Jeanell and Dustin

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

The St Francis Links will forever hold a special place in my heart because it was the venue for our own wedding nearly two years ago (sheesh time flies!). When Jeanell and Dustin asked me to photograph their wedding I was so thrilled! It was a truly fantastic wedding with the ceremony on the beach followed by a reception up at the clubhouse.

The beach setting was picture perfect with blue skies and puffy clouds, followed by storm clouds rolling in for the couple shoot down at the lighthouse. A gorgeous day in a gorgeous place... I hope you all love looking at the photos as much as I did taking them :)

Enjoy!

xxx

Marga and Jannie

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Marga and Jannie are such a cute couple! You could genuinely see the they were so excited to marry one another, and it was so amazing to watch them throughout the day :) Marga and I started chatting about their wedding back when I first started my full time photography business and even visited me at my first Bridal Fair. A year and a half of chatting and planning finally culminated in this wonderful wedding :)

I sometimes forget how much of the info I put out there is actually absorbed by clients and used, too! It was so cool to see small items like the wonderful cufflinks from Lady Peculiar and customised hangers from The Desert Rose Project that the couple had ordered - all the personalized items really added something special to the preparations on the day and the excitement was tangible.

What a wonderful experience and I am so glad I was chosen to capture the amazing love that Marga and Jannie emanate. Thanks so much for choosing me!

Enjoy the photos :)

Liesl and Eric

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Shoowee, this post is way overdue! Liesl and Eric had a stunning intimate day wedding at Singa Lodge in PE (which is such a gorgeous venue, wow!). The wedding was full of smiles and great moments, it was such a joy to be there and experience the love that Liesl and Eric have for each other. 

Throughout the planning process, Liesl and I chatted about her ideas and walking into Singa Lodge on the morning of the wedding was amazing - all of her ideas had sprung to life and the setting was just perfect! Even the PE weather played along :)

Each wedding is so different and this wedding really had a sense of serenity about it, which brought a completely different feel to the bridal prep photos. I simply adore this set of photos and I hope that you will too :)

Enjoy!

Bianka and Greg

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

It was in the very first few moments of meeting Bianka with a K that I knew this was going to be an interesting wedding... and as with all things Italian, this wedding was big, happy, and filled with kisses. B is definitely one of the most down to earth (and often hilarious) brides that I have had the pleasure of photographing thus far. Whilst going through their photos I just wish I could caption some of them... we'd be laughing for days! But it is this quality which makes her an absolute gem of an individual, and I can see why she and Greg click so well. 

Their love for each other is really visible... its so special! What is the ultimate show of affection, you ask? No, its not hugs or kisses, or even small whispers. Its saying yes when your fiancé mentions that the pair of you should open the dance floor with a hip hop routine. Say what!? Uh ha... Greg - your booty pop was perfect! Well played :)

So it is without further ado that I present to you Bianka and Greg's wedding with lots of kissing, lots of crying, and equal amounts of crazy, glorious luuurve. The couple have not seen their photos yet as they are based overseas, so there are a lot :)

En-joooy!

Michele and Dave

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Michele and Dave (who's engagement shoot you will certainly remember) had an ab.so.lute.ly rad wedding at Thatchwoods! Their theme still ran along the carnival lines but the couple had so many cute DIY details that it was unlike anything I have seen before - their own special brand of wedding that represented them perfectly!

Everything about this couple is happy and sunshiney - and their wedding was exactly that. If you are someone who sees at least 30 'inspirational weddings' on a daily basis via social media platforms, you will understand what I mean by refreshing. Yes, that is the word... refreshing! Minty-greeny-cartwheeley-popcorny kind of refreshing. It felt like we had all walked into a time-warp transporting us back to the 60's hippy and happy era :)

To Mich and Dave - you guys have no idea how much it means to me that I was the lucky one who got to photograph your amazing wedding. Mich, your bubbly laugh words of encouragement whenever needed are a truly special trait...you are a gorgeous human being inside and out. You two are so lucky to have found each other in the noise of life - and I hope your journey ahead is more than you could ever wish for. Hugs! 

