Tantalus Estate Wedding, Waiheke Island | Melody & Andy

Tantalus Estate is a Tuscan-inspired venue located on the beautiful Waiheke Island. It was the perfect place for Melody and Andy who chose a minimalist and elegant styling for their special day, keeping it classy but fun.

It was a wild and rainy day, which made for dreamy light, which I was frothing about all day. Cloudy days alway make for the softest light; as a photographer, I get excited about rainy wedding days because I know the light will be great.

Melody and Andy chose to not have a bridal party, which is something I’m seeing more of these days. It makes for a lot less stress coordinating people, and means portraits take less time, so you can spend more time with your guests. It means you can allocate more budget to other things lrather than buying a bunch of outfits for your friends. These two had two outfits and did a change before entering their reception.

Melody & Andy’s beloved dog ‘Noodle’ couldn’t make it across the ditch for the celebration, so they went to special efforts to feature him in their cake topper and other stationary details. Hair & Makeup was done by The Peach Club, who kill it every time. The dress was designed by New Zealand’s own, the incredible Trish Peng. The florals for the wedding were done by the talented team at The Bloomerie, adding a pop of color to the day. Jon Pickford (who is an absolute legend) did an amazing job as musician, DJ & MC. The cake was made by Little Tart Cakery with the topper made by Manda Cakes. The videography for the day was beautifully captured by my talented partner-in-crime Bailey from Happy House Film Co. who is an absolute genius.

Tyla + Rowan

Tyla & Rowan had their wedding in a magical wee forest out in Kumeu, Auckland. The reception took place in a rustic barn on the same property that was cosy as can be. To say we were spoilt for photo locations would be an understatement - we adventured in the woods, on corn fields, the adventurous couple even climbed onto a stack of logs. With Tyla being a wedding photographer herself she made sure we had a sweet sunset slot for photos and boy oh boy did mother nature deliver in spades.

Teri + Jason

Teri & Jason got married in the wonderful wee country town of Waihi. These two flew back from Perth to have their wedding here in New Zealand and it was so worth it.  Their ceremony was held on the Bowentown Headland of Waihi Beach, overlooking the water and we were so lucky that the rain decided not to attend. Then they had an amazing reception at The Waterlily Gardens. Teri wore a beautiful dress crafted by the incredible One Day Bridal from Melbourne. A big thanks to the legendary Sanele Chadwick for second shooting!