I met Shelley at a photography course at few years ago, and since then we have become great friends, and recently business partners when we launched femme fatale boudoir. But it came as a big surprise, when she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids, alongside Candice, Chantelle and Ashleigh, for her wedding earlier this year at the beautiful Sante Hotel and Spa in Paarl. I have always seen the role of a bridesmaid as very special, and believe that it is a huge honour being asked to be one. Its not just about wearing a pretty dress and having makeup done, it includes things like organising the bachelorette party, the kitchen tea, sorting out issues and lastly to support the bride when needed. Being Shelley's bridesmaid was an awesome experience, as she has the biggest heart, is super organised and everyone loves spending time with her. Shelley is anything but ordinary, its why we all love her so much! She insisted on organising her own Kitchen Tea, which was a beautiful afternoon spent with a lovely group of ladies. There was a fabulous spread of yummy delights made by the team at Petit Fours in Northcliff. Shelley, thoughtful as ever, made sure we each got a beautiful gift from Yuppie Chef as a momento of the day, and true to her form, she had the camera out and was taking photos of the food before anyone was allowed to touch anything! I also couldnt resist taking my camera along, and here are a few photo's from the day. Love Chantal XXX
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The best weekend of the year, at least for photographers that is, is almost upon us! Many photographers and enthusiasts, including myself, block this weekend off to attend the fabulous Photo & Film expo at the dome. Running from the 30th of October, to the 2nd of November, this is an event not to be missed. From new products and great specials, to workshops that cover almost every genre of photography there is something for everyone. This year though, it is even more exciting for me .... I was asked to present a talk and live demo on boudoir photography for femme fatale boudoir. I will be discussing basic posing and using continous lighting to create soft sensual and elegant boudoir images. So should you want to learn a bit about boudoir photography, pick up some tips or just see what its all about, come and visit me on the Fotacs stage. I will be talking once every day, each with a slightly different theme and look. Here is the dates and times I will be doing the demos, so put them in your diary!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Love Chantal XXX When Grazyna, who I had worked with before, contacted me about doing a fun shoot for the extended family I was very excited. She had decided to give the entire family the gift of this shoot, and what a gift it was! It was an incredibly fun afternoon with this tightly knit group of people. We met at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, and I was given strict instructions .... NO waterfall pics! I do love the waterfall, but they have so many of it already, and wanted something a little different. The gardens have so much to offer so we were not limited by this request, and found a lovely area with beautful light and loads of space for this crazy bunch. What I loved most about photographing this family, is they are so comfortable with each other, there are so many fun images mixed up in the slightly more formal. It was a totally fabulous afternoon, from the piggy backs, to the funny faces, I am not sure I have laughed so much at a family shoot before! Here is a peak at our fun afternoon, love you guys and cant wait to see you again! Love Chantal XXX The Holy Rosary School held its Matric Farewell earlier this year, and as they are always slightly different, all the ladies had to wear white gowns. I was asked to photograph a group of eleven friends, their partners and families at one of the ladies beautiful homes, just before they were whisked off in a bus to the main event. The families watched their daughters proudly as we did the photographs. The ladies all looked incredibly beautiful. Each perfectly made up in a spectacular gown with to die for heels, and the young men looked dashing in their suits. I would like to wish all of the ladies the best for the upcoming Matric Finals, you are all fabulous and I know you all have a bright future ahead of you. Love Chantal XXX As the morning of Morongoa and Basil's wedding dawned, it was destined to be a day filled with excitement, emotion and incredible beauty. The amount of planning and detail that they had incorporated into their big day resulted in the most beautiful day with so many intricate details. When we arrived at Oakfield Farm, we were greated by a very emotional Morongoa, it was finally here, the day she would say I do to the love of her life! While bridal retinue was hard at work getting themselves looking glamorous, we went off to the photograph the incredibly beautiful reception decor in Homestead. The team at Oakfield Farm and Cafe Fleur had been hard at work, as not a thing was out of place. The whites, pinks and silver colours gave the reception a very elegant and stylish feel, which reflects the couple so perfectly. As the morning slipped away, and it was almost time for the ceremony, the men decided to have a whisky to steady the nerves. They looked very dashing in their grey suits, and had an awesome time doing some photographs with Diana who was my second photographer for the day. The ceremony started with Tiro singing Ave Maria, and Basil was visibly nervous and a little emotional. The nerves all vanished as his beautiful bride walked down the aisle towards him, and was replaced biggest smile I have ever seen. After a lovely ceremony, Morongoa and Basil suddenly looked very content and relaxed. Although we had run a little late, and had a short time for the formal couple shoot, we got some lovely images of the couple, before it was reception time. The reception was a huge party, starting with the bridal party entering while doing the harlem shuffle. Delicious food, some emotional speeches and loads of dancing and laughter completed this amazing day. Thank you to all of the amazing suppliers (listed below) who really worked hard to make this day perfect for Morongoa and Basil. A huge thank you also goes to Diana, who was amazing to work with. Its awesome to have you as part of my team, and look forward to working with you again! Lastly, to Mo and Basil, thank you so much for allowing me to be part of this amazing day, it was a honour working with you both. I am blessed to have you in my life, no longer as clients, but as friends. I wish you the all of the best, and may your love continue to grow stronger as the years pass. Love Chantal XXX Thank you to all of the amazing suppliers:
Those people who know me, will probably be very surprised at this post. I am not a baby/newborn photographer, its not really my thing, but when a good friend who you have know for ever invites you to meet her 9 day old little package of sugar and spice, its very hard to resist taking the camera with.
