It was no secret that I was desperately looking forward to Emma and Paul's wedding.  I knew that they would look gorgeous, even if they chose to wear sacks and shave their heads bald.  Thankfully they chose to wear wedding clothes, and so, as I expected, they took everyone's breath away.

It was the perfect day for a beach wedding, hot and still and the sky was giving us all sorts of awesome.

Emma had been given a brooch that belonged to her grandmother.  It was lovingly added to the bouquet, which was a great idea, if I do say so myself, seeings it was my idea.  I'm not just a pretty face you know.

Emma you were a beautiful, beautiful bride.

Phoenix was as cute as a button!

Arriving in style in a black cab from the Black Cab Company.

Paul is thrilled that his bride has arrived.

How is this for a perfect day to have a beach wedding?  See, I told you the sky was awesome!

Beautiful reactions from the family.

Happy to be Mr and Mrs?  Yes, I dare say so!

This was Emma's Mum's idea.  Oooooooh how I wish I'd thought of it first!

Emma's brother had created this structure for the wedding.  So cool!

This. Right here.  Perfection.

Paul and Emma were so happy and relaxed, the day was just perfect!

A quick stop at the apple orchard.

And driving back to the reception we came to a screeching halt, Emma spied this awesome spot.  Well spotted girl!

Then off to the Wharfside for the reception. 

The theme was vintage, and the details were simply gorgeous.

I would most certainly echo the Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Quinn!  What a spectacular day, we thoroughly enjoyed every minute with you guys.  We'll see you soon! xx

Vendor Shoutout:

Celebrant: Angel Pearson

Hair: Tonic Hair Culture, Richmond

Makeup: Emillie MacRitchie

Flowers: Fields Designer Florist, Richmond

Dress: Bernadette Thomas

Venue: Wharfside Restaurant and Bar, Mapua

Cake: Chocolate Velvet

Cars: The Black Cab Company

Pip and Dave exude the kind of style I only wish I had.  Where I flap and squeal and scrunch my face into all sorts of unhuman expressions, Pip and Dave smile kindly, introduce sincerely, stand tall and beautifully and are so darn stylish. 

When Pip was showing us around their grounds the day before the wedding, I knew that this was going to be one of those weddings, you know, the ones where anywhere you point the camera at would be beautiful.  Pip had everything perfectly planned, I knew that all we had to do was turn up, shoot and enjoy.

Paul was with the guys while they got ready.  Everything about this wedding was of a beautiful quality, even the light.  How did they manage that?  I have no idea.

Pip smiled all day long. 

Pip's Dad's reaction to seeing his little girl as a bride.  Gotta love it.

And what a beautiful bride she is!

Grand arrival.

Could Dave look more pleased with his bride?  I don't think so!

This is the most 'approving sister' look I've ever seen.

I love how the girls were wearing white too.  So perfect!

Married!  YUS!

Then off to get some portraits in the gardens.

This is Bruno, their baby.  He was wearing a special black and white bandana for the occasion.  So so cute.

Then there was a mini airshow organised by Pip's dad.  I kid you not!  Especially for Pip and Dave.  So awesome!

It was the perfect day for a garden party.  Warm and still and full of beautiful happy people.  Yup, my kind of day!

Dave's Mum and Dad created this garden over the last ten years.  It's been a real labour of love, and it's absolutely beautiful!  The perfect place for a garden party!

Pip and Dave, thank you so very much for being a ray of sunshine in my week.  You are a beautiful couple and I can't wait to show you the rest of the photos!

Vendor Shoutout:

Celebrant: Peter Minson, Nativity

Hair & Makeup: Deirdre, Locks & Lashes

Dress: Kate Dowman

Caterer: Janet Enright and Vicki Young - Bon Vivant

Marquee: Karen Solomon, Hirepool Blenheim

My life is weird right now.  So this post will be more brief than most, I'm sorry.  But rest assured, when things become less weird, I'll be posting many more photos from Saturday's wedding!  I'll share more at the bottom of this blog about my weird life, but first onto Grant and Libby's beautiful day!

I gasped when I saw Libby's shoes.  I love them with every single atom in my body.

This is Caitlin.  She's four and full of all the fun and wonder that little girls of that age have.

