Oh my heavens, this couples’ love story is straight out of a story book. Do yourself a favor and set aside some time today to get lost in their international love affair – trust me, it’s worth the read. And these images from Anouschka Rokebrand Photography? Equally as amazing. Put them together, and we have one perfect post on our hands. See even more here.
From Holly (our bride to be)…Dirk and I met in Germany in 2008. I was at the end of a nine month study/travel adventure and Dirk had just arrived to do a three month internship. I met him by chance one afternoon, realizing (happily!) that he was the new flatmate of a good friend of mine. The moment I laid eyes on him I knew he was different from the rest. After a whirlwind six weeks, it was time to pack my bags and head back home to Australia, albeit reluctantly. We were in touch every day for four weeks, and realizing I wasn’t quite ready to be back home, I spent my last dollar on a flight back to Europe. After securing a job in London within days, I headed straight to the Netherlands to see him. Those first moments spent together at the airport after seeing each other after a month apart were some I will never forget. Our chemistry was palpable. We couldn’t take our eyes off each other! I stayed the weekend, then extended my stay to a week. I ended up staying two months while waiting for my job in London to start. Those two months were the most romantic of my life, and the most fun either of us have ever had. Naturally, leaving him to go and work in London was difficult, but I commuted almost every weekend to see him during that time, and he would visit me there too. After nine months, a decision had to be made. Return to my studies in Australia and risk never seeing him again, or start a new adventure in the Netherlands? As he was completing a masters degree at the time, I knew the only option was for me to take the leap. On 1 January, 2009 I arrived in the Netherlands, bright red suitcase in hand, to be with him. It was the best decision I ever made. I was, and still am, crazy about him. He asked me to marry him on boxing day 2012, nearly two years after we welcomed our little girl, Lola, into the world.
My work as a stylist came into play for our late summer engagement shoot, though natural, organic and effortless romance was central to the overall look and feel. We chose a local venue that was meaningful to us for the shoot. The first nine months of our relationship was spent sharing a bicycle, and we have many fond memories of that time. We rode all over the place, Dirk behind the handlebars and me on the back! So incorporating my army green bike was a must. One of my absolute favourite things to do is picnic, so I wanted our shoot to be based around a cosy and effortless picnic setting. We ate different types of cheese, crackers, blueberries and figs with red wine while our amazing photographer Anouschka Rokebrand snapped us enjoying a quiet and romantic picnic together beneath a gigantic oak tree. There is always a chill in the air in the late summer, so we incorporated a few cosy blankets to snuggle into. To add a touch of whimsy and romance to our late summer shoot, I had a gorgeous floral wreath made out of berries, tiny flowers and foliage. I adore wreaths and will be incorporating them into our wedding in the spring of next year, so it became an element I wanted to weave into the shoot. Late afternoon sunshine gave our images a beautiful soft and romantic light.
From Anouschka Rokebrand Photography…I met Holly a few months ago when she contacted me to colaborate on a few editorial shoots for Style me Pretty Living together (she’d been referred to me by the wonderful ladies over at SMP Living). We clicked instantly and had a blast working on the editorial shoots. I was incredibly honored that she trusted me to capture her engagementsession for her and Dirk. They are such a cute and amazing couple and we had the best time with them!
I love the organic feel of the shoot thanks to Holly’s wonderful styling. The amazing Katie Larcombe did Holly’s hair and make-up for the shoot and I always love working with Katie.
photography: Anouschka Rokebrand | Styling: Avenue Lifestyle | Hair & make-up: Katie Larcombe
