I have said it before I will say it again! I LOVE a good farm wedding! I also love a genuine people, milktarts and going to places that I have never been to.

Marna and Cyril’s wedding was one of those that will bring a smile to my face for a very long time. There wasn’t one pretentious thing about their day. How could their be? Marna and Cyril must be two of the most down to earth people I have ever met. Cyril has just finished his PHD in Chemistry and Marna is currently doing her internship as a Doctor. They met whilst studying at University and have been together ever since. Both of them come from Afrikaans farming families and so it was important for them to have their wedding on Marna’s Oupa’s farm in Normandien (which is somewhere nearish to NewCastle in Natal). The whole community came together to make this day magical. Everyone seemed to have a part to play. Friends and family cooked, baked, crochet, planted and flower arranged. Even all the mismatched chairs in the reception were provided by guests.

I have photographed many brides before and I can honestly say that Marna was the smiliest I have ever encounted. She beamed the whole day!!!!!! It was a happy day, it was a soulful day, it was a magical day.

Marna and Cyril thanks for picking me . We loved your wedding!

PS  Huge thanks to the Lombaard family for having us and for making us feel so at home. Thanks also to Janna for looking after us so well. You should be a wedding planer (just saying!)

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Martha is a very gorgeous Canadian Pharmacist who found herself participating in a volunteer/educational program in South African some years back. One night during her stay, she went out on the town and her eyes just happened to cross paths with the very dapper Doctor Sbu. Little did they both know that this night would change their lives forever. Meeting ones soulmate in a nightclub might not be seen as being particularly romantic but this was the beginning of a long distance love affair. A love affair that went on for well over three years and landed up in a misty marriage in the KZN Midlands.

People came from near and far for this wedding and flew in from all over South Africa and the world. The sun may have hid behind a big blanket of damp mist for most of the day but the atmosphere was warm. I have never photographed a wedding at Netherwood which wasn’t a HUGE party and Martha and Sbu’s wedding was no different!

Martha and Sbu thanks so much for picking me. Besides getting stuck in the mud ….. we loved shooting your wedding! Wishing you all the best for you new life in Canada!

PS Thanks to the farm managers for rescuing us!!!

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One afternoon during my recent Christmas break I sat outside in the cool breeze, sipped tea and browsed Instagram. It wasn’t long until I found Simon and Jess Nicholson’s photos of their Seal Point summer holiday. Happy blonde children smiled at me from my phone. Simon and Jess gushed how they loved their little family and how much they loved each other. I smiled inside.

It seems like just the other day that I was baby-sitting Simon and Peter Nicholson in Seal Point! Our families used to go down to the Eastern Cape on an annual summer pilgrimage and these holidays produced some of my happiest memories. We have all grown up now and it was so wonderful to see Simon enjoying Seals with his lovely wife Jess and two gorgeous kids.

Life felt sweet and perfect.

A few weeks later I found myself in the UK.

As I was casually looking through my Facebook feed I noticed that Jess was in the hospital. I went onto their pages and here’s where my tears started. These are Simon’s words.

In my lifetime I have been challenged with a few frightening situations. Like being caught inside at 15 foot Pipeline, like being hijacked with shots fired,  armed robbers breaking into my house, being held up at knife point in the street.

Nothing comes close to the terrifying sight I saw on Saturday the 9th of February 2013 when my wife and soul mate, Jessica, suffered a massive seizure out of the blue. The timeline of events that followed has left me here … Sitting next a hospital bed in neuro ICU eight days later, while Jess recovers from brain surgery.

Turns out she had a brain tumor… And because it was on the dominant left hand side of the brain, it ruptured, causing the seizure, causing us to rush her to hospital and have a CT scan. That seizure it turns out, saved her life. The tumor, a grade 4 glioblastoma, would have quadrupled in the following months, and left me without my best friend, and a mother for our most beautiful special kids.

I thought I had life all figured out, had the t’s crossed and the i’s dotted.

