Reviews

We were lucky enough to have Riekert photograph our wedding at Lothian Vineyards.Amanda and I looked at a lot of photogrpahers work. Riekert's magnificient images, particularly those of huge African skies at dusk, were the ones that really caught our eye, and sold us on his ability.

The booking and planning process was easy. A single meeting was all that was necessary to discuss the details, and timings. From then on it was a simple matter of fine tuning the logistics, and turning up on the day.

The day itself could not have passed any better. The wedding was everything we hoped for and then some, and Riekert and his assistant captured everything. Impressively they did so in the least intrusive way. We were taken back by some of the photos - we just had no idea they were there. Seriously, they must be trained in the art of ninja-stealth!

Just as important to us is the fact that Riekert has a winning personality. Stress and fuss-free, all the while fostering a great rapport with the wedding party and guests.Ultimately however it comes down to the finished product; the photos.In short, few words can adequately describe our first review, and the reaction of family and friends. Stunned. Everyone was blown away.

That really does tell the whole story of what Riekert contributed to making memories that we will treasure for a lifetime.We wholeheartedly recommend his services.

“When my husband and I were looking for wedding photographers, we were referred by another great photographer to Riekert. When we saw Riekert’s work we instantly knew that we liked his style, and when we met him we knew that we made the right decision choosing him to shoot our wedding. Riekert was so warm, humble, friendly and welcoming. He even helped us to plan the schedule for our wedding, and he gave us very useful tips.

Riekert was very punctual and reliable, and we felt comfortable during the shoot. We were amazed and impressed with our wedding pictures. The problem now is deciding on which photos are our favourite.Although we have already received our pictures, we still occasionally communicate with Riekert. We were able to build a nice relationship with Riekert, and we will definitely use him in the future. I have already referred him to people, because I am impressed with his work, and I trust him.”

“Riekert is one of the most professional people (not just a photographer) that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. I am very camera-shy, but Riekert has a way of making you feel comfortable while seamlessly blending into the background capturing phenomenal photographs in the process.

We were blessed to have Riekert as our photographer, as well as being involved in several other weddings where he was the photographer, I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for the best…but you better move quick – this man is going to be booked out well in advance!”

“Riekert Cloete is really an amazing photographer. My husband and I decided to first do a test run and thus, asked him to do our engagement shoot. He did such an amazing job with our engagement photos and my husband felt so comfortable, which is always a struggle as men tend to feel uncomfortable in these situations, however after the shoot we both agreed that we wanted Riekert to be our wedding photographer.

His work is really his passion and when someone is passionate about what they do, they do it extremely well and that is something you will find with Riekert’s photography.The quality and packaging of the photos are of the highest quality. His friendly personality makes you immediately feel comfortable and at ease- which was great for me on our wedding day, as regardless of how hard you try, you still will be stressing.”

“Riekert captured all the magical moments of our day in a special way. His unintrusive way of shooting made it so easy and we never felt uncomfortable.The quality of his shots are superb and I love the light he uses at sunset. He was well prepared as he insisted we met well in advance to discuss our needs.

We did our shoot after the day’s event and we were very tired. Riekert however, quickly changed that and made it one of the favourite parts of our day…chilling and relaxing in each other’s arms while he captured all the special moments.”

“We got married in Pretoria, South Africa on at Imperfect Perfection. We knew ever before we got engaged that we will use Riekert as our wedding photographer one day. I have seen some of his work a few years before and he was the photographer at two of my friend’s weddings. There was no doubt in our minds that he must take our wedding photos.

Luckily for us everything planned out, he was available for the day and we are so thankful for that!We had so much fun during the shoots – it was a bit difficult to be more serious for some of the close up shots as we were just having a ball! Riekert is an amazing photographer and person to work with – from communicating via e-mail to meeting him in person before the wedding he made us feel that our day is just as important to him as it is to us. As my husband described it – The shoot was comfortable, easy going, fun, entertaining and very enjoyable!!

