Meshack and Manuela had such a beautiful wedding day and I was so happy to be a part of it! They called me the week before their wedding because disaster had struck and their previously booked photographer has a crisis and couldn’t help them anymore. I was happy to photograph their wedding, they sounded like such a lovely couple and my instincts proved right when I met with them on their wedding day.

Manuela looked totally breathtaking and had this easy glamour to her that made photographing her such a breeze. She was super punctual and that left us more than enough time for photographing details and getting all the other lovely moments of the getting ready process.

The church at The Range in Tokai is so beautiful! It’s an old stone building that just oozes charm and romance! The ceremony itself was so much fun – there was a lot of singing and dancing and general joyfulness. The perfect group of emotions for a happily ever after! The minister spoke so passionately about modern marriage and how old, traditional roles have evolved. It was one of the most progressive and interesting wedding sermons I’ve ever heard!

The couple shoot was definitely a favourite highlight of the day (as it always is) because both Meshack and Manuela were so in love and so sweet together that I’m pretty sure they would’ve been this cuddly and cute even if the camera wasn’t there!

As we entered the reception I knew we were in for something special. Meshack had organised dancers to perform traditional Burundian dance for the guests! It was really challenging for me to remember to take photos and not just stare in awe – the dancers were amazing and SO joyful! It really added a unique flavour to the celebrations. The bridesmaids had organised a fun challenge for the bride and groom. They had written traits down on pieces of paper, which they showed to the guests as Manuela and Meshack turned their backs to them. If the traits applied, the guests stood up. The bride and groom then turned around and had to guess what the trait was! It was really quite funny, with some sensitive topics like “Over 50s” and “smokers” and some almost impossible ones like “hates getting up in the morning”

I was so lucky to have been a part of this wedding! I like to think that it was fate that brought us together so that I could deliver these amazing photos and meet such a wonderful couple. <3