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She rather fancied him when they first met at the ripe old age of 19. When Frith was 20 she declared she would marry Jeff one day. Fast forward several years and they meet up again, this time the attraction was mutual and a lifelong relationship blossomed.
Who knows why it took them so many years to fall in love, looking at them now, they're just perfect for each other!
The Malthouse! Oh how I love the Malthouse! I also love the fact that it's here in New Zealand. If it were in Australia (where Frith and Jeff currently live) I would absolutely not be as happy to go poking among the cobwebs.
Frith is a Nanny and has cared for about 100 children in her time! How's that for amazing? Makes my effort with my six look a bit meh.
Jeff and Frith are such a gorgeous couple, I can't WAIT for the wedding.
Jeff is a builder and assured me that we were not going to fall through the floor. I was grateful for this knowledge, as at one point, I was wondering...
Yep, that's an outhouse behind them.
Getting all dangerous. Frith and Jeff are a super fun couple.
How's this for Oh-My-Goodness bling?!
A brief stroll in the rain, throw in a gorgeous yellow field and a bit of love, and all is well with the world.
It was the greatest pleasure to meet you both yesterday Jeff and Frith. I had such fun with you both! Bring on April!
I met them for the first time last night, but within minutes I was sure we had been friends forever. Kris and Michelle are fabulous on the outside, sure, but what matters to me more is how lovely they are on the inside. We chatted effortlessly all the way out to my favourite new spot, well, first we got ever-so-slightly detoured by my rubbish sense of direction, and THEN we got to my new favourite spot.
I would like to blame something, or someone for me taking the wrong turn initially, but sadly I should have known better, because I took the same wrong turn last time too. Now I'm scared that the wrong turn has been hard wired into my brain.
I had planned for lovely evening light, but what we were blessed with was dramatic clouds and the threat of rain at any moment. Give me drama over blue skies any ol' day.
Kris and Michelle have been through a lot lately. Kris is a miner, and was actually inside the Pike River Coal Mine only hours before that explosion that killed 29 miners in November. Michelle also works for Pike River and had the harrowing job of dealing with the families of those lost underground.
These guys are truly inspirational, and seem to be coming out the other side of this tragedy with what I'm sure is an inner strength, and even more importantly, each other.
On a scale of one to ten of how much she loves to be photographed, Michelle gave herself a one when we first started. By the time we were finished she was claiming she had now become a nine! Woohoo! Another convert! You look gorgeous Michelle, no more hiding from cameras!
I love this old building. I want to take it home and love it for the rest of its days. I love the burnt out bits, the falling down walls, the fact that it has no roof at all, and that it has trees growing inside it.
Michelle and Kris loved it too, which made me love it even more.
Gorgeousness.
The energy that Kris and Michelle had was amazing. Keen to try just about anything, and totally in love with each other. My kind of couple!
On the way home we stopped at the blue wall. Kris had some mad jumping skills.
Kris and Michelle, we're so grateful that you chose us as your photographers, thank you. I can't wait for your wedding!!
The first line is always the hardest. Do you have any idea how many times I start, delete and then restart writing a blog post? I guess it's just like that moment when you first meet someone and you're not quite sure what to say after the initial "Hi". You smile, as sweetly as you can muster, as your mind darts to the possibilities of chatting about the weather or mentioning how neat those earrings are. Blogging is much like that, except, I can't see your earrings.
However, when writing about Christina and Brendan there's plenty to say! Christina was as lovely as I had anticipated and she is as sweet and gracious on the inside as she is on the outside.
Gorgeous details.
Paul was with the boys as usual. I love comparing our shots when we get home, seeing what was going on in one camp at the same time as the other. These shots were taken only minutes apart.
What a beautiful bride!
Flowers by Pink Poppie. Yay!
Christina's Dad waits for the girls to get ready.
Meanwhile, back with the boys...
Brendan is an IT guy. So it seems entirely fitting to check with youtube when you want to know where to put your buttonhole.
Totally something Paul would do too.
