The Cowshed Country Wedding | Marune & Robert

Photographing a wedding at The Cowshed is always a joy and great pleasure. Country weddings are full of open spaces, fresh air (with a tinge of manure smell here and there) and vast dollops of peace.

Tammy, Chris, Ann and Sue are such great hosts. Attentive and experienced, they navigate all their events with grace and friendliness.

The Cowshed has been around for as long as I have lived in Mpumalanga. They are situated halfway between Lydenburg and Dullstroom, where the Highveld ends, and the Lowveld begins. Once you turn off the tar road onto the dirt road, the welcome sight of the Steenkamp Mountain Range greets you.

April is an excellent time to get married and host your Lowveld wedding. The weather is more predictable and starting to settle down into its winter slumber. It’s also the best time for the aloes to begin their ultimate show and dance performance with the graceful sunbirds.

Every season has its perks.

The days are still warm; however, mornings and evenings are chilly.

Måruné and Robert kept everything low-key. They even set the tables and only had a catering team to help with the food.

I had met Måruné years ago at a shoot we were doing for a hair and makeup artist. She was quiet and attentive and what I remember most about her was how easy it was to photograph her. I fell in love with all her photos and felt energised after that shoot.

Imagine my delight when she emailed to ask if I was available; she was getting married! Who would have ever imagined that years down the line, we would meet again and on such a special occasion?

I was so blown away by how “oulik” her guy, Robert, was. A perfect match for Måruné. I could see them shacking up on many adventures together, maybe even considering showing off their power in something like The Amazing Race.

It was a gathering of their nearest and dearest, with good food, lots of tequila and the best MC to celebrate their wedding day, making this a memorable day.

Some questions I asked along the way:

1. What did you love about your wedding location?

We loved the tranquillity and open space.

2. What was your biggest challenge in having a farm wedding?

The biggest challenge was getting a catering company to travel to a remote location. Otherwise, everything was relatively easy.

3. What memory from your wedding is a stand-out? What part of the day had the most effect on you or your relationship?

Seeing Robert’s and my dad’s reactions when they saw me in my dress for the first time. The part of the day that had the most effect was standing in the front with Robert, and he turned to me and whispered: “Onthou om jou tone te wikkel sodat jy nie flou raak nie.” He made me feel at peace.

4. The moment/s that made you laugh out loud?

The moment we laughed and enjoyed the most was when my friend from high school and university, Grant and Robert’s long-time friend Panda had a dance-off.

5. Any advice you would like to share with future couples planning their wedding?

Take everything in every moment from starting to plan the wedding up until the big day. Remember, it is your special day. It’s okay to say no if you don’t like something. And remember the small or nitty-gritty stuff.

Thinking of getting married at The Cowshed? Contact me here.