There was nothing fun about Wednesday, not that my life HAS to be fun every day, but it helps.  In fact, I was feeling like life was rather on top of me, photos needed sorting and editing, emails needed writing, kids needed loving and the housework needed some serious attention before one of us stuck to the floor for good.  I figured I'd very much like to resign from something.  I'm not even sure what it is I was wanting to resign from, except perhaps the housework, because, well, who lives for that?  I didn't know where I would send the resignation letter to, so I just sucked it up and carried on, ignoring the floor that needed scrubbing and promising the kids that we'd do fun stuff some time soon... 

At about 1am that morning we awoke to a scream and ran to our son's side to find that he was in the middle of a seizure.  Pretty well the most scared I've ever been in my life, I called out "call 111!"  After what seemed like about 75 hours he stopped shaking (ok, probably 1 minute?) and was totally unresponsive, but breathing.  Suddenly something so simple, like my child breathing, became the most important thing in the world.

The ambulance took us to hospital where he would have another four seizures in the following 12 hours.  No one knew what was wrong.  He didn't have a temperature and wasn't sick before that.  That afternoon we went via ambulance over to Nelson Hospital where he underwent every test known to man, CT Scan, MRI, Lumbar Puncture, you name it.  Everything came back clear.  Seems that nothing was wrong with him.  Far out, sometimes NOTHING is rather terrifying.  Although I was rather pleased we weren't looking at a brain tumour! 

We stayed in hospital until the following Tuesday, as he slowly started to get back to normal, and then came home.  Just like that, came home.  No one could say what was wrong with Sam, and apart from being rather tired and missing several bits of his memory from the last year or so, he's all good.  So we're none the wiser, but the whole episode sure did remind me about what's really important in life. 

Thanks to everyone who has been patient with us the last couple of weeks, we've had to reschedule shoots, and keep people waiting that bit longer for their photos.  Thank you all SO so much for your understanding.  We're back into it now, trying hard to get caught up again. 

And because I have to post SOME kind of photo - this is the ambulance at my house in the middle of the night.  Although I only had my cell phone on me, I still took a photo (can't help being a photographer!)

Tomorrow I'll have some happier blog posts to share - so there's more pretty photos coming, promise!

I left Paul behind at the hospital on Sunday looking after Sam our son (yeah, I know, still haven't blogged about that...) feeling a whoooole lotta weight and worry on my shoulders.  It was good to go for a drive though, the weather was perfect and I turned the music up loud.  I announced myself at the gates of Timara Lodge, and as they opened for me magically, I couldn't help thinking to myself, "FAR OUT how cool am I?!"  Y'see, I'm not really used to that level of coolness.  And Timara Lodge is pretty well as cool as you can get.

When I met Vicki at the top of the stairs all my worries melted away, because, honestly - how can you not just smile a lot when you're around someone as infectiously happy and cute as this?

JT and Vicki came over from the USA to get married in little ol' Marlborough.  A tiny and beautiful wedding, set in Timara Lodge's amazing gardens, it was perfect.  Very perfect.

Jenny Andrews did a great job, as usual!

I say this a lot, but every wedding is so different.  Sure, the same stuff happens, ie. kisses and rings and signing the register, but every wedding is as individual as the couple.

This is the sum total of everyone who was at the wedding...

And this was the "Bridal Party".  Marcus, on the left came all the way from the States to be with his friends on their wedding day, we shared a lot of laughs, Marcus and I.  Peter, on the right took them on a wine tour the day before, and they became fast friends and so he was asked to be one of the witnesses. 

That's just the kind of people JT and Vicki are, you meet them, and you just want to be their friend, not because of their cool accent (well, kind of that too), but because they are genuinely nice people.

Brought up as the only girl in a tribe of brothers, Vicki claims she's more of a 'sweat pants and flip flops' kind of girl.  This kind of surprised me as I imagined she looked this fabulous every day!

Honestly, these guys spent the whole afternoon smiling.  They were so excited to be married!

JT had the funniest sense of humour too.  Wandering through the gardens, we found this water feature, and as he put his hand on it he exclaims "Honey, is this ring you got me waterproof?"

Missing their own animals at home, they made friends with the doggy at Timara Lodge (and for the life of me, I can't remember his name!)  He was lapping up the love though.

Serious bling.

Vicki and JT, I had such a fun time with you both.  Thank you so much for inviting me to be part of your day.  Enjoy the rest of New Zealand, and next time you come to Marlborough, please stop by for a coffee!

Vendor Shoutout:

Hair and makeup: Deirdre from Locks and Lashes

Venue: Timara Lodge

Helen, Mark and I bonded early and we bonded well.  One of the funnest (note: add funnest to dictionary) engagement shoots I've ever done and had me absolutely busting for March to hurry up and come so I could shoot their wedding.

A hiccup with my son's health landed us in hospital last week (will blog on that later!), and so I was uncomfortable leaving him there without either Paul or I to make sure he was OK.  So I called Jim Tannock who came to my rescue and became second shooter for me.  Jim is a brilliant photographer in his own right, and having him there to back me up was such a huge help.  You can see who shot what under each image.

