I'm in Auckland with my little two and half year old niece sitting on my knee... she's digging her little boney butt into my legs, and pointing at every photo I'm uploading saying "ohhhhh pretty dress! Show me another pretty dress! Princess dress!!"

Danielle certainly was a princess on her wedding day (she even had a little friend who was annoyed that no one had ever told her Dani was a princess!), but it was about a whole lot more than a pretty dress. This was a beautiful day, filled to the brim with love and happiness. These two are surrounded in amazing people, and their wedding was a reflection of how loved they are, and how much they love each other. 

Over at the boys, Matty and his guys were doing the last minute preparations and getting suited up... 

...despite the fact some of them had never worn a suit before ;)

Meanwhile at the girls, Dani and her gals were pretty chilled and everything was going perfectly to plan! I love the pretty details and people you find here...

The lovely bride was already looking amazing, and the little nephews were in fine form (apart from one who couldn't wait for the lady with the camera to leave!)

I knew Dani was going to make quite the delightful bride!

Throughout the months of wedding prep, Matty was asking for Star Wars to feature somewhere in the wedding. And understandably, Dani flat out refused. What Matty didn't know though was that Dani had organised for her three nephews and her two gorgeous younger sisters to mark the beginning of the ceremony by walking down the aisle to the Star Wars theme song with light sabers! Hilarious for everyone involved... minus those who didn't enjoy the attention ;)

And then the princess herself made her grand entrance...

The ceremony was heartfelt, hilarious, serious and sentimental. Dani and Matty just smiled the entire time, and the words spoken were full of truth. And then, they were Mr and Mrs Flatt! 

After the beautful ceremony in East Taieri, we made our way out to gorgeous Port Chalmers for the photos and reception.

Dani and Matty were complete naturals - the camera loved them and their sweet dance moves!

They are two amazing individuals, who make an even stronger and more wonderful team. They are the kind of people who always make you feel uplifted.

Getting married after daylight savings meant we were treated to a gorgeous sunset before the reception!

Love, love, love.

The vintage themed reception at the Port Chalmers Town Hall was beautifully decorated, and filled with the warmth of amazing friends and family. 

This GORGEOUS cake was created by Dani's amazingly talented sister at Kellie Watson Cake Art. You should check out her work, or if you are down South, you should absolutely go along to some of her classes... talent in bucketloads!!

Dani and Matty, you are a strong, courageous, gorgeous couple who radiate love! Thank you for inviting us along to the most amazing day of your lives... we absolutely loved photographing your relationship and commitment. Sending all the blessings in the world to you both! xoxo

It's engagement shoot time again! They seem to come in waves before wedding season begins, and I adore it. Engagements are one of my absolute favourite things to photograph... I love seeing my couples change from being nervous, camera-shy couples, to totally forgetting I am there and having the best time together.

Katie and Andrew came down from Christchurch for their engagement party, so we took the opportunity to capture their love in this awesome season of life! We postponed it once because of the weather, but didn't have many days left... so on the Saturday we got out and about, even though it had been raining all day and the clouds still threatened more. It was actually the perfect kind of weather for snuggling up in the daffodils with a hot cup of tea...

Katie and Andrew are such a great couple. We have got to know them over the past couple years when they have come down to visit family in Dunedin, and we even got to spend a fun camping holiday with them this new years!

You guys are gorgeous!!!

We had to make use of the STUNNING blossom around at the moment! One of life's greatest pleasures!

Katie and Andrew LOVE the outdoors... they get out running and biking and adventuring as often as they can. So I suggested that we go for a walk up in the hills, because I had awesome visions of gorgeous evening light with the 360 degree views. And THANKFULLY... that's exactly what happened. The stormy sky cleared as we headed to this last location, and out came the most beautiful sun! 

A bit of rain before a shoot is never a bad thing though ;)

Oh Dunedin, how I love thee.

Katie and Andrew, THANK YOU! Was so lovely to see you again and to hang out for the afternoon! You were seriously amazing... I loved having you in front of my camera! Sending lots of love your way. We can't wait to capture your big day in April! xxoo

They admitted to both being very nervous about this shoot beforehand. I told them they only had one job, and that was to go home loving each other even more after a fun afternoon together, and that I would do the rest... and Tamsyn said that was totally what happened! They were SO incredibly natural in front of the camera - their happiness just oozed out of them... I hardly had to direct a thing!

They love reading books together. I think that is one of the cutest things ever. 

Wow I love spring!!! Blossom + these two = total dream!

