3. Couple Shots

We used Megan Hughes, who is a fabulous, lovely, kind soul.  She has a studio in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, and I have used her before for maternity, newborn and family shoots – which were so wonderful they make me cry a little.

We spoke to her about doing our wedding, and she was great – I am so glad we used her.

Megan has a great eye, I love her colour and her black and white work.  What I love most about Megan is she knows what I like.   She is willing to humour me with some of the ridiculous things I want her to do, and she never says “I don’t think that is going to work…” even though well, sometimes, it doesn’t.

She always gets the money shot – the one you look at and go – that’s the one.

She can be contacted on 021 7158068 or 0834437319 www.meganhphotography.co.za or megan@meganhphotography.co.za

Ceremony had just finished.  We had been blessed with perfect weather – bright sunshine on a winters day – perfect for a wedding, not so perfect for outside photographs.  We found this room at Meerendal and did some photographs in here. It was a little messy and untidy – like us, but genuine and sincere, like us.

Kennith and I are both really uncomfortable with being in photographs, so the taking of them is a bit excruciating for us.

Because the light was so harsh – midday light- the only outside places we could do photos was under some trees, and also in the shadows of buildings.  That is the chapel in the background.  Everyone has moved up to the Manor house at this stage.

This is next to the chapel.  The bell tower is rang when the “bride” drives on to estate.  It made me cry a little when they did that – and then I started to panic … like really panic.  I think Leon decided to arm the internal car-locking-device at about that point.

I really love these photos – the texture of the gravel, the white of the walls … it is really lovely.

We did this photo inside the chapel right at the end – sort of an after-thought.  It is actually one of my favourites.  I love what Megan has done with the colour on this one.

I totally totally love this series of photographs …..

We then moved on to some more traditional type of couple shots ….

Easily one of my favourite photos ….

So there is a total inability for Kennith and I to be serious for photographs …  they generally end in total composure failure.

There is always a pomp somewhere, and well, one has to try to get a photo next to it …..

We then had the reception part and were by far more relaxed than before.  I think we realised that all the stress that we were under was now past, what ever had gone wrong had, and what ever had gone right had too.  We were much more relaxed.

The light had softened, and the sun was setting so we had a few moments to get some last minute outside photos before the sun set on our day.

I really love these shots outside.  This tree was such a good sport.

My hair was messed up, my dress was dirty, I had to abandon my girl shoes for gum boots ….

This is Kennith’s favourite photo – see how the tree features ….

I really loved these boots – I am glad I got to wear pretty shoes for most of the day.  But by the time we got to this point of the day, my pretty silk shoes were dirty and muddy – so my divine gumboots made more sense.   The dress of course was totally mud splattered.

I like this one – the soft light – and the fact that it is not posed, it is just there …. it does however look like I am about to pick my dress up and do something which is always disconcerting.

I wanted a picture with sheep – dived out of car with Megan, to try and pose with sheep – the sheep were suspicious that this was all just not right and slowly backed further and further away from me – so this is me and the sheep.

Love the light and the way this image is framed ….

Sometimes you should not drink wine and feel too excited – by this point, my mind had all but left me.  I also had not had enough wine, truthfully, there just was not time.

At this point Kennith has decided that Celeste is losing her mind, and it is really enough photos time – Celeste is just getting warmed up.

We wanted to get a jumping photo – the problem is that I was so hyper that I kept jumping and pulling my dress up so far that I was flashing everyone, including the sheep – which might have explained their reluctance to have any part in any further photos.

We really liked this tree ….

Of course, all good brides need a good piggy-back on their wedding day ….

Maybe not our most dignified moment.