Big thanks to all our lovely brides and grooms who made the season such a pleasure!
Love my job.

(sorry about the highly unskilled iphone snap with a gazillion reflections, including my own… sigh, what an amateur!)

Sandie looked divine in an amazing hand-sewn french lace number from Australian couture house Mira Mandic.  They got ready for the occasion at Mudbrick Vineyards boutique accommodation, The Beach House, which was especially stunning on the exquisite day that Waiheke turned on for Sandie and Ged’s Aussie guests.

Although Sandie and Ged got ready together, Sandie didn’t want for Ged to see her in her gown until she walked up the aisle so he and his family left a little early for Mudbrick Vineyard while Sandie got into her dress and had a few photos around the gorgeous grounds.

I think the two images below demonstrate really well the benefits of having two shooters capturing your wedding day, as you can see from our different views of their farewell kiss…  mine is the reflection in the art piece on the wall, and Lance’s is the silhouette.

Sandie and her bridesmaid had their gorgeous looks created by Trudy and Michelle from Van Zyl

I love this tender moment between father and daughter…

Beautiful flowers from Virginia from the Waiheke Flower Gallery

Sandie had a gorgeous soft shawl to keep her snuggly, but the day was so warm and lovely that she didn’t even need it.

Mudbrick Vineyard looks amazing in Autumn, with the colours turning on the vines and the ivy that decorates their buildings… beautiful.

A moment to still the nerves and then…

Ged had written the most amazing vows for he and Sandie to share…

The light was wonderful as we took some more photos up in the vines and around the Mudbrick grounds

LOVE these….

I loved the simple table settings with a single lavender stem accompanying the name tags, and tea-lights & vases of flowers adorning the tables.

Thanks Sandie and Ged – your wedding was gorgeous and we adored being part of the very elegant celebration of your love.  Just lovely.  xx

photo by Lance, (A.K.A, the-best-assistant-photographer-in-the-world).

Entry forms in the latest Gulf News, or just print this one out.  Drop your answers in to our gallery on the corner of Tui St and Oceanview Rd no later than Friday the 11th.   Good Luck!

They had actually already tied the knot following a whirlwind romance last year, so their celebration at gorgeous local venue Cable Bay was a special way to share their love with their friends and family here in New Zealand.   They opted to do their photos before the wedding ceremony, and since they were already ‘Man and Wife’, they had no issues with seeing each other before the ceremony which made it nice and easy for Lance and I (and Renee and Rami!) to slip between the two penthouse apartments at The Sands as they got ready for the big day.

Renee’s amazing dress was a creation she and her mum dreamed up.  They started with a basic dress from Alfred Angelo and added their own adornments using soft peaches and pinks to create a gorgeous fairytale wedding dress fit for a princess.

I love this reaction below from one of Renee’s nieces when she first saw Renee in the gown…

Renee and the girls used the talented team of Charlotte Edwardes (from Island Beauty) and Jules Arlove for their hair and make up.  S*T*U*N*N*I*N*G!!  Renee’s fabulous flowers were from Vicki from Wildflower Waiheke.

These two are so cute!  I love these shots…

One of the lovely things about having the photographs all done before the ceremony is that the rest of the wedding day can just flow into the evening celebrations.  So after some family group photographs, the reception got into full swing.

Sophia from My Waiheke had done an incredible job in styling the reception (so much so, that she was thanked in the speeches for her role in the day).  Renee is the director of a boutique publishing house and from what I can pick up from her blog, is obsessed with, ahem,  into words in a big way.    They had an old typewriter there for friends to leave a personal message, and commissioned Rebecca Lloyd from The Cake Parlour to create a bright orange Scrabble cake, which looked amazing.

And then there was dancing…

We finished the evening with a few moments in the Cable Bay cellar room which is always lovely.  Thanks Renee and Rami – it was a pleasure to capture your gorgeous love for each other.  We wish you all the very best for your future together, and hope you enjoy your ‘sneak peek’! xx

The boys got ready in relaxed style at a private residence overlooking Palm Beach.

Gary had a wicked pounamu wedding ring crafted by NZ jeweler/artist Nga Waiata

I love his mum’s reaction to seeing her boy all decked out in his suit… priceless!

To block sun-flare in the shots below Lance had ‘carefully’ balanced our brolly above me on the pergola… umm, not so carefully it turned out!  Still, made for a great reaction from Gary.

Everyone was looking very relaxed at the girl’s getting ready house in Oneroa.  Kirsten was being attended to by Jen and Helen from Bridal Beauty who did a spectacular job of everyone’s hair and make up.

I loved Kirsten’s elegant look, which she accented with an amazing pounamu hair comb.

Kirsten and Gary had a private first look meeting at a gorgeous location above Onetangi.

We joined their bridal party down at Onetangi Beach for a few photos before the ceremony.

Kirsten and Gary’s celebrant was Darren Brown from Rotorua who specialises in ceremonies that include elements of Maori culture.  He blew a conch shell to signify the beginning of the ceremony.

Below:  Gary had threatened that he was going to read his vows off his iPhone… and Kirsten thought he was joking.  Ha!

A few more tears were shed during their moving vows… this time from Kirsten.

I loved their idea of using well known kiwi sayings as their table titles… including such classics as “Cook me some Eggs”, “Hard Out” and “Sweet As” (which from my perspective perfectly described the wedding – relaxed, genuine, very loving and definitely “Sweet As”).

There were lots of personal touches at this lovely wedding… including the amazing cake which was created by Gary’s talented mum, and all the gorgeous flowers from the skilled hands of Kirsten’s grandmother.

Thanks so much Kirsten and Gary… it was an absolute pleasure. xx

Estella’s son Jack joined in the celebrations and was a bundle of energy on the day.

Below:  Hui (pron. Whey) sees Estella for the first time in her gorgeous gown…

LOVE these shots…

We spent a little time around the grounds of Villa Pacifica, making the most of the fabulous views and their established gardens before heading off to Goldie Estate for the ceremony.

Hui’s uncle tries out the garden swing (would you believe he’s in his 80s!)

Goldie Estate looked amazing as always.  Estella and Hui were being transported in Waiheke’s vintage 1928 Packard, so they headed off to the ceremony first and awaited the arrival of their family who were in a mini-van.  Unfortunately there was a little confusion over the location of Goldies and with the family members not speaking English, we had a bit of a delay and several phone calls until they were located and  Lance headed off to escort them to the ceremony!

We took a few images in the vines at Goldie Estate before heading off to a few locations around the Island, including gorgeous Onetangi Beach.

Thanks Estella and Hui – it was lovely being part of your gorgeous Waiheke Island Wedding… hope you enjoy sharing your photos with your family and friends.

VENDOR LIST:

GETTING READY LOCATION: Villa Pacifica
VENUE and RECEPTION:  Goldie Estate
HAIR and MAKE UP: Nicki Collett
FLORIST: Waiheke Flower Company
TRANSPORT: 1928 Packard
PHOTOGRAPHER: Emma Hughes Photography