Duo of Dreams wedding venue in Pretoria

My first time at Duo of Dreams in Pretoria as a wedding photographer. I must admit I fell in love with their church…it is really beautiful.

Zack and Laurika is just the two most adorable people, I liked them (a lot) from the first moment I first saw them. Laurika talks constantly, and are always in a good mood, one of those people that makes you feel at ease and put you in a better frame of mind than you were before she walked in. (And she is always smiling) Zack on the other hand is a little bit more quiet, the type or person that you want to see again and again. He must have a gazillion friends, everybody likes being around him.

It was thus such a pleasure to photograph these two magic people’s wedding, we had such a lot of fun during the wedding shoot. There was special moments everywhere…I just had to press the shutter button. It’s not often that you see two people so incredibly happy at their wedding. It was hard to take a photo where their smiles weren’t right around their heads.

If you have a look at these photos you will definitely see the love they have for each other!

Thank for the privilege of being a part of your most incredible wedding day Zack and Laurika. I really, really enjoyed being your wedding photographer.

I asked Laurika a couple of questions

How did we meet?

We met during the spring of 2009 in the small town Potchefstroom. It was first during the spring of 2010 that Zack had asked Laurika out on a date. That same  night they went out to the arcade, “sokkie” at Impala, coffee in Klerksdorp, went to dance in the middle of the road in Klerksdorp….. after that night both were in love.

One week later Zack asked her to be his girlfriend. Without thinking twice Laurika said yes.

The Proposal

Zack told Laurika that they were going out on a date. He took her to the westcliff hotel in Johannesburg. He arranged with the restaurant to keep it closed until he was done with the proposal. When they went into the restaurant there was a table in the corner with rose petals all around it. He first asked the waiter to take a photo of them.  When he saw the waiter knew how the camera worked he went on his knee, told a story and asked the question.
With tears in her eyes Laurika said yes.

The Wedding Day

The wedding day to us was like a fairy tale dream that became a reality. We can’t think about anything that we would have done or wanted differently. Two of the best memories of the day that we would never forget will have to be when Laurika walked down the aisle and saw Zack’s face and for Zack when he saw Laurika. Then another memory that we will never forget is when we opened our dance floor on “I won’t give up”. It felt as though it was only us two in that room.

The Dress

The dress was a Pronovias princess dress from the white collection. Laurika always knew that she wanted to get married in a snow white dress as a symbol of purity.

The Flowers

The flower was done by Sonja Judeel from Monet Flowers (082 880 4229) – She is a brilliant florist with a passion in what she does. I would honestly recommend  her to anybody who wants a florist that will go the extra mile.

Highlight of the wedding:

The entire wedding day was one huge highlight in our lives

Was there any drama

No

The honeymoon:

For the honeymoon Zack spoiled Laurika by taking her for 8 days to Shandrani Hotel in Mauritius (Laurika’s first time to go overseas) and 4 days to Salt Rock. This was by far the best holiday ever. Between the speed boat to the islands around Mauritius, water ski, snorkelling, tour to the North side of the island, parasailing etc. this was definitely a holiday that we will never forget.

Tell us about the Photographer:

We used JC Crafford as our photographer. He is a brilliant photographer with an eye for perfection. His photos reflect his passion. He will go the extra mile to ensure that your photos are of the highest standards. If you want to have peace in your heart that your wedding photos (that can only be taken once) show all the details of your wedding day and brings your wedding day back to live, then JC should be your photographer.

Makeup and hair

My Make up was done by Studio 57, Theresa Bouwer (082 821 4796). A makeup artist that specialises in airbrush make up. She ensure to keep your natural look, while making you look stunning. I would recommend her to all the brides.

My hair was done by Sonja from Pin Curl. (011 892 3651). She has won numerous awards at bridal hair competitions and on my wedding day I understood why. She was able to adapt with hairstyles when the bridal party decided to change they hairstyle on the wedding day. She was able to keep everybody relaxed and have a stunning personality.

Advice for other brides and grooms

Worry as much as you want to before the wedding day but ensure that on the wedding  day that you live and treasure every moment. It only comes around once in a lifetime.

Inspiration behind the wedding – colours etc.

We went for a romantic theme with our colours Burgundy, cream and silver.

JC Crafford Pretoria wedding photographer and videographer

JC Crafford Photography is a family business consisting of JC, Surika and Timothy. JC is the photographer and Surika and Timothy are the videographers. We stay in Pretoria but travel all over South Africa to capture the magic, romance and feelings at people’s weddings. If you want a photographer that cares as much about your wedding as you do…give us a call.

You can view their wedding video here.