Lionel Tan, Author at Lionel Tan Photography

Kathryn & Jeremy – Auckland, Waiau Pa Wedding

Kat and Jeremy planned one of the most perfect weddings at their family’s property out in Waiau Pa, Auckland. Friends and family gathered to witness the couple’s emotional wedding ceremony, all the while soaking in the beautiful surrounds as well.

We got some cool photos at the venue before heading off to one of the near-by reserves for more! Kat and Jeremy wanted some photos in the forest and I couldn’t be more excited. And what a hike it was! Despite making a couple of wrong turns as we got deeper into the area, we made it to our spot and made good use of our time there.

Later in the day, we were treated to a gorgeous sunset. The reception venue was decked out with festoon and fairy lights, and they lit up wonderfully, creating such a magical ambience for the rest of the celebrations.

Thank you guys for having me, here’s a little preview of the day!

auckland wedding guest crying at the ceremony

auckland wedding reception venue fairy lights

Videographer – Mayer Broadcast and Media Production

Caterer – Little Yellow Food Truck

Eric & Emily – Tawharanui Lodge Wedding

Eric and Emily were married at the stunning Tawharanui Lodge, located about an hour’s drive from Auckland, on a beautiful sunny day. We started the day off with some Chinese wedding games, followed by a traditional tea ceremony with close family.

Throughout the day, there were lots of laughs being shared, as well as emotional moments especially during the speeches.

It was a pleasure being a part of such a special day, and getting to know the wonderful family and friends (and an awesome wedding party!).

bridesmaids chinese traditional wedding games

marriage celebrant talking to the couple

auckland bridal party having a good time

Venue – Tawharanui Lodge

Celebrant – Nikki Dare

Jay & Ross – Markovina Vineyard Wedding

Jay and Ross picked a beautiful day to get married at Markovina Vineyard Estate in Kumeu, Auckland. Earlier in the day while the girls were getting ready at a gorgeous cottage, Ross and the boys took some time to prepare and even managed to have some fun on a swing!

It was an incredible moment as Jay walked down the aisle with her parents by her side. The ceremony was also an extremely emotional one as both Jay and Ross teared up at the same time. Towards the end of the ceremony there was even a time capsule prepared for the couple to open up in the future!

After getting some photos done we returned to the venue for the reception and you could tell we were in for a super fun night. After some traditions were performed, it was time for the couple’s first dance and they definitely did not disappoint. Most of the guests also joined in on the action and danced the night away.

Thank you guys so much for sharing such an important day with me, here’s a look at some photos from the day.

bridal party waiting to walk down the aisle

bride and groom holding hands at the wedding ceremony

auckland wedding recessional at markovina

bride and groom arriving at wedding reception

groom participating in traditional wedding formality

couple first dance at markovina vineyard

bride and groom first dance in markovina venue

bridesmaids having fun on the dance floor

Wedding venue – Markovina Vineyard Estate

Celebrant – Sarah Bloxham

MC & DJ – Mike Steffens

If you enjoyed the photos do leave a comment down below! I’m sure Jay and Ross would love to hear from you!

Connor & Evie – Allely Estate Wedding

Connor and Evie got married on a gorgeous Sunday at Allely Estate, just a short drive away from Central Auckland. Earlier in the day, the boys got ready at the venue and the girls had their hair and make-up done at Evie’s place.

Just before the ceremony was about to begin, the level of anticipation of the guests (and obviously Connor) for the bride’s arrival was so strong that you could actually feel it! Friends and family came up to Connor and Evie straight after the ceremony to congratulate them and give their blessings, it was definitely a joy to capture these moments on camera.

We went off-site for some more photos and upon our return, the wedding party received an incredibly warm welcome as they made their way into the marquee for the wedding reception. The first dance was beautiful and as it came to an end, the guests also joined in on the action and danced the night away.

auckland bride arriving at Allely Estate

bride and groom arrive at allely estate reception

wedding guests welcoming bride and groom

Venue – Allely Estate

Celebrant – Nicola Deerness

Stephanie & Tyerell – Tui Hills Wedding

Stephanie and Tyerell were married at Tui Hills, an amazing venue just 30 minutes from central Auckland. Besides offering a beautiful garden setting, the venue is also close to Bethells beach, a great location for photos!

Here are some photos from the big day and there will be many more to come.

Enjoy!

bride and groom entering tui hills reception

Venue – Tui Hills

Celebrant – Dianne Troup

If you enjoyed looking through the gallery, do leave a comment down below!

Anne & Rico – Auckland City Wedding

Anne and Rico were married on a gorgeous day, and the day started off with so much energy as Rico and his friends showed up at the bride’s house with a ton of gifts for her and her family! It was an incredible sight and right after presenting all the gifts to Anne’s family, Rico was put through a series of challenges before he could see his wife-to-be for the first time in her stunning traditional outfit.

The wedding ceremony was held at St. Leonards Chapel on Auckland’s North Shore, and after the ceremony we made sure to have some photos around the gardens before shooting off to the Auckland Domain for the rest of the photos. Anne and Rico chose to hold their wedding reception at the Grand Harbour Restaurant right in the heart of Auckland City. To start off the celebrations there was an amazing lion dance performance followed by a number of emotional speeches from family and friends.

