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zastron wedding

Zastron Wedding – Nelda & Riaan

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Zastron Wedding.

Many people are unaware of the beauty which lies within the Free State.  This small and intimate Zastron wedding, with only the closest family members, took place on a farm close to Lesotho border.  Read their story below.

How did you meet?

We met at crossfit. Being a guy, the first thing that attracted me to Nelda was how beautiful she is. My friend and I were sitting in the gym, my back was to the door, and he said I might like what just walked in. It then took me about three weeks to build up the courage to ask her on, what I thought was a first date. To Nelda it was merely: going to support our friends. As time passed, I became more attracted to her driven nature as well as the way that she could be very gentle and caring.

 

How did the proposal go down?

It was a complete failure. I had planned a weekend away to propose. Nelda, being Nelda, quickly figured out what the weekend was for. Then, the ring wasn’t completed in time and I had to manage expectations. The ring was ready the day after we got back. I told her I had to work late and went to pick up the ring. I got home with Nelda in her pajamas on the couch. After all, I am getting married to a human being with normal flaws, so why not propose to the REAL version of Nelda? The version that I love most.

Make-up and Hair by Lizel Voigt.

Lizel Voigt, my sister in law made sure I looked beautiful on our special day. She knows my style – I wanted to look like myself with just a touch of make-up and a plain, natural hairstyle. She did an amazing job!

A Joss Couture Dress.

Joss from Joss Couture made my sister in law’s dress which was beautiful and I decided to ask her to make mine as well. Joss Couture is absolutely amazing. She immediately understood the type of dress I wanted; plain but elegant. We made changes from the original design as the dress progressed. For example, initially I didn’t want long sleeves, but during one of the fittings we were playing around with some sleeve ideas and I loved how the lace looked on me. We changed the design to long sleeves – it was an autumn wedding after all…

 

Plain and Elegant Style.

For us it was meant to be as simple and elegant as possible. We wanted our closest family members and dearest friends to enjoy the day with us

Who were the caterers of the event?

Hanri Goosen from Onder die Akker’was in charge of the food. Hanri is famous in the area for her culinary skills. The highlight of the lunch was definitely the ice-cream with little surprises in it.

 

Any advice to other couples still in the planning process?

Let the experts do their thing. We have asked Claudia van Niekerk to help out with the flowers and decorations. I only gave her a vague description of what the tables should look like; minimalistic but classy. She then showed me a couple of options and I made a few basic decisions – the rest I left up to her. One of the memories I have is seeing the table for the first time and how impressed I was.

The Photography Experience.

To get all the photographs taken, Landi Groenewald had to travel between five farms:  one where the bride got dressed, one where the groom got dressed, one where the ceremony was held, one where the lunch took place and finally the farm where I grew up for the couple’s photos. Landi went the extra mile (literally) with a smile. We are so lucky that Landi was available that weekend and would recommend her professional services to anyone.

Describe your wedding day in ONE sentence.

Riaan – It was the most amazing, love lived day of my entire life.

Nelda – A beautiful autumn afternoon under the shades of a big oak tree in the company of loved ones

 

Service Providers:

Photographer: Organictales

Dress: Joss Couture

Venue:  Onder die Akker. – 079 515 7638

Flowers: Claudia van Niekerk – 082 378 4397

Make-up & Hair:  Lizel Voigt

 

peppertree wedding

The Time Grandma Caught the Bouquet!

By Wedding2 Comments

Pepper Tree Wedding.

~A Classic but Timeless Chapter.

I first met Carla & Janco about a year ago when I photographed another unique wedding in the heart of the Karoo.  If there is one thing I always single out as my favourite part of my photography journey, it is the fact that I meet so many amazing people at my weddings.  Cara and Janco are just some more proof of that.  So I was pretty excited when Carla contacted me a few months later to say they got engaged and that she needed to book me as soon as possible!  I knew this would be a unique journey and even their engagement images were a treat!  Scroll down to read their story from how they met to how they abseiled down a cliff on Honeymoon!

