Melissa and Michael, featuring their special fur baby Doug who walked them back down the aisle as Mr & Mrs Langley! 🤍 This was such a relaxed and fun day. We loved being there for photos and video! We left with our cups full, reminded of why we love our jobs so much.
Vendors:
Hair: @amyrose_hair
Make up: @charlottelouisebeauty
Venue: @brackenridgecountryretreat
Celebrant: @wendymorrisoncelebrant
DJ: DJ luke
Flowers: @jillfranceshavill
Video: @traveller.video
Wairarapa photographer
Brackenridge Country Retreat Martinborough Wedding - Theresa and Shavin
We spent the day with Theresa and Shavin at Brackenridge in Martinborough starting with their preparations/getting ready photos, ceremony and right through to their party! @traveller.video was on video duty for the ceremony and speeches, while I had the lovely Jess from @jessdewsnap helping me with photos. Having a second photographer with me means that we can be in two places at once for the getting ready photos! I love at this time of year (October) the blossom trees blooming in the backdrop for the ceremony space! This was an incredibly warm and sunny day so we decided to split their wedding portraits with their bridesmaids and groomsmen up into two parts - 20 minutes after the ceremony in the shade and then 15 minutes after dinner/speeches for sunset. The sunset was amazing, make sure you scroll down to see what we captured.
Some of our favourite vendors were on board for this wedding including Jaymie Jarvis for makeup, Floriade for flowers and The Amazing Travelling Photobooth. Theresa and Shavin thank you so much for trusting us with your day (and for your beautiful Google Review talking about your experience!)
Martinborough Tree Church Wedding Photos - Grace and Jarrod
Mr & Mrs Watson! 🤍 It was such an honour to photograph Grace and Jarrod’s engagement in 2022 and more recently their wedding at Martinborough Tree Church.
There are a few things from their day that I look back on as a highlight! Grace got ready at her family’s farm in the Wairarapa which felt really sentimental for me as I grew up in a rural area also. She found her dress while visiting family in Australia (with the help of her Grandma) from @luvbridal. Their bridesmaid Emma made their wedding cake, big shout out to @rainbirdscakes! Grace’s cousin designed their invites and save the date cards, her page is @dolly.and.moo and she also sang their first dance song (a very talented lady). All of their wedding signage was designed by Grace herself. Every little detail was curated perfectly as Grace loves designing and has a background working in events. There were so many amazing people within their family who helped make their day happen with all these special touches.
Vendors IG pages:
Venue - @martinboroughtreechurch
Live singing - Aisley Allen
Flowers - Jill Havill
Celebrant - Felicity Warren
DJ - Partya DJ (Ben)
Makeup - @charmakeupnz
Dress - @luvbridal
Signage - Designed by the bride
Wedding invites - @dolly.and.moo
Cake - @rainbirdscakes
Second phptographer - @jessdewsnap
Tarureka Estate - Wairarapa wedding venue review and wedding photos!
Mr & Mrs Becker-Stewart! A true love story that dating apps can work their magic and these beautiful humans found each other! A laid-back guy from the Naki and a stunning registered nurse, an absolute perfect match these two ♥️ They are now living the dream together in Melbourne and came back to NZ to celebrate with friends and family on their wedding day at Tarureka Estate in Featherson!
Review of Tarureka Estate - Rustic Barn Wedding Venue Wairarapa, NZ
I wanted to share this wedding day as an opportunity to showcase Tarureka as a New Zealand wedding venue and why we enjoy photographing and filming weddings here! It’s located in Featherson at the bottom of the Remutaka Range hill, only a short drive from Wellington and Lower/Upper Hutt, so if you’re exploring venues in the Wairarapa or Wellington region this would be a great choice.
Get ready on site in the Historical Homestead
The homestead sleeps 18 people and has a bridal suite on the second floor. As photographers, we appreciate that everyone can get ready on-site for their wedding day. This makes it easy for us to go between rooms and spaces, if we have a groom getting ready at the same time a bride is having her hair or makeup done for example. The historic homestead has been recently renovated but holds its original charm and character. Once you’re ready for your ceremony and wedding day, it is only a 30-second walk to greet your guests.
