Kim & Steve's wedding at The River Lodge, Hawkes Bay

My driving goal for any wedding is to create images that will remind my couples in years to come not just how they looked on their wedding day, but how they felt. Laughter, tears and all the emotions in between are the moments my camera and I hunt for. Sometimes that can be a challenge, but with Kim and Steve Marples it was a bit of an understatement to say capturing emotion was easy. I don't think I've ever laughed quite so hard during a wedding shoot, or worked with a set of more brilliant people. The high-jinks and hard cases made for a totally awesome day for me...and I know when I'm having the most fun, I'm also getting the best wedding photography.Of course it helped to have the incredible spaces around The River Lodge to play with....wide open views down the Tukituki river valley and intimate spots among the vines and minty-green trees (which were the perfect match for the day's colour scheme). Kim's nod to mid-century glamour (including 16m of Dupion silk courtesy of the wildly creative Rowan McLennan) made this wedding day just spectacular. As the evening reception began and the sun slipped behind Te Mata Peak, the River Lodge was slowly lit up by hundreds of hand-made candles.

VENUE: The River Lodge, by Black Barn. DRESS: Rowan McLennan. HAIR & MAKEUP: Suzanne Hardy. Flowers: By the bride. Cake: MJs Cakes. Celebrant: Bev Kerr. Photographer's Assistant: Rebekah Trafford