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 for their Hawke’s Bay wedding exactly one year to the day from when we shot these photos on 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.

A Family Love Affair - Joe & Debbie at Craggy Range Winery

If good things take time, it makes sense that truly GREAT things can take what seems like forever. Joe and Debbie’s absolutely spectacular Hawke’s Bay wedding at Craggy Range Winery proved this, taking place 17 years after they met, fell in love and created their family.

Christel & Dan - Black Barn Underground Cellar & Bistro wedding

Sometimes the stars align and I find myself working with a couple who think and feel about weddings so much like I do that the buzz, for me, almost has echoes of being a bride all over again. I felt that way when I first met Christel and Dan and they told me that not only were they to be ‘Mr. & Mrs. Eva’, but that they were getting hitched at the same location as me and loved the style and feel from my own ceremony so much that they’d used a photo from it for their invitations.

Natalia & Andy's nod to tradition at St Matthew's Church & Sileni Winery

These days thanks to the beautiful but relatively new tradition of getting hitched in the great outdoors, we don’t get to document many church weddings. That made Natalia and Andy’s day a real treat for us, as there is a sense of ceremony, history and spiritual significance that comes from exchanging vows in a church. With a cathedral-length veil, morning suits and a long row of little attendants to lead the way, the ceremony almost had the feel of a royal wedding…and who doesn’t like a bit of that?!

Elyse & Ashlin - Crab Farm Winery

Ashlin and Elyse got hitched in Hawke's Bay at a lovely, laid-back little winery called Crab Farm, just on the edge of the coastal settlement of Bay View, near Napier. The wedding they wanted was 'chic boho' with a chilled and relaxed vibe. "That's why we chose Crab Farm, because it ticked all those boxes'.

Hawke's Bay Country Wedding - Nikky & Sam.

Hawke's Bay weddings pose a bit of a conundrum: coast or country? There is so much of both that it can often be hard to decide, so Nikky and Sam found a little off-the-beaten-track place where they could combine both. Clifton Cafe is authentically Kiwi. From the red corrugated iron through to the simple number-8 fencing wire separating the paddock from the wide expanse of the South Pacific Ocean. Under a home-made floral arch in front of their friends and family, this is Nikky and Sam's love story. We hope you enjoy it!

REAL NEW ZEALAND WEDDINGS

hawke's bay wedding, PORTRAIT & COMMERCIAL photographers