This Hawke’s Bay wedding is one of the most gorgeous I’ve been part of…and that’s BEFORE you factor in one of the sweetest little ‘how we first met’ stories you’re ever gonna hear. So soak up all of Daranee and Strat’s delicious wedding photography and scroll on for a good old-fashioned Kiwi love story that starts with a cheeky teenage boy-meets-girl-moment at the local pools…

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How did you meet?

We were 14 at the public pools. Stratton was visiting my hometown of Masterton for the school holidays with his best friend and I was also with a friend. The boys swam over to us under the water and popped up next to us like total creeps. Something about that must have been appealing to a teenage girl, as we spent the next three days together doing double dates. Obviously me with Strat!

I was his first kiss (whoops, he wasn’t quite mine!) and when their holiday was over, we exchanged numbers, he went back to Hawke’s Bay and we got on with our lives for eight years.

I moved to Hawke’s bay to do my nursing degree and was almost finished when we stumbled upon each other on a well known dating app that begins with “T.” We both knew instantly that there could only be one ‘Stratton’ and one ‘Daranee’.

We discovered that over the three years I’d been in Hawke’s Bay, we’d been so close to meeting a number of times and even lived four houses away and worked directly across the road from each other. We went to the same pubs and parties and Strat used to see me walk across the road for my morning coffee but never recognised me.

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What was the style and feeling you wanted to create for your wedding day?

We didn’t have a particular theme but wanted to incorporate Strat’s love of hunting and the outdoors. Table names were breeds of New Zealand deer. Forest green was the signature colour and we incorporated lots of native foliage. All this went really well with the rustic but polished vibe at Villa Maria, Gimblett Gravels.

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Why did you pick Villa Maria Gimblett Gravels for your venue?
Strat and I had viewed several Hawke’s Bay wedding venues and nothing clicked for us until we walked into Villa Maria Gimblett Gravels (which used to be called Te Awa Winery). The grounds were so well kept, there were beautiful polished concrete floors, exposed rafters and a rustic yet modern barn-style building. We had a glass of wine with the venue manager, Bex Tacon, chatted logistics and locked in the date on the spot!

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What was important for you when choosing a photographer and how did you find the experience working with us?
We both felt super anxious and kind of cringed at the thought of being the centre of the day and “posing” for photographs. We both wanted someone we felt comfortable with and would capture the candid joy of the day and yet also help us along when we needed a bit more direction. I saw your portfolio online and fell in love with your classic, timeless style. No one in your images looked posed or uncomfortable, just natural and happy. We really didn’t expect you to be available but were absolutely stoked when you said you were! I was also really happy with the number of spots we had photos in - about 7 different settings! You were so organised and knew exactly where to take us.

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What was the highlight of the day for you both?

I asked Strat what his highlight was and he said “seeing you walking down the aisle looking so beautiful.” That’s an unexpected response from him haha. I was expecting him to say, “the food”!
Mine was the whole thing! I felt surrounded by love and support the entire day. Honestly, the best day of my life thus far.

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What's your top tip for couples planning a wedding?

Stay open minded, relaxed and go with the flow. We had quite a few last minute changes due to Covid and I thought they were the end of the world (like the venue changing their name THE DAY AFTER I sent my final invitations to print) but they really didn’t matter on the day. What matters is why you’re doing it.