you carrying cases of beer into the venue in the afternoon sun, until the moment I left. But on a more serious note, Du toit and his bestmen arrived at Wedgeview to pick up Izandi before the ceremony began. It’s something that doesn’t happen in South Africa that often (Michan and Emile whose wedding I shot at Leipzig Country House also decided to do it this way) and it’s always a very special moment when they see each other for the first time…

I see quite a few people who want to break into wedding photography and my message to them is always the same: ‘Don’t follow the herd, don’t copy everyone else, live on the edge, blaze your own trail, hit the ball out of the park!’ Develop your own style, pin back your ears and go for it! So at every wedding I try to do something different. In this instance, I took the first shot of Izandi, Du toit, the bestmen and bridesmaids in a nice, safe, traditional pose. Then I got the bridesmaids to charge at me like wounded rhinos and jump in the air. It’s always a bit of a risk because heck, all you need is a bridesmaid to fall and twist her ankle and it’s a slight technical problem. But the girls held their line and length and we got the shots.

In part 2, it’s ‘meet the decor’ time…

As most people who visit my website know, I’m not exactly the most prolific of photographers when it comes to showing you decor at weddings. Here and there I might throw in a consolation table setting if the mood takes me. So for a change let’s depart with tradition  to show you some of the really beautiful touches created by a group of very talented people, who are: Nico Laubscher Exclusive Weddings and Functions (Flowers & Decor: 083 675 68 62), Annari from Nella Cakes (wedding cake: 076 0411206), and Elsje Designs (stationary).  Here’s a look at some of the interior goings-on then for all you decorians out there…

So there you have it. Koek, blomme and dekorasie vir die nasie. Now let’s get onto the actual ceremony itself. But for that, you’ll need to go to

Part 3…