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Andrew & Amanda’s Bridgewater Estate Wedding

Friday the 27th of January dawned grey and dramatic.  With misty rain sweeping through the Auckland metropolis, Bridgewater Estate was always going to provide a stunning backdrop for  Andrew and Amanda’s wedding.  With it’s lush gardens and spacious lawns it didn’t disappoint, even in the wet!    As good friends of ours from photography circles, it was an honour to be chosen to capture Andrew and Amanda’s special day.  The day began with preparations onsite – at opposite ends of the venue.     Christelle did a fabulous job with Amanda, her bridesmaid and Amanda’s mum too – with everyone looking stunning.    Meanwhile, the lads “suited up” in between taking care of the final reception details and greeting the early guests.

As the scheduled ceremony time approached, the clouds had one final shower to impart before blue sky battered the clouds out of the way.  The slightly delayed start time was well worth the wait, as the entertaining, personal, and truly unforgettable ceremony unfolded before us – featuring music from Dr Who, and the Star Wars Imperial March(!!!) – and that was just the start.     Andrew and Amanda – it was a privilege and an honour to capture & share your day with you.   It was refreshing to see such a unique day unfold as you added your own personal touches, and broke with tradition.   We wish you both all the best for your future together.  Enjoy this selection of images, with many more to come!

Matt & Jonine’s Auckland Zoo Wedding

Matt & Jonine had booked with us very early on in their wedding planning, but their day came around pretty quickly!  We were excited to hear all their plans come to fruition and see their personal touches added to the day.   Jonine and her bridesmaids looked fabulous, thanks to Sharon Kenny and her team, and the unique details such as her peacock feather arrangements instead of a traditional bouquet looked amazing.  After a beautiful ceremony in Glen Eden, we headed over to the Auckland Zoo for their reception and location shoot. Matt & Jonine had a couple of animal experiences planned.  First we headed to the Cotton-Top Tamarins, then the ever curious lemurs, finishing up over in the pridelands with the giraffes.   The Lions viewing area was transformed into a cocktail reception setting, with fairy lights everywhere.  It looked great!

Matt & Jonine – we had an amazing day with you both, and we wish you all the best in love and life together.   We hope you enjoy this selection of images – with many more to come!

Paolo & Grace’s Auckland City Wedding

Waking up to rain on your wedding day is the last thing anyone wants to see.   However, Paolo & Grace remained cool, calm and collected.  We had a rain-plan for their location shoot, and their ceremony was inside the magnificent St Michael’s church in Remuera – all bases were pretty much covered!   Grace and her ladies got ready at the fabulous Quadrant Hotel in the penthouse room which had amazing views out over Parnell and the harbour.   On arrival at the church, brollies were needed to get in and out of the cars, but once inside, everyone was warm and cozy.   After the ceremony, we were able to do their family and group photos inside the church which was great, but as soon as we got outside we were pleasantly surprised to see the rain had stopped!  Knowing time was of the essence, we headed quickly down the road to the Auckland Museum.   We were soon joined by two other bridal parties jostling for space on the stairs, as well as the general public who were streaming out of the Museum as it was closing.  It was part chaos, part crazy, and a whole lot of fun!  Paolo & Grace and their entourage were so happy and full of laughter the entire time, that everyone around us didn’t matter.     On our way to the reception at McHugh’s on Cheltenham Beach, we stopped quickly under the Auckland Harbour Bridge for a few more shots.    While there was still no rain, the wind over that side of the city was crazy!  We couldn’t hang around too long as those pesky heavens were threatening to open again, so high-tailed it to the reception as the first drops began to fall.

Paolo & Grace – thank you for allowing us to share the day with you.   Everyone looked amazing, but Grace – you were just stunning, in both of your wedding gowns!   You both share a beautiful love for each other and it was our pleasure to capture it for you.   We wish you both all the best for this new chapter in your lives.   Here are just a few images from the many more to come.  Enjoy.

The girls’ gorgeous handmade bouquets from brooches

The amazing St Michael’s church

The fabulous bridal party!

Nothing like a bit of colour to brighten up the day!

These two were always laughing or smiling – it was awesome

Paolo’s sister Peaches, sang through their first dance.  It was beautiful:)

January 20, 2012 - 10:06 am

Frank - Beautiful!

Beach Baby Bump

I had been wanting to break out of the ‘norm’ a little, and Michelle kindly volunteered to be a model for the afternoon for a gorgeous outdoor maternity session.    The majority of the maternity sessions we do are in the studio, so it was refreshing to try something new.   Michelle had her hair and makeup done by the wonderful Candice at Makeup by Design, leaving her feeling truely pampered at 37 weeks preg!  Not to mention looking absolutely stunning.  We then headed out to Karekare Beach on the west coast, where it was beautiful and sunny, warm with hardly any wind.  It couldn’t have got any better weather wise.  We hung around a little and waited for sunset too – which was definately worth it!   A huge thank you to Michelle for being so willing on the shoot.  Clambering up sand dunes etc, is no easy feat late in pregnancy.    All the best for when your new little one makes their entrance!

And to anyone who is thinking they might like to try something different with their maternity session – we’d love to hear your ideas!

Blair & Philippa’s Castaways Wedding

Kicking off  for 2012, we headed out to Castaways above Kariotahi Beach out on the west coast.   The weather leading up to the day was not the best, but as the day went on – the clouds started to disappear and it turned out to be a scorching afternoon.  Blair, growing up in NZ & Philippa originally from Canada, had travelled from Singapore, and chose Castaways as the perfect location for their wedding, and somewhere for many of their overseas and out of town guests to experience just a little bit of NZ.   It didnt get much better than that – a light breeze, a few clouds and some much longed for sunshine!

As Philippa and her bridesmaids were pampered by Lexia in their chalet above the venue, Blair and all of the guys, rallied together for a game of cricket on the beach.   After a beautiful ceremony on the cliff top and some mixing and mingling with guests, we headed down to the beach for Blair & Philippa’s location shoot along with videographer Craig from Creative Video.   The whole day was filled with fun and laughter and it really helped to set a relaxed tone for the day, which is what Blair & Philippa wanted.    

Blair & Philippa – Thank you for allowing us to share your day with you.    Every little detail of the day was filled with love and attention and you pulled it all together while living abroad.   You guys are awesome!:)We hope you enjoyed the rest of your wedding day, and I’m sure your friends and family had an amazing time here in NZ.  We wish you all safe travels and enjoy this preview with many more to come!

Something blue….. Philippa’s gorgeous shoes!

Cooling off in the waves

Unfortunately the cloud rolled back in and the sunset didn’t really eventuate.  Blair & Philippa headed out on to the lawn to reflect on the day:)