Your wedding ceremony
Tarureka Estate offers an indoor and outdoor area for ceremonies which is great for all weather conditions. This is the outdoor area situated in a grove of trees. After your ceremony, guests are invited to the main lawn near the homestead for cocktails, canapes and games.
Wedding photos
The gardens at Tarureka provide backdrops for all your wedding photos however if you would like to go off-site with your bridesmaids/groomsmen/wedding party crew there are optional locations nearby! Most of the photos below are on-site (aside from the photos taken in the Olive Grove which are at a private property).
The Loft Barn
Voted as one of the top barn venues the loft was built in 1868 and is one of the oldest and largest barns in New Zealand. Since 2001 it has been running as a wedding venue. The top floor can be used for your ceremony and or reception, which seats up to 120 guests. The ground floor is where the bar and dance floor are located.
Brac and Bow Catering
At the time of writing this blog post Brac and Bow is the caterer for Tarureka and their food is delicious! The venue also offers BYO alcohol for no extra cost.
I also wanted to make a special mention to the wonderful Sarah McEvoy who joined me for part of this wedding day, she took some of the cocktail hour photos that I’ve shared in this blog. Two of my wedding packages include a second photographer so while I’m photographing in one area with the wedding couple, I have another person capturing some of the candid moments that couples often didn’t see on the day.
Our top Wairarapa Wedding Venues - Tarureka Estate, Brackenridge Retreat and Martinborough Tree Church
The Wairarapa has a range of stunning wedding venues for your ceremony and reception. This list showcases different venues with links to their websites where you can access more information!
TARUREKA ESTATE FEATHERSTON
Located in Featherston, Tarureka Estate has been voted as one of the world’s top 10 barn wedding venues. The 130 year old historic homestead can accommodate 18 guests, while the restored loft can seat 120 guests.
BRACKENRIDGE RETREAT
Brackenridge is a country-style wedding venue in Martinborough, Wairarapa. Their venue can host up to 130 guests for your reception and ceremony, and has a number of on-site cottages available for accommodation. We love photographing and filming here as everything is in one place and their team of staff and coordinators will have you covered in all areas making our job more enjoyable.
MARTINBOROUGH TREE CHURCH
Martinborough Tree Church is an outdoor ceremony space planted in 2015 which can seat 180 guests. They have recently expanded this venue to include a reception area called The Vue, a renovated 100-year-old historic woolshed. There are so many places on-site for photos after or before your ceremony.
LACEWOOD
Lacewood is a wedding venue located on Tuhitarata Estate, South Wairarapa. The 1860s homestead is surrounded by old English trees and formal gardens. There a number of cottages which can be used as accommodation for up to 22 guests and a barn for your reception which can seat up to 200 people.
ROSE & SMITH
Rose & Smith is a boutique venue at The Tauherenikau Racecourse, located 15 minutes from Greytown and Martinborough. Rose & Smith was named after the “Rose & Smith Builders” who built the newly renovated Racecourse Tea House in 1923. The Tea House can seat 200 guests and their onsite accommodate in The Ranch House can sleep up to 37 guests.
THE LANDING AT HOMEBUSH
The Landing at Homebush, located 5 minutes from Masterton, is an elegant country wedding venue with a number of outdoor spots for your ceremony and an indoor area for your reception of 140 guests. The main house is also available for hire with 4 bedrooms available.
Candid wedding photos and portraits of guests - Why I use a second photographer and examples of their photography
Second photographer included in Collections 3 & 4
Two of my wedding packages include having a second photographer with us for part of your day! This is a cost I take care of as part of our service and is provided as part of your package. My second photographer will take photos on the day and I do the rest from organising their start/finish time, editing the photos and handling delivery. Having a second photographer is great for weddings with 60+ guests. It means we can capture more of your guests and unique moments that you maybe didn’t see happen on the day (so often we hear back from clients with feedback that they love seeing the photos that took part during times when their attention was on other things). While I’m capturing the important parts and formalities, my second photographer is in the background capturing extra candid moments and is available to take photos of your guests. We will often do the rounds asking if guests would like a photo taken during cocktail hour (if we aren’t needed elsewhere) but we also encourage guests to ask us for any group photos they would like.
