Jamie and Helen are one of those couples with a really cool story about getting together in high-school, going their separate ways, then finding each other again a few years later. As Jamie is my brother, I was super-stoked to have the privilege of shooting their engagement session after they announced their engagement.

They were so easy to photograph, and we had a lot of fun doing it. We did half of the photos by the river in Lower Hutt, and the other half on a family weekend up in Tokaanu, which is at the south end of Lake Taupo. They love to laugh and smile, and are all over each other, making for some great images.

Congratulations on your engagement, Jamie and Helen. Thanks for letting me celebrate it with you!

Aimee and Phil took a bit of a gamble with their “summer” wedding here in Wellington. They planned to have the ceremony at Percy’s Reserve, which is a stunning park in Lower Hutt with beautiful paths, bridges, a duck pond, and a large grassy area. Unfortunately, Wellington’s “summer” has so far turned out to be more rain and wind than anything else, and Aimee and Phil’s wedding day was no exception. They were married at Crossroads Salvation Army in Lower Hutt instead, which still looked fantastic, and we managed to get to Percy’s Reserve for the formal photos, as the weather had cleared by then.

We were spoiled for choice with so many different scenes and backdrops for the photos, and we had a lot of fun doing it! The bridal party were a real hard-case bunch, and my only real problem was that the whole lot would regularly collapse in hysterics. It was nice to be able to show some of their personalities in the photos. It turned out I knew a few of them from years ago, so it was great to catch up and have a laugh with them.

The reception was at the Silverstream Retreat, Upper Hutt, where they had a nice relaxed, low-key reception. Thanks for including me in your day Aimee and Phil. Congratulations!!

Here is a short video montage from my own wedding on 7 February 2009. A HUGE thanks to our friend, and very talented videographer, Nikki Parlane. The venue is The New Dowse in Lower Hutt, Wellington.