Then it's onto the ceremony at Drylands. Some of the loveliest moments are when Dad presents the Groom with his Bride.
Cute, hu?
This was one of those beautiful people weddings. Everywhere we would point the camera we would find more pretty people.
Shaun Preston had come over from Wellington with his two baby Grand Pianos. One white one that sat on the lawn, and one black one that sat inside for the reception. He's got such an amazing talent, no wonder they shipped him over here! Insanely talented.
Then we headed off to Old St Mary's Convent for photos. It can be tricky to find large areas of shade during a sunny day, and so I was beyond excited to be able to shoot there.
Brendan and his posse. These guys know how it's done.
We were busy taking the bridal portrait when Brendan flew in at a rate of knots.
And so we decided to include him too.
Paul totally outshot me with this one. Sigh.
Brendan and Christina have the funniest sense of humour. I like them a lot.
Then back to Drylands, and a quick shoot in the vineyard before the reception.
This is Brendan's Dad welcoming Christina her into the family. Love it.
I love reactions to speeches.
Brendan and Christina are really into good wine. So I thought that this was quite fitting. If you look carefully you can see Paul lying on the grass in the reflection, and me sitting close by, making sure he's doing it right. I'm kind of like a backseat driver sometimes, probably rather annoying actually.
Brendan and Christina, thank you so very much for choosing us to share your day with you. What a great opportunity to witness and capture such a beautiful wedding, planned so perfectly, with great weather and fantastic people. We can't wait to show you the rest!
Vendor Shoutout:
Hair and Make-up: Arthur Devine
Venue: Drylands
Flowers: Pink Poppie
Entertainment: Shaun Preston
As quickly as it crept up on us, Christmas has been and gone. The presents have been opened, the pavalova has been thoroughly eaten, and the blinking lights on the ceiling have their days numbered. It was a lovely day spent with family and friends, and surprisingly to me, my Mum made it to Christmas. I was fairly sure we were going to loose her last weekend, but as is often the case in my life, I just don't seem to know everything. In this case it was a good thing.
So Christmas is 363 days away again, and so now that I have some time up my sleeve I can blog Gwen and Phil's engagement shoot!
Gwen mentioned that she was keen to have photos by old buildings and grassy fields. I knew exactly where I wanted to go! I've had my eye on this area for the longest time, waiting to pair it with the perfect couple. Gwen and Phil were that perfect couple!
As often as possible, I like to time photoshoots for the prettiest light. So we were planning this shoot for early morning. When Gwen mentioned that maybe just before sunrise was a good time, I just about spat my coffee all over my keyboard. Sunrise was before 6am, and to me that was mighty early. Gwen wasn't at all bothered by this as she is used to getting up at 4am. As in FOUR AM! She milks cows, 1000 of them. Everyday. What an amazing woman!
So although it would be pretty at 5.45am, I was willing to just imagine it and we settled to meet at 7.30am. The light was perfect.
I love this a lot. Even without their heads they're cute!
Sure they looked at me funny when I asked them to kiss over there by that dirty big puddle, but they didn't see what I was seeing!
Phil is a softly spoken bloke. Like a real blokey bloke. He drives heavy machinery and fixes stuff. He is everything that my young son, and thousands of other boys, wants to grow up to be.
Hello there awesome ring!
Gwen is such a lovely wee thing. So perfectly suited to Phil.
Gwen assured me she didn't look any good in photos. Aha. Heard it all before! Glad we disposed of that myth before the wedding!
This is Tee. Tee was brimming with enthusiasm. I wish I had a tenth of the energy he has, and the ability to catch a frisbee in my mouth. Oh no, wait, maybe not the frisbee part.
You can just SEE how much he loves Gwen, can't you?
Gwen and Phil, thanks so much for playing along. You guys are a fantastic couple and I can't WAIT for the wedding!!
It was raining. There I said it. Really raining. But I assured Amanda and Mark that as long as they got married, nothing else mattered. It seemed like the initial disappointment was quickly overshadowed by the excitement of the day. You can't plan the weather, but you can certainly make the most of it, and that's just what we did!