Photo opportunities that we love for candid moments
We love capturing the moments right after your ceremony when guests come up to congratulate you (it’s an exciting moment and guests start to forget we are there as they are more focused on you). I even suggest that couples add 5-10 minutes into their timeline after the ceremony for this part so we can capture some candid hugs and chats.
We also love weddings that provide games or entertainment during cocktail hour, if games are started at the right time one of us can capture this (keep in mind sometimes games can happen at the same time as the formal portraits with the wedding party/bridesmaids/groomsmen, where both photographers are likely away focusing on this). Some couples will allow extra time before or after their wedding portraits so they can join part of the cocktail hour. This allows us to capture some moments of you with your guests before the reception starts! I can provide suggestions and guidance on a timeline for this (my goal is not to keep couples away from guests for too long, we want you to be catching up with your favourite people).
A couple of things to note from our side of things!
Candid moments are not staged and can sometimes only happen in the right environments, they are never guaranteed to always happen like in these particular examples. Things like weather and a strict timeline can mean there may be less opportunity for us to capture photos of your guests. On the day of a wedding, we may need to prioritise taking certain photos over these candid opportunities. We also respect guests’ boundaries if they do not want their photos taken or if we feel the moment doesn’t feel right we will focus on other parts of the wedding day instead (we will photograph where we feel comfortable or welcomed).
My second photographer is with us for up to 4 hours on a wedding day and this is usually to help cover preparations, the ceremony and after the ceremony, they will often finish before the reception starts. During the reception, I will cover this part of the day on my own and will continue to capture weddings in both a portrait and candid style (and guests can still grab me for a photo when possible)!
These photos are credited to the amazing Jess Dewsnap who has worked with me for many weddings! She runs her own business as well so may not be available at every event, however, I work closely with other local photographers.
A second photographer can also be added to Collection 1 or 2 for an additional fee. * All of the information in this blog post is correct and up to date as of May 2024. Packages and services may change over time.
Marlee and Kieran - Photography and Videography at Parehua Resort Martinborough
Marlee and Kieran’s wedding day! Marlee grew up in Martinborough so it felt extra special photographing her preparations at their family’s farm where she grew up, it still felt like her home. When we arrived at the farmhouse she came out to the car to meet us, she had such a warm welcoming smile and was wearing her gumboots (relatable footwear as I grew up on a farm). It was our first time meeting in person as all our communication had been over email, we hugged straight away after and I knew we were going to have an awesome day with them! For their wedding I had a second photographer with me which meant we captured so many incredible moments from both angles, it also meant that while I was with Marlee while she was getting ready, I had Jess with Kieran and the boys for their preparation photos, so we could be in two places at once!
There were so many parts to this day that had so much thought, intention and love behind them. After their first look at the farmhouse, we drove to a point that looked out on their family’s farm, it was special getting photos here with the view. Their wedding venue was Parehua Resort in Martinborough. This venue has a ceremony area beside a pond under a row of willow trees. Kieran made the coolest backdrop for photos that you’ll see we used for photos after their ceremony. After cutting their cake, we headed out for some photos of just the two of them in the long grass and vines. I always enjoy this part for couples as they get 15 minutes to be together and take photos while no one else is around.
We stayed for the best parts of their dancing before finishing up for the day! We had our evening planned out carefully as the Remutaka hill closed on this night and we had to be at the hill at a certain time to be escorted over. Turns out we had heaps of time between finishing and needing to be ready for our adventure over the hill, so we got to enjoy a glass of wine with them before leaving! We left this day feeling so grateful for these kind and beautiful humans! Thank you for asking us to capture your special day.
Brackenridge Wedding Venue - Martinborough
Hayley and Shaun contacted me about their wedding plans at Brackenridge and we decided that 6 hours of photography would be plenty of time for their day! They wanted the wedding to be about spending time with family, their kids (who were their bridesmaids and groomsmen) and having a great time with guests. In the 6 hours that I was with them, we were able to cover the finishing touches of their preparations, the ceremony, photos afterward with their family and kids, the very start of their reception and sunset photos! That’s one of the great things about Brackenridge as a wedding venue, everything is on-site and you can make your timeline really streamlined without lots of travel between locations. I’m all for these shorter wedding days, sometimes you don’t need a 10-hour package and you can actually capture so much in a shorter time.
