Samantha and Francois, had the most beautiful and very steamy engagement shoot in March this year. Their E-shoot was scheduled during the wettest months in Johannesburg, where we had no sun for days on end. Poor Samantha was very stressed out, and was ready to postpone right up until the morning of the shoot. A few panicky messages went back and forth between us, but as morning dawned, we woke up to the most perfect sunny weather. I do believe, to this day, that it was a sign that these two are meant to be together! We arrived at the rather wet, but fabulous venue for the shoot, Reefsteamers in Germiston, and were greeted by the friendliest people, who are all volunteers that restore the old steam trains. They were so excited to see us and showed us the engines we could go inside and opened up the sheds so we could use different locations for the shoot. Samantha looked beautiful, having had her make-up done that morning by Shandre, and the couple looked amazing together in their simple but elegant outfits of blue jeans and white shirts. Can you believe, Samantha and Francois had never really been in front of a camera and were super nervous about this? They are smoking hot and the camera just loves them! This young couple are just so in love and comfortable together, they needed very little coaching to get the steamy and sexy images. Here is a peak at the E-shoot we did with this fabulous couple .... Sam and Fafa, I love you guys, you are amazing and I am blessed to have met you and to now call you my friends! A huge thank you has to go to my second Chris who ran around with me, climbing up and down engines and made the day run a bit smoother, as well as to the amazing Team at Reefsteamers who provided us with the perfect location. Love Chantal XXX
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When the family comes to visit all the way from Australia, what is the best thing to do? A family shoot of course!!! My friend Robynne contacted me when her family decided to visit South Africa again and asked if we could do a family shoot with everyone as a little memento of the trip. It was awesome having this family together, they were so much fun and it was anything but the ordinary "Say Chesse" family portrait session.
From the crazy but loving antics of the adults to the boisterous boys and the cutest little girl on the planet, this was an awesome morning filled with loads of giggles and laughter. And, if you were wondering .... yes there is a theme in the outfits, everyone had to wear something purple! Here is a peak at the Wyatt family's photo-shoot at Horwood Farm. One of the most amazing couples I know, Carrie and Greg, got married in December at the beautiful Morrells in Northcliff. Their theme was vintage French and it definitely had the wow factor! The shabby chic decor included a variety of flowers, little perfume bottles, silver teapots and bird cages with little birds. The little details along with the fabulous venue suited this classy couple so well with its simple elegance. When I first met them, Carrie explained that the little birds that were incoporated in the decor were a tribute to her Mom who would be watching over them from heaven during the day. I am pretty sure that this little touch, along with the amazing lady that Carrie is, made her mom proud and smile down at the beautiful couple. Carrie looked magnificent in her vintage inspired gown from De La Vida Gowns, she took her handsome grooms breathe away as she walked down the aisle. The day was perfect in every way for this lovely couple, even the weather played along with us, as the huge thunderstorm that threatened all day only hit when every one was inside the reception enjoying the delicious cocktail dinner. A big shout out goes to all the suppliers (listed below) for making Carrie and Greg's Wedding day so perfect. Another big thank you goes to my amazing second photographer Sherrie for all of her hard work in assisting me. To Carrie and Greg, my ginger couple, you guys are fabulous and I just love you! I am so lucky to have met you and to have shared your day with you. Its awesome to count you as friends, and I wish you both huge success in your careers and a very happy and long life together. Here is a peak at their special day Love Chantal XXX A huge shout out to the amazing suppliers that made this day so perfect:
Venue, Food and Flowers: Morrells – rynhardt@morrells.co.za Wedding gown: De La Vida Bridal Couture - justine@delavida.co.za Wedding Officer: Ryan Hogarth – ryan.hogarth@gmail.com Wedding Cake: Annicas Cakes – annicas@mweb.co.za Grooms Suit – Khaliques Fordburg Wedding Stationary – Scrap Crazee Meyersdal (Kathy)– scrapcrazee@mweb.co.za Make up – Makeup By Monique - info@makeupbymonique.co.za Glamorous is the word that comes to mind when I think of this young couple ... Nikki and Fotis are both Doctors who have the most insanely busy schedule, but they pulled off the most fabulous wedding at Saheti and the Johannesburg Country Club in Woodmead last October. From the colour scheme which reminded them of the sunset on the beach in Greece where Fotis proposed to his beautiful bride, to every last intricate detail, this is a wedding I will never forget. Nikki looked amazing in her fabulous gown, Fotis very handsome in his bowtie and tuxedo. They are a beautiful couple in every way. It was my first time photographing a Greek wedding, and things are slightly different with the exchanging of rings by the best man and maid of honour and the Stefana ceremony followed by the walking around the altar, so it was very exciting for me. To top it all off they celebrated into the night with the traditional Greek dancing, throwing of the plates and the men dancing around the whisky glass. I would like to thank all of the suppliers who made this day so perfect for them, as well as Chris who was my second photographer for the day, and took care of things when we were at different venues. Lastly a message to the lovely couple ... Nikki and Fotis, it was so special being part of your big day. I wish you both and your families all of the best and that you have many happy years together. Here is a peak at their fabulous day Love Chantal XXX Morongoa and Basil are a beautiful couple with a stunning little family. The minute I met them in the little coffee shop in Brooklyn Mall to discuss their wedding day plans, it was an instant connection. I love the way they look at each other, the way they interact and of course how good they look together. Their love story is pretty awesome, Basil saw Morongoa in a Mall and instantly knew that he wanted to know her better. I think for him it was love at first sight! A couple years later and a little girl who