Helen is highly organised, which had us all wondering if she would be able to let go on her day and just enjoy it.  Well, she sure did!

>Jess<

>Jess<

Jim went with the boys and shot them with the incredibly cool Mustangs.

>Jim<

Helen organised cufflinks for all of the boys.  I tell you, this girl thought of everything!

>Jim<

Helen and Mark had decided to see each other before the wedding, and get portraits done then so that they could enjoy the day with their guests and not have to go away after the ceremony.

This is as Helen was sneaking up before Mark saw her.

  >Jess<

And he was quite pleased to see her!

  >Jim<

We wandered around the beautiful Monaco Resort as they continued to adore each other, Jim and I continued to capture it.

  >Jess<

Two photos at pretty much the same time.  I think Jim got the better shot here... not that it's a competition.  No.  Ahem.  Of course not....

>Jim<

This one was totally Helen's idea.  She said she had seen this spot the first time she came to Monaco Resort, and just knew it would make a great image.  Well spotted my friend!  You look absolutely STUNNING!

>Jess<

Then off to Founders Park.  I promise this wasn't a REAL train track, or that would just be silly.  I'm not so much into getting squashed by a train at someone's wedding.  Not a good look at all!

>Jess<

Jim was lying on the ground for this one, great angle, gorgeous bridesmaids!

  >Jim<

I loooove this one too.

  >Jim<

I have to say, Mark is probably the nicest guy you could ever meet.  For real.  You did good Helen!  Apparently they got to know each other over a game of monopoly.  Mark lost the game, but won the girl.

  >Jim<

Then back to Monaco to get ready for the ceremony.  Helen being gorgeous again....

  >Jess<

And walking down the aisle to see her groom....

>Jess<

I ADORE this photo, the moment Helen has been planning for months.  Ok, YEARS.

>Jim<

And could she be any happier?  I don't think so.

>Jim<

  >Jess<

After the ceremony and family photos we saw some great light and just HAD to use it. 

>Jess<

The BLING.

>Jess<

Loving the shoes.  Loving them.

>Jess<

Helen makes our job SO easy, everything was perfect.  And I mean PERFECT!

>Jim<

The Dad's speeches are always lovely.

>Jess<

>Jess<

Mark and Helen, you guys are a truly awesome couple.  You're sweet and funny, and you laugh at my jokes (that makes me like you even more....)  Thank you so much for sharing your day with us.  Have a fantastic honeymoon, we'll see you soon!

Jim, thanks so much again for helping us out.  I'm so grateful for the amazing job you did, and stepping in at the last minute like that!  I think we worked pretty well together!!

Our Sammy is doing better now, and came home from the hospital yesterday.  So that's good news!

Vendor Shoutout:

Second Shooter: Jim Tannock

Nails: Lee O'Brien of Nail Creations

Hair: Lee O'Brien and Fiona Ward of Illusions Salon, Springlands

Make-up: Leeane Borcovsky and Heidi Cleveland

Gown: Bernadette Thomas

Flowers: Willow Floral Design

Reception and Catering: Monaco Resort

I shouldn't have kept checking the weather forecast.  I should have just left well enough alone.  But I knew that Rochelle was desperately wanting beautiful weather, and so I was wanting that for her too.  No matter how many times I hit the refresh key, Metservice just kept repeating the same story: "afternoon showers, chance thunder, southerlies". 

Sigh.  "It's all good," I thought, "rainy weddings are fun!"

There was no need to worry though.  The sky stayed blue, the clouds stayed white and puffy and Rochelle had her garden wedding.

The final moments before she walks down the aisle to see her new husband, being strapped into the dress by the girls from HH Divine.

Necklace by Mum.  Gorgeous!

This is Gregg.  His Cravat matched the marquee.  I doubt that was intentional, but I thought it was pretty cool!

Someone dropped all these rose petals.....

This is Haley.  Last time I photographed her was at Liz and Rhys's wedding, although she was still inside Mum's tummy!

When I asked Rochelle what shots she particularly wanted me to get, this was at the top of her list.  The nervous wait.  Priceless.

Beautiful!

At the back of Rochelle's parents house is a vineyard and the perfect place for a wedding.  I love how they look at each other.

Gregg is from the UK, and Rochelle is a Kiwi girl, and these flags are just perfect.

Gorgeous flowers by Jane at Flowertime.  That brooch was Rochelle's Grandmother's, and the dress was designed around that.  Another fantastic job by Bernadette Thomas.

It was a lovely intimate wedding with only a couple of dozen guests, set in beautiful vineyard country.  Gregg and Rochelle live over in the UK, I've had a run of UK couples this year it seems!  I think they like our weather!

And the weather was just PERFECT!

I love this one too!

Rochelle's parents had the garden looking spectacular!

This is Rochelle's Grandparents.  They were also celebrating their wedding anniversary, 61 years!  I think that is such a fantastic part of the day.  I'm looking forward to growing old with my honey too and going to many many grandchildren's weddings!

