Engagement sessions are a great way for the couple to warm up to being photographed, and in the case of Charlotte and Brad, it took them just a few shots before becoming super comfortable in front of the lens! For all of you who have visited the Botanic Gardens, you know its huge. Massive even. As the Sun began to set we decided to focus our shoot in a particular area, and even then there was so much variety! Can’t wait till their wedding day!
After numerous trips to Auckland’s west coast beaches for wedding and pre-wedding shoots, I’ve come to realise the only constant you get is ‘epic-ness’. Be it epic sunsets, epic storms or even epic rainbows, you will always end up with cool shots out here. No storms in this one but do enjoy the sunset!
SingTian and Aaron traveled from Singapore to have their pre-wedding photo shoot in the stunning South Island of New Zealand. We started the day off shooting close to the lake, well mainly because their accommodation was literally across from the lake! We then took a little excursion to higher ground where snow was in abundance – it reminded me so much of a Star Wars movie set. Taking advantage of the Winter season, we got some ‘cool’ shots while having an absolute blast.
A number of things caught my attention very early on as the wedding day started. Jason and the groomsmen had a great sense of humour, Beverley and the bridesmaids were extremely easy to work with, and both of the houses where they got ready in were GORGEOUS.
Both the ceremony and reception were held at Windross House in east Auckland. Besides delicious food we also had a beautiful beach to ourselves for photos. For one of the shots, we even had the entire bridal party pitch in to make it work! Let’s see if you can guess which it was :p
Farms typically provide a casual and gorgeous setting for photos. Bayley and Connor chose to have their engagement session at the beautiful Ambury Regional Park in Auckland, and the location suited their personalities a hundred percent. Throughout the day we were talking, taking photos, talking even more, laughing at the stuff we talked about and basically just having a blast exploring the venue and chasing the available light. I always believed that maintaining a comfortable and relaxed vibe during a shoot is the key to creating great images. With a couple like Bayley and Connor this wasn’t hard at all!
Can’t wait for their wedding in a few months time!
Zandrie and Dean chose to have their wedding at the stunning Cassels to the west of Auckland. A great wedding venue not only for its beautiful decor and awesome owner and staff, but also for its choice of off-site photo locations.
After getting some shots of the boys having a good time at their home, I then made my way to the Waitakere Estate where Zandrie and the girls would be putting on their dresses. It’s not my first time here but I’m always amazed by the view from up there. Zandrie’s mom popped by to give her a little gift before leaving for the ceremony. We left the estate and I realized the car that was used for the wedding had a really cute sign by the boot which said ‘Just Married’ – after that I was told her dad spent three years building the car!
Zandrie and Dean were particularly keen on getting some night shots done at the venue, which we did and knowing how much the wedding car meant to them, we also made sure to get some cool photos with it. We headed back into the reception venue for some further partying and boy did they know how to party! The dance floor was never empty (which was great for photos) and everyone was just having a great time out there.
Alright enough of talking, here are the photos!
This pre-wedding shoot with Fah Loon and Kim Lee is an especially memorable one because we had to go through some special circumstances just to ‘get the shot’. They picked the picturesque Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook as our main shooting locations. Besides being the friendly and pleasant couple they were, the shoot likely also unlocked their adventurous sides!
The storm clouds rolled in, the winds were crazy and there were waves crashing in on the typically calm lake tekapo shore. We were the only ones left on the rocks, much less shooting a pre-wedding! The next day as we were nearing the end of our shoot, it poured at the village and still the couple was game to continue shooting in the rain. Just to add one more thing to our resume, we decided to shoot some more and when the snow started falling after midnight, we suited up one more time and got us some more cool shots.
See I told you, memorable.
With the weather alternating between being overcast and raining for the entire week, we went into the engagement shoot expecting the same to repeat and repeat it did – save for a brief moment when the Sun peeked through the thick clouds. Apart from battling with relentless strong winds, the shoot went extremely well and we even got to go for a little bush walk at the end of the shoot!
It’s always a great feeling when I get to photograph a wedding at a new location. Kathryn and Adam held their wedding at the beautiful Great Barrier Island – I was ecstatic when they decided to fly me over as I had always wanted to visit!
The Barrier didn’t disappoint. After travelling on a ‘prop’ plane sitting beside the pilot, the excitement carried over to the wedding and I arrived while the guys were still setting up! The couple had told me beforehand how important the island was to their relationship, and how significant it would be for me to capture its beauty as honestly as I could.
This is one of those experiences that I’ll never forget, from the plane ride to the postcard beauty of the island and the hospitality that everyone had on full display. I only have four words…..
I miss island life.
Nikita and Stephen are two of the nicest people you’ll meet. The couple held their wedding ceremony at the stunning/majestic/elegant St Matthew-in-the-City, a church in the heart of the Auckland CBD. When Nikita arrived at the church, her excitement is obvious as she jumped out of the limo and had a huge smile on her face. During the bridal procession, I had goosebumps just looking at the beautiful bride walk down the aisle with her father.
We decided to have some photos done at Bastion Point where the couple really liked for its views, before heading over to the Auckland Botanic Gardens. One thing I was told was that Nikita and Stephen would really like a sunset photo together. We were all glad when the golden hour arrived and definitely got a good number of sunset photos!
As the sun went behind some clouds, we wrapped up the shoot and were about to leave the gardens. That was before a golden hue caught our attention (through our peripheral vision!). All of a sudden the skies went orange again. We stopped immediately, camera in hand, the couple embraced, and we ended the day with an incredible sunset photo.
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