Every wedding is special for me to shoot but when I already have a personal connection to the bride, the buzz and energy is just that little bit higher for me.

Sometimes the stars align and I find myself working with a couple who think and feel about weddings so much like I do that the buzz, for me, almost has echoes of being a bride all over again. I felt that way when I first met Christel and Dan and they told me that not only were they to be ‘Mr. & Mrs. Eva’, but that they were getting hitched at the same location as me and loved the style and feel from my own ceremony so much that they’d used a photo from it for their invitations.

Weddings are all about turning long-held dreams into reality, but for Neil and Jenny, their wedding turned to a nightmare before it even began. Having paid their venue in full, it went into receivership, taking with them thousands of dollars worth of hard-earned savings. It seemed like a saddest end to what should have been a fairytale story for this couple, until the Napier wedding industry pulled together to help give them the dream they had saved so hard for…

The first thing I ask a couple when they are considering working with us on their wedding day is ‘what elements are most important for you?’ This helps me understand who they are as a couple and how Andrew and I can work with them to create bespoke photography that reflects all their priorities. Every couple is different but the ones we enjoy working with the most talk about a sense of celebration and a focus on friends and family ahead of styling and colour schemes.

It is hard to imagine anywhere with more beautiful views of New Zealand’s ruggedly beautiful coastline than The Farm at Cape Kidnappers. But the exclusive nature of the luxury lodge has meant I haven’t been able to share images from a real wedding shot there before. So I’m really excited that Rob and Angela so generously have let me do so, but also that their tiny wedding was perfect in every way - not just beautiful to look at, but emotionally quite special to be part of.

How many true love stories begin with a girl looking across a crowded room and locking eyes with an 'energetic, sweaty, mess'? Sam must have had quite the pulling power as his future bride, Georgia, was seduced by the dashing airforce chopper pilot (ok so I had to get that bit in early to off-set the sweaty mess vision) as he was grooving away on the dance floor of the Beer Barrel in Palmerston North (affectionalty dubbed 'Paradise City' by the new Mr. & Mrs. Hatrick).

Hawke's Bay weddings pose a bit of a conundrum: coast or country? There is so much of both that it can often be hard to decide, so Nikky and Sam found a little off-the-beaten-track place where they could combine both. Clifton Cafe is authentically Kiwi. From the red corrugated iron through to the simple number-8 fencing wire separating the paddock from the wide expanse of the South Pacific Ocean. Under a home-made floral arch in front of their friends and family, this is Nikky and Sam's love story. We hope you enjoy it!

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.