 

Tell us about how you met and the attributes that drew you to each other?

We met in September 2011 on the dance floor of a Bloemfontein hang-out spot.  A bunch of friends and I wanted to dance, but sadly we didn’t know any men to dance with us!  As fate had it, I bumped in to an old friend who introduced us to a bunch of men in the same dilemma.  A perfect match!  Before I knew it, there was a tall, brown-haired man with a flowerprint shirt standing in front of me asking if I wanted to dance.  To my own astonishment, I jumped up and yelled “Yippee!!”
We started dancing and talking that night and we just never stopped again.  It was the start to the dance of the rest of our lives together.

Some of the attributes that draw us to each other is most definitely the fact that we find the other extremely attractive!  Janco describes it as an “internal happiness” he can see in my eyes.  Janco on the other hand can literally talk to me about any topic you can think of!  Even flower arrangements!

The Proposal.

One afternoon after work, we drove through to Kimberley for a bit of shopping.  On our way back to Boshof we decided to pop in at KFC which made the day feel like a hot summer holiday from the movies.  I told Janco that I feel like painting my nails just because I can!  He immediately agreed that we should do that later!

When we got back home, my neighbour and I took my bulldog pup for a walk and by the time we returned it was already quite dark, only to find ourselves in a moment of infamous Load Shedding without electricity.  Janco already had the house set up with a bunch of candles, a bottle of wine, music and the nail polish ready.

After my nails were dry, Janco gave me a hug and I could hear his heart beating right out of his chest!  I became so concerned that something was wrong and kept asking if he was okay.  The next moment the man went down on his knee, holding a ring towards me.  He was the most beautiful picture framed through that ring! I became so excited that I started running around in the house from excitement.  He had to bring me back and calm me down to give him my answer.  But I only gave him my “YES” after he reassured me that he had my parents’ permission! Haha!

Pepper Tree Wedding Venue.

The style of the wedding was only confirmed once I had my dress.  Classic and Timeless.  The flowers had to be different colours and there had to be a hint of rose gold.  In the end I decided that nothing matched, but overall it still made a beautiful image together.  My inspiration of course came from Instagram and Pinterest.

We only looked at one venue in person and then decided to just look further online.  I only had one request which was that the chapel should not have a thatched roof and that there needs to be a lot of natural light available.  Janco also only had one request and that was that everything needs to happen inside since we did not want to stress ourselves in regards to the weather.  We saw Pepper Tree Wedding Venue online and booked our date and a viewing.  We fell in love with the garden, the timeless feel and how welcoming everything was.

How did you decide on the dress and where did you find it?

One morning during the June Winter Holidays, my mother and I went to Bloemfontein to go dress shopping.  We went to 3 different stores, yet I had no idea what I was looking for.  They say the dress first needs to fit your body and second your taste! Haha!  At the third shop I probably fitted about 13 dresses in 5 minutes!  In that pile of dresses there was one that just kept talking to me and eventually stole my heart.  Bridal Emporium in Bloemfontein really helped me so much!

Is there any special story behind the rings.

Janco designed and drew pictures of my ring while he worked in America for a year.  I never really showed him what I liked, but I did tell him that if a ring is rose gold, I would like the diamond to be a clear white diamond, but if the ring was white gold then the diamond had to be pink!  He clearly did listen to me and when he returned to South Africa, he had it made by Philip in Kimberley.

His ring, on the other hand, is completely the opposite.  It is rough and something very different.  He is a farmer and works with his hands a lot and well… Janco himself is also very different.  His ring is oxidized silver with a golden rif welded on top.  It is also bruised and hammered to give it its rough look.  It represents the fact that not everything is perfect but in the great picture everything still remains beautiful and unique.

 

Who made sure your make up and hair looked beautiful.

