One of the best things about being a wedding photographer is getting to share in the excitement that builds from when you first meet a couple beginning to imagine their wedding day to the time they are spinning on the dance floor as husband and wife.
Read MoreAs parents, many of us recognise the importance of professional photography at the exquisite ages when children are newborns or cheeky young pre-schoolers. But there is something very cool about capturing the independent spirit that shines through in older children.
Read MoreThere's a wish-list most couples have when it comes to the perfect wedding. But dreams are sometimes hard to transform to reality, so I was absolutely stoked with the way Sam and Gareth's Black Barn Market wedding finally came together.
Read MoreAnyone planning a wedding knows they can be complicated. That's why we adore engagement sessions. They are, quite simply, about two people in love. There's no dress to fuss over, no bridal party looking on, no timelines to stick to beyond those set by Mother Nature and there aren't 100 people waiting for us to hurry up and be creative so the party can get started.
Read MoreRochelle and Mark imagined a wedding that was 'a bit traditional but with pops of fun and colour and a spash of glam'. The Mission provided the perfect backdrop for that when we all came together for their spring wedding day.
Read MoreEvery time I've had an email from a bride asking me to shoot their wedding at Oruawharo in Central Hawke's Bay, I've rushed to my diary in a fever of excitement and always been gutted to discover I'm already booked. When Kate got in touch almost 18 months ago, I was like a kid in a candy story to discover I was free as a bird on her date. When we met at the grand old homestead for High Tea and a planning session, my excitement levels blew out entirely...
Read MorePhotography is important for so many reasons but mostly because it presses pause on a passing (and precious!) moment in time. I feel so lucky to have been part of a number of passing moments for the Tod family. Firstly it was to celebrate Matt and Kirsten's engagement, then, of course, the wedding. A newborn session followed with the arrival of their first baby, beautiful little Caitlin. And just last week I got to see her all grown up (well, almost four which is kinda the same when you're almost four, right?).
Read MoreWhat are the things you enjoy the most on holiday with the people you love? Do you even remember? Hayden wanted to make sure they never forgot their Grand Tour around Europe, so during dinner one night at the Imperiale Palace in Santa Margherita, he asked Monique to take turns with him writing down all the highlights so far. Of course he had the trump card up his sleeve - "will you marry me?"
Read More'Some spots on earth inspire in their owners a very special affection…an occult sympathy betwixt the elementals of the soil and those who touch its surface with their feet' - William Guthrie-Smith.
Read MoreWe love the way in recent years wedding styling has become so creative. Often that's thanks to the wonderful efforts of professional stylists, and in Hawke's Bay we have a number of talented people in this area. But what makes a wedding really special is when a family has poured not just huge amounts of time but love as well into making a wedding look spectacular.
Read MoreI met Rachel at a wedding at the start of the season.When she told me she was planning her own big day I immediately started a subliminal 'pick me, pick me' chant, which turned into what I call 'The Photographer's Dance of Joy' when she booked me a little while later. What a fox. Add to this a 110-watt smile brought on in the presence of new hubby Dan, and you have a recipe for incredible wedding photography.
Read MoreIt's often said 'the devil is in the detail' but when it comes to weddings, that's where all the angles are hiding too. From the moment we walked into The Farmhouse at The Mission Estate Winery in Hawke's Bay and saw the Tiffany Blue shade of Sarah's Louboutin heels, I knew it was going to be a gorgeous wedding to shoot.
Read MoreLove isn't meant to be easy, but I think most people will agree that making it work when you live first on opposite sides of the world and then in different parts of Europe would be a challenge for even the most committed couples. But love got there in the end for Nicola and Thomas, and their investment in each other (and Ryan Air!) finally paid off at The Old Church in Meeanee, Napier, this week when they celebrated their Hawke's Bay wedding.
Read MoreWe all know weddings are about love, commitment and happy every after. But one thing that became pretty clear as Emma and Pete's day went on is that it was also about having the most fun day of their lives, bar none. Happiness is one of the most intoxicating drugs, and by the time these two were spinning on the dance floor at Craggy Range Winery, my entire face was hurting from smiling so much.
Read MoreLevi was never really the sort to dig crosswords. In his view, they were a little bit geeky and certainly not at all sexy. It's funny how a guy's view on things can change dramatically when there's a beautiful blonde involved....
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