Katie + Simon – South Africa Wedding

Franschhoek Wedding Photographer

Over the years we’ve had plenty of unusual wedding enquiries but my first meeting with Katie & Simon was totally unique. I was at a concert with my friends Zak & Bianca, waiting for the brilliant Lissie to take the stage when a guy walks over and asks if I’m Steve Gerrard. That guy was Simon. He’d become aware of my photography when I’d photographed one of his (and my) favourite musicians, Gemma Hayes. So, when he and Katie got engaged years later, I was already on his radar for wedding photos.
We chatted briefly and agreed to meet up somewhere quieter at a later date to chat about specifics. I knew straight away that we were going to get on brilliantly, and I now consider them both friends more than clients.

The fact that they were planning a wedding in Franschhoek, near Cape Town, was a complete bonus. I’ve done a lot of travelling in my life but had yet to visit anywhere in Africa. I’d heard great things about Cape Town but was completely unprepared for how beautiful the area around Franschhoek is.

The wedding day itself was unseasonably hot, nearing 40 degrees Celsius, and was held at the Holden Manz wine estate. The backdrop of the mountains was spectacular and everything about the wedding was perfection. Highlights included the emotional moment when Simon’s daughter Taryn played a piece on the piano, the local children’s choir surprising everyone with a fantastic show, the great speeches, the fire dancers and some serious shape-throwing on the dancefloor. And a frog!

Thanks to everyone there for making me feel so welcome, but most of all to Katie and Simon for trusting me to capture it all for them. One wedding I will never forget! And I truly hope I get to take Evelyne and the boys to that part of the world sometime…

One of the guests at this wedding, Lori, went on to have a wedding at El Cortijo de los Caballos in Spain, and I got to photograph that one too as well as catch up with Katie & Simon for a family session.

If you’re planning a wedding in Franschhoek or any of the beautiful areas near Cape Town and are looking for a Franschhoek Wedding Photographer, I’d love to hear from you so drop me an email via the Contact Page.

Wedding planners – Wedding Concepts

I’m a Brit living in Montreal with my wife, Evelyne and our three boys, Elliott, Isaac and Jonas! Evelyne and I met in the Alps in 2003 when Evelyne thought she was a cool snowboarder and I thought I was a superstar DJ. We got married in 2007 in Cornwall, England and moved to Canada in 2014. I photographed my first wedding in 2006 and have now shot almost 500 weddings, mostly in Canada & the UK, but I absolutely love travelling anywhere in the world. I enjoyed it when I started but love my job now more than ever.

** Voted Best Wedding Photographer by the readers of Perfect Wedding Magazine **

“Steve Gerrard has a knack for capturing the tiniest, fleeting moments you didn’t even realize were happening, as well as the all-important hero shots.” – Rock My Wedding Blog

Below is a short slideshow of some of my favourite recent wedding photos… Take a look. And turn the sound up!