Wedding Shots, Finally

Over Easter I flew back to New Zealand for my little sister's wedding. It was a great excuse to go home and see everyone, and I was very honoured to have been asked to take care of photography for the day. I'd never shot a wedding before, and totally didn't know what to expect. I was a ball of nerves. What if I make everyone look horrible! What if something happens!

Fortunately, a few weeks earlier a good friend at work just GAVE me his Canon DSLR, which made it a lot easier. Prior to this I had planned to shoot entirely on film which would have been a faff, and expensive to boot. This took a huge amount of pressure off. And, the photos turned out great. My sister looked beautiful, everyone had a great day, and more importantly we all ate our weight in hangi afterwards. What I wouldn't give for another mouthful of that Paua sauce over some mutton fresh out of the hangi. It was probably the most authentic New Zealand experience I've had in a very long time, thinking about it makes me ache for home in a way I can't even explain.

Anyway, I'll let the photos do the talking:

I've looked at these hundreds of time but still tear up every time I see them. They are such a beautiful, natural couple and it was such a pleasure getting to photograph them.

I have to send a shout out to my home girl Gwyn who helped me with the editing of these - shes a fab wedding photographer and gave me lots of good tips before the day. Thanks Gwynnit! You can see her website HERE.

My sister is a bit funny about these being all over the internet, as she doesn't actually have access to the internet [oh to be a farmer's wife!] but said she didn't mind me sharing a few of my favourites. You can see more over on Flickr if you are interested.
[Token sibling shot. In case you wonder why I'm the odd one out in my family, that's me on the left. Yeah my little brother is ten years old. I'm THE FAMILY IMP!]

11 comments:

  1. These are great. I love the first one - it's dead LOTR.

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  2. Awww lovely! The scenery in that first shot is amazing. Take me here please? Add it to the list!

    Also I'm digging your outfit!

    x

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  3. Where my parents live is WELL LOTR. When we first got to the farm I took Matt for a walk up to that part of it - past the wedding area, and he kept shouting 'GET OFF THE ROAD!' in Frodo Baggins stylee.

    Its well Baggins.

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  4. New zealand men's faces is what tears me up. they read: farm the earth. they read sun & rain, they read birth & death. they read fenceposts. sunrises and dirty gumboots. this day looks gorgeous, the pics are BEAUTIFUL - and so are YOU! now, nosy Q's - is that your sisters home? where is the land?

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  5. Love these! I can't believe that's Amy!

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  6. Yes, Yes a thousand times yes! Its something that you don't realise until you go away, isn't it. A New Zealand mans face pretty much epitomises everything NZ stands for and is about. Their faces and their hands.

    This was on my parents farm, near Warkworth, just north of AKL. They live in a massive valley in the middle of nowhere, essentially. Amy [sister] lives there too, on a house Mum and Dad had put on the farm. Its a beautiful spot. We had the ceremony in a clearing under the Kauri trees up the hill, overlooking the whole valley. The photos by the barn were taken at their neighbours house - its the oldest house in the area [well over 100 years] and is SO beautiful. I was supposed to go over and take photos again but we ran out of time. That house is amazing, it has the classic 2 huge palm trees out the front, black lambs gamboling about. Love it.

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  7. Sal - I KNOW RIGHT she looks insane beautiful. And freakish tall. People over 6 foot shouldn't wear heels. Fact.

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  8. Those shots are amazing - never would have guessed they were 'amateur'! I love the B&W one in front of the house, and the one next to the red wall. You and your sis look so much alike.

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  9. She is seriously gorgeous! I remember when she was a little kid at primary school - I just can't quite grasp that she's all growed up.

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  10. yay! you did do quite a marvelous job, poppet.

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  11. Sal - when we had the rehersal the night before I realised she is almost the same height as my Dad WITHOUT heels on. A little girl she is no more! Freak.

    Gwynnit - GO TEAM! x

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