Swooooon... I love these images. Tamsyn is seriously stunning... she has the most captivating eyes and incredible hair! And then on top of that she is amazingly lovely... I'm not surprised at all that Iain fell for her!

"Woah!! I'm marrying a supermodel!!" = Iain's words of truth when I showed them this on the back of the camera!

Haha, love the movement in the 2nd photo... I know it kinda looks like a Photoshop fail... but actually it's just suspenders suspended in air ;)

They had a couple of requests for their shoot, and that was blossom, and SUN! We were so incredibly blessed with the weather - it was perfection. We ended at the beach with the sun blazing through! 

Sooooo much goodness in one shoot! Thanks so much Iain and Tamsyn, you guys were absolute naturals and I am SO excited about your wedding day! You are such a great couple and we are blessed to be able to capture your love xoxo

I knew as soon as I met Elyse and Adrian for their engagement shoot that their wedding was going to be a thing of beauty. These two are a good looking pair of human beings! They are farmers from Heriot, and we were so excited about heading down for a wedding in the beautiful land of the South.

We knew their wedding photos were really important to them, and we had a really amazing day heading all around the countryside to capture these memories for them! Elyse and Adrian are such an amazing couple. It was SUCH a pleasure capturing their natural, happy love. 

Adrian and his boys were geared up in their suit pants, and out clay-bird shooting when we arrived! Perfect start to a perfect day.

Meanwhile, the girls were getting pampered at the stunning Mainholm Lodge! And it was a beeeeautiful day already!

Such a glamourous bride!

The beloved Mini! This wee beast is one of Elyse's favourite things, and was what took her to find her groom! It wasn't the fastest trip we've ever had to a ceremony, but was very entertaining watching her squeeze her stunning dress inside!

The ceremony was held at Adrian's parents farm... and it was HOT! The blue sky, lush green grass and the surrounding mountains were the perfect backdrop for their nuptials!

And they had a jam stall!! So cute.

Elyse and her beautiful bridesmaids just laughed all day long! Love it.

A few months before the wedding, Elyse asked if I thought going out on a row-boat on the pond by their house would be a good idea... ummmm yip. Great idea ;)

Our last stop before the reception was a golden wheat field, just as the light was dipping and becoming golden itself. Total photographer heaven...

I LOVE this. Elyse and Adrian were super playful... this reminds me so much of two little lion cubs playing around in the grass!

The reception was held in a modest country hall... and it looked amaaaazing! They did an incredible job of styling their wedding.

I adore parents at weddings! Always beaming all day long... 

Elyse and Adrian, thank you sooooo much! What a day. You guys are a gorgeous couple and it was amazing getting to know you and capturing this precious day for you!! OXOX

Ollie and Chu - where do I even start?! Liam and I have been really good friends with Ollie since we arrived at university. We all ended up at the same hall of residence, and his quirky nature and hilarious antics were more than enough for him to quickly classify as one of our favourite people. We have been on many adventures, road trips and spontaneous camping trips with this guy. We have spent many evenings up late talking, playing guitar and singing at the top of our lungs. We have watched him fly down farm hillsides on crates, go through phases of eating creamed rice for nearly every meal, and excel at everything he does. Including handstands. It's just unfortunate that he also succeeded at accidentally concussing me on a dance floor while doing one of those spontaneous handstands a few years ago ;). It's a good thing he is one of those completely charming and loveable guys... the epitome of a gentlemen, with an adventurous and hilarious streak.

We couldn't have been happier for Ollie when he met the girl of his dreams... the beautiful, gorgeous, lovely Chu! Ollie and Chu were both studying at medical school together. They had their first date by accident, when all their mutual friends ditched the movie plans... and the rest was history. They were made for each other, totally. Fast forward a few years, and we were lucky enough to capture their proposal, ninja styles. It was SUCH a privilege to be part of their journey and their wedding... a day full of love, blended cultures, family and friends. A day we absolutely LOVED.

I was sooooo excited to see Chu as a bride! She is a classic beauty... always smiling, always laughing, always beaming with happiness.

And she looked more beautiful than I could even imagine! 

Ollie and Chu decided to get married in the Botanic Gardens... a place that was filled with awesome memories for both of them. 

Total happiness!

It was probably the most emotional ceremony throughout our season... the tears of happiness flowed freely, and they were always followed quickly with lots of laughter. It was hard to spot any dry eyes around.

The moment they had been waiting for... husband and wife!!