Vanilla Moon in Bloemfontein is a bride’s one stop shop!  They definitely made sure I looked absolutely gorgeous and knew exactly what I wanted.

Most memorable moment.

I really want to say that the whole day was a memorable moment!  But there definitely were highlights!  One of the moments I will cherish was when I walked down the aisle with my dad, and seeing Janco waiting for me in front.  I felt so excited and yet so calm!
Another highlight was walking through the confetti and all the special dances that followed that evening with my husband and then also with my  dad.  A favourite moment was indeed when my grandmother caught the bouquet!  We joked with her before the wedding that we will set her up with a handsome hunk for the night, and what do you know! There she caught the bouquet!

How did you experience your photographers services….

WOW WOW WOW! When Landi Groenewald walked in to my room that morning while we were getting ready, everything started feeling real!  She was great!  I figured that if I book Landi for the photos I wouldn’t need a videographer! Haha!  She made us feel so at ease and she literally gets along with everyone and every guest on the day!

Who were the caterers.

Pepper Tree Wedding Venue was in charge of the catering.  The food was unbelievably delicious! My mother baked the cake and cupcakes and two friends helped her to decorate it all.

We also had a gin bar that was open during the Canapes.  A cash bar with extra cooldrinks and water were available during the canapes time, and later for everyone else’s hard tac.  We provided the Sparkling Wine for the toasts and enough wine for everyone who wanted to give the bar a skip.

 

Who made sure there was good music and sound?

Our DJ was Gert Deysel.  A man of many talents!  He is a dairy farmer as well as a DJ!! How awesome is that!  The chap lives right around the corner from Petrusburg and he had all our guests dancing and moving to the beat!

Is there anything about the day you wish you could change?

I actually never thought about that question!  I wouldn’t change a thing, come to think of it.  Even though it rained, the day still turned out perfectly magical!

Any advice to couples still in the planning process.

ENJOY the planning process and… MAKE LISTS.  My mother was the one who suggested and enforced the plan to make lists because I more often than not have the attitude of “let’s just wing it!”

Tell us about the Honeymoon….

We don’t kiss and tell….
Haha! We went to Clarence for 1 night, then 4 nights in Uvongo at Pebble Beach and lastly we spent 2 nights in the Drakensberg mountains at Berghouse Cottages. It was so unbelievable!  I don’t think we have ever laughed or ate as much!

Janco also had me abseil down a 160m high cliff at Oribigorge in Kwazulu-Natal!  The man is testing my limits! Haha!  But as a result I received my first certificate with my new surname on it!

Describe your wedding day in one sentence.

“Classy with a twist, friends,  music, fun, love, happiness, flowers, family and LOVE.”

 

SERVICE PROVIDERS:

(Please do not screenshot or copy images from this webpage.  A download link will be made available to the bride soon)

VENUE: PEPPER TREE WEDDING VENUE

PHOTOGRAPHY: ORGANICTALES

DRESS: BRIDAL EMPORIUM

FLOWERS: WALDORF

DECOR: HARTSLIEF

STATIONARY: TROULANTYNTJIES

HAIR AND MAKE UP: VANILLA MOON

DJ: GERT DEYSEL

ASSISTANT: ANGELA BUTLER

 

Warm Karoo Wedding

By WeddingOne Comment

Warm Karoo Wedding

A Hot Summer’s Chapter

I will always enjoy weddings in the Free State.  Not only do I get to visit my parents, but I also get to reminisce on my childhood.  The smells, the sounds and even the skies – it all comes together in to one past dream.  The warm weather on this wedding day truly emphasized all those senses which all led to a wedding I am unlikely to ever forget.  Here follows the story of Ilze & Jacques’s tale.

 

A High School Sweetheart Promise:

Jacques and I are high school sweethearts. We met at a sweet-sixteen barefoot-and-headband-party. He fell in love first and I followed a few weeks later. Fast forward six years down the line and we’ve never been happier.

