If you want to meet some of the smiliest, happiest people ever... say hello to Aleisha and Steve! This power couple had an epic wedding day in, cough... May 2015.  (Hooray I hear you all cheer!! Let's all have a good laugh at my unbelievably slow blogging, and then move on!). They are the perfect team... and they've actually expanded their squad in the last couple of months with the addition of goooorgeous little Millie... who has taken on the smiles of her parents as well.

As I talked about in their engagement shoot blog, Aleisha is one of my oldest friends! So it was a true privilege to capture the day she vowed to her best friend to stand by him forever. The whole day was energy-filled and hilarious... these two sure know how to have fun and not take life too seriously. As did their whole bridal party! The whole day was a huge and beeeautiful celebration, with the most gorgeous autumn weather and a big bunch of Aussies and Kiwis all having the best time.  So because the photos speak for themselves... allow me to show you a little glimpse into their Queenstown and Arrowtown wedding day... 

Kirsty and Mike's wedding day was sooo lovely! They decided to get ready at their home together, and to have a beautiful, intimate ceremony and reception at Gaslight restaurant. These two were the perfect example of a relaxed bride and groom - probably because Kirsty was just so incredibly organised that there was nothing left to do but enjoy the day! We wandered around a few spots in town with the bridal party for photos before the ceremony, and then they were able to hang out at with their guests for the rest of the day. Such an awesome way to do it - the people there to celebrate and support you should be a HUGE priority of your wedding day!

I've got plenty of photos of the utterly adorable Rout Family kids to make your heart melt!! These beautiful little kids were SO much fun to photograph... Lorelei, Evie and Vivian are such happy, hilarious, high-energy, gooorgeous kids. We had a ball running around wherever they wanted to go at Queens Park in Invercargill. They couldn't have put on a better loving-sibling show if they had tried... I'm sure it's not alwaaays this harmonious and affectionate between the kids at home, but they certainly are a tight-knit little trio when they want to be! Lots of beautiful spring colours and happy, playful little smiles to see here... 

It's taken me since the beginning of this year to work out whether or not to share these images from the 2017 Shoot and Share Contest with you. These first two images are particularly special and poignant, and I don't share them because of the 'awards'. I share them because I want to share the hope in these images. This is beautiful little Emily, who I photographed in NICU at about 26 weeks old. This absolutely tiny little girl really touched me, and I am just so pleased to let you know that she is now 20 months old, and is doing so well! NICU is an amazing place. It's a place filled with so many mixed emotions and roller-coaster rides for so many parents - in reality, it's a place sometimes crippled by sadness and fear, and other times filled with hope and strength. But no matter what, it's always a place filled with love and care. I know not all these beautiful, tiny little babies are as fortunate as Emily, but I wanted to share the power of the hope, love, strength, and the fighting spirit of this wee girl!

Out of over a thousand photos in the "Passion Portraits: Giving Back" Category, Emily’s photos placed 12th and 15th. This category is reserved for photos taken to give back to our communities. It's about using our gifts within photography to share with and bless others. These two photos are really special to me, and I'm glad they touched the hearts of photographers around the world who voted. 

Katie and Andrew.... over two years happily married, with so many adventures and journeys under their belt, and now with gorgeous baby Tobias in their lives... and here I am... blogging their incredible Christchurch wedding day! Ha... classic. And ya know what, despite it being late... I'm stoked to be able to share this day with you. It's soooo full of love and connection! Katie and Andrew are such an amazing couple who we have absolutely loved getting to know over the last few years. They both come from families where love and commitment are paramount, and they are some of the most humble, gentle souls you will ever meet!

I've loved going through these photos again to share with you. Enjoy this beautful couple, who cherished every single of this amazing day and the family and friends who were there to support them.

It's time for another mash-up blog of a handful of portrait shoots from over the past 9 months or so! Whilst juggling working and having Eli full-time too, my time for blogging has become pretty sparse! So in order to actually share some work, I have to make a compromise somewhere... and that means not able to blog every shoot and write as I used to! But when it's ok with my wonderful clients, I do love to share some of the gorgeous families, toddlers, couples, & baby bumps that I've had the privilege of photographing!

This first gorgeous little face belongs to Miss Tilly! She came into the studio to help me model a little tutu which I needed to photograph for a client... and I couldn't help taking more gorgeous photos of her exploring the studio too...

It's a real honour when people tell you they have been following your work for a really long time, and will go to any lengths to have you capture their relationships. Alan and Ivania flew down from Auckland for their pre-wedding / engagement shoot and we waltzed around the city for the day. finding random little locations along the way. I had ridiculous amounts of fun photographing these two... they laughed, looked super gorgeous, snuggled, did yoga... you know, the usual. So much goodness from one shoot! 

Ivania and Alan are all married up now, and have also started their own business sourcing quality wedding products! Totally check them out at Ai Accessories if you are planning your wedding too :)

Enjoy this spring shoot... with a multitude of different looks and locations... but all about one gorgeous couple... 

I've got some seriously talented friends! Friends who do cool things - like design and handmake beautiful clothing, create amazing decor, and up-cycle the most gorgeous furniture... and open up their own shops! My friend Becca and her Mum Judith are the talent behind Spruce Design Store - a stylish and affordable shop in Mosgiel! They have just moved to a new shop at 5 Factory Road, and it's filled with the most amazing things... from cute little baby clothes and knitwear, nursery decorations, kids clothing, womens and menswear, cushions, furniture and lots of fun little one-off things! 

We got together with some awesome little families to show off some of their quality, snuggly, everyday family wear! Enjoy this wee peek into their range of clothing (there's so much more too!), with some pretty cute little faces too :)

I have a preeetty special place in my heart for my wee nieces and nephews! And they are growing in number... and height! Little Annabelle is the latest addition to to the Truman family... she's actually 9 months old now, and ridiculously adorable! She always has the biggest smile plastered across her face any time you lay you eyes on her :)

But going back a year now...  my beautiful sister Sarah was 26 weeks pregnant while were on a winter holiday in Hanmer Springs. So we set out to unknown locations with her gorgeous family, to capture this awesome time for them. These guys are no strangers to the blog... if you've been around here for a while you have probably seen me share photos of Penelope and Matthew, along with little Victoria, who they sadly lost at 38 weeks. 

This is a rather large blog... because there are just so many photos that I love from the maternity shoot through to darling little Annabelle making her entrance into this world!

I met Aileen and Hayden on a beeeautiful evening out at Ocean View beach for their maternity shoot! Such a gorgeous wee spot that I looove shooting at. And these two (and their hilarious, hyperactive little dog!) were so natural and easy to work with! I love beachy maternity shoots... so many textures and colours... and that wintery light! Mmmmm...

And this beautiful little baby bump happened to be little Henry John Craw... and he's as gorgeous as ever, as you'll see below! He was so attentive and alert for the entire newborn shoot... and soooo calm! Gorgeous little man :) Check out both their maternity and newborn sessions...