Ollie and Chu love the beach and the outdoors... so we ventured around a few spots in glorious Dunedin....

You may recognise this as the exact spot where Ollie got down on his knee 10 months earlier! Thankfully the weather was a lot kinder on their wedding day, and we didn't have to hide in the bushes this time!

A 100% beautiful reception... seriously hilarious and cute speeches, awesome details, delicious food, and a magnificent first dance...  which thankfully didn't end up with Ollie knocking anyone out... 

Chu and Ollie, thank you for being part of our lives! We have so many good memories with you guys, and we look forward to many, many more over the years to come! It's been awesome seeing your friendship and relationship grow, and seeing you guys fall deeper and deeper in love. Thanks also for having us as part of your wedding day... it was truly amazing! Can't wait to see you in Wellington in a few weeks! xoxoxoxo

A couple of weekends ago, Liam and I trotted up to Christchurch for an afternoon of shooting at the beautiful Cossars Wineshed, along with our awesome friends from The Heather & Doug Records (check out their new re-brand, it's amazing!)! It's "the quieter season" right now (apparently... my to-do list is still a mile long), but it's a chance to play around with things we don't get a chance to otherwise! The aim this time was off-camera lighting practice and mucking around with new techniques with two fab models... call it professional development if you will (or fun and games would be equally appropriate!)

Abbie and Lynard were our fabulous models... seriously the most beautiful couple to photograph... they laughed, smiled, and cuddled their way through a freezing afternoon! Thank you SO much you two love birds, we had so much fun photographing you guys!

This blog is a mix of off-camera lighting and natural light - because I'm definitely a sucker for natural light any day! 

Winter light is soooooo gorgeous! We were so lucky to have such a beautiful day in the middle of August ;)

Liam and Doug were inside the gorgeous wee retro shed setting up flashes and shots, but this absolutely, utterly, totally delicious light came out as the sun dipped away... so Heather and I ditched the flashes pretty quickly and stole our lovely couple again! You just can't beat natural light! MmmMmmmm...

Thank you sooo much Abbie & Lynard! And thanks Cossars for having us at your gorgeous venue... we can't wait to come back to shoot a wedding there next year! xoxo

Tina and Josh are pretty much an old married couple by now, and I'm finally blogging their wedding! ;)

This was a fantastic, beautiful day in the Catlins... the gem of the south. Honestly the Catlins is soooo incredibly beautiful, I don't know why it's not more populated (not that I'm complaining). We began our day at the gorgeous Tiromoana House, near Owaka... with THIS stunning view! This was the location of the ceremony, and where the guys and girls both got ready for the big day ahead. 

And to match the beauty of their location, we had an amazing couple. Tina and Josh had been together for 10 years before they got married! They are a gorgeous couple, who love each other deeply, laugh together, and annoy each other playfully... as all good couples do! Their wedding was the perfect mix of sincerity, fun and love.

Tina was an absolutely stunning bride! She owns a hair salon in Balclutha, so the hair and make-up was a big part of the day... they did an amazing job!

When the girls were all ready, they went down the family house, so the guys could come to Tiramoana House to get ready too. The guys were in good form - lots of laughter and car talk calmed the nerves!

We met the girls back down in Owaka for their final prep, and then headed to the ceremony...

As we drove back up the steep hill to the ceremony location, we were pretty shocked to see that the completely clear sky from before had fogged over fully - you could only see about 5 metres ahead, and the gorgeous view decided to stay tucked away. But it added a new and unexpected feel to the ceremony - the fog was soft and beautiful and magical! 

Tina and Josh's guests went a little crazy on the confetti!!

Plans had to change pretty quickly for the photo shoot time of the day, because the previous locations Tina and Josh had sussed out were all pretty dependent on the gorgeous Catlins coastline views. We made use of the gorgeous mystical fog for a while, and then slowly but surely it began to clear.

Josh LOVES his car... it featured a lot throughout the day! 

Just when we needed it, the blue sky began to come out, and we were once again treated to stunning views! This bridal party were amazing! They were so happy all day, and laughed a lot. 

Beeeautiful bride! Love this!

Their reception was held at RiverRidge Lodge - a beautiful wedding venue in the Catlins! We loved shooting here as the sun dipped behind the mountains.

We ended the awesome reception with some sparkler fun! 