She: Since the moment I met him, he made me laugh. He was a rugby player with an obsession for all things nerdy. From the get-go he made me laugh. He’s a romantic at heart and from the first day we met, he made me feel special and valuable.

He: The moment I met her I could immediately see there was something different about this girl. I am normally indecisive about what I want and if, I in fact want anything. But I knew that I had to have her. Her beauty, her drive and her honesty are some of the many qualities that intrigued me from that first moment. She did not make it easy but I was determined to pursue her.

 

A Treasure Hunt to “I Do”

I’m a very intuitive person so it takes quite a lot to actually surprise me. He planned out every single detail like a Russian spy. Under false pretences, we flew down to Strand in Cape Town. I was under the impression that we were there to celebrate Jacques’ grandfathers’ birthday with the family. Everyone was in on it. My mother-in-law actually packed fake suitcases as they were supposedly driving from Bloemfontein to Cape Town just a few hours after us. I suspected something but convinced myself that it was selfish to think of my own engagement on Grandpa Kelly’s birthday.

When we got to their holiday home in the Strand, I was actually the one to suggest that we go and have a late lunch down the road. At the restaurant, Jacques got up and went to the restroom. A waiter brought me an envelope saying that I was supposed to go outside and get into a white car.

When I got outside, the whole street was full of white cars. I was confused for a moment and scared that I might get abducted if I got into a strangers car. Luckily I recognised one of our friends in a white car. I got in the car and received a second envelope. It was a treasure hunt. I had to figure out every clue on my own and every envelope had a puzzle piece with it. Eventually the clues led me back to their home. Once upstairs, I had to assemble the puzzle which turned out to say “Sal jy met my …”

The last clue asked me to go down to the beach and find him. When I got there, a small table with candles and champagne was set up. He was standing on the windy beach and first mocked me for taking so long to build the puzzle. He then asked me what the puzzle had said. I told him that the puzzle was incomplete and only said, “Sal jy met my…” He then opened up his jacket and he was wearing a black shirt that said “TROU?”  With not a single doubt in my mind I said yes!

Laid back Inspiration

From the start we wanted a wedding with a relaxed and laid back atmosphere. We lived and breathed the motto:  A beautiful wedding people might remember for a while, but a fun wedding they’ll remember forever.  I actually had the décor and venue figured out before we even got engaged (after six years a girls’ mind cannot help but wander).

I got inspiration form everything and everyone. Lots of older people actually had some very good ideas and some parts of the wedding just popped into my mind while I was at work. Lastly, I can honestly say that I am now a professional Pinterest guru.

 

A Venue that captured their hearts:

When we first started talking about marriage we drove around Bloemfontein and when we drove onto the Warm Karoo property. I told Jacques that this was where I was going to get married. After the engagement we viewed every other venue in and around Bloemfontein but my heart was already set on Warm Karoo and no other venue could match it.  I was especially drawn to the wooden beams in the chapel and in the main hall. I thought that it would make for great photos, and it did.

A Dress made to fit:

I never really tried on a lot of dresses. I knew what I liked and what I felt comfortable in. I’ve always said that I want a wedding dress that fits me and not a dress that I have to fit in to.  I’ve never heard a bad word uttered about Julie Wedderburn and I now know why. She made me feel so comfortable and confident. She is a perfectionist and really does go the extra mile. She was honest without being offensive and if I could do everything over, I would choose her time and time again.

 

Friends on Hair & Make-Up:

Long-time friend and my most trusted beautician, Lucinda Lombard from Almyhart was in charge of making my bridesmaids even prettier than they already were. Amy Olden did my own airbrush makeup and made me feel so good about myself. Even without the makeup. Jana Azar is also a friend of mine and I wouldn’t have trusted anyone else to do our hair on the big day.

 

When hearts collide – The most memorable moment:

Her: The most memorable moment of the day was when I touched his arm at the end of the aisle. I was nervous as my Dad and I walked down the aisle. When my Dad handed me over to him and I got to put my arm through his, my whole body relaxed and my heart felt at home. I knew that what we were doing on this day was straight out of the hand of God.