Enjoy the photos everyone :)

Sabeeha and Ridwaan

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

And now for part two! Sabeeha and Ridwaan's wedding was such an experience, and really different to what I am used to on a weekly basis. It was so awesome to get a shake-up and to start looking at things from different angles... being on my toes all day and ready for everything (even rushing around trying to find a scarf for my head before the Nikah ceremony, which I was incredibly priviledged to be able to photograph as the ceremony is normally exclusively for the men). As I pointed out in my previous post, Sabeeha and her family were so informative and helpful - such a blessing given that this was my first Indian/Muslim wedding. I would like to extend a huge thank you to Hoosain for all his help and guidance on the day.

But on with the (many) photos :) I hope you enjoy them!

Sabeeha's Mehndi Evening

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)
 
When Sabeeha and Ridwaan invited me to document their wedding celebrations I was a little nervous... my very first Indian/Muslim wedding. But I really should not have worried - this trip really did not disappoint. Everything about this weekend was so exciting!

Sabeeha and I went to school together - and it is so heartwarming to see how she has changed from a shy girl into this independent and successful young woman. Her family were incredibly welcoming and looked after me the whole weekend. Trust me, I had to be looked after. The Muslim wedding ceremony is nothing like those I am used to and they kept me in the loop the entire time.

But first thing is first, the Friday night Mehndi. A beautiful celebration that had me doing the happy feet dance. Sabeeha's hands and feet were intricately decorated and she looked like an princess in her bright Sari. Ah, my words just can't explain how beautiful it all was, so I will let you look at photographs instead :)

Enjoy!

Joanne and Jason

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Joanne and Jason's wedding was a simple, elegant, and stunning Sunday wedding. Day weddings are so amazing and really offer something different for the guests and the photographer, so I was very excited to be invited to document their celebration :)

Thunderclouds loomed and the heavens opened just as Jo was scheduled to enter the chapel. It was a photographers dream as those heavenly drops (and a little hail) added their own special character to their wedding day. And then suddenly the storm was over leaving high spirits and excitement in its wake. Although the drizzle only subsided after our couple photo shoot, the couple enjoyed each moment and just took the days events as they arrived.

What a fantastic wedding! I am sure you will all agree :) A *huge* thanks to Jo and Jason for choosing me :)

Nicolette and Pierre

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Nicky and Pierre's wedding was a gorgeous and relaxed affair at one of the most amazing Eastern Cape venues, The Rose Barn. We started out with Nicky's make-up and bridal prep in the brand new suite - and the rustic, clean look of the room is just too beautiful for words! I a-d-o-r-e The Rose Barn and am so grateful every time I book a wedding at this venue. The effort that Sandra puts into each and every wedding is amazing - each is so different, but SO beautiful. And Pierre and Nicky's wedding was just that, unique and simply beautiful.

The day was filled with happy tears and a lot of laughs. Pierre and Nicky, you guys share something really special and it was truly touching to be able to capture some of the wonderful emotions on camera... which you two can now hold onto for the rest of your incredible marriage. Thank you so much for allowing me the honour of documenting such a fantastic day!

Enjoy the photos everyone :)

Sharné and Ryan

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Every now and then a wedding comes along that changes everything. A wedding that makes you re-evaluate your own relationship and the way you live your daily life. You can see it has also affected everyone else in the room as you look around at watering eyes and loving glances. This wedding rescued me towards the end of a very long season. Sharné and Ryan are hands down the most loving and happy couple I have ever met, and their attitude towards each other is openly and unashamedly: 'I'll cherish you and love you, and spoil you, for the rest of my life'.

Sharné and I chatted many times before the wedding. Their engagement shoot was stunning (I'll make a plan to share it during the next few 'quiet' months) and I just knew that this wedding was going to be amazing as we sat drinking rooibos tea after the shoot. But nothing prepared me for the awesomeness that was Sharné and Ryan's amazing day. I can only hope that this post will share just a few of the emotions we all experienced.

But first, we start with the biggest, most gigantic sea storm and a sea twister that was so close we could see the white water where it touched the ocean. The remnants of the second, smaller sea twister can be seen in photo three below, simply because I did not have my camera with me for the first one... and there was absolutely no chance of me going outside to fetch it and face certain death (uuuuh-ha).

