nicole & willem sneak peek

if you know me, you'll know i'm not a morning person. at all. but waking up at 5:30am on an almost-winter saturday morning was completely worth it to shoot nicole and willem's wedding. 

the amazing tim gerges (check out his photo blog here) and i had done their engagement shoot a few weeks back and it was a lot of fun (even when it started to rain!), so we were really excited about shooting their wedding as well.

i could not be happier for nicole -- she absolutely glowed on her special day. she also had the most beautiful bouquet i've seen. and willem looked so dashing in his perfect pin-stripe suit. thanks for trusting me so many times -- asking you to take off your shoes and climb in a freezing cold pool and loads of other stuff. but thanks, especially, for being so authentically in love.

here are a few sneak peeks, enjoy x

i love parys in the fall...

i am so overdue with blogging. life is madness at the moment, but so wonderful. full of things that bring me joy and make me excited for the months to come :)

anyway...we roadtripped to parys a few weeks ago {if you can call an hour's drive a roadtrip} and it was really cool. i am a total sucker for vintage stores and art galleries so it was great for me to just take my time walking up and down the main road, exploring all the cool places. i have never seen so many proteas -- either made from wire, in prints, beaded or embroidered or painted. i haven't really been a fan of proteas until now, and i love how they're creeping into designs everywhere -- iconically south african.

i would recommend eating at feast -- your tastebuds can't keep up with the amazing flavour combinations. i had rocket and caramelised onions and camembert on a chicken burger. yum! and climbing the steep steps into hoi polloi is worth it for a late afternoon drink.

remembering

mother's day has a different kind of meaning for our family. my grandmother passed away when my mom was only seven years old, and every mother's day we visit west park cemetery to put flowers on her grave. we also visit my great-grandfather's gravesite too, they are buried not far from each other.

it's quite surreal honouring someone you never knew. i often wish my grandmother had lived into my lifetime so that i could have clear memories of her, instead of ones filtered through someone else's foggy recollections. i know her name was beryl davidson, and she was super sporty. she also was an incredible seamstress and made all my mother's dresses. i've seen photos of her, and she looked like a lot of fun, despite suffering with ill-health. she died at age 39 from heart disease, only ten years older than i am now. i wonder what her voice sounded like, what kind of jokes she would find funny. what her cooking would taste like. what her signature perfume would be. i can imagine, but it's not the same.

when my mom and i stand at her tombstone, i do mourn for her. it's the strangest feeling. it also makes me think about my legacy. and how incredibly grateful i am to have my mom with me, and such an integral part of my life. our relationship, while not without its challenges, is so fulfilling. 

it's quite redemptive in a way.