The wedding was held at Libby's parents place, Blue Ridge Estate.  The day was as perfect as the immaculate property.  What a perfect place for a wedding! 

Libby decided to make the grapevines her 'aisle', so that the first person to see her was Grant.  Caitlin walked like a perfect princess most of the way down, and then, suddenly, at the last few meters she shot away and straight into Grant's welcoming arms.

This was the moment she arrived at the end of the aisle, meeting Grant with the biggest and most true hug a little girl can give.

Libby and Mia followed soon after.  Half way down the aisle, Mia decided to stop and have a little jig to the music.  Impromptu dancing, always good!

Looking through her Daddy's knees as her parents get married.  Such a beautiful little thing Mia is!

Grant and Libby are so cute together!  Libby spent most of the day giggling.  She's bright and bubbly and, amazingly enough, the third person in a row I've photographed that works with kids! 

Love!  You just know I love those shoes!

I love this old cottage, so many interesting places to take photos!

Back at Drylands for the reception, and the speeches were successful in drawing the desired responses!

Particularly special, Grants ring belonged to his Dad before him.

Vendor Shoutout:

Celebrant: Terry Terrill

Hair: Beyond the Fringe, Redwood

Dress: 102 Design, Ashburton

Reception: Drylands Restaurant

I didn't go home after the wedding on Saturday.  Instead I came to sit by my dear Mum, who is in her final stages of Motor Neurone Disease.  My sister had let me know that things were getting pretty serious, and perhaps it might be a good idea to come out sooner rather than later.  I haven't left her since.  As each hour passes, she slips further away from us.  The whole thing is surreal, peaceful, painful but most of all, well, just plain old weird. Thankfully we've been able to keep her at home. She's comfortable and peaceful, for someone who is dying, I guess.  As we sit and hold her hand, we wonder if each breath is her last.  We tell her we're with her, and we sit.  And we wait. 

This is new territory for me.  I've never lost a parent before.  Come on, everyone dies, and even though it can't be fun, plenty of people have coped with it.  That's what I thought, before I was the one loosing a parent.  Now that it's me going through it, it's harrowing.  Then I feel bad about feeling sorry for myself, because this part is all about Mum.  Then I look at her, I see peace.  I know she's ready to meet the God she has loved and followed for the last 34 years.  I know that it will all be over soon, and she will be perfectly happy.  But in the meantime, we sit.  And we wait.

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

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

 

---

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

She was glowing from the moment I walked in.  Amanda's life was changing forever, she would marry her sweetheart, move to an entirely different city and they would start their lives together.  Adam and Amanda are everything that makes a wedding day magical.  Watching them get married, so young and so in love, I had a silly big grin all day.

The shoes were so classy, I loved them!

Flowers by Flowertime.  Gorgeous!

It's not everyday that you get to ride in a limo!

Amanda's Dad gives her away.  Such a great moment, this one.

Tom Hatch does a great wedding.  I love being reminded about how important it is to look after each other in a marriage, how blessed we are to have each other and how we must cherish every moment we spend together.

MARRIED!

The wedding was held at Elim, their home church, which also doubles as a school.  The very school Amanda went to as a kid!

Speaking of kids, this is Austen.  He's two and don't you just want to pick him up and squeeze him?!

What a beautiful bride!  We went to Pollard Park for photos, which was a fantastic idea as it was super hot and Pollard has some great shady places to hang out.

Adam's tophat made me happy.  Real happy.

Paul and I were both shooting this, and this is his shot. Somehow I knew he was outshooting me by lying on the ground!

Then he nailed the flowers.  I love this angle!  Got the whole low down thing going on.

Then off to Amanda's Grandad's property.  It's on the market now that Grandad has passed away, so this was the perfect way to create some final memories of a very special place.

Then off to Drylands for the reception, and some final images in the vineyard before we headed inside.

How cute are they?!

Adam's Aunty made this amazing cake.

Adam and Amanda, words can't adequately say how thrilled we are to have been part of your amazing day.  We wish you both all the very best starting your brand new life together.  It's been a real joy to get to know you both.

Vendor Shoutout:

Hair: Julia Bushell

Makeup: Grace Makeup

Flowers: Flowertime

Dressmaker: Lorraine Pedersen

Cars: American Limousines

Church: Elim

Reception Venue: Drylands

 

---