Our photos are AMAZING and even four months after our big day we still find ourselves looking through every photo at least once a week, appreciating that he was able to capture EVERY moment of our special day. Thank you, Riekert for making our memories last forever!”

“Andrew and I have been blessed to have found Riekert as our photographer for our special day. Not only is he such an amazing person on the inside, he is a brilliant photographer. The photos far exceeded our expectations and we are grateful for every memory he has captured in his unique way.

Riekert clearly knew what he wanted to achieve in capturing all the special moments and emotions of the day but was very unobtrusive and we couldn’t have asked for more from him. We also have Iza to thank for the beautiful makeup and calming influence she had on the morning as nerves were increasing! We can’t thank you both enough.”

“Riekert shot our wedding on the 22nd at Montpellier de Tulbagh in Tulbagh. Upon meeting Riekert for the first time, it felt as if I was meeting up with an old time friend! Riekert is very easy going and approachable! He has this calming effect that I can’t explain!

On the wedding day itself, he is very professional but also a lot of fun! Just another bonus is that his wedding packages are priced very well…especially when you see the quality and amount of photos he gives you!Riekert was definitely the best man for the job!!!! 110% to you Riekert!!!”

“Riekert was recommended by 2 of the best wedding photographers in South Africa (they were personal friends of ours so we wanted them as guests and not to work).

So we met with Riekert and most important were that my husband was comfortable with him immediately (guys don’t love the camera) and I just loved his portfolio and the fact that he could get the photos to us so soon after the wedding (BIG PLUS!!!).

On the day it felt like Riekert wasn’t ever in our face – he was always at a distance and all I remember is that I laughed so much through our photo shoot on the day. He allowed us to have our day without interrupting it! And out of that came the BEST photos we could have wished for.

One problem you will have with Riekert – you won’t know how not to choose 300 photos to put in your home afterwards. We have our wedding photos all over our house cause they are not just special but complete artworks on their own! You can’t go wrong with choosing Riekert as your wedding photographer!!!!”

From the moment we met Riekert we'd met up with an old friend and from the beginning we knew he would be our first choice and would be perfect for our big day. Riekert is very passionate about his work.

On the day of our wedding, there were so many incredible and special moments with our family, friends & our kids, that he managed to capture so perfectly.His passion and enthusiasm to capture so many special memories in a range of photos , Riekert constantly were on the look out to use the scenery and ground of the venue.

If you are looking for a photographer then look no further than Riekert, we would not have wished for a better photographer,
Thank You, Riekert!

“Riekert Cloete is one of the most amazingly talented photographers anyone could look for. He did our wedding in Port Elizabeth in February 2012 and to this day I firmly believed he was the best photographer for the job. He is very experienced and offers great advice on weddings! Our photos were breathtaking and arrived shortly after our honeymoon in the most elegant packaging.

The quality of photos was amazing! What’s more is that to Riekert we were not just another couple he was photographing, it felt more like he was a lifelong friend sharing in the experience with us.”

When Bryan and I first met Riekert, we just knew he was the best and only choice for our wedding photographer. He has such a warm personality and passion for his art. On our wedding day he made us feel so at ease and shared in our excitement. We especially enjoyed the couples shoot and it is reflected in the photographs, so much fun and laughter:-)

Our guests also had only the nicest compliments for Riekert because of his great personality. We knew the photos would be beautiful, but nothing could have prepared us for how PERFECT they were. WOW! It looked like a fairytale! We can't stop looking at our photos and the compliments just keep coming everytime anyone sees it.Thank you so much Riekert for being such an important part of our PERFECT wedding day. We are really blessed to have had you as our photographer and we hope that we will one day have another opportunity to work with you. God bless you:-) Love Candice and Bryan Daniels

Wow!! Where to begin!