His: My most memorable moment is captured in the moment right before she walked in and the moment I saw her as she walked in. I am normally not an emotional person and I was not sure if I was going to shed a tear at the moment she walked in. But before her song started playing, a bag piper named Mark played a beautiful song to celebrate her Scottish heritage and that was when the waterworks started.

An officiant with soul:

Pastor Leon Fourie officiated the ceremony. He and his wife have been married for 25 years and we wanted someone dear to our hearts to marry us. We also did our pre-marital counselling with Pastor Leon and his wife so he knows us on a personal and individual level as well.  I would recommend pre-marital counselling to every newly engaged couple as it keeps your mind on what’s actually important during wedding planning and helps with what comes after it.

 

A Photographer who walks the journey:

Just after our engagement, Jacques and I discussed three things that we wanted from our photographer. We wanted someone with experience, someone who would be committed to us and with whom we could form a comfortable and relaxed friendship. And lastly, we wanted great results.  Organictales ticked all the boxes and then included a few more. Her service before, on and after the day was impeccable.

The importance of our wedding photos came down to this: After spending months and months planning the cake and décor and dress and shoes and venue and food and wine and vows and speeches, we wanted it all captured in time in a creative and artistic way. We want to look back in 40 years’ time and still feel the same emotions that we experienced on our wedding day. We wanted photos that would last a lifetime because that’s what we want out of our marriage.

 

 

A professional and creative videographer:

A wedding video was one of the few things my new husband just wouldn’t budge on. After realizing what a wedding costs in real life we desperately tried to cut down on a few things. I immediately thought that cutting the wedding video would help. Luckily, Jacques wouldn’t hear any of it. It was one of the few things about the wedding that he wouldn’t compromise on. Today I can only thank him for that.

Raisingflags is as good as it gets. We decided to get wedding videographers as well as a photographer because we wanted every single moment, every laugh and every cry captured in time. A photo captures a moment in time, but we wanted to capture the atmosphere of the day as well. Francois and his team delivered professional and friendly service, both before on and after our wedding day.  It was great to hear that our photographer and videographer actually organized to meet each other before the wedding, just to plan how, when and where they would be shooting.

The Rings:

I wanted a yellow gold ring because I wanted to do things differently. I originally chose a design that, Pinterest recommended. Jacques received two of the three diamonds from his parents and bought the third one himself. My sister designed the ring according to the three diamonds and included some of the original design as well.

We chose Jacques’ ring while walking around in jewellery shops. I wanted his ring to also have some gold tones to match mine. He wears his rubber wedding ring most days but puts on his real one every chance he gets.

A Coordinator included:

Warm Karoo includes its own wedding coordinator. She comes in a small and friendly but dynamite package that is Tammy.  Tammy was there to guide and advice from the beginning to the end. I trusted her with literally EVERYTHING. It was because of her that I could rest easy the night before the wedding.

 

Music to bring the feet out to dance:

Starsound delivered exactly what we asked for. It was great that they knew the venue and that the venue knew them. From the entrance until the last song, the DJ’s were great. We could not have asked for better.

 

A Perfect day to cherish:

I wouldn’t change anything about the day. It was perfect from the beginning to the end. If I could, I would make the day a few hours longer. Just to celebrate our perfect day for as long as I could.

 

Ilze & Jacques’s Advice to Other Couples:

To any couples still in the whirlwind that is planning a wedding, I would advise that you make time for your better half without all the wedding mojo. It’s really important to try and switch off from wedding planning and to remind yourself why and for whom, you are doing it all. Remember that your wedding is just one day in the rest of your life. Try and soak up all the little details, capture every moment in your mind. Make time for your guests, but do spend a few moments alone with the most important person there.