Enjoy the photos everyone :)

Inge and Simon - The Rose Barn

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Inge and Simon's wedding was insanely beautiful! The first memory and one I keep telling everyone about was the smell of hundreds (if not thousands) of roses as we walked into the barn. It made every muscle in my body want to dash outside and frolic in the butterfly and cow filled fields. It was the smell of happiness... I don't know how else to explain it. It even quelled my signature gorgeous-decor-inspired-happy-feet-dancing-attack. Judith and I just stood at the entrance to the barn and gulped in all the beautifulness.

With the ceremony moved indoors thanks to 75km/h winds, it was a tight squeeze. But the wind did not put a damper on any part of the day. We even ventured outside for the bridal party and couple photos, which was a load of fun!

This wedding was just perfect. The amount of effort that Inge and Simon (and families/friends) put into the decor was amazing... they did all the decor themselves! Wow, wow, wow was all we could say the whole day. Well more like 'w..w..w..' thanks to the wind.

Hope you all enjoy the photos!

Davene and Neal

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Where do I start with this wedding... perhaps at the beginning would be apt. 

Walking through the doors of the reception hall at Evergreen I could not believe how much effort Davene and Neal (along with family and friends) had put into the decor. Every stitch was hand sewn and every item handmade. Davene did her own hair, make-up, and even made her own dress... er dresses. Yes, that is correct. Davene made not one, but two wedding dresses for herself.

And as it turned out, that was absolutely perfect for her wedding day. Why you may ask? Well because it did not just rain, it hailed. Not little baby cutsie hails... no. Big mean knock-you-out hails. But in amongst all the chaos of being lambasted by hail balls the size of a well-fed snail, Neal quietly smiled to himself and later told me 'If rain on your wedding day is a blessing, then hail must really be a gift from God.'

And then the storm softened. The sun glimmered through the delicate rain, and the most beautiful rainbow presented itself as a gift to this stunning couple. Davene's extra dress meant that we could frolic to our hearts content. I know three is a crowd, but man we had fun!

Anke and Altus

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Anke and Altus got married in Jeffrey's Bay at the beautiful Mentorskraal. It was the first time I photographed at the venue, and I can assure you that I nearly had a happy feet dancing attack when I walked into the reception hall. The decor was absolutely, unbelievably gorgeous!

This was also the first wedding that I got all misty-eyed at. Anke looked too beautiful for words, and when she walked down that aisle I knew the sparks (or tears) would fly. Altus shed a few tears, we all shed a few tears. It was a moment to remember!

In the hours that followed, I really felt the love that these two share... tear-jerking, uncontrollable-laughing, booty-shaking love. The spark that I saw at their engagement shoot was only a small glimpse into what these two really have... they are made for each other.

Rolecia and Leon

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

OK, right off the bat I am going to tell you that this is a long post. There were too many photos and I could not choose which ones I liked best. So I guess it is up to you guys to choose.

Rolecia and Leon were the winners of my Bridal Fair "Win your Wedding Photography' competition, and I honestly could not have asked for a more awesome, in love, and super creative couple than these two. I thank my lucky stars that they allowed me to photograph their wedding because it really was incredibly special and different.

The ceremony was conducted by Rolecia's Grandfather in a quaint Port Alfred church, and the reception was held in a gorgeous bedouin tent on the banks of the Kowie river. Rolecia's attention to detail was amazing. You definitely knew it was their wedding, all the way from entering the church to the reception venue. I wish I could show each and every detail from the wedding but that would take days he he he:) Brides-to-be really should draw inspiration from this lovely wedding and see how one can put a unique stamp on everything that you do.

I would just like to thank Rolecia's mom and dad for making me feel completely at home and at ease, and for making the time to show me around :) Your hospitality was appreciated more than you will ever know xxx 

I joined the families at the rehearsal so I think that is a good place to start the story...

Krystal and Paul

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Krystal and Paul's wedding was a lot of things, but most of all it was incredibly-cake-smooshingly-fantastic! This couple had an absolute ball at their wedding. Paul even did a headstand to open their first dance (which was a hip hop routine might I add!).