Candice and Michael were blessed with the arrival of the tiny but incredibly feisty and beautiful Isabella on the 12th of September. This adorable little girl was such a great model for us, as she slept through all of the photographs, and even pulled some of the cutest faces. Here is a peak at the perfect little Isabella, congratulations again to my lovely friend Candice and her fiancé Michael on the birth of your first child together. Love Chantal XXX 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 Reality TV shows, such as Cake Boss or our local Charlys Cake Angels, have changed the way we see, think and feel about wedding cakes. Especially the way they look and taste. These shows have led to an explosion of different and unique options, sizes, shapes, flavours, colours and decorating techniques – nothing is impossible or too much. As there is just so much choice out there, I have decided to try and give you a few tips to consider when choosing your bakery and wedding cake. The first step, before even meeting with your decorator is to think about what colours you want your wedding to be. For some brides this is easy as they have been planning this day since they were 5, while for others it is a little harder. The best thing to do is to start gathering ideas and inspiration of the things you love. This can be done online (Pinterest is a fantastic tool) or by looking through magazines. If you have a Pinterest board, this will make it a lot easier for your decorator to get a feel of what you like and want for your wedding day. Booking your cake decorator: To avoid disappointment, it is best to book your wedding cake decorate/bakery early. Like most things wedding, all the good decorators get booked months in advance and are therefore quickly fully booked. And specialist bakers will limit the number of cakes they make a week. When you make an appointment to meet with your prospective cake decorators, be sure to bring along your Pinterest board, magazine pictures or any photos that can be used as a guideline. Also bring along a copy of your invite, table centre pieces and/or flowers. Think about the theme and colours you want on your cake: traditional white with splashes of colour or maybe something more fun and unusual. A great thing to bring along is fabric swatches, as they can give the decorator a good idea of the colours, theme and general look and feel of your reception. Keep in mind that, your cake should match the theme of your wedding and can or should be the centre piece of your reception. The size of your Wedding Cake: The size of your cake is traditionally determined by the number of people that will be attending your wedding and when you are planning on serving it. You do not want to be left with three quarters of your cake after your wedding. Therefore, it is important to discuss this with your decorator. In terms of when to cut your cake, it’s a new trend to cut it straight after the ceremony, as this gives your guests something to nibble on while you are having your photos. Another trend is to use your cake as part of your dessert table. Hence, be sure to discuss the number of people and when you are planning to serve your cake with your decorator, so they can advise on the size of cake required for your wedding. Type of Wedding Cake: Tiered cake, cupcakes, mini cakes, cake pops or push pops? A tiered cake always has a wow factor and really forms a centre piece at your reception. However, cupcakes, mini cakes or cake pops are just as pretty and much easier to serve. Something to keep in mind is that people can easily take home their cupcake, meaning you are not left with additional cakes. However, with a slice of cake, unless you provide boxes, they are not easy to take home. Wedding Cake Flavours: Wedding cakes are no longer just plain fruit cakes; they now can come in whatever flavour you desire, whether it is vanilla sponge or red velvet. The options and choices are limitless. Therefore, it is best to decide between yourself and your fiancé what flavours you like and which you don’t like. This will make your choice a little easier. However, if you can’t choose, select a few flavours and ask your decorator if you can do a cake tasting. Often a cake tasting is an additional cost but it is worth it, as you want a delicious moist cake that you and your guests will enjoy on the day. Overall look of your Wedding Cake: Buttercream icing is delicious, but doesn’t give a beautiful smooth finish to a cake like fondant does. Also, fondant allows your cake decorator to be creative with your decorations and make beautiful trimmings for and on your cake, such as sugar flowers, piping and painting. Another trendy icing option is chocolate ganache, which is very rich and gives an almost smooth finish to your cake. If you like the look of fondant but not the taste, speak to your decorator about the possibility of icing your cake with buttercream or chocolate ganache and then covering it with fondant. This will mean that it looks great and tastes great too. Just remember elaborate decorations, sugar flowers, trimmings, etc will add to the cost of your cake. An easy way to make your cake look fun and unique is to include cake toppers. A relatively inexpensive option is to purchase cute porcelain or plastic bride and groom toppers. Alternatively, you can order monogram letters. Otherwise, speak to your decorator about making sugar flowers or gum paste figurines to top your cake. These are edible but can also be kept for years. Paying for a Wedding Cake: Cake prices are usually based on the size of the cake, i.e. number of servings and the intricate, time consuming little details that need to be added to the cake. Be prepared to pay a deposit to secure your booking, as you are unlikely to find a decorator that will even start your cake without a deposit. The balance is usually payable 2 – 3 weeks before your wedding date. It is important to find out if your cake decorator will deliver and set up your cake on the day. As well as, what the additional cost would be or if it is included in the cake cost. Finally, keep in mind that you will need a cake stand for the day of the wedding. A lot of cake decorators hire them out. You would need to find out if that is possible and what the cost would be. There are many hidden or forgotten costs when choosing a wedding cake, so be sure to ask all these questions and more upfront. Last thing to remember is "let them eat cake" and enjoy your wedding day! A big THANK YOU needs to go to L’il Delights (www.lil-delights.com) for helping me gather and put all this info together, and for the increase in dress size as I am often used as the taste tester of all sorts of deliciousness! 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 |
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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