From the day I started looking around for a photographer, Riekert was the one I hoped would be available for our special day. Email correspondence was so easy as he always replied fast and in a very friendly manner. We were elated when he could capture our day and we arranged for an appointment to meet him. When we got to his house we were met with a big, warm and friendly smile. He invited us in and made us some delicious coffee. He asked about how we met, how long we have known each other, our plans for the wedding day, where we would like to have our pictures taken and the flow of the actual day. He also gave us a background on his career and where he met his wife. We felt so at ease through the whole meeting and it just confirmed that we made the best decision.


He gave us guidance as to how to stand in order for the pictures to come out the best. When it was the end of the night the guests were so eager to see some pictures and Riekert was so kind to send us some images that same night. Wow!!! And how amazing they were. That made us sooo very excited to see the rest.The pictures was out of this world. "A picture says a thousand words", and our photos told the most beautiful story of the best day of our lives.Thank you Riekert!! The passion and love for your work and people is evidently. You are an artist and I would recommend you to anybody!

We were so lucky Riekert was available to take the photos on our wedding day. The final photos were absolutely stunning, and Riekert made full use of the beautiful surroundings in order to capture each shot. On the day itself Riekert made us all feel at ease with his easy going manner, and sense of humour. He also worked very fast, and I still don't know how he managed to take so many photos in such a short space of time. We therefore did not have to spend too much time away from our guests.

After the wedding Riekert finalised the photos very quickly, and arranged for us to receive the CDs as soon as possible.I would not hesitate to recommend Riekert as a wedding photographer, or for any other occasion. We certainly hope to use him again in the future.

I saw a photograph by Riekert Cloete on Facebook once that was very striking. The photo showed a bride on horseback with soft ligting. It was beautiful. After some further investigation I saw that Riekert has a special gift for capturing sunsets and stunning wedding moments.

It was not difficult to communicate with Riekert in advance of the wedding as he has an easy-going personality. He proposed a wedding time-line which worked wonderful on the day.

After attending a number of other weddings I realised what a professional photographer Riekert is, because I was not aware of him most of the time on my wedding day! His unobtrusive, friendly, mature demeanour also attracted compliments from our guests. It was mentioned that he could have been part of our family.

When we received our photographs we were blown away by the quality and the uniqueness of the photo’s. There were also more photographs received than expected which was a bonus. The only negative is that it was hard to decide which photographs to print because there were so many exquisite ones!My husband and I would recommend Riekert to anyone who wants to have extra special wedding photographs done by a true professional.

Thank you Riekert for capturing the special moments and memories of our most special day!You not only captured the picture, but the emotion involved too. Thank you for your professionalism and for making us feel comfortable on our wedding day.We admired you for so long, and when our wedding day came we knew who we wanted to capture our day.
We are so happy and thank you once again!

What an amazing experience it was to get married and have Riekert as our photographer!From the initial meeting we felt at ease and confident that we were in good hands.

Riekert's professional but welcoming demeanor left little to worry about and we were able to enjoy our day without any problems since he worked well with the staff and wedding organisers at the venue.

Our guests were very impressed with the way Riekert approached them on the day and he made us as the wedding couple feel completely at ease! The pre-wedding shoot was was done in a fun way and even a camera-shy groom enjoyed his moment in the spotlight.

The communication throughout the entire process was well maintained and we were never left wondering. We did not have to wait too long for our photos although it was a busy holiday season.The pictures were stunning! We received so many compliments! I would definately recommend Riekert to others.Thank you Riekert for documenting our day in such a special way!

All I can say is wow, wow, wow!!! Our wedding photos were amazing!! I really couldn't have dreamt of getting better photos. We first met Riekert for coffee to go over the plan for the day and he actually helped us more than our event coordinator in terms of what to do and most importantly what not to do!

He was an absolute pleasure to work with, made us feel at ease and gave us guidance on how to pose, stand etc.I would recommend Riekert over and over again. Thanks for capturing our special day - now it will never be forgotten!

