April 15, 2013
I met Loren years ago when we were in Community Theatre together. So I was very excited when she asked me to shoot her wedding in Johannesburg last month! The trip coincided beautifully with another wedding I attended as a guest (that of my best friend), so everything worked out perfectly – even if I don’t want to set foot on a plane again for at least a month! 
I was really pleased to find out, a few weeks before this wedding, that the decor was being done by my lovely and talented friend Eve from Splendid Affairs. I’ve really missed working with her since I emigrated, so it was wonderfully serendipitous! In fact, everything about this wedding was made up of lovely coincidences – it turns out I’d met two of the three bridesmaids before, as they’re both friends of friends!
The day was just beautiful, with a late afternoon ceremony overlooking the dam at Toadbury Hall, photos in the sunset, and a fantastic party on the veranda afterwards. Loren and Jono, thanks so much for asking me to capture your wedding!
Watching the guests arrive on the lawn below…
March 14, 2013
Long ago, before the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland movie came out, I had a vague idea of doing an Alice-themed shoot; but as with all vague ideas that never get anywhere beyond that stage, I just didn’t get around to it. Then suddenly Alice was everywhere: there were real weddings, inspiration shoots, Wonderland-themed DIY projects, and doing one of my own just seemed like overkill. But along the way I’d been picking up bits and pieces that I thought would work in the shoot if it ever happened.
Then we made the decision to move to England, and I realised that I’d better do the shoot before I had to decide what to do with the props when I packed up my home! I also had the perfect “Alice” in mind: Sara, with whom I’d worked at a bookshop a few years before. My landlady and friend, Mel, who owns a wardrobing/costume business, and does make-up as well (she even did my own make-up for my wedding in 2008), had the perfect little white dress, which I supplemented with a blue bow I’d found in a box at my community theatre group! Mel did Sara’s make-up as well. The flowers, vases and belljars were provided by my friend Eve of Splendid Affairs – I had a definite vision of moss, mushrooms and belljars – and I bought some mixed mushrooms at the supermarket, which I added in myself. Everything else – the keys, clock, pocketwatch, necklace, etc -belonged to me, and we found a way to use them to add to the theme!
