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My top 5 ideas for a small intimate wedding

From a photographer’s point of view, it means I can really focus on capturing the special people you’ve chosen to be there – enjoying every moment, celebrating, laughing, all those gorgeous candid shots. With less guests to cover, things have a more relaxed vibe, and there’s more flexibility and time to focus on those intricate details and touches that make your wedding day special too. Today, I’m sharing my top small wedding ideas, tips and tricks, to inspire your wedding plannin...

5 tips to get the best Wedding day family photos

Today, I’m here to talk about my five favourite ways to make wedding day family photos fun – as they should be! I want the whole process to be enjoyable, engaging, and (most importantly) I want you to have images you want to display on your wall, your parents wall, or show off in a snazzy new photo album! Family photos make the perfect gift to the parents. (Handy hint – it’s a great way to please the new in-laws at Christmas!).1. Planning your wedding day family photosA little bit of tim...

Studio Maternity Shoot – What to Expect

Like most photographers who offer pregnancy and maternity photography, I offer options for both location-based shoots and studio-based maternity shoots – so today, I’m diving into all the best bits of choosing a studio maternity photoshoot.What the difference between location and studio maternity photography, and which is right for me?It’s all in the name, really – but each shoot has its own benefits and perks! A maternity studio shoot with me tends to be more structured with more poses ...

My top 5 Tips for planning a New Zealand wedding from overseas

Are you living overseas, and dreaming of the perfect New Zealand wedding? I’ve got great news for you – because your dreams are finally able to come true! To get you even more excited, I’m sharing my top five tips to help you plan your dream New Zealand wedding from afar. 1. Get in early when planning a New Zealand wedding from overseas New Zealand is a small place, with a lot of small industries – and that includes the New Zealand wedding industry! Vendors and suppliers tend t...

The importance of having family photographs taken

Life moves fast. Kids grow fast. Scarily fast. As someone who sees my clients only as their families grow and they reach huge milestones, I really get to see how fast things move more than most.Most clients will book me in on their wedding day, and then I’ll get an excited call when they find out they’re pregnant and want to book in for a maternity shoot. Next – it’s their newborn! Then first birthday, fifth birthday and maybe every few years from then on. I am always blown away to see a...

5 tips for planning a DIY wedding

A DIY wedding is perfect for someone who loves the little handmade details and taking the time to craft something from scratch. A handy way to find out if that’s you – do you venture down the rabbit hole of DIY Youtube videos to master a new craft? Do you have lots of time on your hands and a long lead time until your wedding date? If you answered yes to all the above questions, then consider doing a DIY wedding – or even incorporating a couple of DIY elements into your day! (Don’t ...

The Why, What and How of Business Branding Photography

Before I started my own photography business, I worked with a commercial photographer – working on product photos, people photos, location photos and everything in between. Now, I use that experience to create great business branding images for clients.If you’re thinking about getting a set of business branding photos done for your website, social media or marketing materials (or, if you just want to know a wee bit more about what it entails) then grab a cuppa and keep reading…WHY: Busines...

A daytime wedding with Tracy and Steve

Enter – their drop-dead gorgeous, laughter and smile-filled morning ceremony and lunch reception. A daytime wedding is one of my new favourite things. I loved this decision for a number of reasons. Yes – one of these reasons was because I didn’t find myself driving home in the dark after a long day, as I usually do. But the best thing about their daytime wedding was it felt so much more relaxed, which was super important to Tracy and Steve.Weddings can be stressful occasions at the be...

Baby sitter sessions – when is a good time to capture your baby?

This is a question I often get asked by my clients when they’re picking up their newborn artwork. Like with many of the questions I get asked, it’s really up to each family, and what they want to do! If they want to capture their child’s progression from newborn to toddler, there are some fantastic options I offer which you can read all about here. However, if they’re after just a single shot to capture their baby in that in-between phase – while they’re still a baby, not quite a tod...

Awake newborn photography – what happens when your newborn won’t sleep

In newborn photography sessions, I always transform the studio into an ideal environment for a newborn to sleep. I keep it super warm, cosy and calm. Those perfectly sleepy newborn photos are usually captured in the small window between when a baby is settling and feeding, as well as working around background changes (and, of course, nappy changes!).  One of the most common questions I get asked by new parents, therefore, is – but what happens if my baby won’t sleep during the shoo...

A perfect Garden wedding at Anam Cara

Less than an hour from Wellington, Anam Cara has a whopping 10 stunning acres of the most incredible manicured gardens. There’s also a gorgeous main house which is available to rent for your bridal preparation. As well as the groom’s quarters in a separate part of the gardens – so there’s enough room for everyone to get ready onsite! This is a rare find, and is part of the reason that Anam Cara is one of my absolute favourite venues.There are so many amazing spots to have your ceremony, ...

My top tips when going with a large wedding party

1. WHAT ABOUT THE DRESSES AND THE SUITS?Everyone has different body shapes, sizes, hair colour and skin tones, so why not let everyone choose an outfit they feel comfortable and flattered in? You don’t necessarily have to let them have complete free reign, but perhaps give them a broad colour, style or cut to go for, and let them wear pieces they already have, or buy something that they’ll wear again.For example – not everyone will feel comfortable in the strapless yellow dress you had in ...

