Skylines have always kickstarted our hearts. At any time, they stun—either a lordly beacon to inform your place in daylight or a twinkling assemblage of man-made stars in moonlight. They’re collections of monuments, archived with the weathered dings of history. They’re robust, sparkling mountains of glass, steel, brick, and plaster that you can live in, learn in, work in, or take charge of interests in. They’re beautiful, astounding panoramas of boundless architecture.
Yet, for some reason, the thought of getting hitched on the streets of a metropolis, particularly in the quiet beat of an alleyway (another personal favorite), never crossed our minds. It’s quite flooring in retrospect, because it's brilliantly unique!
For Laurelle and Garreth, however, this was the dream, for their new life together to start with their five senses glowing electric in a side street of Johannesburg. And the nuptials didn’t just take place in Johannesburg; it celebrated Johannesburg.
Thank goodness the incredible wedding photographer duo Lad and Lass were able to capture these intimate nuptials in this spectacular setting.
The stylish wedding was a celebration of love, family, and culture. Guests arrived on tuk-tuks to the Maboneng Precinct ceremony, located next to what is now The Museum of African Design (MOAD).
Their personality beamed in the layout of the ceremony, down to the crevices, as they walked down an aisle made of handwriting, with white flags flapping in the City of Light’s breeze and a rich mural watching over the union with a sly expression.
Their love out in the open, yet huddled together, on what looks like a movie set, Laurelle and Garreth held hands and kissed for the first time as husband and wife, with friends and family adorning them with crushed pink flowers.
Bouncing up ladders, exploring the high-up cityscape, and ensuring no good spot escaped them, Emma-Jane Harbour and her husband/business partner Dylan, who make up Lad & Lass, gleefully shot this poetic urban wedding.
The Venue Report: What were some highlights of your experience?
Emma-Jane Harbour of Lad & Lass Photography: “Shooting a wedding in the middle of the city, amongst the buzz of cars and taxi hooters, planes flying overhead; having free reign to climb up rooftops and explore the area with the bride and groom.”
TVR: What made the city a great backdrop and setting for the photos?
Lad & Lass Photography: “The street scene, the awesome graffiti, old heritage buildings, raw and real Johannesburg—it suited the couple perfectly. It was such a contrast placing wedding chairs, and all the wedding guests dressed so beautifully in quite a raw and real closed-off city street.”
Once romance was offered up, exchanged, and treasured before friends and family, it was time to gather everyone’s nerves into the industrial space next door (now MOAD), and party. Run by the event-planning extraordinaires at Spaza, the reception bounced to life with every kind of entertainment reflective of Laurelle, Garreth, and the culture they’ve observed in their beloved city.
TVR: What made this event particularly special?
Lad & Lass Photography: “The couple were amazing and created a truly unique, truly Joburg experience for everyone. The setting was epic. They had live music, capoeira, fire dancers, and plenty of Portuguese dancing!”
TVR: What was there for guests to do around down, outside of the wedding?
Lad & Lass Photography: “There is The Museum of African Design, and the Maboneng Precinct has a lot of shops and places to go eat and drink. I love [the restaurant] Canteen at Arts on Main, going for a drink at The Living Room, and they also have a Sunday market nearby called ‘Market on Main.’”
With old books of muted attention holding down a classy note and vibrant explosions of color radiating from the treat table, the reception was a perfect mix of young love (age is relative) and experienced wisdom, as this was the end of long, healthy, wonderful lives as singles and the beginning of a fresh, wild kick as a merry couple, barreling through life as one.
Guests were clearly inspired by the energy of the space, as they danced, laughed and even did flips into the late hours of the night.
Photographers: Emma-Jane Harbour of Lad & Lass | Venue: MOAD - The Museum of African Design | Event Planning: Spaza | Hotel: 12 Decades Johannesburg Art Hotel
