The very first shot I took at Innes and Carrie's Hawke's Bay wedding pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day: Carrie was sitting cross-legged on the floor getting a massage from her Aunty. Being relaxed on your wedding day is something all brides aspire to but few can pull it off. 

All parents know just how fast children grow and change and how important it is to soak up and enjoy the here-and-now. But it's not always easy in hindsight to appreciate just how magical things were at one small moment in time. That's why Lou and Chris decided that professional photography with their kids was a priority.

For Ashhurst dairy farmers Wendy & Richie, June 20th, 2015 was a day on the farm unlike any other. For a start, the milking shed was swapped for an in-home salon, where six already foxy besties rapidly turned into six smoking hot bridesmaids, and the girl everyone knows and loves in gumboots and jeans had her Cinderella moment and was transformed.

For our 9th annual winter family session, the Coole kids and I thought we'd earned a sit-down. And so Granny Gretchen had us over for lunch at Rissington - although this was no ordinary lunch...

Kathryn & Craig's wedding was in the last of the April light at the picture-postcard-perfect country church, Christ Church at Pukehou. A reception at Sileni Estate winery followed. Photography by Eva Bradley.

Was it love at first sight or third sight? It depends who you ask for the answer. I was lead to believe that the first date may have needed a lick and polish but in the end love conquers all.  Mr. & Mrs. Hayden started out as a long distance love affair that ended with "I do" and "I'm moving home!"

I absolutely LOVE working with families over the passage of time - and it's awesome when parents realise the importance of investing in professional photography as their children grow and change. In the case of the Gilberts, it's extra cool because each time they've come to see me they've had one more adorable girl to include in our session.

When you reach a certain age, it is experiences that matter most, and few of them so precious as those involving family. For Sue's special milestone she and husband, Ed, gathered their children and grandchildren and took them away from the bustle of life in Auckland for a long weekend in beautiful Hawke's Bay.

These days thanks to the rise and rise of the 'selfie', most of us have far too many photos of ourselves...and more than too many of our kids. And because so many of them are a little bit average (ok lets be honest, they're awful), we have all at some stage made the investment in professional family photography.

The Farm at Cape Kidnappers is one of the most beautiful destination wedding venues in New Zealand. 6,000 acres of jaw-dropping land and seascapes wrap around the rim of the Pacific Ocean along the rugged coastline of Hawke's Bay.Rustic luxury dominates the architecture, which takes its cue from the original woolshed still operating at this exclusive New Zealand wedding venue

For a Hawkes Bay wedding photographer, the first country wedding of summer is an aphrodisiac a little like falling in love. Pair me and my lens with historic Greenhill Lodge with its jaw-dropping backdrop of rolling hills and it is hard to imagine a more perfect match

I was so thrilled to hear from Anna three years after her beautiful wedding to Nathan that they were coming home to Hawke's Bay for a visit...with a new addition.

It's been 18 months now since my own pregnancy (time flies when you are having fun, and have a new boss!). Because of wedding photography and family commitments I've pressed pause on maternity photography until the winter. But I made time for my very special friend, Sharon, whose first little rugrat is due in four weeks. 

Little wee Charlotte is quite possibly the most kissed little newborn in Hawke's Bay. Aside from her Mum & Dad, she has her besotted big sister, Isla, showering her with love. And how she has earned it - a little fighter right from the start and finally safe and sound, at home in her parents' arms, my favourite place for magical newborn photography.

Donna and Nath are expecting their first baby in a few short weeks. Since having my own first a year ago, I've truly realised how significant this is for new parents, and also how special it is to be pregnant and celebrate the wonderful miracle of creating life in a beautiful and professional way.

Mostly my travels with camera take me to places where it's all about brides, babies and new beginnings. But very recently, I spent the afternoon with a baby of another sort - the fur sort. And it was at the end of a journey instead of the start.

Cicra 2014, shoot no. 8. This year we took the annual Coole family photography story to the beach - though 'cold' rather than 'coole' was probably a more appropriate word! An impromptu game of baseball with Dad's childhood lucky glove had us all warmed up and chilled out.

  World's luckiest bugger, Andrew, first fell in love with Melissa a few years back, and more recently on a whole new level on their wedding day in April. The rest of us soon followed suit, choosing her as the Eva Bradley Photography Bride of the Year for 2014.