Even though there was a lot of fun and laughing, I could not help but get the feeling that these two are simply perfect for each other. From their wacky antics to their high fives... they just 'get' each other. It was really wonderful to see and it is an amazing feeling to walk away from a wedding knowing that I have new friends rather than just clients. You guys are awesome :)

Much love xxx

Natalie and Johan

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Natalie and Johan got married on a super windy day in PE and their wedding was beautiful! The love really radiates from these two... it is so wonderful to see and even better to photograph.

I really found it difficult to narrow down the photos for the blog post, so this is a bit of a long one... but it is well worth it. You will also notice that I changed up the blog post format so you get to see bigger photos. Enjoy :)

Rolecia's Kitchen Tea

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Wow wow wow is all I can say about this kitchen tea. It was so creative and such amazing idea. By the time I arrived, the ladies had all settled into scrapping and being creative at Scrapbook Nook in Walmer. Their mandate was to each produce a page with a recipe of their choice and a photo of themselves. All the recipes then got compiled into one album which Rolecia will (I am sure!) cherish and use often in her new life with Leon :)

The small bakery/cafe on premises delivered gorgeous cupcakes, madeleines, and other yummy goodies for everyone to tuck into. So fun, laughter, and good food was the order of the day.

Scrapbook Nook can be contacted on 041 581 4514, or visit their website for more info.

Sarah and Mark - Tzaneen

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

Sarah and Mark's wedding was so refreshing! But lets start at the beginning before I tell you why...

Sarah and Mark are missionaries from America, and they currently look after 12 orphaned and vulnerable children (12!) at a house in Modjadjiskloof, Tzaneen. Sarah is also actively involved in Pfunanane Ministries (http://www.pfunanane.org/, go read all about it) where she is Children's Home Director.

So when she contacted me and told me all about it, I was nervous. Traveling with strangers, to a place I had never been before. But I should not have worried... this experience was so liberating. I flew to JHB and caught a lift up to Sarah's home with Cricket and Mary Floye. Luckily they were awesome company, and we had a blast.

The brief from the very beginning, in Sarah's words: 'I want lots of photos of the kids, and don't worry about me'. So thats exactly what I did. These kids are a laugh and a half, each of them is so special! That combined with Sarah and Mark's awesome sense of humour, and their friendly and energetic families from America... this was a wedding never to be repeated. 

So, now that you know all of that, the reason it was so refreshing was that I got to photograph children, not worry too much about formalities, fight off killer emus and seriously energetic Shangaan dancers, and also because I now have memories of very special people that I will never, ever forget.

This post is overdue, but its because there are a LOT of photos... so enjoy! :)

Linda and Gerrie - Johannesburg Wedding Photographer

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

A little while ago I travelled to Joburg for some creative fun, some learning, some business, and some general up-to-no-good-ness. Along the way, Leone Venter from Simply Me Photography (www.simplyme.co.za) and I stumbled into each other and I assisted her on three separate weddings as a second shooter.

This was the first of those weddings, and it belonged to the absolutely breathtakingly beautiful Linda and her long-time handsome love, Gerrie. The wedding took place at Olive Mystery in... the middle of nowhere... somewhere between Pretoria and Joburg, but not really :)

Details galore, three stunning bridesmaids, a trio of groomsmen with naughty grins, and one nervous groom meant it was go-time. Once Linda arrived I was extra happy to be involved in this wedding. She is one of the most gracious people I have encountered, and her smile says it all.

Unfortunately the Dominee did not allow us to take photos during the ceremony. Note to brides, make sure you ask - you would be amazed how many times photography during the ceremony is prohibited.

Congrats to the two of you and I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon :) Here are a LOT of photos... I just could not decide as usual :)

Nix xxx

Nicky and Brian - Part Two

Niki M Photography has a brand new website! Visit www.nikimphotography.co.za to view all my latest work :)

As promised :) What a gorgeous couple! The couple photos were taken at Forest Hall which is a stunning guest house in Walmer (Port Elizabeth). They kindly opened up their old car (dubbed 'Duchess') for us to use as a rather stylish prop.

Visit the Niki M Photography page on Facebook tomorrow for an extended album, and spot yourselves! :)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Niki-M-Photography/140396596005827

Enjoy!