Struan and Ashley at Kokstad

Oh man am I sick of rainy weddings.  I was so excited about travelling to Kokstad to photograph Struan and Ashley’s wedding on the Stanford farm with the service to take place in an old shed and the rest of the wedding based on a farm theme.  My excitement was short lived after about an hour into the journey when I hit the first downpour of the day and from then on I went through a few more with the rest of the day being overcast and wet.  There was a lot of mud around the farm so the idea for the girls to wear gumboots was perfect.  Everyone was very jovial and did not allow the miserable weather to change their spirits which made the day quite pleasant.  Struan and Ashley were quite relaxed before the service and showed no sign of nerves which always makes things that much easier.  I have to admit the barn/shed was such a cool place for a service as it added so much character and charm to the service especially as everyone had to snuggle up to fit in  which worked out perfectly with the cold, wet weather outside.  I felt like a fly on the wall as the only place that I could position myself was right at the front against the wall which still made me be almost in the couple’s faces.  Every time I moved I bumped the candles that were next to me and I felt the wax pouring onto my camera and clothes and I was quite nervous of all those flames so closed to my flammable clothes.  After the service the guests  enjoyed some very tasty biltong, dry wors and other snacks while the congratulations took place and then the photoshoot after that.  We worked quite quickly during the photoshoot as it wasn’t pleasant to be out in the rain but we all managed it with a smile and even a good couple of laughs as well.  The reception looked very pretty and romantic with all the fairy lights and candles giving off their soft light to add to the ambiance of the evening.  Farmers love to party and they did not disappoint as they kept the dance floor packed and things just got wilder as the night went on.  Although it was a hard day at the office, due to the rain, I enjoyed the company and being a part of this unique day so thank you to Struan and Ashley for including me in it.  P.S. when I got back to my accommodation around midnight the sky was clear and the stars were dotted all over it. Whatever…