Wairarapa photographer
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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.
Everything about Marie and Matt’s day was the ultimate photography dream! It was also really special having my sister and her partner as guests at the wedding, as well as my talented partner Karl who was shooting video. Marie looked stunning and The Landing at Homebush was the perfect location for photos.
Video: Karl Mooyman
Dress: Maggie Sottero
Make up: Charlotte Wilson Beauty
Hair: Kirsty Macrae
Catering: Blue Carrot
Groom Suits: Barkers Menswear
Rachel and Edward travelled from Auckland to Martinborough to tie the knot. I spent the morning with the girls at Rachel’s family farm. I always love being out in the country since I grew up on a farm and instantly felt inspired by my surroundings. Rach and her bridesmaid’s looked amazing! The forest green bridesmaid dresses were a great colour, earthy tones are always good.
While I was with the girls, my second shooter Ana from Moonflower Photography caught up with the guys before heading off to Martinborough Tree Church for their ceremony. Thanks for spending the day with us Ana! This was my first wedding at Martinborough Tree Church, I always enjoy being at a new venue.
Ata Rangi vineyard was the perfect venue for guests to chill out and play some games. Another detail which caught my eye were the flowers used for the reception decor. Rachel hand picked these from Holbrook forest Garden in Carterton. This added a personal touch!
Thanks to all the wonderful vendors involved, it is always a pleasure working with you and bringing the day together.
Flowers: Beverly from Tree Top Flowers Martinborough
Flowers on the tables were picked by Rachel from Holbrook forest Garden in Carterton
Make up: Emily Bertram from Masterton
Dress: The Kate Moss designed and made by Jane Yeh Auckland
Mens Suits: Barkers
Food: Salt street food
Celebrant: Reverend Steve Thomson
Band: The Relatives and Uncle Monkey Wellington
Ceremony venue: Tree church Martinborough
Reception: Ata rangi vineyard
Sofia and Andrew tied the knot at Poppies Vineyard in Martinborough. They decided to do a first look and have their bridal party photos before the ceremony, I love this idea. Having photos beforehand can ease the nerves and allow you to relax more after the ceremony, plus having a 'first look' is always special.
We decided to have some of their bridal photos at their new olive grove in Martinborough. What is it about olive trees that makes everything so dreamy? We then made our way to Poppies which is where their ceremony and reception was held.
Twig and Arrow did an amazing job as always of the flowers and venue styling. The cake, made by Cake Friday NZ, was stunning too. I had a lot of fun with the detail shots and there was an epic bouquet toss and the end of the night, take a look! For a full list of vendors, see below.
Florist/Styling: Twig and Arrow
Makeup: Eileen Donovan Photography & Makeup Artistry
Dress: Karen Willis Holmes
Cake: Cake Friday NZ
Hair: DollHouse Do
Venue: Poppies Martinborough
Second Shooter: Samantha Hamilton
Back in January I photographed this gorgeous wedding and I have been patiently waiting for the right moment to share it with you all.
Kristen and Glenn met in high school and started dating at 17 years old! They decided to get married in Wairarapa at Tarureka Estate.
Their inspiration was rustic, bohemian and D.I.Y, I loved this aspect of the day. Kristen put so much thought and creativity into her wedding, it felt special to document the efforts she had gone through. The bouquets, cake, reception decor (including the beautiful dream catchers), hair and makeup was all done by the wonderful bride herself.
I loved the vibe of this wedding. The whole day felt relaxed and fun. We had a bridal shoot before the ceremony, this was all about the bridal party hanging out and having a good time in a beautiful forest setting.
