Hawke's Bay Engagement Photography - Nick & Courtney, Te Mata Peak
It’s a romantic time of year and I know there are so many of you out there who have just got engaged, so I wanted to share this beautiful sunset Hawke’s Bay engagement photography blog with you and also share the love story of Courtney and Nick, who are planning their Hawke’s Bay wedding for exactly one year to the day from when we shot these photos on top of Te Mata Peak a few weeks ago. It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful place for a summer wedding than New Zealand’s wedding capital, Hawke’s Bay.
Eva: Tell us a little about your love story and how the proposal happened.
Courtney: ‘Nick and I met 5 years ago while on a night out and I instantly was taken by his good looks and witty charm (as told by Nick!). Nick proposed the first weekend out of lockdown in Martinborough which is one of our favourite spots for a weekend getaway and for beautiful food and wine. Nick hired a beautiful apartment in the vines. While going for a stroll through the secluded vines surrounding our accommodation in the early evening, Nick got down on one knee. He had designed a ring at The Village Goldsmith in Wellington, and I instantly fell in LOVE with it! After leaving Nick hanging for a good 30 seconds (during which time he was more concerned about his wet knee) I said YES and we celebrated with a bottle of champagne and a romantic dinner. Nick had been planning to propose at Easter in Martinborough but obviously lockdown altered his plans. My beautiful ring was actually hiding in a bag right next to my desk the whole time.
Eva: Why did you decide to do and engagement photography session?
Courtney: ‘We decided to do an engagement session with Eva as we wanted some special memories to keep and look back on in the future. We had also seen Eva's amazing work online and were excited to have some photos of our own! It was also a good way to get to know Eva before our wedding day photos and get comfy being close together in front of a camera. We loved the experience and we would highly recommend it!!!’
Eva: Can you share a few of your wedding plans and what aspects are the most important for you?
Courtney: ‘We have set our wedding date for 10 December, 2021 at The River House on the Tukituki river in the beautiful Hawke's Bay. We are going for a simple yet elegant, relaxed summer feel for our wedding. We want our guests to have a fun time and enjoy the beautiful Hawke's Bay weather. Nick and I are both total foodies so we are planning on having some pretty special food and wine!
The most important things for us in the lead up to the wedding are-
To enjoy the planning process and all the special little moments deciding on wedding details.
To focus on the big picture and not the little details .
Nick is excited for cake tasting!
From Eva: A big thanks to Courtney and Nick for letting me share their beautiful engagement photos. I suggested we shoot at Te Mata Park because it’s one of New Zealand’s most outstanding natural landscapes and my passion is for putting emotional moments between people into spectacular landscapes. It is also a place that is often difficult to get to at sunset on a wedding day and we get to work at a fun, chilled out paced that makes for an authentically romantic and special experience for two people in love at a big moment in their lives.
You can find out more info about engagement sessions with me by CLICKING HERE.