It was a union of two cultures, Ndebele and Shona, and such a beautiful union it was! They put so much care into the day. Can I get a squeal from the girls at her beautiful dress and those shoes! (YUM) and a hoohaa from the guys who support Manchester United and those awesome cufflinks!

The ceremony was taken by Nhlalo’s grandfather who spoke so beautifully and from the heart – a very special moment for both a beaming grandfather and grandson. Then, we were spoilt with the light! It was glowing with a wonderful haze of the African bush, the grass was “sparkling” (as I like to call it), and I had two very willing subjects who naturally kissed and smiled and looked so darn gorgeous in that setting! Patricia’s favourite movie is “The Lion King” – so I hope I did justice to the setting of her African bush wedding. :)

To the beautiful couple: Dirk and I loved to be there with you to celebrate your day, thank you and enjoy! :)

Venue: Wild Geese Lodge

Second Shooter: Dirk Meyer

Videographer: nisomabuya@yahoo.com

Flowers: Tangerine Company - tangerineco@zol.co.zw

Edwin’s father is the Right Honourable Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai. It was such an honour to meet him, and I was humbled by his kind, considerate and loving character. He was a proud father at Edwin and Diana’s wedding, just as Diana’s parents were, as they walked her down the aisle.

There is nothing more enchanting than the sound of African songs, and the harmonies of the songs. I found out the Diana also has a beautiful voice, as while her family were dressing her, she was singing along and it was quite a beautiful experience to be in the room filled with such emotion and melody.

I don’t think anything beats the look of a man at the first sighting of his bride. Raw emotion is how I like to describe it. After that, they couldn’t keep their eyes off each other all day long! :)

I was also lucky enough to work with wedding coordinator, Zillah & Harold Chilowa, from Tangerine Company, who ran the day smoothly, calmly and with a smile on their face from the beginning to end.

Thank you Diana and Edwin, for allowing us to photograph & share this special day with you.

Venue: Pabani Lodge, Zimbabwe

Second Shooter: Dirk Meyer

Wedding Coordinator and Flowers: Tangerine Company tangerineco@zol.co.zw

Sound: Divine Concertsound 

Videographer: Mak Media makmedia1@yahoo.com

It was a beautiful mix of cultures as the Mother of the bride and Mother of the Groom dressed in their traditional outfits, which looked absolutely stunning!

The MC showed some of the traditions of the Shona culture to Mervyn’s family and Mervyn did a fine job of saying a few Shona words.

They are both so sweet and gentle and I just love the story of how they met! They met through some work friends, in a car and chatted on the way to and during a social event. But neither of them asked for each others numbers on that day, so they didn’t see each other for a while, until they bumped into each other at a Tesco! This is when they decided to meet up again and then they soon started dating! How romantic to have such a chance encounter with your soul mate in the super market ! :)

Venue: Pandhari Lodge

Wedding Planner: Farai Zwizwai mufaro.com +263 772 615 203

When planning your wedding, it’s very important to think of timelines early on in the planning. It helps for a stress free day and also helps with the flow of the wedding which keeps guests entertained and keen.

Everything from your makeup artist and hair dresser arriving on time, to the time dessert is served will help you with running a smooth wedding day.

Is it in winter – therefore the sun will set much earlier – so an earlier wedding is called for. How long will the pastor talk for? Get a definite answer from him as if he runs late – everything after that will run late. Make sure you let him know that he has a certain amount of time for the service and must not go over that.

Where are you getting ready? If it is at a different venue to the ceremony, factor in the time to drive there. Is the reception at a different place too? Factor in the drive time there too. And remember that your photographer will always need to be at least 10 minutes ahead of you in order to get the equipment out in time before you arrive anywhere.

Photographs – where have you or your photographer isolated for photos? Is there another drive time to get there or can you walk? How long will it take you to walk there? This may sound ridiculous, but on the day, you want as little stress as possible and if these times have been factored in, then you will not stress about being late.

Remember also that photo sessions will need to be fitted in before sunset so if you run late, expect to have less photos in your album.

