It was a day we've been looking forward to for months, one of the highlights of our winter, in fact!  The setting was St Arnaud, Lake Rotoiti, and both Paul and I were amped to get the very best images possible.  In fact, Paul was fairly sure he was going to outshoot me, and because I'm the one that writes the blog posts, I'm going to say he lost.  Or maybe it was a tie.....

It was an amazing day, not just because the weather was perfectly still and crisp.  Not just because of the jaw dropping gorgeousness of every detail, but because Glenn and Carina became man and wife.

Carina was absolutely breathtaking.  Every single detail was planned, and everything flowed like clockwork. 

Nina from Pink Poppie orchestrated the flowers, and they were simply divine. Not that I expected any less!

This is Gracie, she's nearly four, so she tells me.  And she's cute.  Way cute.

More gorgeous detail.

Meanwhile Paul was with the boys as they prepared to get the show on the road.

Glenn and Carina decided to see each other before the ceremony, so they met at this cute little cottage.

The dress stayed under wraps under this amazing cape, so there was still a nice surprise at the ceremony.

We went up Mt Robert, and although there wasn't any snow, it was still a pretty awesome spot.

I like signs.  I like them a lot.

Down by the lake.

This was Paul's capture.  I love the reflections of the trees in the glass, and seeing the nervous wait going on inside the chapel.   

As Glenn sees his bride walking towards him.  Win.

The vows nearly made me cry.  They were so lovely and heartfelt.

This photo is a major win.  Awesomeness.

And they're married!  This was Paul's view of the group shot.

Then back down to the lake for some more photos. Gosh I do love this spot.

Some of the best shots are of what goes on right before or right after a posed shot.

I've fallen in love with Lake Rotoiti.  I was told that there were sand flies, but they seemed to leave me alone.  Clearly they knew not to mess with me!

More beautiful detail on Carina's dress.

This bridge was Glenn and Carina's idea as well.  I love it!

Looking smooth Glenn!

Then onto the Lodge for the reception.  Everything was absolutely perfect.  Stunning even.

I love the emotion in these shots.

Thanks guys for inviting us into your spectacular Winter Wonderland Wedding.  You're a very special couple, and we wish you huge amounts of happiness for the rest of your lives together.  Enjoy your honeymoon!

Even more photos on facebook!

Vendor Shoutout:

Hair: Chrissy, Urban Hair

Makeup: Grace

Gown: Bernadette Thomas

Flowers: Nina - Pink Poppie

Reception and Catering: Alpine Lodge

Cake: Chocolate Velvet

It didn't even matter that the weather was threatening rain.  I was loving the look of the clouds, the light that peaked through the angry billows was absolutely divine.  Hurray for a winter wedding! 

Heather and James had everything beautifully planned, so the day flowed with minimal fuss or stress.  Heather was as beautiful as I had imagined, and James was beaming from the very start of the day, to the moment we bidded them farewell. 

I adore Heather, she's sweet and relaxed and she looks like she's just stepped out of a bridal magazine.

Bring on the bling on the shoes!  (say that five times, go on, try it)

Paul had started his wedding coverage with the boys.  I love the special moments between a Groom and his Mum.

The entire day was held at Montana, which was an absolutely inspired idea.  No one had to worry about what the weather was going to do, as we were all going to be staying warm and dry regardless.

Love the nervous wait.

Hello there beautiful moment!  Love it, I love it a lot.

And another one.  This is just as Dad presents James with his new wife.  Beautiful.

And she just beams.

Guests at weddings = lovely.

And then they were man and wife!  Congratulations guys!

This was the weather I was talking about.  Could it be more perfect?  I really don't think so!

Back inside Montana.

The flowers were just fantastic! I love the combination of soft colours and succulents.

It's always fun to watch people reacting to speeches. 

Those flowers on the top of the cake are icing.  Aha.  Really.  I could hardly believe it either!  I almost wanted to taste them just to be sure, but I'm pretty sure that would not have been a good look.

Montana by night.  As usual, Paul rocked the night shot.

Thanks Heather and James for inviting us into your most precious day.  It was such a privilege to capture it for you!

We struck up a friendship quickly, chatting away about life like we'd been friends for years.  When the conversation veered towards their upcoming wedding, and getting her photos taken, Robyn quickly declared "I don't like having my photo taken, I don't take a good photo!"  Even when I sympathised with her, and told her that pretty much everyone who sits in that couch tells me the same thing "Ohhh no, but this is for real, I REALLY don't like it!"  I knew that once she was relaxed and happy, like most people, she was going to look gorgeous.

Sure enough, by the end of her wedding day she was beaming about having her photo taken, rather surprised at how lovely she looked!

This is with her bridesmaid, Sheryl.  They've been friends for 20 years, and you could tell how close they are!

Walking down the aisle towards her groom, one of my favourite views of the bridal entrance!  This is the time that even the toughest manly man shows his softer side.  Love it!

Other views of the same time, the guests. 

There's usually a lot of glowing smiles from them as well!

John and Robyn have been together for eight years, and Robyn said that John's proposal came totally unexpected.  Well done John!  It's amazing how often the ladies can somehow 'feel' it coming - it's awfully difficult to keep things a secret from us girls, you know.

Now living in Australia, they returned home to Blenheim to celebrate their wedding with their family and friends.  The ceremony was held at Green Gables.  A really lovely spot for a wedding this size.