 

 

Thank you to all the service providers who contributed to the day:

Venue:  Warm Karoo
Videography: Raising flags
Decor hire: Grand Room Design
Dress: Julie Wedderburn
Make-up: Amy Olden

Theewaterskloof dam photography

Villiersdorp Love Story

By CouplesNo Comments

A Theewaterskloof Dam Engagement.

We took a lovely little road trip up to Villiersdorp for this fun session.

It was sad to see how empty the dam is and the wind was poking fun at us, ripping through our hair and down ours spines.  But what it brought with it was gorgeous;  The clouds formed a big blanket over the background mountains, and as the wind kept pushing through, the sun broke through those clouds for a few split seconds.  This allowed the sun to cast its rays directly in to my lens only to create the most beautiful sunflare images yet.

I would most certainly want to return to this amazing landscape for some more amazing photos.

 

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Landi Groenewald Photography

Organictales – Where it began.

By Photography5 Comments

ORGANICTALES   WHERE IT BEGAN

“There are a thousand ways
to kneel and kiss the ground;
there are a thousand ways
to go home again.”
~ Rumi

I remember like it was yesterday.  Waking up before dawn; the farm, nestled in a valley still asleep.  I would sneak out with a slice of bread and a bridle to fetch my pony, Ginger.
In the cold morning air we would be off on a brisk trot down the valley and finally up the hill where the sun was waving its good morning rays to the waking farm.

I grew up a creative. A love for visual beauty and harmonious sounds always filled my world with joy.  When I wasn’t out exploring the farm or adventuring with my farmer of a father, I would draw my adventures and compose songs thereof while my mind never took a rest from creating images of beauty in my mind.
My mother, a teacher of life, strongly encouraged my artistic nature.  Patiently enduring false violin strokes and monotonous piano scales.  She taught me to appreciate and love Beethoven, Chopin and Mozart.  She always made sure the art cupboard was fully stocked with different paints, pencils and art supplies, for this child of her who had no end when it came to the creative world.

My love for my ponies and my love for drawing finally intertwined and I spent hours upon  hours creating pencil sketches of magnificent equine creatures featured in magazines.  But, as a headstrong individual I soon grew tired of drawing other people’s photographs of other people’s horses. I wanted to create original sketches of ordinary ponies never before featured in glossy magazines. I wanted my own pony to be my muse.
I excitedly took the family point-an-shoot film camera and started snapping away at my ponies;  Convinced that I was creating the same magnificent work that I’ve seen in the magazines.  I remember my mom being upset when she discovered I snapped up an entire roll of film and when it came time to develop it, she made me pay for every single photo that was part of my “art.”  School fees, some would say.  Can you imagine how utterly disappointed I was when I saw my “art”?  I couldn’t draw from those photographs!!  So I took up another roll of film and so it continued in to the digital era.
I soon discovered that I haven’t drawn a single sketch in months, but instead I was determined and excited about creating art with a lens instead – my love for photography was born and blossoming quickly.
As life had it,  one of my arab mares were up for sale and with the money I bought my first entry level professional DSLR camera and enrolled in a photography course.  My world exploded as I started to learn more and more about this fantastic new way of creating art.  I learned to grab a moment of life and forever keep it perfectly unique as it was at that moment.  I started looking at the world in different angles, noticing shadows and light and colours.

My world transformed from an adventurous farm girl with a love for drawing and riding ponies, in to a creative adventurer who now sees life as a place with endless possibilities.

Below are some of my first DSLR images from when my love for photography was still young and fresh.  These images have never been published and this will be the first time that many of them are made public.

 

A few months back, a friend of mine traveled up to the Free State with me where my old pony, Ginger is living out his last days in peace and harmony.  A good old 24 years of age, he is being kept company by the very last foal born on the farm, Farah Anisa, a 7 year old Arab with a heart of gold and affection.  I will forever be grateful for these images I have with my two equine companions. The bond I share with them cannot truly be captured in images alone, but here is a mere glimpse thereof:

 

 

To get in touch, click here.