First Looks and pre-ceremony wedding photos – What you need to know

Jess and Steve chose to do a wedding day first look and have their wedding photos before the ceremony. I get asked about this topic all the time – as couples map out their wedding day schedule. They quite often get stuck deciding whether or not to have a first look and take their creative photos before the ceremony or afterwards. Each of these options has their own benefits. But I’m siding with pre-ceremony photos for today, as we break down the advantages to getting them all sorted early in...

Ideas for a maternity photography shoot at the beach

I had photographed Lily before on a number of occasions, (including her beautiful wedding day, and her first pregnancy) so we already had a great relationship. It was such a delight to work together again to create a series of images, both with her husband and daughter as a family, and also of Lily on her own. Her solo shoot was an incredible way for me to focus entirely on capturing her and her stunning baby bump during such a special time.We decided the best way to capture the images she wante...

The 5 things you need to know before a family studio photography session

1. What’s the difference between a location family photography session and a studio family photography session?This is probably one of my most asked questions. Essentially, location based photo shoots take place out and about in the world, usually outdoors, and are very relaxed and action based, capturing your family moving and interacting. Studio family photography sessions take place – you guessed it – inside my studio! I still like to keep my studio sessions relaxed. But because of the ...

A Boomrock wedding With Charlene and Tony

Charlene is a local Wellingtonian, and Tony is from Europe. These two lovebirds met while Charlete was on her OE, and they’ve since settled over in Australia. But, like so many Wellington born and bred folk, Charlene had always dreamed of tying the knot in Wellington. Being able to get ready in her childhood home, and having her family around her, was key. Tony’s family were more than happy to have a reason to visit New Zealand too.  So, Charlene and Tony’s dreamy wedding took pl...

What is the wedding shoe game?

Why is it our favourite? There are plenty of fun games and activities that people choose to integrate into their wedding day schedule, but I reckon that nothing beats a good round of the wedding shoe game. It’s the one that never fails to get everyone laughing and smiling – and we’re a bit biased, because this means plenty of opportunities for us to get fantastic candid photos of your friends, family, and yourselves!SO HOW DOES IT WORK?Usually the MC takes the lead here, and sets up two ch...

My favorite Wellington locations for family photography

First, however – what actually makes a good location? It ultimately comes down the three S’s: Setting, sun, and shelter. SETTINGWhile you would think that a great view automatically means a great backdrop, it’s not always the case. Beautiful views can be distracting from the main subject of the photos (your family!). In addition, I always aim to get the best light I can for the people in the photos, rather than for the landscape – so you might not see all that detail in the far off ...

A Beautiful Church wedding

That’s how I’d describe the dreamy church wedding of Alice and Anthony last season. From start to finish, the day was filled with hugs, laughter, cuddles, kisses and cheers.Their day was the perfect blend of a traditional church wedding. Combined with all the best parts of a modern day celebration.The ceremony kicked off at the beautiful old Otaki Beach Church. There’s just something so romantic about a traditional church wedding, especially when the venue feels so warm and welcoming. The ...

Documentary wedding photography, what is it and what to expect with me

Give it a quick Google. The term “documentary photography” comes up with plenty of newspaper images of people, moments and places (and a whole lot of black and white images). While the definitions are pretty vague, the idea of documentary photography is that it captures real events, and a factual record. To me, and in my wedding photography world, I would say that documentary style involves capturing the day as it unfolds, realistically and honestly, with a focus on capturing the real moment...

What to wear for a family photography session

1. PICK YOUR TONESWhen choosing outfits for the family, ideally you’d aim to wear similar tones and colours. A key point here – this definitely doesn’t mean you need to wear matching outfits in identical colours! The best way to choose your tones is to pick 2-3 colours that work well together, and keep everyone within that colour palette. Easy combos could be white, blue and black, or grey, pink and white. Dark blue and mustard are very popular rich tones, at the moment too. Pairing a slig...

How to get amazing sunset wedding photography

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Love your Local – how to support local small business

Christmas, somehow, is just around the corner (when did that happen?), and we’re finding ourselves scrambling to put together gift lists. Every year, we tell ourselves, ‘I am not leaving it til last minute this Christmas’ – and, inevitably, we find ourselves rushing around open-til-midnight mega-stores, panic buying those forgotten gifts.  This year, we’ve learnt about the importance of supporting local small businesses. Rather than buying mass-made products, I’m encouragin...

A Summertime Kapiti Wedding at Sudbury Farm

I adore when the siblings of past wedding couples get in touch for their upcoming wedding.I already know plenty of the guests and the family, and similarly, they’re already familiar with how I work (although it does mean I need to add a few extra jokes to my repertoire!). A few years ago, I photographed the gorgeous wedding of Melissa and Sam, so when Sam’s sister Laura got in touch, I jumped at the opportunity to capture their day too. She had met me at their wedding and spent plenty of tim...

Cake Smash Photography, yes or no?

I’ve been booked up recently with first birthday celebration shoots, and have a few more booked in before Christmas. The world of cake smash photography is a divided one – some clients absolutely love the fun of it, while others are less keen. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on cake smash photography. Along with some suggestions to make it a little less sugary and over-indulgent. First things first – yes, I absolutely do offer cake smash photography! They’re great fun and we can ge...