Tai Tapu Wedding // Jemma + Max

We say this all the time… but we have the coolest couples!! Jemma + Max’s wedding at his family home in Tai Tapu was such a blast. They didn’t let a little (or a lot!) of rain dampen their spirits… they just reached for the spirits (shots, shots, shots) and had the best day!

Jemma, her lovely mum and her girls all got ready at Red Barns in Tai Tapu. It’s such an awesome spot for bridal prep as it has a lot of natural light and space. We adored Jemma’s dress, cardigan and floaty sleeves along with her cute sage green shoes which matched her bridesmaids dresses. Perfection!

Stacey Banfield always finds the best light to start her bride’s makeup. We don’t normally share photos where the bride’s makeup isn’t near completion, but as we were checking the light and positioning of the makeup setup we decided to snap this one. As documentary photographers it’s about catching a moment (and lucky ol’ Jemma looks so good without makeup!)

Monique Cadigan is a wedding hair stylist who is so good at creating bridal hair with a glam wave. We just love the photo below of Jemma’s mum and friend watching the whole ‘getting ready’ process.

Jemma’s best friends were her bridesmaids. We couldn’t get over how beautiful this poem was that her bestie / soul sister wrote for her and had framed. How divine.

Getting ready at Red Barns in Tai Tapu is such a treat. Little things like hooks to hang dresses on and a full length mirror etc are so great to have when you’re a bride.

We love to photograph the bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, especially when they are so beautifully presented! Max and his boys all wore wooden bow ties which was quite unique.

Jemma’s mum helped her tie the soft bow on her beautiful wedding dress, while her girls looked on (and held their tears back!)

Before heading up to Max’s family home, we had lots of time for a few fun bridesmaid portraits and cocktails in the courtyard. Those stylish clear umbrellas and cocktail glasses from K-Mart sure came in handy!

Andie also spent some time doing a few bridal portraits with Jemma inside Red Barns ahead of the ceremony. We just love that white cottage window frame and the light!

And finally, one quick group hug with the girls before heading off to the poolside ceremony where Max was waiting for his gorgeous bride to arrive.

How good is Max’s reaction to seeing Jemma arrive! Also, how good are those surfboards floating in the pool? Jemma + Max both love to surf and so this was such a nice touch!

Max’s sister, Abbey is a celebrant and we just loved how she was up the front with her brother (to laugh at him when he was crying!)

Our happy couple tied the knot in the most beautiful garden which looked out over the green and grey of Tai Tapu.

After the rings were exchanged and the vows done and dusted, Jemma’s brother volunteered to bend over and be the signing table while Jemma + Max’s witnesses filled out the official paperwork.

A first kiss was followed by confetti and that then meant the party could get started!

We spotted Jemma taking a wee moment to show Grandma she’s wearing her ring. How precious is that!

With a bottle of Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey we headed out into the rain with Jemma + Max’s wedding party. The below crazy fun photos were fuelled by fresh air, happiness and shots. We were so lucky to be able to do our wedding portraits at Otahuna Lodge while their spring daffodils were out. As neighbours, Max was able to swing permission and we had such a blast.

Oh, and we love a bride that just drinks from the bottle. A girl after our own heart!

And about here the dancing and silliness set in…

And they’re off!

Too much fun. We sent the wedding party back to the pool party and spent a little more time with Jemma + Max at Otahuna Lodge doing portraits in the rain. Jemma’s hair and waves were still holding well despite it being really quite wet!

That’s the bottle gone… so it’s a wrap! Andie may or may not have had a wee swig too… just to keep warm.

With the rain absolutely persisting down… the pool party turned into a house party. Speeches were made inside from the first floor through a hatch, while guests were gathered downstairs. We’ve never seen anything quite like it! So fun.

It’s all about capturing the emotions, the laughter and the shear embarrassment during speeches. We are documentary wedding photographers… it’s just how we roll.

Jemma + Max: “We couldn’t have been more stoked to have Robin + Andie as our wedding photographers. From the engagement shoot to the wedding day, they made us feel so comfortable. They capture moments that aren’t ‘forced’ which suited our vibe completely. It’s the little moments that make the best photos and we have been spoilt for choice with our wedding album full of smiles, laughs and hilarious moments from the day. It was also a huge benefit to have both of them, which meant more moments were captured than if we just had one photographer. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this dream team to anyone!”

Tai Tapu Wedding Photographers: Robin + Andie

Bridal Prep Venue: Red Barns https://redbarns.co.nz/cms/

Wedding Portraits Venue: Otahuna Lodge https://www.otahuna.co.nz

Celebrant: Abbey Delore http://winsomeconsulting.co.nz/abbey-delore

Dress: Lilia Cass Ceremonial https://liliacass.com

Hair: Golden Studios https://www.goldenstudios.co.nz

Makeup: Stacey Banfield https://www.staceybanfield.com

Shoes: Eos https://eosfootwear.com

Florals: Peninsula Flowers https://www.peninsulaflowers.co.nz

Shots: Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey https://www.facebook.com/sheepdogwhiskey/

Clear Umbrellas: https://www.kmart.co.nz/product-discovery/product/stick-umbrella-42274742/

Catering: https://www.smokenbarrel.com