A bride and grrom more than fulfilled the criteria of “something blue” when they had their wedding photos taken under water.
The newlyweds Nelda and Wesley Dyssel enjoyed a beach ceremony in Mauritius and cooled off with an amazing underwater photoshoot.
They were shot by professional photographer Ilse Moore, 34, who specialises in underwater photography and unscripted wedding photography, so combined her two passions with this shoot.
The pair met through a mutual friend but said they felt an immediate connection and as if they had known each other for years.
Bride Nelda said: “I immediately felt at ease when I met Wesley, freely being myself around this exciting new person.
“We could just laugh and be crazy together. Now, I cannot imagine life without Wesley and I am beyond excited to start our adventure as husband and wife, learning, growing, and loving life together.”
Groom Wesley said he fell for Nelda as soon as he met her and the pair had been almost inseparable ever since.
He said: “When we met, I could not stop looking at her gorgeous smile and her dark-brown eyes.
“We laughed, we joked, and we just clicked like I’ve known her all my life. When she left that night I could not get her out of my thoughts for even a second.
“Since then, we’ve barely left each other’s sight, and now I get to call the most amazing girl in the world my wife.”
The couple had their unique photo shoot the morning after their wedding, to avoid any damage to the wedding dress, which cost 26,000 South African Rand (£1,400).
They said: “We did the underwater shoot the morning after the wedding at 7am - and yes, the water was freezing cold.
“That way we knew that even if the dress had been ruined we had already captured all our wedding photos on our wedding day.
“We kept the underwater shoot a surprise from our guests who were staying at neighbouring hotels and they were in absolute awe when they saw the photos.
“The photos are so different and exquisite - Ilse really captured all of our magical moments and memories.
“We love that our images tell a story. We could not have asked for a more amazing and magical wedding day.”
Originally from Deneysville in South Africa, photographer Ilse has always been captivated by the water.
She said: “I first became interested in underwater photography in 2011 at a local swim school and I simply fell in love with the excitement and creativity involved in making a successful image.
“Shooting underwater is like having your own creative playground where anything is possible.
“I am now a full-time photographer specialising in underwater fashion and fine art, and unscripted wedding photography.
“There is very little control underwater and fabrics often move in unpredictable ways. The set moves with the motion of the water and the model needs a great understanding of how her movements and creative energy will affect the outcome of the shoot.
“Other challenges normally include poor water clarity and light quality as well as water temperature, but we are working towards far more permanent solutions to some of these.”
She added: “Because most of my shoots take place in swimming pools, I simply free dive with the model.
“This keeps communication simple and easy and I love chatting with the model in between poses. I would hate to be excluded from the active process by being underwater constantly.
“By wearing a simple weight belt, fins and a mask, I can also swim around the model easily and stay mobile enough to quickly help her adjust something or change my angle for a more interesting shot.
“One of my favourite moments after a shoot is sifting through the images and I’m always excited to see where they will end up creatively.
“With these particular images I was very happy to see how easily the couple took the water and how peaceful and natural they seemed to be.”