arrived to complete their family, they decided it was time to get married. As they both love nature and water, we decided the best place to do the shoot was at the Pretoria Botanical Gardens. The afternoon arrived, it was perfect weather and the whole family including Morongoa's 2 daughters joined Chris and myself for this fun and fabulous shoot. Here is a peak at a few of our images from their E-shoot, I would like to thank Chris who was my second and ran around with the children for most of the afternoon. To Mo and Basil ... words can't describe how much I love you guys! XXX The 25th of August was the big day for one of the most amazing couples, Evadne and Jerome, who tied the knot at a spectacular winter themed wedding at Avianto in Muldersdrift. I worked closely with them during the planning of their big day and as they are both perfectionists, not a thing was out of place. The decor was spectacular with crystals hanging from the trees and sparkles everywhere, and true to their nature the guests were well taken care of with a very yummy sweet table and flipflops to dance in. Evadne was fabulous in her Maggie Sottero Gowns and Benjamin Adams shoes, while Jerome was an incredibly handsome groom. It was a very emotional wedding, and both Sherrie and I had to wipe tears away during the vows. My absolute favourite moment in this wedding is the look on Evadne's face when Jerome tells her she looks beautiful as she got to the front of the ceremony. To this amazing couple, thank you for being so wonderful. You both looked fabulous on your wedding day and I loved being part of your magical day. I wish you great success and many happy moments together. Thank you also to the suppliers (listed below) who helped them to create the Winter Wonderland! All our love Chantal and Sherrie XXX Thank you to the amazing suppliers listed below:
Make up - Janell Donders DJ- Chilli funk Deco- Perfect day Venue - Avianto Dresses - Eve's bridal wear Cake - Cupcake boutique Suit - Khaliques Shoes - Christiaan Michael When Erin contacted me to photograph her wedding I was super excited as this is a very interesting couple. Erin is really outgoing, talented and drop dead gorgeous! She is a TV and radio presenter, a DJ, singer, song writer, musician and a bass player. Add to that a lady who loves her Harley and it makes for a fabulous combination.
She grew up in Detroit and has that awesome American accent, but met the love of her life Stephanus (a South African) in Oman. This fun quirky couple decided to settle in Johannesburg and had a small and intimate ceremony at Ascot Mews in Alberton. It was attended by Stephanus's close friends, a very sweet couple and Erin's parents via Skype, as they live in the US. All I can say about this couple is they are awesome, from the selfies taken during the couple shoot to the pulling out of their tongues at each other it was a short but super fun wedding to photograph. After the couple shoot all Erin wanted to do was eat ribs in her fabulous Vera Wang gown. To Erin and Fanie, I wish you loads more fun times together, quirky moments and lots of love shared between the two of you. What a priviledge to have met you and to have photographed your wedding! Angela and Tys are such an amazing couple, they have so much love for each other and its so evident when you see them together. Chris and I were fortunate to get to share their Wedding day with them on the 10th of August 2013 at the stunning Oakfield Farm Wedding Venue in Muldersdrift. The day was perfect, not one thing out of place. The decor and flowers were a beautiful combimation of Sweet peas, Roses and Protea's which made the reception venue smell like a spring garden. It was a lovely winters day, we were blessed with beautiful warm and a calm but slightly emotional couple. My favourite touch of the whole day was the garter ... The Blue Bulls pin as Tys is a Bulls supporter, Angela I must add is a very passionate Sharks supporter! The couple shoot was filled with lots of laughs and giggles as the animals at Oakfield Farm decided to make themselves part of the wedding, and even ended up in a few of the photos. From the horse that made it known that we were in his territory while we were in the stables to the cows that followed us through the fields it was a fun but rather noisy couple shoot! To Angela and Tys, I can't thank you enough for asking me to photograph your wedding. It was a true fairytale wedding ... Both Chris and I wish you many happy moments in your life together, filled with the same giggles and laughs we saw in the stables, and the same love we saw in the chapel. You are a wonderful couple in every sense and I am so fortunate to now call you friends. Thank you to the lovely suppliers (listed below) for all their hard work and dedication in helping to make Angela & Tys's wedding day a beautiful reality. Love always Chantal and Chris XXX Suppliers for Angela & Tys's Wedding
Make-up: Make-up by Monique Flowers: Manifique Flower Art Decor and Venue: Oakfield Farm Wedding Venue I first met Carrie and Greg at the Oakfield Farm Expo at the beginning of the year, and we had an instant connection. They are such a beautiful young couple, and I just love them to bits! I am super excited for their Wedding in December. It was a beautiful afternoon, with heavy threatening clouds when Chris and I met Carrie and Greg at the Meyersdal Nature Estate in Johannesburg South for their E-shoot. While we prayed for the rain to stay away, we bundu bashed a bit and found the perfect spot for the shoot. The wildlife watched us from a distance and we were even treated with a rainbow for a few minutes. I just love this shoot, it is difficult to believe that we were in the middle of the city as it is such a beautiful and nature filled place. Carrie told me a few things about their love story, and I just have to share ... it shows how they were just destined to be together, a perfect ginger pair! Our story begins at Alberton High School. We were both in the same school year, but never attended the same classes. I definitely noticed him though and coincidentally one of my friends even suggested that he could be my future husband. Following from graduating from matric, our lives took different paths and we lost contact. Fast forward six years and we found ourselves befriending each other on Facebook. Our story could make a great case study for social media love stories!
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AuthorQuirky and often described as rather eccentric, I am a lover of all things beautiful. Capturing special moments and making my clients look and feel beautiful is what makes me happy! Archives
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