Tina and Josh, thanks soooooo much for asking us to photograph your beautiful day! And thanks for waiting so patiently for your blog too! We loved capturing your love so much - you are a great couple xoxo

This has been a wedding blog I've been excited about for months... I have been desperate to share this divine country wedding, but as you know... things got a little crazy and I've got a little behind on blogs. Perhaps more than a little... you can be the judge of that. But I'm here now to give you a glimpse into a beautiful Tekapo wedding. An autumn day, with snow on the hills, and sun sparkling on the lake. 

It was Emma and Chris' wedding day... and we were deeply excited about it! I flatted with Emma when we were at university, so it was such a privilege to be part of her big day. Emma is an absolutely beautiful girl, inside and out. I knew she was going to be an effortlessly graceful bride - wonderfully and humbly simple in her style. This wedding wasn't about all the fluff and fanciness... it was about love, family, and friendship. And Chris is a down-to-earth, easy going bloke, with a heart of gold. I knew it was all going to be perfectly crafted into an elegant, somewhat rustic affair. Set in the gorgeous mountains of the MacKenzie Country, Emma and Chris made their vows and dedicated their lives to each other. They love each other wholeheartedly, and the entire day was beeeautiful...

How utterly ridiculously cute is their dog, Archie?! My gosh I fell in love with this dog and his bow-tie!

Emma's divine dress by Sally Eagle was the envy of every female there that day! So incredibly elegant...

Emma and Chris both got ready at Mount John Homestead... so while the girls carried on with hair and make-up, we popped over to the adjacent house to find Chris and his guys preparing for the day ahead...

Chris' son, Dylan, was the perfect page-boy! He took his role very seriously and was such a wee dude all day.

Back at the girls, beauty was all around us! LOVED these flowers...

Emma and Chris chose to have a 'first look' and to do their photo session before their ceremony... their first look location was none other than the stunning Hitching Rail at the Mount John Observatory, overlooking Lake Tekapo.

I have far too many photos to share... so I'm just going to let them do the talking... 

Actually, I have lived with three of these beautiful girls in my university years! Love them all xx

Happy sigh!! Everything about this place and this couple is magical...

... and their whole bridal party were amazing too! Hilarious, helpful, good-looking and fun... what more could you want?!

Their ceremony was held at the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd - a tiny and gorgeous lakeside church. Inside waiting for them were all their wonderful family and friends... and then in a beautiful service, this amazing couple became husband and wife!

After the main formalities had been done, everyone went back down the road to the Homestead for an afternoon of relaxing in the sun... playing lawn games, drinking elderflower cordial, and nibbling on delicious things. Emma and Chris' attention to detail throughout their planning was so amazing... a simple lawn was transformed into the most glorious backyard full of entertainment, as the light faded into a beautifully calm evening. 

Too much running around for one wee chap though...

Their reception marquee (which thankfully didn't blow away in the previous day's storm) was once again decorated to perfection, and we had such a fun night full of laughter and smiles. 

Emma and Chris... we have sooo many happy memories of your wedding day! Looking back, I am just so blown away by how perfect it was. You are such a happy, fun family, and we totally support you guys in your years and years of happy marriage ahead!! We wish you all the very best, and look forward to catching up again soon! xoxo

He's gorgeous... and he is a huge blessing and miracle. He is Matthew James Truman, born at 10:51pm, 1st May 2014, weighing 8lb 3oz. And he is my precious little nephew - first little boy for my beautiful sister, Sarah, and her husband, Nick.

Our hearts burst for this little chap... he's the biggest delight! I had the amazing honour of photographing not only their journey through pregnancy, but also his entrance into this world. I was out for a run in Dunedin (pffft, what? Rare occurrence!), and got a call from Sarah saying, "I hope your bags are packed, jump in the car as soon as you can!!!"... I've never run so fast in my life... in fact that journey home was a bit of a blur (for me, not anyone who saw my rather tragic effort of sprinting). But 2.5 hours later, I was in Invercargill hospital, capturing the story of his birth in my sweaty fluro running gear. Witnessing my nephew's first breath was the biggest privilege ever.

As most of you know, Sarah and Nick sadly lost their darling little girl, Victoria, at full-term in June last year. Matthew is the beautiful baby to follow, and we are all so incredibly grateful for this gift. To quote Sarah's facebook announcement- "I don't have the words to describe the incredible joy and relief of holding a little boy in my arms, watching his chest rise and fall with breath, seeing him open and close his eyes, and hearing his snuffles! Welcome to our world Matthew James Truman, we love you soooo much!"

Here he is, brand new... meeting his big, and completely adoring sister, Penelope, for the first time at the hospital!