During their first speeches, we had a small window of opportunity to decide if we were going to head out for sunset photos, which we preplanned to be before I finished. It was raining, completely clouded over and I said sorry we won’t get a sunset but then the sky opened up (I’ve had this happen before in Martinborough, it changes within minutes). They got their sunset photos! Take a look.
Thanks for joining me @jessdewsnap as my second photographer and it was great to see you @wendymorrisoncelebrant!
Tironui Farm Wedding - Abbey and Lewis
My first time at Tironui Farm in Martinborough was so much fun with the best kind of people. The banter, the vibe and their kindness made our job too easy!
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A highlight for me was jumping on the back of the 4wd and going up the hill for sunset photos. Stepped in cow poo so I had the full experience. These little moments of sneaking away for 10 minutes always make for cool memories together and great photos! One for the books!
Kendyll and Michael - Wedding at The Martinborough Tree Church
Kendyll and Michael celebrated with their biggest party yet at The Martinborough Tree Church! In all of their wedding speeches their friends all said how much they looked up to them as couple goals. I feel so lucky to have captured their engagement photos and wedding day from preparations through to the dancing. I had so many laughs with them and felt like I could let my hair down a bit on the dance floor.
Should you have a first look before your wedding ceremony? Pros and Cons! Tarureka Estate Wedding - Ruby and James
Couples sometimes ask me what my thoughts are and my preference is for having a ‘first look’ and all wedding/bridal party photos prior to the ceremony. Ruby and James had a first look before their ceremony so this is a perfect example of how the day can look doing things in this order!
I personally don’t have a preference because it’s completely up to each couple and their priorities for the day. For our own wedding, we hired a photographer for 4 hours and did the bulk of our photos before our ceremony so that afterwards we could relax and party (talk about some weird priorities considering photography is my job!)
PROS OF DOING A FIRST LOOK
There are some really sweet and intimate moments that can be captured when it’s just the two of you. You might feel nervous and worried you’ll lose your cool in front of all your guests (which is not a bad thing by the way, I love and respect vulnerability), but if this gives you anxiety then it can be a great way to keep the moment just between the two of you.
As I mentioned earlier, you’ll get more time to socialise with your guests after the ceremony. This was really important for our wedding since a lot of guests travelled from afar who I hadn’t seen in a while. Doing photos after your ceremony could mean being away from guests for 30 minutes - 1 hour (I even hear stories of this being longer if there is travel to a particular location).
CONS OF DOING A FIRST LOOK
The main downside for a photographer is the lighting conditions. It will mean doing photos earlier in the day which is often when the sun is at its brightest. BUT if you have a venue with some shaded areas with tree cover and a great photographer this should not be an issue. For Ruby and James’ wedding, we had some clouds in the sky which really helped defuse the bright light at 1pm and I used this driveway which was mainly covered by trees and in the shade.
Once we finished family photos after their ceremony, Ruby and James were able to spend 2 hours with their guests before heading into the reception. Lots of time to mingle, enjoy the canapes and drinks, play some tennis and get some photos with your friends!
Later in the evening Ruby and James were happy to head out for more photos of just the two of them while the light was really nice. They said they appreciated just having this short moment for the two of them after such a full on day.
Rose and Smith Wairarapa Wedding - Rosa and Ben
My first time out at Rose and Smith! I had so much fun hanging out with this wedding crew and documenting the day for Rosa and Ben. I started off the day by driving down a long gravel road that looked like a shortcut to Rosa's Airbnb, Google maps did me dirty and my car was not the best for that kind of road. Thankfully I safely arrived to see the wonderful Alana MUA doing hair for Dollhouse Do. Alana worked her magic and made Rosa feel like Kim K, she looked incredible.
It rained every 10 minutes and then the sun would come out. On my way to the venue, I was driving through torrential rain so I was feeling very thankful for the indoor ceremony at that moment. Then for the rest of the day, we had NO RAIN and look at their outdoor photos! The party went off and the costumes came out. I was eyeing up the expresso martinis but mahi and professionalism, plus driving back over the Remutakas, not a good mix.
