Classic Modernism - Brittany & Angus

Written By Eva Bradley

Weddings have always been about ‘something old and something new’ and I thought Brittany and Angus’ recent wedding at The Old Church in Meeanee, Napier, really nailed this tradition with the styling. As a wedding photographer with a classic shoot and edit style, I’m in my happy place at the moment because ‘classic’ is once again cool. But being classic with a modern twist is a hard thing to pull off. So sit back, relax, get your scroll on and enjoy just how well this Hawke’s Bay couple did it!

So how y’all feeling about THAT DRESS?! Simple lines, structure, a split (but a classy one) and (the best win for any wedding dress in my opinion) POCKETS! No more looking for the bridesmaids, who lost track of the bride’s purse 5 drinks ago. Lippy touchups are right there, at arms’ reach.

Brittany and Angus wanted a look and feel that was quite traditional but also fresh, relaxed and focused on celebrating with family and friends. I helped make that happen by keeping my shooting and editing style true-to-life and setting up sweet, candid little moments along the way such as opening gifts and the First Look for Brittany’s dad. I know most of my couples book me because of my candid, unposed style but spoiler alert: making candid, unposed moments happen at a wedding does actually come down to careful planning before the big event, and good time management and directing on the day.

I used to always work with a second shooter at my Hawke’s Bay weddings, but these days I’m more pragmatic and understand everyone wants to allocate their budget their own way, so it’s optional. But lucky me, Brittany and Angus ticked that box so I invited along the only Hawke’s Bay wedding photographer I know who gets more excited at weddings than I do, Suzy Gasson-Guildford. Shooting with her is like mainlining V energy drinks all day. So while I was swooning over Brittany’s dress at The Villa at The Old Church, Suzy was at the couple’s (blissfully, gloriously) white and minimalist home nearby in Hastings with the guys.

I wanted to share this particular Hawke’s Bay wedding with you not just because of how it looked, but also because the love story behind it was just so sweet and a little bit classic and traditional just like the theme of the wedding…

Brittany: “Angus and I met when I was 14 and he was 15, so we were high school sweethearts. I felt and knew he was the one after going through a challenging life event together and seeing him by my side throughout that solidified everything for me. After buying our first home, adding a couple of Labradors to the family and progressing our careers we felt settled and he proposed to me on the top of Te Mata Peak one Sunday morning. We knew where we wanted to get married because since we were 16, every time we would drive past The Old Church in Meeanee near Napier, we would say “one day we will get married there” and we did!”

For the creative session and the photos generally, Brittany was really specific about what she was after. She wanted classic, crisp, white and raw moments, with candid and unposed images balanced with the structure you get with a classic wedding photography approach. It’s cool when a bride has a really strong visual aesthetic in mind, but it’s also daunting as the pressure to deliver that vision is there. Fortunately, I nailed it!

Brittany: “The look and feel we wanted from the photos was exactly what was delivered and it was done perfectly. The passion and excitement Eva has for photography shows through every moment she captures. Eva made us feel so relaxed by having a laugh and allowing us to be present. She honestly feels like family. I’ll never forget the first time Eva saw my dress and veil, I almost think she was more excited than me!”

If there’s one bit of advice I like to give at every one of my Hawke’s Bay weddings, it’s to try to be mindful as it all moves so fast. So it’s interesting to reflect and ask what the highlights were because often the whole day can seem like a bit of a blur. I feel like Brittany did a really great job of being present and making sure the little moments got time to shine as well as the big ones.

Brittany: There were so many highlights but of course marrying my high school sweetheart was number one. Many of the highlights included walking around the venue by myself when everything was set up - seeing our vision come to life was really exciting. Reading Angus’s letter in private with his vows and many gifts he gave me throughout that morning was so special. Being alone for a few minutes with my matron of honour before walking over to the venue felt so surreal and really helped with the nerves. Putting on my late grandmother’s sapphire ring in memory of her was so special and a moment I’ll never forget. Walking down the aisle seeing my future husband and all the most important people in our lives there to celebrate with us was so touching. Those moments alone having our photos taken felt so special and gave us time to soak up every moment. And of course dancing the night away.”

After our spin around the venue for our photos at The Old Church, it was time for the reception. I feel like there is a real gear change at this point. The day has been fast, full of expectation and a fair amount of pressure for everyone (including me!) Finally we all get to exhale.

This is the time of day I get to enjoy being a fly on the wall, shooting people without any directing. I shoot with a 70-200mm zoom lens so even from the back of the room I’m right up close catching the emotion as speeches unfold. After a day spent sharing such an intimate event with people, I relate to what Brittany said about feeling like family. I often get quite emotional listening to the beautiful words people say to each other.

If there’s one thing I love about a Hawke’s Bay wedding venue, it’s a gorgeous sunset right outside the restaurant. Our shoot in the ‘golden hour’ literally took five minutes and most of that was Brittany and Angus reconnecting and me just lurking in the shadows like a paparazzi with a long lens.

Next up…party time! With Naked Gun cranking out the hits and a really fun crowd, I was hard pressed to not get back on the dance floor once I put my cameras away. After some crazy D-floor action, it felt about right to get Brittany and Angus away from the crowd for a little ‘alone time’ (aka dusk shoot) and finish off an amazing day with some final amazing frames. The wind had actually been a first class pain all day, but it made up for it by artfully blowing Brittany’s veil around, which looked beautiful with a really slow shutter speed so the effect was almost like fast-moving water.

If you’re planning a Hawke’s Bay wedding, it’s awesome looking at real weddings for inspo. But it’s even better to hear from the bride herself what her advice would be looking back…

Brittany: “Give yourself time. We had an 18-month engagement to prepare, organise and get the vendors we wanted by booking far in advance. Most of all enjoy the engagement period. You only do it once, why rush? I highly recommend paying the extra money to have a full live band. Not only the live music but the atmosphere they bring keeps everyone on the dance floor the whole evening, it certainly did for ours. The catering and beverages are so important to keep not only your own, but your guests stamina up throughout the day and into the evening and I feel this is a big thing guests remember from a wedding. We had multiple canapés, bars and plated sit down meals and safe to say people are still talking about the food to this day!

I would highly recommend taking a moment out for yourself before walking down the aisle, even if it’s 5 minutes. Also taking a moment out for the two of you during the night to just relax and take it all in. We went for a walk around the gardens and sat by a fountain listening to the band and our guests having a great time, really take in every second and appreciate everything that has led you to that moment. 

Dont sweat the small stuff. I hated the thought of things not going to plan but remember you have people around you, family, friends, MC and ‘Day of’ Coordinator to look after things. No matter how organised you are, things may not go to plan that are out of your control so just have a laugh and embrace it. Most of all do what makes you happy, because you will look back on it forever.”

Eva Bradley

Website designer and photographer based in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

https://www.natter.co.nz
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Nick + Courtney at The River House, Hawke's Bay