Ben & Genaya | The Woolshed, Canterbury | Rustic Elegant Wedding

Ben & Genaya | The Woolshed, Canterbury | Rustic Elegant Wedding

Winter weddings are definitely one of my favourites; layers, warmth, richness of colours and there is always a bigger sense of intimacy.

Ben and Genayas details were so well planned out, right from the rustic woolshed, through the the vintage fur wraps, the red, red roses and lets not forget the beautiful decorations. You may have seen the blog post (from May this year), the engagement session I photographed for Ben and Genaya in my home city Christchurch. Carrying on from this story, on a cool day in July these two said their "I Do's". I think everyone had hopes for snow (including myself!), it looked promising when a few days before the wedding some snow storms passed through, however it had melted before the day.

Anthony & Helayna | Ascension Winery, Matakana | Elegant Winery Wedding

Anthony & Helayna | Ascension Winery, Matakana | Elegant Winery Wedding

I met Anthony and Helayna just over a year before their wedding, we discussed some details of their day at a gorgeous Cafe made from an old train carriage in Kumeu, Auckland. I instantly became eager to take on their wedding as they had decided to get married at Ascension Winery in Matakana - this venue had been on my list for a while!

Fast forward 13 months and the atmosphere was so chilled and relaxed, with a lot of laughs with the beautiful bride and her closest friends and family.

Rob & Danielle | Paihia Waterfront Lodge | Garden Wedding

Rob & Danielle | Paihia Waterfront Lodge | Garden Wedding

Rob and Danielle are two of the most kind and authentic people I have ever met. They decided to get married on April fool's day, but this day was no joke! 

I drove up to Paihia on a stunning day - while most would consider sun the best, its the cloud that gives the soft even lighting that every photographer loves. Then just before sunset the started popping out (the best time for it to happen!), and we managed a couple quick sunset shots. This family was so full of warmth and love, it was truly a blessing to be part of  and tell the story of their day.

The Art of Photography

When I see couples who have invested heavily in their day and for some reason their images were not what they expected, I won't lie - it actually breaks my heart a little for those couples, this is a day you can't do over. I've had a few friends who have paid for what they thought was a good deal - and ended up sadly disappointed with the quality of images they received back; their photographer just never showed up; or they let [insert guest/family name here] with a nice camera take photos - and ended up wishing they had saved in other areas and hired a professional.