Thanks again Rosa and Ben!! My heart felt very happy on this day. Also a big thank you to Jess Dewsnap Photography for joining me as my second photographer on the day, can’t wait to team up again soon!
Orui Station Riversdale Beach - Wairarapa Wedding
Feeling incredibly grateful to have photographed Hanna and AJ’s wedding at Orui Station in Riversdale! A week prior to this I wasn’t sure if I was going to be well enough to photograph due to recovering from Covid19, but everything worked out perfectly! It was soul-healing being back photographing.
I haven’t had any beach weddings recently and this venue was so unique! It was my first time visiting the little town which is about 40km east of Masterton. If you’re keen on a day trip it’s worth the visit! Have a look through these highlights for cute pics of their doggo who loved being in the photos and also some fun with sparklers at the end of the night.
Bouquet Flowers: @floriade_wellington
Catering: @bluecarrotnz
Dress: @astrabridal.wellington
Suits: @rembrandt1946
Brackenridge Martinborough Wedding - Steph and Anthony
On a very windy and sunny day in Martinborough, we photographed and filmed Steph and Anthony’s wedding at Brackenridge Country Retreat. I had previously taken maternity photos for them in 2020 so it was special being asked to take photos a second time and to be able to capture their wedding day!
Wedding video by my partner Traveller Audio & Visual
How to choose your perfect wedding venue?
You’re engaged, congratulations! Now you get to plan the biggest party of your life - your wedding day. It can be overwhelming all of the decision makings but there are loads of resources and tips out there for free to get you started. I’ve put together some tips on how to choose the best wedding venue as this is usually the first big decision to make.
Ohariu Farm wedding venue Wellington
Ohariu Farm wedding reception Wellington
KNOW YOUR STYLE AND VISION
What is your decor style and aesthetic for your wedding? Are you leaning towards elegant and modern, traditional or relaxed, rustic and retro, outdoors or indoors etc? Perhaps start looking for inspiration on Pinterest and get a feel for the overall look you like. When you start to visit venues or look online you’ll begin to build a picture of whether or not your vision fits with the space.
Foxglove Wellington wedding venue
Foxglove Wellington reception venue
BUDGET
First things first, let’s talk budget! For our wedding we originally wanted to make it happen with 20k, we quickly realised for what we wanted that wasn’t realistic and it ended up being 30k. Start with categorising the ‘must haves’ first and then work your way down the list. The most expensive things for our wedding were the venue, food, alcohol, photographer and wedding dress. They weren’t things we were willing to compromise on. When it comes to budgeting for your venue there may be extra costs like rubbish removal and waitress staff so make sure you do your research.
Old Saint Pauls Wellington
GUEST LIST/NUMBERS CAPACITY
Before you start looking at venues you’ll need to write a draft guest list so you have a rough idea of how many people will attend. When we started writing our guest list for our own wedding we aimed for 60 people, this quickly escalated to 80 people and unfortunately our booked venue usually only catered for 60-70 max (it was a tight squeeze during the reception, whoops). I definitely recommend sticking to the guideline that your venue provides otherwise it makes it really hard for waitress staff and guests to move around during the reception.
Sudbury wedding ceremony
Sudbury wedding venue Kapiti Coast
AVAILABILITY
What time of year do you want to get married, do you want a summer wedding or do you prefer cooler months? We decided on May for our wedding because we wanted our ceremony to be as close to sunset time as possible for the nice light in our photos. It was nice not standing outside on a hot summer’s day (being a photographer and working in the sun for hours on end is really challenging and also those wearing suits find it way too hot in jackets and pants).
Give yourself lots of time and pick a date that is 12-18 months away so you can ensure all of your favourite vendors are available.
Ohariu Farm wedding reception
Ohariu Farm wedding Wellington
ACCOMMODATION
Do you need to provide on-site accommodation or make this available for your VIP guests? Some couples like to make it easier for their guests traveling from afar to have accommodation included at the venue. This means that guests don’t need to worry about transport and can party without planning a sober driver.
Brackenridge wedding reception Martinborough
Brackenridge Martinborough
TRANSPORT
Is your venue easy to get to and order taxi’s from, or do you need to pre-book a bus to make sure guests get home safely. If there is alcohol at your wedding this is an important thing to factor in. For our wedding, we prebooked a large bus which did one trip from the accommodation our guests booked and then one trip back in the evening for about $900 NZD. Make sure you add this into your budget so it’s not a surprise when you start to look at booking transport. We also booked some earlier taxis in the night for children and grandparents.
