Waikato Wedding ~ Another Taupō Backyard

Josie and Harry's wedding day at their family home beside Lake Taupō was truely, wonderfully, beautifully, spectacularly, incredibly, wildly amazing! I've been pondering what made it so special and I think it was simply the fact that Josie and Harry centred their day around celebrating with their guests and never lost sight of that. It was one of the most genuine days I've been part of to date and I'll remember it forever.

I have the biggest crush on Josie and Harry, and their entire crew (is it obvious?). When we first started planning their day, I could tell that they had put a lot of thought into a timeline which really reflected how they wanted their day to feel. Because their wedding was in the backyard (and front-yard) of their family home, we had the luxury of creating a day completely from scratch, without having to adhere to any pre-planned venue timelines. The emphasis was on spending as much time as possible with their guests, the photo brief being ‘think 2000’s club night with your friends’.

We started the day with a casual first look and got most of the formal photos done before guests arrived. Josie and Harry had arranged for their close family to be there early too, so we could also do our family pics before the ceremony began. Having the time to get the important shots done before the formalities was one of the key factors in allowing Josie and Harry to relax, and give their guests their full attention for the rest of the afternoon. If maximising time with your people is important to you, I HIGHLY recommend scheduling your formal photos before your ceremony.

After a beautiful ceremony overlooking Lake Taupō, I spent the rest of the day amongst their loved ones, snapping pics as they mingled and chatted. I love to be in the midst of the fun, scouting out a laugh or a hug and documenting the day from the inside. I can’t express enough how the feeling of the day was so effortlessly authentic, nothing felt out of place or put on for the sake of it. We ended the night drinking and dancing, and I left feeling like one of the family. 

Location: Lake Taupō, Auckland Wedding size: 130 guests Photography: 9 hours