I didn’t.

My first mistake was that I have taken this incredibly special family for granted. I can do better, I want to do better.

My second is that I underestimated the value of having complete health security for my family. I have medical aid, but it’s not comprehensive, and as it so happens there is a shortfall.

Furthermore Jess is an incredibly driven, motivated, self employed fashion designer. Unfortunately the tumor was highly malignant, which means she is heading into a few years worth of Chemo and radiation starting immediately. That means life must change for us. Jess needs to focus all her strength into fighting this cancer, and that means we need help, and despite my pride and being brought up to stand on my own two feet, I want my wife to be around more than any of that.

So this is me asking for help, to cover the shortfall , to build a support structure, so Jess can get the care she needs, and keep our family together.

One never ever knows what is around the corner. I know there is not much I can do to take away their pain but I do know love, support and positive energy can go a long way. Jess is a fighter and I am sure this special family will get through this.

I have decided to auction off a portrait shoot and give the Nicholson family the proceeds. I will also be donating some of my own cash.

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Pippa and Paul have been together forever. They met whilst waitering as youngsters and have been an item for over ten years now. Paul has an absolutely wicked sense of humor and is particularly good at writing very funny emails! Pippa looks like a model but seems completely unaware of her beauty! Paul adores her and she adores him.

Pippa and Paul live in London now and so it was really important that their wedding be a family affair. They wanted their wedding to be a wedding and not a photoshoot. Instead of going off for ages to take pictures they opted to do a styled shoot with me a few days after the wedding which you can see if you click here. Their main priority when wedding planning was to create an intimate celebration with the people most important to them. They wanted good food, good wine and good music. They ticked all of these boxes. The AMAZING food by Bellevue Cafe was accompanied by absolutely gorgeous wines and was washed down with some refreshingly non weddingy music! If you are after an alternative wedding DJ who wont play Greased Lightening, It’s going to be a good night tonight and Gangnam Style then Jason is your man (check out the credits at the end)

Pippa and Paul it’s been such a pleasure working with you. You really made our job so easy and fun! Thanks for picking me!!

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Pippa and Paul got married in January this year and opted to do a styled shoot after their wedding. I knew they wanted something ethereal, arty and pretty so I called on all the clever people that I know and we came up with this dreamy shoot. Carolyn who worked at Netherwood for years has just started up her own wedding co-ordination business and did all the table styling. Floey made all the wonderful flower arrangments, bouquet and flower crown. Charelle did Pippa’s make up and the ever talented Drew from Evolve was in charge of hair and styling. Tash was my very able assistant and the wonderful Whitehouse B&B and wedding venue in Hillcrest was our location. What a dream team!!!!!!!!!!! What a fabulous couple. Thanks so much to everyone who was involved!!!

Now can all of my brides please wear flower crowns from now on. Thanks!

PS If you are looking for a garden venue wedding venue that produces outstanding food definitely check out the Whitehouse!

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Getting married in Durban in December is a rather risky affair if you want clear skies and sunbeams. December in Durbs is generally damp, hot, humid and grey. It rained alot during December 2012, in fact it rained more than I ever remember. On the morning of Kelly and Dylan’s big day  however, the sun peeked out and continued to belt down for the rest of the day. It was one of  the hottest weddings I remember.

Kelly and Dylan should be used to extreme heat though as they have both immigrated to Australia which is known for some crazy temperatures. They came back to their home town to be married with family and friends at The Oyster Box Hotel. Dylan’s parents were married at the Oyster Box 30 years ago and Dylan’s late Grandpa used to swim near the Umhlanga Lighthouse most days, so it has great significance to them.

Kelly and Dylan we loved working with you and your wonderful families. May the warmth of your wedding day continue through your marriage. Thanks for picking me.

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“I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.”

No one could have ever imagined that when Liam made those vows to his bride Tammy, that he would be sitting by her hospital bed just a few weeks later!

