Claire and Dale love to go to the movies!!! Date night for the two of them always involves a big box of popcorn and the silver screen! In my opinion the two of them look as if they have just stepped straight off the silver screen they are so damn hot!

These two long time sweethearts are getting married at the Oyster Box at the end of this month. For their engagement shoot we headed on over to the Cinema at the grand old hotel and took things from there. Here are a few pics from our shoot. Thanks guys you were great (and so was that twin of yours Claire, she can come along any time!)

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Kirsten saw an engagement shoot I did a while back and the intimacy captured in those pics resonated with her. I don’t ordinarily repeat themes for my shoots but she felt that there was something about using a bed as a location that would communicate the closeness that exists between her and Luke. As long as my photographs communicate feelings and emotions I am happy and so…. Off to bed we went! From the bed we rolled on over to the beach.

These two are just so sexy and sassy and full of fun. They have a wonderful energy between them which is hard to put into words …. But hopefully my pictures do the job.  Here are a few from our shoot.

Looking forward to your wedding in May. Not long now guys!

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I don’t even know where to start here. How do I even BEGIN to explain what a dream it was to photograph a wedding in India? Let alone the wedding of two of the most free spirited special souls I know. No matter how hard I try, my words just cannot sufficiently encapsulate the feelings which I hold when thinking back to this magical time.

India is a photographers heaven. One virtually has to point a camera and click and out comes a great photo. Besides the exoticness and the excitement of a wedding abroad, the simple fact is, it’s not the venue that makes a wedding. It’s the people. Laurie and Shane are such a beautiful couple who have followed their dreams, traveled and lived all over the world, they give the best hugs and spread laughter and love wherever they go. Everyone that came to their wedding loved them enough to trek across the world for them. Can you imagine the atmosphere? Can you imagine the love?

In a nutshell they got married on a beach in Goa and had their reception at Dreamcatchers Resort in Palolem with their closest friends and family. But there was just so much more then that …….. and here are the pictures I took. Thanks guys for picking me. I am still speechless. Love you both dearly.

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When Ronel first approached me about photographing their wedding at St Fort in Clarens she said “I love music and I love playing the piano. In Ireland last year I couldn’t travel with the piano so I bought myself a violin and taught myself to play;  my Irish roommate and I are still friends, so I  couldn’t have been that bad. I also like painting, drinking wine, growing a veggie garden and sleeping after a nightshift!” I knew then that she was my kind of bride! I also knew that the wedding would be a cracker as Clarens is just such a gorgeous place to shoot.

You may recognise Ronel’s other half Jannie Du Plessis. Jannie is a well known Springbok rugby player who currently plays for the Natal Sharks. At a glance I would have never put this arty girl together with a rugby player but they actually have so much in common. Both of them are doctors, both of them come from farming backgrounds and have a deep connection with the earth and nature, both of them are very family orientated and both of them are extremely friendly, funny and fun loving. On their wedding invites they wrote “Ons trou want ons is absoluut mal oor mekaar”, for those of you who don’t understand Afrikaans this means “We are getting married as we are absolutely mad about each other”. And that pretty much sums it all up!

Thanks guys for picking me. We loved our time with you!

PS The pics of Jannie in non wedding gear were taken on his family farm which he is very proud of. (Yes he is a rugby player, a doctor and a farmer!) As a person who tends to kill potplants I was mightily impressed with their bean plantation!

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My business card may say Jacki Bruniquel Art and Photography but there is a little lady with a huge heart, lots of talent and a massive spirit who works alongside me. If you follow my blog or if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you will know her as Natasha AKA Tash, Tish or more recently (her Indian nicknames) Peacock, Kingfisher or Parrot.

Tash started doing work experience with me on part time basis whilst she was finishing off her BTech Degree in Photography. She then joined me full time and it’s been amazing for me to see just how much she has grown over the past two years. Tash assists me on all shoots, she second shoots at weddings and also assists with editing and album design. Her editing and photographic work improves daily.  She is very very talented and works so bloody hard. We have a wonderful symbiotic relationship and I am indebted to her. Not only has she been a fab technical assistant Tash has kept me calm during periods of crazy stress and has been my head when I’ve lost mine.

We recently went to India to shoot Shane and Laurie’s amazing wedding. India was Tash’s first trip abroad and seeing her eyes wide in amazement and her spirit jumping for joy made me so happy. If things couldn’t get any better for Tash her long time boyfriend Neil came over to India and proposed to her at sunset on a Goan beach.

Engagement shoot to feature on this blog in a few weeks!!!

Thanks Parrot. You mean the world to me!!!!

We still have quite a bit of time on our hands before 2012 is over but I am convinced that Isa and Beyer’s Netherwood wedding will still be party of the year when 2013 rolls in! It was a fun wedding with lots of laughter and langarming!! (in case you don’t know what that is the langarm is, it’s a particular dance which is very much part of Afrikaans culture) Afrikaans boys (well at this wedding anyway) sure do know how to dance!!!!!!!!!! Love it!

The décor just blew me away too. Netherwood was filled with orchids for their big day which remind me of my late Grandpa and are very special to me. Besides the gorgeous orchids, the wedding had a rustic forest theme, incredible food, great music and wonderful vibrant guests. Beyers and Isa were just so easy to work with too. Without being a total gush … it was a photographers dream wedding to shoot. I am touching wood and feeling very lucky as all the weddings I have shot this year have been that way!

Thanks guys for picking me, we loved shooting your special day

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Yesterday was truly one of the most amazing days of my life …. I photographed the wedding of two wonderful souls in India. Shane and Laurie got married in Goa and it was magical. This photo sums up the whole day.  It also sums up Shane and Laurie, two free spirited special people whizzing through this journey we call life. I think it might be just be one of my most favorite pics ever.

One of the first things I ask my clients, is how they met.

Jane was sick as a dog and at home feeling sorry for herself whilst her brother was outside having a braai and lots of fun. Nick had had a terrible day at work and was invited along to this very braai. He knocked on the door and sick Jane was there to open it. The rest is history!

These two are so full of life! The are both Entrepreneurial with a capital E and seriously live their brands. Nick and his partners have the master shares of Vida Cafe in Durban (and that is where they had their first date!) He is also the sole distributer for Playboy Energy drink throughout Africa. Jane is a personal trainer AKA GI Jane and has a great pink studio in Durban North.

I just know their wedding is going to be an explosion of purple awesomeness and lots of bling and quirk. You guys have been so much fun to work with. Thanks for picking me!!

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Isa and Beyers got married up at Netherwood in the midlands on Saturday. What a wonderful day, what a wonderful place ……. what wonderful people. Here are 4 pics.

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When I first met Janlyn and Grant they were doing the long distance thing and spending quite a bit of time in aeroplanes! Although Janlyn is originally from Durban she was working up in Jozi and Grant was based down here in Durban. They both live in Joburg now, but Grant is an Umhlanga boy through and through and loves the beach. We therefore decided use two themes for their engagement shoot …… the airport and the beach! Unfortunately King Shaka airport proved rather hard to get permission to shoot in, so we used Virginia airport instead. I personally think it worked out just fine. I am looking forward to their wedding at Zulu Nyala in May this year. Thanks for picking me guys.

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