Brackenridge wedding ceremony
Brackenridge Wairarapa
WEEKEND HIRE
Find out when you have access to the venue. Some questions to ask before you book are: can you set up your decorations the day beforehand, or do you only have access the morning of the wedding (which means hiring a team to make this happen since you’ll be getting ready)? And when do you need to have the venue cleaned and cleared by the next day?
Poppies wedding venue Martinborough
Poppies wedding ceremony Martinborough
CATERING AND BYO ALCOHOL
Some venues will have specific caterers that they work with or allow into their kitchen only. Find out what the catering options are and if the kitchen is fully equipped for an offsite company to use. You’ll need to choose between plated meals or a buffet-style, we picked a buffet style because we wanted larger portions and simple options.
Not all venues allow BYO alcohol due to licensing reasons so you may need to budget more for your venue’s drink prices. Find out if you can purchase wine by the bottle for your tables which will help slow down the bar tab. Don’t be afraid to be specific about what spirits your guests can drink to keep costs down (some weddings will even do spirits for bridal parties only for example).
Martinborough Tree Church wedding venue
The Vue at Martinborough Tree Church
SOUND LIMIT AND LIVE MUSIC
Check with your venue if there are any restrictions on noise for your reception party. Live music is great but it can be louder. Most venues will have a bar cut-off time which is often when the music gets turned down.
Peppers Parehua Martinborough wedding ceremony
Peppers Parehua Martinborough Vineyard
COVID19 POLICY
It’s a strange time we are living in so make sure you find out what your venue’s policies are around covid19 and if you have the flexibility to reschedule without penalty fees if needed. There is always the possibility of an outbreak, talk about the options and have a backup plan.
Brackenridge Country Retreat Wedding Ceremony - Gemma and Sam
Congratulations to Gemma and Sam who tied the knot at Brackenridge Country Retreat in Martinborough! Karl and I documented their day from preparations through to when the party started with dancing.
We did a first look before their ceremony in an olive grove on the property of a couple whose wedding I photographed back in 2018! It was near the same spot where we did their first look all those years ago, so it was really special being back in this location.
We lucked out with the weather. Did you know that cloud on your wedding day is not a bad thing! It makes the light so soft and we can take photos anywhere (makes our job much easier). The sunset broke through the clouds for not even 10 minutes during their reception. We didn’t think anything was going to happen but then it all changed so we quickly stopped eating our dinner and rushed out to catch it (dedicated clients, I'm all for it)!
The Weddingcoach NZ did the most incredible job of coordinating the whole day! It was the first time I’ve work with a coordinator and it blows my mind how much of a difference it made for us vendors and the couple. Everything was exactly where it needed to be and the whole day went so smoothly. Thank you Britt!
Martinborough Tree Church wedding ceremony - Becky and Rupert
Becky and Rupert tied the knot at Martinborough Tree Church and we had the most incredible day, from their preparations right through to their reception, there were so many beautiful moments for us to capture!
A highlight for me was driving out to Rupert’s family farm in Tora for bridal photos and the first look. I love being out on the farm and it felt so inspiring being at a new location. I don’t know anything about sheep and beef farming (despite growing up on a beef and dairy farm) but I do know how to make my way around a bit of poo and I still get a thrill from off-roading.
We also managed to get sunset photos in between their speeches! Sunset photos don’t need to be for 30 minutes, this is a perfect example of popping outside for not even 5 minutes to get the dreamy shots that you’ll see at the end of this blog post!
The best thing is if you want to see some of this beautiful landscape for yourself well you can because this is also where you go for the Tora Coastal Walk! Congratulations Becky and Rupert! Karl is currently putting together a highlight video which I can’t wait to share.
Peppers Parehua Martinborough Wedding Ceremony
Corona may have delayed their original wedding plans and restricted some guests from being there in person, but it did not stop them from having the best day! Congratulations Liz and Dom! Their intimate wedding ceremony at Peppers Martinborough was so special. They had zoom calls and Karl there to help capture the day through video. I'm so grateful to have been there to document the occasion for them!