Guests were treated to a number of wonderful dishes and we capped off the night with toasts at each of the tables. Thank you guys so much for trusting me to document such a special day, here’s a preview with more photos to come!

bride and groom in traditional chinese wedding outfits

wedding celebrant talking to parents of the groom

wedding guests writing congratulatory notes

wedding guests arriving at grand harbour restaurant

bride and groom arrive at auckland wedding reception

wedding toasts at auckland chinese wedding

auckland harbour bridge night photo shoot

auckland harbour bridge wedding photo shoot

Wedding ceremony venue – St. Leonards Chapel and Gardens

Reception venue – Grand Harbour Restaurant

Chris & Kalindhi – Mudbrick Vineyard Wedding

Chris and Kalindhi were a treat to photograph back when we did their engagement session, and I was super excited to be there documenting their wedding day a few weeks after. They were married at the stunning Mudbrick Vineyard on Waiheke Island, just a short ferry ride from downtown Auckland.

Earlier in the day, I caught up with the boys for the ferry ride and upon reaching the island, made my way to Kalindhi’s as the girls were getting ready. Chris and Kalindhi then did a ‘first look’ at the beautiful lodge and had a few moments to themselves before the guests arrived at the property. Towards the end of the wedding ceremony, the couple was asked to light a traditional Sri Lankan oil lamp before walking up the aisle as husband and wife.

During the reception as the Sun was quickly moving towards the horizon, we managed to sneak in a few photos before returning to the restaurant to party the night away. Waiheke is simply gorgeous and it was such a huge pleasure photographing their big day. Thank you for having me guys! Here’s a preview of the day!

groom and the boys having fun at waiheke

bride putting on traditional wedding dress

wedding guests arriving at mudbrick lodge

bride walking down the aisle mudbrick lodge

parents of the groom enjoying the ceremony

mudbrick vineyard waiheke wedding recessional

wedding guest talking to the bridesmaids

wedding party having fun at mudbrick vineyard

wedding reception venue mudbrick restaurant

Venue – Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant

If you enjoyed the photos please don’t hesitate to leave some comments down below!

Kelly & Shanon – Castaways Resort Wedding

Kelly and Shanon had their wedding at Castaways Resort on a beautiful Saturday. Situated on the west coast of Auckland, guests were treated to a stunning view throughout the day and you could catch many of them snapping away on their cameras before the ceremony began!

During the photo session, we got to drive past the dunes straight onto the beach and it was amazing! The wedding party also had a great time chilling and having a little picnic down by the beach. The timing worked out perfectly and before we knew it, the Sun had begun to creep closer to the horizon.

There were a few rounds of speeches at the reception and a ton of laughter from all the friends and family present. While most of the guests were busy showing off their moves on the dance floor, we managed to sneak out for a few night photos just before the clouds started to roll in!

Here are some photos from Kelly and Shanon’s big day, and there are many more to come!

wedding guests looking at the flowergirl

bride walking down the aisle with father

father of the bride talking to bridesmaid

bride and groom walking on karioitahi beach

wedding photo by the beach at castaways resort

bride and groom having fun at castaways sunset shoot

bride and groom announced into reception

wedding guests mingling at the reception

guest taking a selfie with bride and groom

bride tossing bouquet at castaways wedding

Venue – Castaways Resort

If you enjoyed looking through the photos, do leave a comment down below!

Jocelyn & Anthony – Redwoods Treehouse Wedding

Jocelyn and Anthony had their wedding at the stunning Redwoods Treehouse in Auckland, on a beautiful sunny day. They also shared their special day with an intimate group of family and friends. When I first arrived at the venue a few days prior to scout out some cool spots for photos, I couldn’t believe what I saw as not only did the treehouse look amazing, I’ve actually driven past the area a number of times and never once did I spot this gem of a venue!

For her wedding ‘bouquet’, instead of flowers Jocelyn opted to hold an adorable flower bear for the wedding ceremony – talk about being creative!

After sunset was when the venue truly became magical. The pod and boardwalk lit up at night and the place gave off a huge fairy-tale vibe.

Thank you Jocelyn and Anthony for sharing such wonderful day with me, here are some photos from the day and there will be more to come!

night time redwoods treehouse in auckland

Wedding venue – Redwoods Treehouse

Eu Jian & Axvin – Redvale Auckland Wedding

Eu Jian and Axvin were married at a gorgeous property in Redvale, less than an hour’s drive from central Auckland. This was an intimate wedding where close family and friends were invited to witness their marriage, and this made the occasion an even more emotional one.

We did a ‘first look’ before the ceremony, and right after that we made our way to a reserve where we had originally planned for the couple photos. Even though I visited the reserve to scout for potential photo spots just a few days before, when we turned up at the location it ended up being fenced off to protect the trees from Kauri dieback. That’s why I always have a secondary location prepared just in case! We took a relaxing stroll around the area, got the photos that we wanted and headed back with plenty of time for Eu Jian and Axvin to freshen up before the ceremony began.

During the reception everyone had an incredible time hanging out with each other, and we were treated to super yummy Malaysian food! I also had a great time meeting ‘Thunder’ – Eu Jian and Axvin’s precious fur baby. Thanks for having me at the wedding guys, and making the day so wonderful. Here’s a little preview of what’s to come!