AN INTIMATE KAROO WEDDING

For couples, The Karoo wedding concept is an unexplored territory of untapped potential. If you want a unique and luxurious way to say “I do” in South Africa, there is no need to look any further.

Astounding new venues are popping up around the backcountry and are waiting to be discovered. As a wedding photographer, I think these fresh takes on farm stays in the wild Karoo make for incredible non-traditional wedding options. Whether you are a South African local or are dreaming of an international elopement, the Karoo offers a unique space for you to tie the knot.

I recently got to shoot an elopement in this beautiful Karoo. Below are the images and three reasons I think you will love getting married here.

1. The Karoo has historic, luxury locations for wedding venues

The Karoo hosts an array of old colonial farmhouses, but none are quite like De Kruis. My photoshoot was here and wow was it a treat! De Kruis is situated in the Tankwa Karoo, 8km deep in a wilderness reserve. This means it boasts privacy, quiet and an unspoiled experience of the outdoors. The house itself is 200 years old and the owners have renovated it with huge attention to detail. Inside is a mix of top-end quality furnishings and restored vintage decor, making it both beautiful and interesting. I think it is a spectacular. It is a truly undiscovered gem of a venue and perfect for elopements or small celebrations.

2. The incredible Karoo landscapes for wedding images

The Karoo is set in a range of open wilderness, sublime mountains and diverse flora and fauna. Nowhere else in the world do you have landscapes like this. Due to the low-growing vegetation of the Karoo’s floral kingdom, walking into open space for beautiful expansive couple shots is easy. Also, the mountains make for great leading lines and backdrops. This creates unique compositions, so the images come out carrying an artistic and wild feeling. Looking back on the images now, they make you feel as if you are being invited into an adventure. Particularly worth mentioning is that it was easy for me to get distraction-free photos because De Kruis has no other man-made structure anywhere near it. For anyone looking for a wedding venue, this is a huge win!

3. Unmatched African light

Natural light is the bread and butter of wedding photographers – and the Karoo light is something remarkable. This is because African evening light is wonderful, especially when it has not been filtered by any air pollution. It is intense and bold in colour. Sunset is a gorgeous and dramatic orange that makes images feel emotive. Then, as the sun dips, the light fades into a golden wash that is beyond beautiful. It casts this gentle hue that photographs perfectly.

The below images are from a styled wedding in the Karoo and are used with permission from De-Kruis. It is a cinematic mix of digital photos and a few 35mm film shots taken on the day. Notice how the light shifts and the colours change. It was one of my favourite shooting experiences to date.