WHY I LOVED SHOOTING A WEDDING AT MONTPELLIER
Mike & Lucy’s wedding at Montpellier Estate
APRIL | TULBAGH![Bride gets ready for wedding at Saronsberg](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-20-1024x683.jpg)
![Wedding couple poses for photos beneath mountains at Sarons berg](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-50-683x1024.jpg)
![Wedding rings on the retro-styled wedding cake](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-55-1024x683.jpg)
Montpellier estate is an incredible place for a wedding. It’s nestled in the Tulbagh valley, surrounded by open spaces with a mountain backdrop, hilltop chapel, vineyards and even has a forest. I was lucky enough to be part of a photography team that captured wedding here in April and I want to share the four reasons I think this venue is incredible.
1. On-site venues for getting ready
Having easy access to both the bride and groom getting ready is win for an everyone, not just the photographer. It means no stress over traveling to a venue, no need for an extra car hire and having extra time for preparation photos. Montpellier has multiple buildings, all original farmsteads giving each party the space they need. Furthermore, each building furnished with immaculate vintage pieces and artworks making it a museum of interest.
![Bridesmaids posing outside Saronsberg cottages](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-8_websize-1024x683.jpg)
![Bridesmaid standing with flowers](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-4_websize.jpg)
2. The art gallery next to the wedding ceremony on Saronsberg estate
Never underestimate the effect of having an interesting location for your couple photos. Saronsberg’s art gallery is the perfect example of this space and it allowed for some really unique images. Being only a few steps away from the ceremony location, sneaking out to this spot was easy and yielded pictures that now stand out above the normal vineyard landscapes from all the other wine estates. This space offers so much for artistic photography – the art pieces make interesting elements for composition, the open and light space is a dream and having the bride and groom in the room made them look like collected items themselves.
![Wedding couple walk through the art gallery at saronsberg wedding venue](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-31_websize.jpg)
![Side profile of a bride walking down stairs](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-33_websize-1024x683.jpg)
3. The afternoon light in Tulbagh
Something not a lot of people know, is that the quality and colour of sunlight changes depending on where you are in the world. There’s no shortage of factors – time of day and year, composition of surrounding soil, the amount of wind in the atmosphere. The particular combination of these factors make Tulbagh in summer one of my favourite places to shoot because there’s a soft and warm haziness to the light. Combine this with the tall trees at Saronsberg to take the edge off the direct brightness and you’ve got the perfect lighting situation for photography.
![Bridesmaids laughing](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-43_websize.jpg)
![Wedding couple kiss with a motion blur of their wedding party running around them](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-45_websize.jpg)
4. The garden space for candid photos
Your best friends and family in one beautiful place celebrating you, that’s something your photographer should take seriously. Saronsberg’s garden space makes for a well shaded, open space perfect for catching candid photos of guests. It’s where they hold their ceremony as well as host any afternoon drinks and canapés. There’s enough room for people to not feel intimidated by the camera, so I could sneak around and catch otherwise unseen moments you will treasure forever.
![A candid moment from a wedding at Saronsberg wine estate](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-30_websize-1024x683.jpg)
![Young boy looking over dad's shoulder at a wedding](https://curatorphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Winefarm-Wedding-Curator-22_websize-1024x683.jpg)
These are the reasons I enjoyed shooting a wedding at Saronsberg. Below are the rest of my favourite images from this beautiful day. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me – I’d love to chat.
So much joy animated your wedding. I hope and pray that this remains the theme of your new chapter. Thanks for being so kind and letting myself and Carlie photograph you guys.
Love, Damian”
Service Providers
MAIN PHOTOGRAPHY | Come Honey
*as I was the second photographer for this wedding, I’m respectfully referencing only Carlie from Come Honey, as she needs the credit for working with the various vendors.
Go check out her and Chris’ work! They’re amazing!