Wedding proposal under the cherry blossoms at Aston Norwood Gardens Wellington

This was THE SWEETEST of moments! A wedding proposal under the cherry blossom trees! Thomas contacted me about his proposal ideas for his beautiful partner Antoinette and we worked together to create the best plan which led us to this surprise photo shoot. The timing of their proposal worked out perfectly with the cherry blossom trees being in full bloom at Aston Norwood Gardens.

How to plan a wedding proposal photoshoot

There are a few ways to plan a proposal - let the whole thing be a surprise but ask your partner to dress up for a special occasion, or you can plan a couples session and secretly add the proposal into this (in the past I have had clients suggest to their partner that they won a photo shoot with me so it doesn’t feel suspicious). Having a photographer capture this special moment was a complete surprise for Antoinette. I was secretly waiting in the preplanned area for them to arrive! The rest of the session we wandered around the gardens for portraits.

About this location - Aston Norwood Gardens Wellington

The cherry blossom festival runs from September 01 - October 6. If you specifically want photos with the blossoms, please book in advance. The gardens are a beautiful place for photos all year round. If you would like to take photos here, I will reach out to Aston Norwood Gardens to ask for permission to photograph at this private location. Tickets for the gardens cost $10-$15 each, children are free at off-peak season.

Tips for your winter photo session - Whitireia Park Family Photos

Lam and Peter braved the cold and wind for their recent engagement shoot which we also combined with some family photos of Lam and her sisters. We had originally planned to take these photos back in March, followed by their wedding in May but had to postpone everything due to lockdown. I'm so glad I was finally able to take photos for them! Winter is a little unpredictable but the light on this afternoon was worth the wait and being out in the cold.

FIND A SPECIAL LOCATION

Let’s make the most of your photo session by choosing a location that’s going to inspire you (and your photographer) and make you feel good. Turn the session into a memory, somewhere you think you will enjoy the scenery. Light is everything, so talk to your photographer about the best time of day at a particular location.

HAVE WARM OUTFIT OPTIONS

My sessions range from 30 minutes to 1 hour long. Neutral colour pallets tend to work best, or fabrics with some texture but not overly patterned. Flowy dresses look stunning but keep in mind the length if it’s going to be windy at your location. Don’t be afraid to wear white, this looks great during sunset. Bring a warm coat that you don’t mind wearing for some of the photos.

BE FLEXIBLE WHEN RESCHEDULING

I wish we could control what mother nature does on the day of our photo session. If your photos aren’t urgent I always recommend rescheduling to a different day if it’s raining or too windy. There is no extra cost for rescheduling and I do my best to be flexible with back up days. If rescheduling isn’t an option consider having an indoor location for your photos.

We are engaged! Surprise Proposal at Whitireia Park Wellington

I’ve known for a while that I wanted to marry this man but now it's officially a thing!! What I thought was just a fun and casual couples shoot with Wellington photographer Yvonne Liew turned out to be a wedding proposal. WE ARE ENGAGED!

There’s a little bit of a back story to how this all went down, along with some epic photos of the moment Karl proposed. I had been wanting to book a couple’s shoot because I realised Karl and I hardly any photos together and thought it would be nice to have some updated photos for online and putting up around the house, feels a little vain but it was a new experience.

It turns out Karl had started designing a ring with The Village Goldsmith back in November. Another cool part of this story is a client who has booked us for photos and video at their wedding happens to work at The Village Goldsmith, so she was able to help Karl with the designing process which makes it extra special.

Here’s where it all came into action. We booked a couples session with Yvonne. Karl had been emailing her, I had no idea that it was actually going to be a proposal (it had crossed my mind for sure like ‘what if’, but I quickly told myself no way I’m dreaming). And then it happened out of nowhere! Below are some pics of me losing my shit.

We spent the rest of the evening hanging out and taking photos along the hillside. The sunset was insane and the atmosphere felt electric. Thank you so much to Yvonne for capturing these moments for us, the photos are such a true representation of how I felt that evening and I’ll treasure these photos forever.

A note to end on, I’m so grateful to Karl and our relationship. I’ve never felt as supported and loved as I do with him. We have so much respect for one another and the relationship side of things is actually kind of easy, that’s how it feels when you’re on each other’s team. I say I’m not a big romantic but I fricken love this feeling.

Tips for styling your engagement session - Whitireia Park Wellington

Jessica and Nathan spent a week in NZ and to celebrate the end of their trip before heading back to the US we met at Whitireia Park in Porirua for an epic sunset and engagement photos. When this location was first mentioned in our emails leading up to the shoot it made me so excited. Being an engagement session I knew how important this experience was for Jessica and Nathan which made me so grateful to be taking these photos for them while they were in NZ.

Couples are deciding to have an engagement shoot before their wedding day for lots of reasons, one being it’s great practice getting used to having a photographer take your photos and then you have some really great photos that can be used to announce your engagement. I’ve put together some tips for couples who are thinking about booking an engagement session and how you can style it in a way that is made easy.

FIND A SPECIAL LOCATION

Let’s make the most of it by choosing a location that’s going to inspire you (and your photographer) and make you feel good. Turn the session into a memory, somewhere you think you will enjoy the scenery. Light is everything, so talk to your photographer about the best time of day at a particular location.

HAVE OUTFIT OPTIONS

My engagement sessions tend to be 1 hour long, which is plenty of time for an outfit change. While you and your partner don’t want to look too matchy-matchy, pick outfits that will complement each other. Neutral colour pallets tend to work best, or fabrics with some texture but not overly patterned. Flowy dresses look stunning but keep in mind the length if it’s going to be windy at your location. Don’t be afraid to wear white, this looks great during sunset.

Same sex couple Engagement Photos - LGBTQIA friendly photographer Wellington

The excitement is REAL. I can’t wait to be Grace and Gemma’s wedding photographer! Bring on December 2020! Here are a couple of moments from our Engagement session over in Eastbourne.

This little puppy is so lucky to have beautiful Mums like Grace and Gemma. Millie joined us for their engagement session and she knew how to work it. I swear pets know how to pose for the camera. The beach was also a very exciting place for a puppy. Sunset, love and a puppy - what more could you ask for in a photograph?

The best things come in packages - just like our photography and video duo! My partner Karl recently launched his business Traveller Audio and Visual and we want to offer his videography to couples that are looking for a no fuss, all in one package. Previously I have had so many people ask if I can also shoot video and now we can. This is the beginning of a journey for us and we would love to hear what you think of Grace and Gemma’s engagement video!

Jaymee Photography had a fun little shoot with Grace and Gemma to celebrate their engagement, and they brought along their gorgeous puppy, Millie, too!

My diversity statement - I will work with all races, sexual orientations, genders and people from any country. I do not support or tolerate discrimination and ask all my clients to respect this as well while we are working together.