I got a call on short notice to do a wedding shoot in Secunda. The bride, Estelle, was understandably a bit distressed about having to go with another photographer so close to the wedding date but after reassuring her that she was in safe hands the details were confirmed and I was on my way there the next weekend.
It must be said that Secunda does not exactly make me feel fuzzy. Memories of the town include nerve wrecking interschool athletics during my primary school days and mind numbing business trips there quite recently. As I arrived at Lake Umuzi‘s waterfront I was pleasantly surprised by the venue’s highveld charm. Kikuyu grass lawns and willow trees lining a spruit which flows into a lake. There was even a man-made cloud with compliments from Sasol hovering over the venue the whole day making for beautifully diffused light.
I wasn’t briefed on the theme of the wedding and at first it came as a bit of a shock when I saw Estelle’s BLACK wedding dress. It surely was alternative and it meant a different approach to telling the story of their wedding day. As I got to know Estelle and Peter during the day it however all started to make sense and I enjoyed the opportunity and challenge of doing something completely different.
The “getting dressed” session was a massive challenge as the rooms were very dark without any natural light whatsoever to speak of. This in my opinion is a massive drawback for the venue and something they should look to improve on. A lot of wedding photographers pride themselves on the fact that they only shoot with natural light but in those rooms it was impossible. I counted my lucky stars for recently embracing flash photography which definitely saved the day in this instance.
It was a wonderful wedding to cover and Estelle and Peter really made me feel welcome. I want to thank them for their generosity and warmth. It was a joy and pleasure to work with them and I wish them all the best for their future life together.
