New Zealand Elopement

Erin and Jamie are one of many lovely couples whose wedding plans here in New Zealand were disrupted due to the Covid lockdown.  So they chose a simple elopement ceremony with only their nearest and dearest present – all done very late in the day!  True story –  earlier that day Erin had even gone to work not thinking by the end of the day they’d be married! Also fun fact! The image heading here has been used to feature New Zealand and our very own Bay of Plenty Region as one of the best Elopement destinations in the world! https://www.lookslikefilm.com/2021/03/22/best-places-to-elope/

As New Zealand was gearing up to go into lock-down guess who asked them to house sit over their honeymoon …. The very classic wedding venue Charlemagne Lodge.  Imagine being asked to house sit such stunning wedding accommodation for an entire month!

So for our wedding photo shoot, I love that Erin and Jamie trusted me to choose photo locations for their elopement photos.  We actually went for locations all within 15 mins of my home in Papamoa Beach here in Tauranga, New Zealand. (I promise not for selfish reasons).  I knew with Jamie’s photography back ground they’d appreciate an adventure.  We chose Kaiate Falls, which is just off the Welcome Bay road here in Tauranga.  Kaiate Falls is a popular spot in New Zealand for tourists and locals alike especially in Summer.  As it was the beginning of our Winter it was the perfect place for a Bride and Groom to be able to stroll through beautiful New Zealand bush before emerging to natural falls that cascade down the valley.   Erin was so not worried about her beautiful vintage wedding dress that she picked up at a vintage store for a complete bargain … (Don’t you just love that 😉 They just wanted to go exploring and have fun along the way and hey there’s always time for some snuggle time in between!   So after a wee bit of wedding photography and exploration around the waterfalls area we stopped off at the water’s edge at Welcome Bay before zooming off to Papamoa Beach to bring in some water scenes into their photography.  After an easy wee stroll along the beach, as much as I’m all about natural moments between couples I couldn’t help myself and had to bust out the flash.  The sea spray coming in – it was just all so perfect.  Honestly elopement photo’s are just the jam on top. We couldn’t believe a couple of hours could go by so fast – I loved every minute I got to spend with this beautiful couple and of course wish them the very best in their adventures together.  – Rochelle

Are you considering an elopement wedding? If so after you’ve enjoyed some of Erin and Jamies images click through to here: Elopement Weddings to see how great they can be.