Kerri and Craig Grabouw Wedding

I can certainly say I won’t forget this special event very fast! I first met Kerry and Craig when I did their engagement shoot, and discovered them to be a couple who are down-to-earth, warm-hearted, simplistic and classy. Kerri carried an unpretentious elegance and beauty that I just knew would translate to a stunning bride!

The wedding was held at Rockhaven Farm in the charming apple farming community in a very pretty corner of the Cape Town area, called Elgin. I have previously photographed weddings here and Elgin ceases to disappoint in terms of near-boundless unique and beautiful spots for photography.

It was a cool, but sunny spring day – in fact, perfect weather for a wedding. Upon getting ready, both the groom and bride were a little nervously excited, but calm and cheerful. Craig chose a vintage-style wool suit with the coolest old-fashioned cap

A beautiful ceremony followed in the “boathouse” (converted to a chapel) where they read their own vows.

The pre-drinks were soundtracked by the sweet jazzy tunes performed by Carla Louw and her talented band. The couple had arranged a full day mobile coffee stand who made epic cappoccino’s – I won’t lie: I had two! While the guests enjoyed all of that, I grabbed the Mr & Mrs for their couple shoot. They were so easy to work with and put up with all my silly ideas and just went with it!

After this they had their grand entrance, and headed straight for their cake cutting… but it wasn’t just a wedding cake: a surprise awaited them! The bride’s sister had arranged a small extra cake with tiny confectionary versions – exact replicas – of the couple, right down to Kerri’s beloved bow that was the star of her wedding dress!

But this was not the last surprise! Kerri’s eldest sister happens to be dating an Grammy Nominated composer and pianist; Stephan Moccio. Does Celine Dion’s “A New Day Has Come” or Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” ring any bells? Well, this guy wrote them! A grand piano was specially delivered to the venue so that Stephan could perform these two hits in the classical piano style they were written in, in honour of the newly weds. It was rather a goosebump inducing moment as the guests watched, mesmerised.

The evening progressed smoothly, with the bride’s eldest sister’s speech being one of the most heartfelt I’ve heard from a sister. The best man (who was also the MC) had people giggling at his tellings and the groom spoke kind words. The DJ – Shaun Westwood – with a big, impressive rig, amazing sound and perfect song choice, had the crowd dancing the proverbial night away…

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