Charlene & Josh's Waverly on Wairoa Wedding

Spring Wedding at Waverly on Wairoa, Tauranga

When I met Charlene and Josh back in June for their engagement session, I had no idea I'd be shooting their wedding just five months later! When they asked me to photograph their wedding, I wasn't just excited to work with Charlene and Josh again, but also the amazing vendors they had booked.

Charlene's beautiful mum, Carolyn, booked an Air BnB in the gorgeous Westridge Estate. As I talked to her about how beautiful the property was, she explained that she wanted something with a lot of space, and a lot of natural light for photos, which was nice and close to the venue -- HOW AWESOME ARE MUMS?! I could have kept her!

I've never had such an easy 'Getting Ready' session! All that space and light meant we flew through photos and they were all perfectly lit. I could have squeezed Carolyn for making our job so much easier!

We arrived as hair and makeup was being done and let me tell you, Charlie and Ivy are so talented!

Charlie McLean of 'Charlie McLean Makeup Artistry' came out from Auckland and by the end of the morning, I was trying to talk her into moving to Tauranga. If I've learnt anything from working in the wedding industry, it's to hold on tight to the vendors who are genuinely kind and uplifting!

Ivy of 'Hair by Ivy' did an absolutely beautiful job of the girls' hair but it's also so important to find stylists.. makeup artists.. photographers.. who just gel well and add to that 'Getting Ready vibe'. You want to feel like everyone has known each other for years.. and that's exactly how it felt working with Ivy and Charlie. Charlene and Josh's wedding decor featured beautiful custom macrame pieces. When I found out that the girls would be holding beautiful macrame designs in place of a floral bouquet, which Charlene made herself!, I was so excited! I love 'new' and 'unique' when it comes to weddings. And you'll see how beautiful they looked in the images! Charlene and Josh chose to keep their day traditional and not do a first look, but when I suggested a first look for Charlene and her parents, she jumped at the idea. Being the youngest of three and the last to get married, I thought it would be perfect to really document that moment for her and her parents, and it was such a beautiful moment.

The ceremony and reception were held at the stunning Waverly on Wairoa; where we had the chance to work with amazing event coordinator, Adele. When you're getting married, you want someone like Adele in your corner! -- Someone who knows what needs to happen and when, before anyone else is even thinking about it. Adele will fix a problem before anyone even realises it was a problem.. she's really good! And her staff are just wonderful! I could have spent the rest of the evening with them! As guests arrived for the ceremony which was set on the edge of the Wairoa river, Kelsey Jamieson of 'Married by Kelsey' was there to greet them.

It was our first time working with Kelsey as well and I'm hanging for the next wedding we get to do together! With a fun and warm personality, Kelsey made everyone feel like a friend and it really added to the experience.

Coming from a Māori and Tongan background, Josh's whānau helped Josh and Charlene to incorporate that into their day.

Their ceremony took place on a beautiful ngatu which has been in Josh's family for 60 years! The amount of tradition and culture during their day made me proud to be Māori. I loved every bit of it.. the Māori and the Tongan.

The girls, along with Charlene's parents, arrived in beautiful vintage cars, before making their way down the aisle; Charlene an absolute vision in her stunning Gown & Altar dress as she held the arm of her proud dad. Josh & Charlene's reception was equally as beautiful. Josh's cousin performing a haka as they were introduced as Mr & Mrs Brown-Tungatoa, so many beautiful (and hilarious) speeches, with Josh's mum leading guests in a Māori waiata, 'Te Aroha', and Josh's friend, Nate, doing a fabulous job of keeping the night rolling as he stepped up to MC. Josh and Charlene are huge smoked meat fans, so it was no surprise to anyone that they brought in the big guns for their wedding -- The Big Smoke BBQ Co!

We tried a little bit of everything and went home craving more! So much flavour in every mouthful.. even in the salads!

Once dessert was served and lights were dimmed, Josh & Charlene took to the floor for their first dance as husband and wife and it was absolutely beautiful to hear the whispers of guests, talking about how happy they both look.

We had such an amazing time shooting Charlene and Josh's wedding and getting to know all their family and friends. Mr & Mrs Brown-Tungatoa, thank you for having us! x I'm so excited to share a 'few' of my favourites from yesterday!