Tammy and Liam flew out from the UK in December last year and got married at Netherwood in the Natal Midlands with their best friends and family. It was a small wedding and a joyous one! When I think back to their big day, the things that immediately spring to mind are their crazy bridal party, the grooms-lady, the gorgeous ginger flower girl and page boy, Liam’s tears as Tammy walked down the aisle, Tam’s humble beauty, and the kid who stole the dance floor with his moves!

Even though Tam and Liam organised the whole wedding from London …. everything turned out just as Tam dreamt it would …..

Weddings are about more than just cupcakes, flowers and nice weather though, they are about love and commitment. It’s therefore no surprise to me that Liam has been a pillar of strength to Tam over the past few traumatic weeks. Tam was involved in a scooter accident whilst on their honeymoon in Thailand and was injured very badly. Liam has been the rock that he is, and I am happy to say they seem to be through the worst of it all! Tam is finally home and recovering well.

Tam and Liam you guys are so strong together …. This awful experience has definitely proved that. But here’s wishing you a few more cupcakes and flowers for the next while. No more hectic stuff!

Thanks so much for picking me. We loved your wedding and we loved working with you all!

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On New Years day 2013 I woke up in the mountains and watched two swallows flying in and out of their perfectly constructed mud nest in the verandah roof.  I sat there for ages watching, thinking and reflecting.

My plan for New Years Eve was to party with all of my good friends from school days. We had all gone up to the Drakensberg for the weekend and had planned a big feast followed by champagne, dancing and fun. New Years eve morning rolled in and I woke up with a horrible tummy bug and proceeded to spend the next 24 hours in bed!

My plan didn’t work out but waking up on New Years day hangover free and feeling a lot better gave me the chance to quietly give thanks for the blessings of 2012.

2012 was very good to Jacki Bruniquel Art and Photography. She took us from the Karoo to the Caribbean. Clients ranged from a Stay at home Mom to a Springbok rugby player, from an Accountant to an Architect to an Actress. We photographed a wedding in India. We photographed weddings on farmyards, in gardens, in fancy hotels and in the bush. Some weddings were grand, some were humble.

Every one of them was different and in every one of them there is a common thread.

That common thread is the thread of Love.

I love making pictures about love. I love making photos of the human narrative. I love finding that little thing that makes everyone unique in his or her own way and making pictures about that.

Here is my personal best wedding work of 2012.

Huge thanks to all of my clients for believing in me, for picking me and for becoming part of what was a hugely special year for me.

Thanks also my amazing assistant Tash. She is the hardest-working, loveliest human ever and I owe her more than words could ever express.

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I so clearly remember being about seven years old and sitting on my Grandpa’s knee whilst he told me that time speeds up as you get older. This year has certainly whizzed by in such a flash that I am beginning to believe Gramps!

As the last days of 2012 pass us by I would like to give thanks to everyone who has supported me through this year. Thanks to all my wonderful clients. Thanks to my family, my friends and my fiance. 2012 has been an amazing year. Wishing you all a wonderful 2013.

Here are some of my favorite non weddingy pics of 2012 ……

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It’s not often that one finds a bride who wants rain on her wedding day, but Charmin is anything but conventional! Her other prerequisites were that there wouldn’t be a regret no children attached to the invites … there would be no flowers, no draping and no round tables! A little birdy told me that Charmin has been quite the character since birth and that she used cabbages as candle holders on her tables at her 21st. This definitely confirms her eccentric streak! It also leads me to believe that she must have a bit of a thing for edible plant table decor! Charmin and Russell grew enormous quantities of wheatgrass and planted it all in long white box planters which were used as their wedding center pieces. It worked a treat and was such a unique touch.

Charmin and Russell are a wonderful pair. They are very different in many ways but this seems to be what makes their relationship work so well. The one thing that they definitely have in common is their dedicated to their two boys and each other.We loved shooting this wedding! Thanks so much for picking me guys … wishing you a wonderful marriage ahead!!!

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