Catering – food is made specifically for a time to be served. If speeches run late or your MC does not keep the flow of the wedding going, then the food which you spent so long to choose, will not be at it’s best. Expect limp lettuce or dried out meat if you run over too long. Also, hungry guests = unhappy guests.

Hope this helps in the smooth running of your wedding day.

What a wedding!!

And what a bridal couple!!

I was blown away by this wedding weekend which I photographed for Carol and Ted.

They had their wedding at Troutbeck Hotel in Nyanga, which is in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe – a beautiful mountainous area filled with fir trees, lakes and trout. As a child we used to visit Troutbeck so I have very very fond memories of the place, but now going back there with an appreciation for such beauty and with “new” eyes for what I can capture through my lens, I was extremely excited to capture this day for them.

I was spoilt all weekend as I got to stay in this wonderful hotel with a view of the lake, and Carol & Ted really looked after me. The food was awesome all weekend long!

Both Carol and Ted are living and working in the UK now, and had guests flying in from all over the world which is a testimony to their characters and how they treasure their family and friends. I felt welcomed into their day which allowed me to capture their personalities and love for each other.

Thank you for inviting me into your day and a big congratulations to both of you!

Venue: Troutbeck Hotel

DJ & MC: Spotlight Media – kellzjohnson23@gmail.com

It was the Easter weekend, and what a stunning way to spend the day with such a lovely family. The wedding venue, Victorian Manor, has got to be one of my favourites so far. For one, it’s well lit, with a white ceiling (perfect for photography) the floor is too cool (black and white checkered), the walls are black and white striped, and the wedding coordinator is top notch as well as the food. Cullinan is such a cute little town with gorgeous streets full of trees and a railway station. (a photographers’ dream!)

Kristy and Kevin are high school sweethearts, (You can see their engagement shoot here) and now that they are married, their families are so happy. Both families are so down to earth and funny! I have not laughed so hard in speeches before. Kristy’s dad gave a cracker of a speech, and had us all in stitches!

Kevin is a natural speaker. Apparently he had a few cards with ideas on them, and the rest of it, he spoke from his heart, and blew away the guests and of course, his lovely bride! Kristy is a beauty! She has such a soft, warm heart and I can really see how they bring out the best in each other! I just loved working with them!

Loving this of the guys and their watches shot by Dirk!

Check how high the little guy is going! :)

Second shooter: Dirk Meyer (thanks for the awesome help)

Venue: Victorian Manor

Hair: Beautiful Brides

Make-up: Minette

DJ: Four Seasons Mobile Disco

Hi fans!

So I bet you’re wondering where I’ve been! I’ve been growing up, turning a year old, and most recently, had my first sleep over at my house! Scruffie, my cousin, came for a visit, and not JUST a visit, he’s staying with us, his bed is next to mine, and we even eat together!! It’s such fun – we play all day, have a nap when we get tired, and then play some more. This morning, when it was still dark, I tackled him in his sleep and made such a noise by barking that we got shouted at by mom and dad (spoil sports!)

We go to the park and the bestest part is that mom throws a ball that we chase and I always try to win because then I can run away with the ball!

I’ve made a few doggy friends in my life, but Scruffie is just the bestest. He’s my size, my weight and so we’re evens stevens. PLUS, if we have a fight, it’s ok, coz we’re family so we get over it! ;)

Scruffie is such a flirt with the humans!

Waiting to go for a walk – COME ON MOM!!!!

Scruffie running… you can’t see me coz I was so fast, I was infront of him ;)

Having some down time…. phew, it’s exhausting.

New parents are so cute! The Dad’s are so precious with this little bundle and I can see the love in Mom’s eyes. I can also see how the love between the two parents changes and matures once they have a baby together.

This is easier said than done but the calmer you feel before you walk down the aisle, the better. Always remember that the people who are there for you at your wedding are people that love you and support you. It’s easy to forget this as you’re about to enter the ceremony, but as soon as you realise that your husband-to-be and your family and friends are in the crowd filled with love, it’s a little easier to not freak out.

If you’re still feeling stressed out, have a glass of champagne or some rescue drops and sit in a room alone for five or ten minutes before you leave your ready room. This gives you a moment to recompose, as lots of people around you can often add to the stress levels.

And enjoy your moment! :)