I just love this engagement shoot sent to us by South African wedding photographer Jacki Bruniquel! The photos capture Martha and Sbu’s love for each other as well as their obvious love for their lives and careers in such a unique way…
From photographer Jacki Bruniquel:When Martha and Sbus eyes met across a crowded nightclub their souls must have recognised something in each other that was more than just smoldering good looks. That fateful night marked the beginning of a love that has lasted despite long distances. A love that is rooted in a deep connection, a love that is going to be rooted in a marriage. Martha and Sbu are both in medicine and they both work in hospitals. Martha is a pharmacist in Canada while Sbu is a Doctor in Durban, so it seemed obvious to me that their engagement shoot had to be done in a hospital, and luckily for us Sbu had connections!
Jen and Chris’s gorgeous rustic wedding day was filled with sunshine, beautiful vistas, chic decor, and poignant moments. The couple planned touches that were both stylish and full of special meaning – from the robes made by Chris’s grandmother, to thoughtful remembrances that made Jen feel like her late mother was right there with her. The sunny yellow and gray color palette was the perfect compliment to Maravilla Gardens, and Christine Bentley beautifully captured it all!
What are some adjectives best describe your wedding? Rustic, chic, and casual elegance
What was your wedding color palette? Yellow and gray
What inspired your personal wedding style, and how did you incorporate your style and personalities into your big day? One of Chriss only requests was to have a completely outdoor venue for both our ceremony and reception. I loved the idea of having a casually elegant wedding and as soon as we set foot onto Maravilla Gardens property, we both instantly knew this was our wedding venue. We selected the yellow and gray palette before choosing our venue and allowed the rustic charm of Maravilla Gardens barn, corn fields and flowers set the tone for the rest of the wedding style. We purchased our first home a few months before the wedding and it was important to us to make use of the personalized details for both our wedding and new home, which fostered the personalized and subtle chic ambiance we were looking to create.
Looking back, what are the moments, decisions or memories that you love the most about your wedding? I loved the handmade bridesmaid gifts that Chris’s Japanese grandmother, made. They were beautiful kimonos that she created to match my Victorias Secret Bride robe. Chris found the perfect yellow and gray fabric. The best part is that I jokingly told her that we should go into business and make personalized kimonos, but we would have to create tags for them. She surprised me and made tags for the kimonos with hand-stitched Japanese characters, reading love and happiness.’
The other decision that meant a lot to Chris and I was incorporating my late mother in every detail possible. She was a florist, so the flowers were a huge element to me. Hannah with Modern Bouquet was so patient with my ever-changing vision and quest for floral perfection. Our family likened my mom to a hummingbird, and I found the perfect homage in the form of a rhinestone hummingbird that was included in my bouquet. One of our favorite musicals was Wicked, which we had the fortune to see at the Pantages Theatre together. I absolutely felt the lyrics from For Good beautifully described our mother-daughter relationship. Therefore, it was only appropriate to dedicate our ceremony to her with the lyrics at the bottom of our program reading So much of me is made from what I learned from you. You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart. And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have re-written mine. My sisters also read a poem about love that my mom had written years ago, which I had never seen until the night before our wedding in an amazing gift of letters and pictures my bridesmaids put together for me. Lastly, I had a heart cut out of her yellow robe and placed on the inside of my wedding dress, directly over my heart.
Favorite moments – I was so giddy and nervous that I tried kissing Chris before the official Mr. and Mrs.s kiss and he pulled back, everyone had a good laugh which broke-up the seriousness of the ceremony. I also loved the sunset pictures that Christine Bentley suggested. I thought breaking away from the party might not be ideal, but it was nice to have that time with my new husband. I had the opportunity to showcase my beautiful veil that I forgot to wear for the ceremony, and the cornfield pictures are some of my absolute favorite memories.
What piece of advice would you give to a bride planning her wedding today?Dont let anyone tell you that the details dont matter. If they matter to you, they are important and make your wedding your own. I did not have a wedding planner but had a lot of experience in event planning due to the nature of my moms profession. I solicited the help of Pinterest, family, friends, and an amazing day-of coordinator (Jen Loller with Maravilla Gardens). I was attending medical school at the time of my wedding and wouldnt have been able to pull-off such a personalized event without a lot of help from loved ones. Dont be afraid to ask for help – your family and friends are wonderful sources of support! Also, weigh the cost-benefit ratio of renting versus purchasing wedding items. I was able to save a lot of money by purchasing decor for the wedding and reusing it in our new home!