The wedding was held at beautiful Ngakuta Bay. A comfortable and relaxed kind of occasion, surrounded by friends and family.
Grace did the make-up, beautifully, as always. Thanks Grace!
Meanwhile Paul is with the boys in Picton getting ready.
I love Mums at weddings. I've probably said it before, but the photos with a Mum in it make me stop and look just that little bit longer.
Beautiful! Amanda, you looked amazing!
This is Amanda's Mum. This was just after she said that she hoped that everyone didn't mix her and Amanda up, thinking that perhaps they were twins. I love it.
This was as the boys were arriving.
Everyone needed a look!
How stylie are these girls?
Amanda's reaction to seeing her groom.
This image makes me happy. Mark was saying his vows, and had to turn away briefly as the emotion got to be a bit much.
Carol Taylor saved the day. The rain meant that the beautiful outside wedding, was now a marque wedding. She quickly arranged everything beautifully, as if that's just how it was supposed to be. Thanks Carol!
Then off down to the shore, and it rained. And rained some more. Mark was totally fine with that, he had just scored a wife!
We totally made the most of the rain. No point in letting it all go to waste!
Marvellous scenery!
Possibly the coolest boys wedding shoes ever? I reckon.
Add to that the hot pink girls shoes, and you're onto a winner.
These guys are so cute!
As Mark was trying to get under the veil, he exclaims "Now I can totally see why dolphins get caught in nets!" Favourite quote by a groom. Ever.
I love veils. That's just how it is.
Totally awesome at following instructions. "Be cool and serious" click "Now extremely happy, go!" click
This is Chevy the dog. Chev is Amanda's baby, totally. Although I thought she was calling him Jeff, which would have been a good name too.
Mark, totally cool.
Before we went into the marque for the reception, Amanda popped upstairs to freshen up. Here she's doing the royal wave. She's got it down.
Paul's dedication to get the shot. Gotta love it.
Worth lying on the ground for? Totally.
He had so many great shots, I have to put in just one more...
Then onto the speeches and dinner. Everyone was perfectly happy.
Cheers guys! (notice Chev on Amanda's lap there?)
Amanda and Mark, thanks so much for letting us share your day with you. What we lacked in sunshine, you made up for with your amazing attitude and everyone's ability to have fun. Can't wait to show you the rest!
Vendor Shoutout:
Make-up: Grace Makeup
Celebrant: Carol Taylor
Flowers: The Flower Box
The email started with "I'm an avid fan...." So, well, she had me with hello. She followed this with exclaiming how much she'd love me to photograph her wedding. I asked when she was getting married. Then she admitted she wasn't actually even engaged yet. There's dedication for you! As if that wasn't enough, what totally blew my mind was that Heather Ellis is an amazing photographer in her own right!
I was a little frightened when she drove an 8 hour round trip to come and have coffee with me. "What if she's a stalker?" I asked Paul beforehand. You hear stories about meeting people over the internet you know. I just couldn't fathom why she would make such a big effort for coffee. Man, it better be a good coffee!! Thankfully we hit it off right away, she wasn't a scary stalker at all and that one coffee meeting has turned into a lovely friendship.
Fast forward about half a year, and Heather and Doug are in India experiencing the world. I get an email from Heather who exclaimed that Doug proposed in Agra at sunset across from the Taj Mahal! I knew what was coming next. And yes, I'm happy to declare that I'll be shooting their wedding in April!
So they travelled up to Blenheim this weekend, and we planned an early morning photoshoot. Like 7am early. None of us are morning people, but we managed to cheer each other up just fine and what followed was three hours of pure fun.
Doug moved to New Zealand from South Africa when he was 18 and met Heather a year later while she was working at Subway. She was just finishing a double shift and she said she looked terrible. Doug only noticed her beautiful eyes and smile. Heather knew that anyone who could see past a dirty-sauce-covered green Subway tshirt and still want her number was someone worth getting to know.