This is Frankie, she's the adorable product of a wedding we shot a few years ago, Kirsty and Sean (so far back it's preblog!), she also happens to be Robyn's grandbaby.  She's only three months old, and look at that hair!  Have you ever seen a more gorgeous little lady? Robyn is simply besotted with her.

Robyn's Dad really should get the 'Father of the Bride Award' for this year.  What a lovely man!  He surprised Robyn by getting a limousine for her (complete with drivers hat!) and being her chauffeur for the day.

They didn't expect such luxury! 

He also followed us around the park during the portraits, holding flowers, parasols, cardigans and anything else that needed holding.  I could actually do with someone like him at all my weddings!

Once again, Autumn at Pollard Park is as beautiful as ever.

And John and Robyn worked it!

I love this shot of them!  They were both so deliriously happy all day!

John and Milo were obviously great friends too.

I think John also surprised himself with how studly he could look in camera!

Robyn had been given a prayer and hymns book that used to belong to her mother, and she carried it with her all day.  Such a lovely way of remembering and honouring her Mum.

John and Robyn, what a lot of fun we had with you!  Thanks so much for having us along for the ride!  All the very best, and enjoy your travels!

Vendor Shoutout:

Celebrant: Lurleen Fowler

Hair: Vanessa, Vogue

Flowers: Pink Poppie

Ceremony Venue: Green Gables

Reception Venue: Heartland Hotel

It was a secret, you know.  No one back home knew, except for Sass the dog, and Katrina seemed pretty certain she wasn't going to spill the beans.  She was probably right.

It was an insanely spectacular day, the gorgeous weather was matched only by how amazing Katrina looked.  Not that she needed much help to look pretty, but Deirdre took it to another level, as usual.

They decided to see each other before the ceremony.  Such a lovely moment!

They pretty much spent the entire day smiling at each other.  The day was so full of happiness, no need to force any smiles here!

Loving the beautiful surroundings at Locks and Lashes.  Still loving Autumn.  Just thought you should know.

With the wedding car....

Flowers beautifully done by Nina at Pink Poppie.

Then we arrived at Fairview Cottage, the perfect spot for such an intimate wedding. 

Liz Anderson and Rowan watch as the bride arrives. 

Priceless! 

The ceremony was small and heartfelt.  There were so few guests that I had to be one of the witnesses!  I'm so NOT used to being on that side of the camera!

Rowan was so happy!

Loving the shoes also!

Katrina and Rowan, your wedding was one of the most beautiful weddings I've been to in a long time.  I'm so grateful that you chose me to capture those amazing moments for you.  Enjoy your married life together!

Vendor Shoutout:

Celebrant: Liz Anderson

Hair and Makeup: Deirdre, Locks and Lashes

Flowers: Pink Poppie

Ceremony Venue: Fairview Cottage, Renwick

For those of you who need a reminder, you can come be friendly at my FACEBOOK page, plus there are more of Katrina and Rowan's photos there!

I've been looking forward to this wedding.  Ya see, I bonded with Nadine and Phillip last year when I did their engagement shoot.  Nadine works at Top Shots, and is in charge of printing our photos. She's such a nice girl, we were so honoured to be asked to photograph their wedding!

I love Autumn weddings, I must say.  Well, heck, I love Autumn, clearly.  There's just something about the light, the temperature is crisp, but not too cold.  Perfect for all of the running to and fro that we have to do (now that my shoes are flat, it's that much easier!) 

Nadine looked stunning!

As did the bridesmaids!

And also Patrick the dog, he looked pretty hot too.  He wasn't invited to the wedding though, which was a bit of a shame for him.

Meanwhile Paul was with the boys, while they chilled out before the wedding.  Clearly, something was funny....

Beautiful flowers by Jane Robinson from Mayflower

Nadine had planned a really awesome entrance....

In a helicopter!  (I got to be the one to go for a change, and Paul stayed on the ground!)

Ben from Windhawk Helicopters flew us right over all of the guests....

Who were rather surprised at the dramatic entrance!

But the day was really all about this:

Two people who were promising the rest of their lives together... even if a couple of the words came out a little wrong!

The ceremony was held at the beautiful Pampers Escape.  It was the first time I've ever shot a wedding there, and it really is a great spot!

Loving the crowd shots!

Then off to the farm where we had taken their engagement shots.  Such yummy light!  Gorgeous couple!

The guys looking all studly.

The girls working it.

I do love doing this shot.  Sometimes I wonder what people think of my methods.... "You want us to what?"....

Yup, that's me, lying on my back in the foetal position, while nine people crowd around me.  It gets a few chuckles.

Love love love this one!

Again, maybe I have an odd sense of humour, but you can't just let a 'bathroom' like this escape a photo, can you?  I love how Phillip is just owning this shot.

Then off to Drylands for the Reception.  As usual, Dietmar did a fantastic job and things ran beautifully!

Nadine and Phillip - thank you so very much for inviting us to be part of your day.  It was perfect!  You're both such lovely people, and you suit each other down to the ground.  Enjoy the rest of your lives together!

Vendor Shoutout:

Hair: Cherie and Fiona from Illusions Salon, Springlands

Makeup: Amanda Chapman

Flowers: Jane Robinson from Mayflower

Helicopter: Windhawk Helicopters

Ceremony Venue: Pampers Escape

Reception and Catering: Drylands Restaurant

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