Nobody does a wedding quite like the talented team at London’s Niemierko, so when our dear friend and Junebug member wedding planner Mark Niemierko sent over the photo and video footage of this spectacular wedding, I was simply speechless. In the ruins of London’s landmark Battersea Power Station, Mark and a seeming army of helpers, transformed a disused coal power plant into a rock and roll wedding wonderland for some very special VIP clients. Take a look at these behind the scenes videos showing the transformation of the ceremony and reception spaces, and read on to hear Mark’s approach to creating a wedding like no other!
Junebug: What were the couple’s main priorities for their wedding? What was most important to you to accomplish?
Mark Niemierko: When I first met the Bride, along with her Groom, Mother and Father in February last year, she already had a clear vision of what she wanted, with folders full of images and tear outs from magazines. Pastels and vibrant colours mixed with classic and traditional elements, and the flow to the day were key from the beginning. But what was most important was that I was meeting a couple who were confident, and established enough in their own tastes to not conform to the stereotypical white wedding. The total opposite if you like in some elements! Which meant I was totally spoilt in working on something so different and exciting. The proof that they chose such an original venue as Battersea Power Station, a disused power station since the 1980s, showed their confidence and originality when it came to their tastes.
Junebug: Tell us about the design of this wedding. What was the vision and how did that translate that into the ceremony, decor, flowers, stationery, menu, cake?
Mark: As I mentioned, the Bride was fully armed with, I think, 4 folders of ideas from the outset. It was amazing to have such creative input from a Bride.
But before getting creative I always start with the planning / flow stages to a wedding. How people would need to get from the ceremony to the reception, how the evening guests would arrive and be welcomed… Its really about operationally understanding the spaces within the chosen venue and breaking them up.
Once we had a starting point for the day, a mini schedule and floor plan, I came back to the bride’s images, what she liked what she DISLIKED… and then broke those themes up into parts of the wedding day. Stages or acts if you like. Act 1 being the ceremony, Act 2 the cocktail reception, and so forth.
Along with the Bride’s love of colours, other aspects that we included were LA, and in particular the exterior of the Beverley Hills Hotel, a retro influence through the 50s, Rock and Roll and the start of what became the couples Monogram – flamingos! You see the Flamingos throughout the whole wedding.
The ceremony took place within the Library Space in Battersea. Ornate bookshelves were filled with hydrangea heads and candles. We installed a ceremony stage, ivory carpet runner, and a vintage record player for the Groom to play a record for his Bride’s entrance – Bob Dylans She belongs to me. Florist Simon Lycett used summer foliage, combined with branches of birch and clusters of ferns and other greenery, giving an informal effect.
Mark: The drinks reception and entrance into the power station borrowed inspiration from LA, and the Beverly Hills Hotel. The outdoor open reception took place in the middle of the Station where we had laid lawn, topiary bars and fountains for an LA garden effect. Quite a clean and chic look! Pink flamingos were the back drop to the bar, to add that essential colour, and male model waiters were dressed in blue shirts, bow ties and chinos. “Kitsch meets Vanity Fair” is one way to sum up this part of the wedding day.
The dinner was inspired by Positano and the Italian menu wed chosen to honor the Bride’s father’s family. Mustard catering was given the task of creating a simple, authentic Italian menu, and they delivered. The dining room was full of trees, specially built with fairy lights, and a stone fountain within a matching staircase which led to a baby grand piano and Ed Bentley, the pianist, who was the dining entertainment.
Evening guests joined the wedding at this point, outside where there was a champagne fountain, and a wedding cake by Peggy Porschens – naturally with gold flamingos as cake toppers!
Once the couple had cut the cake, the Father of the Bride announced it was now time to party, and a kabuki drop behind him revealed an uber-cool 50s style Rock and Roll nightclub. Using gold and black as our palate the ceiling was draped in lush gold drape, whilst the stage front was made of glitter gold and black panels. Midnight munchies were given an American theme – fried chicken within monogrammed buckets, French fries and mini mac and cheese! All washed down by cocktails mixed by Agostino Perrone the world famous mixologist and his team.
The final surprise for the guest was the Brides family friend, renowned photographer Rankin, who had setup a Photobooth as his gift to the couple. Guests soon got in line for their photo to be taken which was then projected onto a large screen behind the DJ booth.
Junebug: After all that creative planning and hard work, what ended up being your favorite part of the day?
Mark: For me the ceremony was the most magical. It felt super special, intimate, romantic and personal to my couple, yet also with their taste throughout. I loved how it started so romantic as the Bride arrived, and ended with confetti cannons going off to celebrate their union as they walked up the aisle. I always think a wedding should get louder and more vibrant as the day progresses so why not start as soon as theyve said I Do!
All in all there are amazing weddings. But I think it will take a while until Im able to top this one!
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