Riekert is a very talented photographer, on our wedding day he made us feel so comfortable and at ease throughout the whole day. The photos he took are breath taking and we are so in love with them. From our very first interaction till after our wedding, Riekert provided the best service, great ideas and had oodles of information that really helped.

I wouldn't go with anyone else to be honest, if you have come across his page- book him, you will thank me later. Everyone has continually commented on how incredible our photos are and how lovely Riekert was on the day!

Absolutely LOVED our wedding pictures! From the first communication email we've only received awesome service from Riekert. We will recommend him 100% and will definitely make use of him in the future again. Comfortable and pleasant to work with, not even the possibility of bad weather could worry us. Riekert, thank you so much. 🙂

We are so glad that we decided to choose Riekert for our wedding. We planned our wedding from London so communication was very important to us. Riekert was excellent and when we got to meet him in person, it reinforced that we had made the right decision. His professional, open, light hearted manner put us at ease and we were not disappointed with our photos. Thank you so much Riekert. You captured our day perfectly.

When looking for a photographer to capture a special occasion, we would highly recommend Riekert for the job! He captured the real and special moments of our wedding day, and we were overwhelmed by the natural and beautiful photographs that were the result.

He made my us and our guests feel at ease throughout the process, and importantly was unobtrusive. He listened to what we wanted and the stunning photo's and professional photo book that we were presented with will be treasured by us forever. Thank you Riekert!

Riekert as a person is just next level. In summary, here's what we got from Riekert: Experience: From the timeline he suggested, what to do during confetti, quick decision-making on the day and handling kids during photos (and getting them to smile)- that only comes with experience!

Takes control: You can be sure that he will deliver above your expectation of why you choose him; you can trust him and have one less concern on your wedding day, he can organize your guests for his shots.

Great person: He's such a gentle, uplifting, entertaining person, who makes you feel at ease and good about everything going on- always positive and shares in your happiness.

Good timing: He responds to your requests promptly and makes time out of his busy schedule before and after your wedding day. He also truly listens and show interest in your ideas and stories.

Photos: A picture really speaks a thousand words and actually all of his reviews should only be photos, because it says it all... but to add to that, you can be sure that you'll work with a photographer with a great character and experience in his field.

Riekert, thanks for walking the extra mile to be at our wedding in Jeffreys Bay and accommodate us (while you were not even feeling too well and on antibiotics, without us even knowing) - it was a huge privilege to have you as our photographer!!

We recently got married in Constantia, and Riekert was the photographer at our event. He was very easy to work with and made sure we were relaxed and enjoying the experience throughout. He put a lot of time and effort into planning the timeline of the day with us to make sure we would get some great pictures. We’re very happy that we used Riekert’s services, and would definitely recommend him.

Riekert made an awesome wedding photographer & I would highly recommend his professional services..I loved the initial meeting where we had a chance to meet him (fun, enthusiastic, & easy to get along with kinda guy), and he helped us draw up a timeline- this really helped with organising the day, to ensure it ran smoothly.

On the day he made us feel really at ease while shooting, and captured so many wonderful memmories for us and our family to treasure always!Communication during the planning stages, the big day, and after the wedding was prompt, and we received our wedding album book & cd in good time, & are extremely satisfied with the end result.

My husband and I got married in Grand Provence in Franschhoek November 2017, we had Riekert as our photographer and he was just amazing. We had been let down by the photographer we originally booked and thankfully were recommended Riekert, you know that saying 'everything happens for a reason', well this applies for sure, Riekert was fantastic, so professional, fun and excellent at his job, our photos are amazing.

I would highly recommend Riekert, his professionalism, fun personality and of course his work, his end work is outstanding. I was dreading the day of photos but Riekert made it fun and it wasn't hours of photos, he was fast and efficient and all our guests mentioned to us that they had never been at a wedding where they didn't even notice the photographer which was the case with Riekert, he really is an expert at his job...book him, you won't regret it!