As a matter of principle we always scout wedding venues before weddings so that we have a feel for the place and photo opportunities that are available there. I believe it’s an absolute requirement if you want to be professional not to arrive at a venue ‘cold’ but forwarned and hopefully forearmed about the venue’s challenges and opportunities. Tarryn and Marco are to be married in December at Zebra Lodge, about 40km Northeast of Montana in Pretoria, so we grabbed the chance to do their e-session there on Saturday. That way we could kill both birds with one trip into the bush.
Zebra Lodge is one of those typical bushveld game lodges that abound in that part of the world. The countryside is hilly with dense thorn bush and dusty gravel roads. (That’s ‘dirt roads’ for some of the English-speaking world.) We arrived there at around 11 in the harshest possible sunlight so we did most of our photography under the massive, shady bluegum trees. (Thank you, Australia, for exporting those thirsty, beautiful monsters to every corner of the planet!)
