Under the granite domes of Paarl Mountain
Paarl takes its name from the Dutch word for pearl, after the granite domes on Paarl Mountain that shine after rain. The domes, Paarl Rock among them, sit in the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve above the town, and the Afrikaans Language Monument stands on the same slope. From up there the Berg River valley opens out below: a wide backdrop for couples and families.
Winelands weddings with a photographer in Paarl
Paarl's wedding venues are mostly wine estates on the valley floor and the slopes around it. Summers in the valley are hot, so a later ceremony gives softer light and cooler guests. In winter the Drakenstein valley can be wet, so agree an indoor plan B with the venue. Lee-Ann's wedding packages begin at R6,500; the wedding photographer page shows how the day runs.
Under the old oak
A huge bare oak spreads its branches over the couple as they embrace on a dirt path beside a timber fence. A white gabled building sits small in the distance, and the soft, overcast light keeps the lace on her sleeves crisp.
Photograph: Lee-Ann Alicks
Reflected in still water
The couple stand behind a timber fence, framed from across a pond, so their embrace repeats upside down in the water below. A pale pink sky and muted grass keep the whole frame soft and quiet.
Photograph: Lee-Ann Alicks
A spin, then stillness
He lifts her hand high and spins her across brick paving; the lace skirt flares out and her long hair swings against a dark, clipped hedge. Then a close embrace in black and white, her ringed hand on his chest, which brings out the jewelled hair comb, the lace and the folds of the veil.
Photograph: Lee-Ann AlicksAlong the Berg River
The Berg River runs through Paarl on its way to the West Coast. Its banks give a flatter, greener setting than the mountain, which suits engagement shoots and families who want level ground for small children. The soft evening light along the water is the time to aim for.
Client story: the Saayman wedding
Lee-Ann remembers the Saayman wedding as a stunning day. When she arrived at the venue it was windy and looked like rain, but just as the ceremony started the wind died down and everything went quiet and calm. Her own summary: a fairytale wedding.
“Stunning photos Leebee”Melanie, a wedding guest, on Facebook
Buttoning the lace
Hands work the covered buttons up the bride's sheer back while lace appliqué climbs from the skirt to her shoulders. Black and white keeps the eye on texture: the lace, a fine beaded back chain and the curls pinned at her neck.
Photograph: Lee-Ann Alicks
Vows, then the kiss
Hand in hand before the officiant, the groom in a blue suit with a protea pin on his lapel and the bride under a long veil, white chairs and guests to one side. Then the kiss beneath a flower-trimmed iron arch, framed by guests' shoulders, with the red carpet aisle running up the middle of the frame.
Photograph: Lee-Ann AlicksWhat a Paarl session costs
Every Paarl session carries the R500 travel fee on top of Lee-Ann's price: R950 for an hour of family, maternity or baby photos, wedding packages from R6,500, and a quote for everything else. The full list is with the Cape Town photoshoot prices, and every other kind of shoot she offers appears on her Cape Town photographer page.
Questions people ask
Is summer too hot for a wedding shoot in Paarl?
Midday in a Paarl summer is hot and the light is harsh. Couple portraits work far better in the hour before sunset, which is also when guests are more comfortable outside.
Can we have our photos taken at Paarl Rock?
Paarl Rock is inside the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve. Check access and any conditions with the reserve before you plan a shoot there.
Do you cover weddings at Paarl wine estates?
Yes. Lee-Ann photographs weddings at Paarl estates, with the R500 travel fee added to her wedding package, and packages start from R6,500.