Hawke's Bay's Ocean Beach is a special place filled with memories for so many of us from this part of New Zealand. But for Birdy Hansen, this long stretch of coastline has a history so deeply connected to her family, it was impossible to imagine her wedding to Jono happening anywhere else. Michelle Fey and Rebekah Trafford illustrated her day with their images, and Birdy has relived the special moments here on our blog in her own words. As always, we feel so honoured that our couples generously let us share with the biggest, most personal day of their lives.

London locals, Katy and Andrew really wanted a proper Kiwi home-coming for their wedding, and so the lovely little locations of Eskdale and Bay View (where Katy grew up) set the scene for a gloriously simple and beautiful Hawke's Bay country wedding.

Ben and Ruth are a chilled out Kiwi couple who believe in keeping it real. They wanted a wedding that reflected that, with a focus on friends, family and the things that matter rather than the complicated trimmings. A country wedding at the chocolate-box-cute church down the road from Ruth's parents' home was followed by a reception at the local hall of small Hawke's Bay settlement, Maraekakaho.

There's a wish-list most couples have when it comes to the perfect wedding. But dreams are sometimes hard to transform to reality, so I was absolutely stoked with the way Sam and Gareth's Black Barn Market wedding finally came together.

Anyone planning a wedding knows they can be complicated. That's why we adore engagement sessions. They are, quite simply, about two people in love. There's no dress to fuss over, no bridal party looking on, no timelines to stick to beyond those set by Mother Nature and there aren't 100 people waiting for us to hurry up and be creative so the party can get started.

We all know weddings are about love, commitment and happy every after. But one thing that became pretty clear as Emma and Pete's day went on is that it was also about having the most fun day of their lives, bar none. Happiness is one of the most intoxicating drugs, and by the time these two were spinning on the dance floor at Craggy Range Winery, my entire face was hurting from smiling so much.

For a Hawkes Bay wedding photographer, the first country wedding of summer is an aphrodisiac a little like falling in love. Pair me and my lens with historic Greenhill Lodge with its jaw-dropping backdrop of rolling hills and it is hard to imagine a more perfect match

A truly autumnal wedding filled with low light, deep colours, and two people in love...and laughter. Rob and Caroline Herbert were married at The Old Church in Meeanee, Hawkes Bay.

Love is a little like a maze...sometimes you take a few wrong turns to find the right path. Long-term soul mates Rose and Jeremy Jones are one of those lucky couples who went right past all the dead-ends to lucky-in-love right from the start.

I was absolutely delighted when I received an email from Australian couple Scott and Lindsay in May 2013, filling me in on their romantic plans to sail to New Zealand on a luxury cruise, stopping in at the world's beautiful Art Deco capital, Napier, to tie the knot.

I first met Nicci when I was shooting her brother-in-law's wedding just over at year ago at The Old Church near Napier. I remember thinking at the time, 'now THAT is going to be one hot little bride'. When I arrived in the middle of Suzanne Hardy's hair-and-makeup love-fest (at the aptly named cottage 'The Love Shack', just outside Havelock North), I was already fizzing with excitement.

Emma made her grand entrance up the long driveway of Sileni where Sam waited nervously beside the silver birch trees on the winery's front triangle. The newlyweds wanted their wedding photography to be relaxed, embrace the best of New Zealand and Hawke's Bay and also reflect the sense of fun they share together as a couple.

I have known Ceilidh since she was knee-high-to-a-grasshopper, so it was especially cool when she showed up at my studio about a year ago with a dashing young Brit on her arms, and a beautiful sparkling ring on her finger.I started my day with the boys at their wedding venue, Millar Road, which sits atop a vineyard, high on the Tukituki hills looking back to the distant sweep of Hawkes Bay coastline.