Like most of my couples, Heather was slightly disappointed with the tree when she first saw it. "That's IT?! I thought it was some magnificent big tree on a paddock somewhere?" No, sorry. That's it. But in a photo it looks pretty cool, and thankfully Heather agrees.
I told them to go stand among them thar trees, blend in and pretend to be one of them. Clearly Doug's tree blending skills are far better than Heather's. Not to worry, it's probably not a skill you're going to need much in life anyway Heather.
Heather and Doug are perfectly suited to each other. I mean perfectly. You can just tell they're best friends. The way they play and have each other on. The way they look at each other, even when my camera isn't pointed at them. Yes siree, they belong together.
I call this my needy neighbours shot. Priceless.
Then the field of yellow flowers. I've seen this yellow field a lot lately, and just ached to use it. I haven't a clue who owns it, and neither do the neighbours. So I'm hoping it was ok to walk through it. I was feeling a little Bonny and Clyde to be honest...
I love this. Love love love it.
This was the first time I've met Doug. I like him a lot. He has become Heather's second shooter, much like Paul is mine. He's charming and funny and laughs at my jokes. Bonus points for anyone who laughs at my jokes.
Heather also laughs at my jokes, and has good jokes of her own, so I like her too. I also love her work, it's fresh and full of personality. If you happen to be anywhere near Christchurch do look her up!
I had asked Heather to step forward, but she didn't quite hear me right and did this. Maybe she thought I said forehead? Either way, it's way funny. I love the look on their faces. They'll do what I ask, even if it makes no sense at all.
Cuteness.
Next we went cherry picking. You can't come to Blenheim in December and not go cherry picking. It's like an unwritten rule.
We assured Doug that this shot was worth lying in the wet grass for. See Doug? It totally was.
I can barely stand the wait for Heather and Doug's wedding. HURRY UP AND COME QUICKLY APRIL!!
Anita had promised me an unconventional wedding, fresh and fun. She also mentioned that she may have a meltdown at some stage beforehand. She was entirely right about a fresh and fun wedding, and entirely wrong about her meltdown. Cool, calm and collected, she was perfectly beautiful, and perfectly ready to marry the man she had been with for the last thirteen years.
The whole day was orchestrated to be fun and casual. Held at the gorgeous Te Mahia Bay Resort, the weather played along with us nicely.
Surprisingly through his life Selwyn has been labelled as a nerd. I have to say, he has to be the coolest nerd I ever did see! As hard as I tried, I simply couldn't find anything nerdy about him. So either that's a really great sign for him, or a really bad sign for me.
Anita ordered, designed and assembled the flowers herself! She has such amazing style, it just blows me away.
How's this for a stunning place to get married?
Paul's shot:
My shot:
This is where having two cameras pointing at the same thing can be really useful. Paul tends to capture fuller scenes with his wider angle lenses, and I tend to get in a little closer.
Paradise, right there.
Then off for a wander we went. This is where the fun and unconventional comes into it. I love a couple that shares my warped sense of humour!
Paul found this great angle, and, once again, outshot me.
My shot:
Paul's shots:
See, this is the thing. Every wedding we try and outshoot each other. It's a healthy rivalry. We know who won by the image the couple chooses for their thank you cards. So far I think I'm winning. Which is only fair, really, don't you think?
They had brought props along for their photobooth later in the evening. I was not above using them, not at all!
The team know how it's done.
And they see the funny side of it all.
Back to the reception in the gorgeously decorated marque.
You thought I was kidding about Selwyn being a nerd. I wasn't. It seemed to be a repeating theme through the speeches, he was even given these glasses as a reminder of his childhood. Surely they couldn't have been that bad. Surely?
Reactions to speeches = win.
Anita and Selwyn, thank you so much for letting us capture your special day for you. All the very best for the future and enjoy the honeymoon!
Vendor Shoutout:
Hair: Arthur Devine
Celebrant: Jan Hook
Wedding Venue: Te Mahia Bay Resort
Catering: Posh Nosh
