Coinciding with the weekend of Te Kuiti's biggest (and only!) events on the annual calendar - the national shearing championships and the 'Running of the Sheep' - Doug and Rachael had some strong competition for their wedding. However, 3000 odd sheep being let loose down the main street the next day only added to the weekend's fun, and this little farming town, near Hamilton, turned on absolutely stunning weather for their special day.
Doug and Rachael are an amazingly fun couple. I only met them on the day of the wedding, but they are the kind of people you feel like you have known for a long time.
Doug and Rachael are an amazingly fun couple. I only met them on the day of the wedding, but they are the kind of people you feel like you have known for a long time.
I hung with Doug's family before the ceremony...he waited calmly and patiently while everyone else ran around getting ready!
The themes throughout the wedding were music and food...two great themes if you ask me! Doug and Rachael (and their families!) are both incredibly talented musically, and their culinary skills were also evident later on at the reception meal.
This is my beautiful friend Elinor, Doug's sister, entertaining and playing while Rachael walked down the aisle. I like her a lot :)
Rachael just laughed ALL day! It was so great. Even walking down the aisle...she was laughing!
The Bolger family is a very large family - Rachael has 8 other siblings...and most of them have partners and some have children!! The most impressive part though, was that despite being spread all around the world...the whole family was together again! So, while the Millar side was slightly out-numbered, it definitely was a wonderful family affair.
We then jumped in the 4WD's, and headed to the Bolger's farm, just out of Te Kuiti for some awesome photo opportunities.
With their powers combined....
You can take a girl out of the farm...but you can't take the farm out of the girl! It wasn't long before Rachael's wedding shoes were swapped for good old gummies...
The reception to follow was held on the family farm, looking out at the beautiful views from Rachael's parents' home.
These little girls were just tooo adorable! I couldn't stop photographing them while they waited patiently for Doug and Rachael to arrive so that they could throw petals on them!
And lastly, but most definitely not least... the reception. Stirred on by two of the most competitive families I have ever met...the whole night was filled with table rivalry, sibling rivalry, and finally... a choreographed dance-off between the two families. I must admit, I may have been one of the instigators of this dance-off with the Millar girls (with a tragic dance to "Boom boom boom boom" by the Vengaboys), but as you can see, the Bolgers came back in true style. They all ran outside and made up a dance to "Walk like an Egyptian", which we challenged with a bit of MJ and "Blame it on the Boogie". After four impressive fully choreographed dances, a truce was reached. I would put more photos up, but I fear the embarrassment of some people...so I will just leave you with this one...
Thank you SO much Rachael and Doug (and your awesome families) for an incredibly fun day photographing you. You were so natural in front of the camera... I have soooo many more photos for you to see!! I wish you all the best for married life, and I look forward to the next dance-off.... :D xoxox
