Did you know that we give all our New Zealand wedding clients a free engagement shoot when they book their wedding photography with us? We travel all over Canterbury and beyond to give you (our clients) the very best engagement photographs that you could possibly wish for! We do this by selecting stunning locations and by chasing the light to create some truly unique pictures for you both at this super special time in your life. Come with us as we show you some of our favourite engagement shoot locations in and around Christchurch, NZ…

Step this way… First stop on our list of the best photo shoot locations near Christchurch is Castle Hill. It makes the perfect spot for a winter engagement shoot, and the light at golden hour is unreal. But… it is real! Just so you know, we don’t use filters when editing our photos. We have mastered capturing the light at golden hour to give that hazy, filtered looking glow. It’s all about the light, and #nofilter! You’ll notice as you look through our photos that on bright sunny days the colours are vivid, colourful, clear and crisp. A true reflection of the bluebird day… as the sun begins to set we get all sorts of exciting things happening with the light on mountains, hills, rocks, sea and sky and that’s when our photography really comes into its own. We have spent many years mastering the light to create stunning images for our engaged couples. Below is a photograph taken mid-afternoon at Castle Hill. Here we have great clarity at 3pm, which is followed by lots of gorgeous golden hour light and glistening ice as the sun starts to set behind the Southern Alps. All within only an hour’s drive from Christchurch. Let’s go!

Another favourite Christchurch engagement shoot location is of course the fabulous Port Hills. On a sunny day, the colourful yellow gorse contrasts beautifully with a bright blue sky. We’ve had perfect summer evenings and super windy days up in the hills… but these make for some of our most favourite photos. We tend to embrace the wind and fly away hair! We love it when our clients share their favourite spots with us, and a good view is always great for your backdrop. Like climbing rocks? OK then… keep scrolling…

We like to embrace the wind up in the Port Hills. This cute black and white photo below of Beth + Shawn is one of our all-time favourites!

Onwards now to one of Christchurch’s best beach locations for an engagement or proposal shoot… Taylors Mistake! There’s no mistaking that this is one of the best spots for engagement photography in Canterbury. In summer, we love the pink and orange wildflowers and cheeky sheep who are not camera shy! If you’re up for a wee paddle in the sea… you’re in!

We usually like to start our engagement shoots in the afternoon, about 2 hours before sunset. This way we make the most of all natural, available light and can include golden hour for you too. ‘Golden Hour’ is not the same as ‘Happy Hour’ at the pub, as one of our clients thought we were suggesting once! Although, we are always happy to go for a coffee/wine/beer etc to chat over the plans and vision for your big day in advance or after your shoot. We met up with Emma + Joseph (below) at ‘Beach Sumner’ for a hot choc before heading over to Taylors Mistake for their epic engagement shoot. Can you spot our drone photo below…

If you love the beach and a little walk… then the track to Godley Head is the perfect location for your engagement shoot. With stunning views out to sea and lots of brightly coloured wildflowers, you’ll get some awesome shots of you and your fiancé chilling out together on this glorious coastline. Keep scrolling to see a photo below that has a purple haze… is that a filter? #nofilter! Rob shot through some beautiful wildflowers at golden hour to create this image.

#nofilter shooting through wildflowers…

Christchurch couples love the beach, and rightly so. We are lucky enough to have some fabulous beaches to explore on our Canterbury engagement shoots. When you book your wedding photography with us, we’d love YOU to show US somewhere that means a lot to you for your engagement shoot. Perhaps your favourite picnic spot or the woods where you like to walk your dog on the weekend etc But if you’re not sure, and you’re looking for inspo… then we know some pretty cool places around town and at the beach… up in the hills… and in the mountains etc

OH, and please bring your dog! We love photographing your fur-babies and children too. Look at little Lola below… too cute!