A Red Ivory Wedding

I’ve come a long way with these two. From the first time we met we got along very well. I can still remember the good time we had  when we first met, we sat there the whole afternoon drinking beers like old friends. Their wedding would have been last year already, but due to the sudden passing away of Bernice’s dad in Scotland they postponed the wedding. We kept in touch and I even had the privilege to photograph their first born, little Rylan, earlier this year.

Their wedding will always be characterized for me  by Bernice’s very calm personality (nothing can upset this lady), a VERY emotional Jean, the christening of their son just after they got married and a fantastic party with friends that came from as far away as England. And oh yes, these two is not in a hurry to get anywhere! It is clear that this is a match made in heaven. Thanks for allowing me to be part of your big day Jean and Bernice, I just know we will stay friends for a long time.

Jean and Bernice’s Story

Here is the story of how they met and fell in love, in Bernice’s own words. I had tears in my eyes halfway through the story and was crying at the end. That’s one of the reasons why I am a wedding photographer … I just LOVE a good love story!

We are high school sweethearts. We met when I was 15 and he was 16. We liked each other immediately and he used to come visit me with his friends on their 50ccs. We were young and him being in an Afrikaans high school and me in an English one we lost touch but met up again just before my 21st birthday. We made some plans to meet at the then local ‘’Bulldogs’’. When my friend, Jolene and I got there my ex with his friends came to join our table so when Jean got there he got the wrong idea and thought we were getting back together.   So he didn’t pitch to my 21st birthday party and actually called me on the night to tell me he is not coming and that he does not want to see my anymore because he believed I was still into my ex. I was devastated. I spent the whole night in tears while others enjoyed my party. I always told Jolene that Jean was the one who broke my heart.

I moved to the UK and stayed there for 8 years. During this time Jean told me that he never forgot ‘’his Bernice’’  he says he even used to send sms’s to the number he had for me not knowing I no longer had that number or was in the UK.

Just before my 30th birthday in June 2008  he contacted me via Facebook. We started chatting via emailing but we were both seeing other people, him in SA and me in the UK that we ‘’lost touch’’ again.

On the 4th of Feb 2009 I was on the train on my way to work when I dozed off, in my mind’s eye I saw Jean standing in the train holding onto the yellow hand rail and holding me against his chest. I literally shook my head and thought ‘where does that come from’’ and that I must email him when I get to work to see how he was. I got to work and got busy, so forgot to email him, when just past 12pm a got an email, it popped up on the bottom right hand screen like the old outlook did ‘’ message from Jean Pierre van Wyk’’  my heart literally skipped a beat.

This is what his email said … Hello my skat, hier is n bietjie Afrikaans vir jou. Ek verlang verskriklik.

I replied ‘’No ways, I was just thinking about you this morning and meant to email you’’

From that day onwards our future started. He came to see me in the UK for my 31st birthday in June 2009, to make up for my 21st birthday. He was going to move to the UK but when I came to SA to visit him, he took me to Magalies at Harties, the resort just opposite Red Ivory and we fell in love all over again I fell in love with SA again told him I want to come home. Since I made that decision everything just fell into place for example I found a job back in SA while still in the UK, so it was all so meant to be. Planned by our gracious Lord above.

We then fell pregnant, got married at Harties as that is where WE started all over again. It meant so much to us to say our vows there.

Our wedding day was one of the best days of my life, the other being the day Rylan was born. I enjoyed every single minute and my only wish was that it could have lasted two full days as it was the day that went by the quickest.

Wedding Venue – Red Ivory

Red Ivory is situated in Hartbeespoortdam. When somebody call me and ask met to photograph a wedding at Red Ivory, I am immediately excited. I just love the place. Their decor is fantastic, ample place for a wedding photographer to photograph the couple and incredibly delicious food. And everything runs like clockwork. Visit their website at www.redivorylodge.co.za.

This is a VERY special photo for me. When I was waiting fot the bride and groom so that the ceremony can start I saw this bowl with flowers in on the table in front of the church. I also saw the reflection of the cross in the bowl. I just knew what I had to do. Directly after the ceremony I got Jean and Bernice to stand next to the cross, I turned my flash around to light them as the sun was behind them. The result was this photo. Their reflection was only at the left hand side, I cloned it and used Photoshop to put them on the right hand side of the flowers as well.

Bernice’s make up was done by the incredible Janell Donders. This lady is a maestro with make-up. I wish all brides can realise just HOW important a good make-up artist is. Everything can NOT be fixed in Photoshop LOL . You can contact Janell on 082 292 3083 or go to her website at www.wedding-makeup.co.za.

Just look at the flowers on these tables. INCREDIBLE! The ladies responsible for that were Louinette and Lisa from Red Ruby Events.

Each table was named after a singer or band.

Jean, his dad and two brothers taking a break (and a beer)  before the big event. They were game for anything. I even managed to convince Jean to jump in the pond for a photo!

Getting Rylan ready for mommy and daddy’s wedding and his christening.

This Jean is really a perfectionist, he was constantly checking that everything is 100% for his wedding … and everything WAS 100%.

Jean is one of that very emotional people (how refreshing) this was even before Bernice walked into the church. Jean … respect brother!

Little Rylan waiting his turn for his big moment, keeping himself busy with grandfather’s thumb in the meantime.

This was a very nice touch. A couple of family members passed away, a close member of each family came forward in the service and lit a candle for each one of them

This really made me choke up. Bernice added her dad’s wedding ring to her necklace. Bernice, I know your dad was with you on the day, and he would have been very proud of you and the man that you married.

Jean was full of ideas on poses for the wedding. He clearly did some surfing on wedding websites before the wedding!

Can you see with what pride Jean is looking at Bernice? I wonder what he was thinking?

LOL. Jean was VERY worried about the first dance which they practiced for. Here they were practicing during the photo session. He could do THIS move very well!

Bernice’s mum, what a sweet lady!

Bernice danced the father daughter dance with Jean’s dad!

A good friend of Bernice, Tania, came all the way from England for the wedding. (Now THAT’s a TRUE friend). It looked like she really enjoyed our South African weddings.