Video by Traveller Audio & Visual, audio/singing by the Brides Sister.
Tarureka Estate Wairarapa Wedding - Amelia and Tom
Amelia and Tom first met at a Wellington Phoenix football match at Westpac Stadium. Amelia’s friends encouraged her to ask Tom, who was sitting in the row behind them, to take their picture as an excuse to talk to him. He took the photo and then took a sneaky selfie. For the rest of the game, they didn’t have much of a chance to talk. When Amelia got home that night she knew she needed to track him down on social media. She posted the photo of Tom on Facebook and by chance one mutual friend happened to recognise Tom and was able to tag him in the post. Tom added Amelia on Facebook and things grew from there. He moved from Palmerston North to Wellington, where Amelia was living, after one year of long-distance and they have been inseparable ever since!
Tom proposed to Amelia during an evening walk along Titahi Bay Beach. He stopped at the top of a hill that had views of the South Island and got down on one knee. The rest of the night was spent down on the beach with fish and chips and some champagne that Tom had smuggled into the car before they left home.
Tarureka Estate was picked as their wedding venue for it’s rustic but elegant charm, which many guests later commented on how well the venue suited their personalities. They wanted a location where their bridal party and immediate families could stay the entire weekend to hang out. Being able to hire the venue from Friday through to late Sunday was a bonus!
It was an absolute treat photographing their wedding. They were so organised by having their timeline broken down into 15-minute intervals which is extremely helpful as a vendor. I knew exactly what the day looked like and it meant that Amelia and Tom could just relax and trust that we would make things happen on the day. I adore the simplicity of their decor and the venue, it really did suit their personalities perfectly. I have so many photos from this day but these are some of my favourites from their preparations through to the first lot of the speeches. Thank you to Amy Schulz for second shooting alongside me on the day!
List of vendors
Venue: Tarureka Estate
Photographer: Jaymee Photography
Second Photographer: Amy Schulz
Florist: Juliette Florist
Makeup and Hair Stylist: The Makeup Artist
Brides Dress: Hera Couture by Katie Yeung
Bridesmaids Dress: Ruby
Groom and Groomsmen: Barkers
Cake: Stiletto Studios
Planning your Wedding - Wairarapa Wedding Venues
Picking a venue is usually one of the first things to check off your wedding planning list. We are so spoilt for choice here in New Zealand, especially if you are wanting an outdoor wedding!
The Wairarapa is a popular wedding destination for couples. It’s only a short trip over the hill if you live in Wellington, it usually feels a bit warmer and often gets better weather! If you’re a lover of wine, even better because there are a number of vineyards in Martinborough.
Here are a few of my most popular venues that I often photograph. This is only a small handful of what the Wairarapa has to offer. If you want to know more about my experiences at each venue, get in touch, I’d love to help you find the perfect venue.
POPPIES VINEYARD MARTINBOROUGH
Located in Martinborough is a venue called Poppies. This venue is surrounded by vineyards and offers two spaces for your wedding - an outdoor courtyard for your ceremony as well as an indoor space for your reception. The grounds are well kept and very picturesque!
THE LANDING AT HOMEBUSH
If you’re needing a venue wth accomodation for your morning preparations make sure you check out The Landing at Homebush located 5 minutes from Masterton. There are a number of spots for you to choose from for your ceremony such as the chapel vineyard, ivy archway or the gazebo.
MARTINBOROUGH TREE CHURCH
I recently discovered Martinborough Tree Church. If you want to get married in a chapel but also dream of an outdoor wedding then this is a venue worth checking out. The Church walls are made of hedging and large glassless gothic windows.
TARUREKA ESTATE FEATHERSTON - BARN WEDDING VENUE
If you’re looking for a barn wedding venue check out Tarureka Estate in Featherston. There are a number of different spots at this venue including gardens, a historic homestead, cottage and barn which is made up of two levels.
LACEWOOD AT TUHITARATA ESTATE
Lacewood is located in South Wairarapa and is surrounded by rural scenery. This venue is elegant and has a lot of history dating back to the 1840s. There are a number of different buildings consisting of a homestead, cottages and a large restored barn.