After racing back to Dunedin the morning after his birth to shoot a graduation, heading to Arrowtown the next day for a wedding, and driving the road south of Dunedin 5 times in 5 days... I was back down to hang out with Matthew for some newborn photos. I have seriously never had a cruisier newborn shoot - Matthew slept the entire time. And this was over about 2 days of shooting bits and pieces... what a dreeeeam! 

A picture of perfection...

Matthew means 'Gift of God', and James is the middle name of both of Matthew's grandfathers, and the first or middle name of two of his great-grandfathers, and a great-great-grandfather! James means 'Supplanter', so Matthew James is their gift from God in the place of another.

Penelope just LOVES Matthew! At the hospital she exclaimed that she couldn't wait to take him home to show him the iPad, take him to play on the playground, and buy him a scooter and a headband!! She was convinced his name was 'Declan' for the first couple days, and even asked if we could call him 'Dental Floss'... I love kids' brains. But above all, she completely adores him. Her nurturing nature is so obvious... she cuddles him, strokes him gently, and is extremely helpful for Mummy and Daddy. 

When your adoring Nana knits a gorgeous little pea-pod just for you, it'd be rude not to snuggle right in and make the most of its cuddliness! Suuuuper cute... clever Nana!

Sarah and Nick have an amazing support of friends and family around them. This wee outfit was given to him by one of Sarah's close friends... ridiculously funny and cute!

Before and after :)

This family are seriously amazing. Nick and Sarah are the most brilliant parents... they give everything they can to their kids, and they are filled with the most incredible patience and love. They have been through so much losing a child, yet they know they are blessed beyond words with the beautiful children they have here on earth. I am so proud of these guys... 

So much love for this amazing family! I could talk so much more about them. Matthew, we can't wait to watch you grow up, to play games with you, to see you turn into a wonderful little boy. You have a wide family who loves you SO dearly. You are a perfect, handsome, courageous young man, and you have been born into the most amazing family ever. Love you ALL! xoxox

Alicia and Elton are a gorgeous couple... and their wedding was a complete reflection of the wonderful people they are! It was organised immaculately... there was not a single detail that had been overlooked. In fact, there were more gorgeous details than I have ever seen! They had a '1940-1950's post-war/vintage' theme - along with displaying Elton's passion for fire-fighting throughout as well. Alicia's love for design and creativity was the perfect blend for a bride who wanted to make her wedding unique and personalised. They hand-made so many things, and had great vision as to how things would come together with flair. It was a beautiful wedding to photograph... everywhere we turned were more gorgeous details to capture.

Alicia is a real sweetheart - and Elton is a big softie to match! They spoke beautiful words about each other, and their love is so, so real and evident. 

We met Elton and his groomsmen, Jason, to capture their story before the ceremony...

Fire-fighting is Elton's life. They live across the road from the station, and Alicia tells me he spends a loooot of time there! I have huge admiration for people who give so much to help others. 

And Alicia is the queen of gift-giving! She had sourced the most personal and gorgeous vintage gifts for all the family and bridal party... and she wrapped them all meticulously as well! 

Over at the girls, there were beautiful dresses, beautiful girls, and beautiful details galore!

There were some ridiculously cute little nieces and nephews around too!

Elton also did extremely well on the gift giving front - a beautiful vintage ring, for his beautiful bride on their wedding day...

Time to get them married! Argyle Cottage Garden was the location of choice for these guys - the beautiful historic church on the property suited their theme gorgeously.

Dapper little man!

At the end of their beautiful, heartfelt ceremony was a guard of honour from the fire brigade. Someone else paraded through like it was all about him!

Alicia and Elton had picked some beautiful locations around Riverton! It was extreeeemely windy around the coastline, but it was very beautiful. And how cool is this little picnic!

Gorgeous couple... and a lovely bridal party!

Of course they had a vintage fire truck on hand! So incredibly perfect. 

Love these!

Heading to the reception, we were blown away how a school hall was turned into a beautiful vintage wedding venue! This takes some serious planning and some incredibly creative skills, and a lot of 'collecting' of vintage wares here and there!

The happy couple - Mr and Mrs Smith!

The old school candy store was a hit... once again, immaculate and completely in theme.

Alicia and Elton... wow! We were so incredibly impressed with the time, effort and energy you put into making your day the perfect celebration it was! You are an amazing couple, and it was very special to be able to travel to Riverton to be part of your amazing day. Thank you so much for choosing us! All the very, very best for many happy years of marriage xoxo