Waikato Wedding ~ La Valla Estate
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Rose and Nik's day at La Valla Estate in Tūākau was full of fun, laughter and the best kind of silliness. It was a such a breath of fresh air to spend the day photographing people who were purely themselves, completely relaxed and unconcerned about the camera in my hand. We picnicked, we frolicked and I can't wait for you to see the pics!
La Valla Estate is a stunning venue in Tūākau, in the North Waikato. It's got photo options galore, surrounded by gardens, paddocks and old buildings. I was so excited to spend the afternoon here with Rose and Nik celebrating their wedding day. Before their wedding Rose, Nik and I had met a few times to go over logistics and talk about what was most important to them. They were really keen for their gallery to reflect the feeling of the day, capturing lots of laughter and fun. This is what I love to hear as I don't think it gets better than photos which FEEL great as well as look great.
We started with their ceremony under a huge pūriri tree, beautifully decorated with florals by Poppy in April. During the ceremony, I kept an eye out for guest reactions to help build the vibe of their gallery. I always try shoot with the final gallery in mind, thinking about how I'll portray the flow and the feeling of everything. When the ceremony ended, and before we moved into our group photos, I made sure to give plenty of time for hugs and congrats. This is one of my favourite parts of a wedding day to photograph as there is always lots of candid interaction between you and your guests. I never rush this moment, group photos can wait!
Once the afternoon formalities were checked off, Rose, Nik and their bridal party enjoyed an exceptional picnic set up by the venue. This was such a great touch, and allowed everyone (myself included) to chill and refuel before we moved onto some bridal party photos. When it came time for those, we were spoilt for choice and I could have spent hours photographing all the amazing spots La Valla Estate has to offer. Rose, Nik and their crew were so much fun to photograph. Everyone got involved, had fun and let their hair down. Their energy was contagious and I think our pics speak for themselves!
We ended the evening with a STUNNING meal by the team at La Valla - honestly it was some of the best food I've had at a wedding!! All in all, so much fun was had, heaps of good food was eaten, and we got some great photos to remember it all by. I couldn't ask for more than that!
Location: La Valla Estate, Waikato Wedding size: 90 guests Photography: 5 hours