Gregg and Rochelle are real sweeties.  They bought gifts for both sets of parents, some friends and flowers for the 61st anniversary.  I thought that was so thoughtful!  Isn't it usually the other way around?

Minis on the cake.  I love it.

Rochelle has the most tiny and dainty fingers, her rings were tiny compared to Greggs.

You can see in this shot that the weather is starting to turn, just hinting slightly.  Well on my way home from the wedding we got a lashing!  Rain, thunder and hail!  I had to take my Georgia to saxophone lessons, and I got pretty well soaked.  Thankfully this was after everyone at the wedding had already sat down to eat and was safely inside the marquee!

Thanks so much for including us into your day Gregg and Rochelle.  Have a fantastic honeymoon and a beautiful life together!

Vendor Shoutout:

Wedding Planners: HH Divine

Hair: Arthur Devine

Makeup: Exfoliate

Gown: Bernadette Thomas

Flowers: Flowertime

Food/Catering: Posh Nosh

In 2008 we photographed Anna and Tim's wedding.  This week I got to photograph their brand new baby Brea.  Only four days old!  I can't even begin to tell you how little, and squishy and perfect she is.  So I'll just show you!

The good thing about newborns is that you really can put them just about anywhere.  They soon grow out of this though, which is a bit of a shame.

I gave Paul's Aunty Marion the job of creating some newborn props for me.  And boy, did she ever!  This lady can sure knit! 

This is Brea's big brother Seth.  Still as gorgeous as ever, and proud as punch of his gorgeous new sister.

How big are you Seth?  "This big!" he says.

Isn't she just something else?  Absolutely gorgeous!

Thanks so much Anna and Tim for letting me photograph your precious bundle so soon after she was born.  It made all the difference doing it in those first few days!  She's just perfect.  Congratulations!

It was a good thing that I had my Weet-bix for breakfast yesterday, and that I took a healthy dose of spirulina for energy - because I was sure going to need it!  The moment that Kaiser bounded out of the car and onto the beach we were all GO!

So full of energy and fun, Kaiser is sure fun to be around.  There was a shark or a bear around every corner and he kept his newly adopted 'eagle' with him at all times (aka a stick).

His Mum Melissa absolutely adores him and as you can see, he's quite fond of her as well.

Spunky little man that he is!

We spent pretty much the whole time just playing.  Running around the beach, climbing rocks and several rounds of hide and seek.

This was just after Melissa landed after jumping 'like a kangaroo', as requested.

Melissa and Kaiser, it was an absolute joy to spend a couple of hours playing with you!  Can't wait to show you the rest of the photos!

Here we go - another Vendor interview!  Old St Mary's Convent is at the top of my list of favourite places to get married!  Set amongst beautiful vineyards and amazing gardens, this beautiful old building is sooo photogenic.  You can either have a garden wedding, or there's a cute little chapel too.

Layonie was kind enough to do this interview for us, to give you a bit of a glimpse of what's gone into making this place as spectacular as it is.

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I was born in Dunedin and trained and worked as a nurse and a midwife.

I spent 10 years travelling and working overseas before settling in Marlborough in 2001.

My partner Denham and myself fell in love with Old St Mary's Convent and purchased the property in 2006. The convent building had been moved here in 1994 from Maxwell Road in Blenheim, St Michael's Church followed in 2000. The original owners - the Holtrop's had an amazing vision and transformed an empty paddock and nearly derelict building into a beautiful oasis and stunning B&B and Wedding venue.

Since taking over the property we have completely refurbished the building inside and out, including a new sitting room  and have worked extensively on the grounds adding a large car park, outdoor swimming pool and major replanting. Always looking for ways to improve we are currently installing a rose arbour and gazebo with a knot garden - should be good for wedding photos!!

How long have you been doing weddings?

4 years

What made you get into them?

Old St Mary's Convent is the ideal location for a small church or garden wedding.

Is there something you do really well - something that separates you from the others?

Being able to offer a reception venue (in marquees) as well makes it a little different. We have amassed a huge list of contacts offering quality services and are able to assist in putting together a stress free event.

Have you got any interesting wedding stories to share?

One of our most romantic weddings was a couple just by themselves who wandered around the garden with the celebrant saying their vows. We acted as witnesses.

Another young couple got engaged here and came back a year later for the wedding.

We have also had a christening in the church  -  the product of one of our first weddings!

Brides arriving by helicopter is always exciting.

How many weddings do you usually do?

We usually do about 12 weddings a year half of which would hold the reception here as well.

How quickly do you get booked up?

There are always gaps in the calendar but people do start booking about 18 months out.

Do you have any special advice for those planning their big day?

Relax and enjoy the process, never be afraid to ask questions, trust the experts, and book your photographer fast!!!

If you could spend a weekend anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Florence, Italy

If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?

Limitless energy

Sport or books?

Books

Contact Details:

web: www.convent.co.nz

email: retreat@convent.co.nz

phone: +64 3 570 5700