In my opinion every woman who has been dreaming about her special day for her whole life, definitely not about all the small details like what flowers goes onto the tables,
will you have decorations in the hall only or also in the church, what food will be served and who will do the catering etc.  The only thing we choose to think about is the
perfect wedding dress, our very own prince charming and living happily ever after.

Once you’ve realized there is so much more to your wedding day than the above mentioned you will know just how important it is to have all these small details captured as
timeless memories by the ideal wedding photographer.  This might not be the same person who created beautiful wedding imagery for your sister or cousin, no.  Your photographer is going to spend almost the whole day with you (very stressful and emotional day might I add) so it is extremely important that you click with one another.

Firstly you have to start thinking about the style of photography that most appeals to you, do you like the traditional ‘all-posed’ photos like in the olden days or would you
prefer a totally journalistic approach with the photographer never posing any person or group and focusing on candid shots only and capturing the emotion of the day?  I would recommend finding a photographer who creates a balance between these two styles.  Otherwise you might not get one natural photo or not get at least one photo where you both
are looking at the camera.

We make use of a technique we call interactive posing, so we’ll have a look at what kind of background would complement the photograph, have you guys stand there with a
suggested pose, like facing each other and just chatting or popping a bottle of champagne while we capture the moment.  We try to introduce the idea of the moment and if you’ve
been in love you’ll know the rest happens by itself…. (and we’re there to capture every perfect moment)

Before meeting your preferred photographers there is a few things you need to know and think about:
Have a look at at least 3-5 sources(magazines, internet etc) to get an idea of what is out there and what you like and dislike.
Photographers tend to be expensive but the price determines the quality.  If your thinking ‘it’s just photos’ anyone can do that then think again. 
Bridal couples should budget at least 7%-15% of their wedding budget on photography as this will be the only memento that will help you relive that wonderful day.
Make sure that you as the bride- and groom to be feel comfortable with the chosen photographer (almost like old friends).
Ask to see a mixed portfolio with several different weddings as well as a portfolio done on one specific couple so that you know this photographer has lots of first-hand
experience and are confident with photographing weddings.

To be continued tomorrow…..

I actually can’t believe it – Demi-Leigh turned 1 yesterday!! Our baby girl is already one year old!! I can’t believe how time flies…. Well, of course, we had a huge party for Demi’s first birthday (we were going to have a small little party but I couldn’t help myself….)

I photographed a party in Bedfordview the other day for a 4 year old little girl and her mom had a company called Crazy Chameleon do all the decorations and it was so beautiful – I came straight home after the party and told Ryan we were getting them to do our decorations!

You must understand that I have organised so many spiderman, superman, power rangers, pirates, cars, ben 10 and all the super hero parties for my boys in the last 6 years, that I was so excited to do butterflies and flowers in pink and pink and pink!!! Yes, I will admit it – the decorations were more for me than Demi but that is the joy of having a little girl to spoil (I get to be a little girl all over again too…) I think I was more excited about Demi’s beautiful presents and gifts than she was….

So we had a butterfly theme and it was so special! We had so many friends and family come and visit and Demi just loved all the attention – she really loves children and had so much fun with all her friends and cousins!! Her brothers had even more fun -we hired a 10m slippy slide and so they were either on the slide or in the pool the entire day! It was fantastic! It was so nice to have a summer party for a change ( Mikey and Jamie are both winter babies – they have always wanted a slippy slide for their party but it’s not feasible in the middle of winter – so I got it for them now and it was great fun!) We even had Uncle Duncan and Uncle Ben and Dad go on the slide a few times!!!

Riani came to visit and so between the two of us, we took over 600 photos!! But it’s so special to have – our daughter’s first birthday party only ever happens once and we want as many photos as we have memories of this special day! It is definitely worth getting someone to take photos at your birthday party as often you are so bust you don’t get to capture all those special moments!

All in all, it was a beautidul day and everyone had a wonderful time! I will treasure the memories forever and hope that every birthday is that special for Demi-Leigh! We love you baby girl! Thank you for filling our lives with so much joy – your brothers have always filled our lives with love and laughter but you bring a different, softer energy to our family and we are so grateful to have you! Mwah! Mom, dad, Jamie and Mikey D!!

Johannesburg Wedding Photographer

Wedding Photography is a subject so vast and so varied, I could write for hours on the subject. Just google the term ‘wedding photography’ and you get over 6 million results!!! Being a professional wedding photographer, many people seem to think that I am an expert on Johannesburg Wedding Photography. However, the subject of wedding photography is a really, really subjective one, so it would be wise to be careful who you take advice from.

Let’s take wedding budgets as an example – budgeting for wedding photography is a cause for huge debate. Google that and you get 403 000 results!! Many people spend years planning their wedding day, right down to the finest details (after all, most of us plan to only do this once in a lifetime – so we want it to be perfect) and budgets are normally huge considering everything that goes into making a ‘perfect wedding’….. from the wedding dress, to the colour of the table cloths, to the wedding venue, to the flowers, to the music, to the food, the rings, the first song, to the wedding favours and on and on and on….

If I think back to my own wedding, I think my husband was so relieved once our wedding was finally over because he was so tired of hearing about all the details (I planned it for nearly a year and that’s all my friends & I spoke about for a whole year!!! He always used to say: ‘Why are you asking for my opinion? You aren’t interested in what I have to say anyway!’)

So considering all of that, I just don’t understand why so many people budget so little for their wedding photographs??? Some even forget to budget for a wedding photographer at all! Okay, I admit I am biased (after all I am a professional wedding photographer….) but once all is said and done, photographs are all you have left of your wedding day (and possibly a video).

You spend a lifetime planning your wedding, probably a lifetime of savings too, so you want to have more than memories to show for your special day – and that’s where you photos come in. So my advice to you (and I said this was subjective) is to budget a decent amount for a professional wedding photographer.

It could be the single most important thing that you do because at the end of it all, no-one really remembers the cake or what the song was for the first dance (I don’t think my husband even remembers ours…. no, just kidding!!) but you get the point, so your wedding photos will become one of your most prized possessions for years to come. So considering Johannesburg wedding photography and all that it entails, expert or no expert, one thing I can guarantee is that a good photographer will capture those special moments in a way that will allow you to relive your special day again and again and again – and that is priceless!!

I had the honour of photographing a wonderful couple on Saturday: Candice and Garreth Fisher and their princess daughter Kyra-Lee. I just had to post a few pics as they are really beautiful.

I just love the lighting on this pic – they got married at a beautiful venue called Ascot Mews

The flowers were done by Sharon Fisher and it they were absolutely stunning!

This photo just captures

the essence of little Kyra…..

Kyra and her mom Candice – 2 beautiful princesses…

I just love these 2 as they remind me of Ryan and I – they have something very special – something you can’t put into words, but something that everyone can feel

Krya getting ready for the big event!!

Love is like a ring – no beginning and no end….

how much do I love thee? let me count the ways…..

doesn’t this just say it all?

May you 2 have a long, happy marriage filled with days of love, laughter and friendship!!