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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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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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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I received this email way back in January 2012 I am absolutely IN LOVE with the creativity of your photography. The emotion you capture at weddings is priceless, and I can’t think of another photographer I’d want to bestow the responsibility of capturing one of the most important days of my life. I’m getting married November 10, 2012 in The Caribbean. Are you available that weekend?

Well, what photographer in their right mind wouldn’t burst with excitement at the prospect of shooting a wedding in the Caribbean? It all seemed too good to be true and even after arriving in Antigua …. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure it was all real!!!

But enough about me!

Elise is an American girl from Florida with a strong streak of Italian and Tyler is a Canadian boy from Vancouver ! They grew up in different countries ….They lived in different places ………They met at work ….. They clicked ……….. They talked on the phone A LOT ……. Next thing you know they were doing long distance plane trips across country to see each other …..  And just six moths later they got engaged! As Elise says “When you know you know!”

Their wedding was an intimate affair with close friends and family flying in to the island to celebrate with them. A bit of rain came over which meant that their outdoor reception had to be moved indoors … but that didn’t dampen Elise and Tylers spirit! They got married in a tropical garden with their best friends and family as witnesses…..  palm trees swished through the air and the aqua Caribbean sea gently lapped the white sandy shore while the steel drum band tinkered on. Who can complain about that?

Thanks so much for picking me guys. I still cannot believe it all happened!! Tash and I had the most wonderful experience and we cannot thank you enough. We wish you a long and happy marriage and look forward to seeing you in South Africa one day!

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I know exactly why Tom fell in love with Sally ….. because if the colour pink could be turned into a human she would be it! Sally must be one of the sweetest people I have ever met! She is sweet in a girly kind of way. She giggles, likes pretty things, teaches small children and loves her Mom (ALOT). She spent a year saving up for a Rolex for Tom as she thought it only fitting that she buy him a present which equalled her beautiful engagement ring.