The Wedding of Emma and Keith at Pah Homestead

Love stories are timeless, each one unique and beautiful in its own right. Today, I'm thrilled to share the enchanting tale of Emma and Keith, a young Kiwi couple whose love knows no bounds. Their journey culminated in a breathtaking wedding at Pah Homestead in Auckland, surrounded by their nearest and dearest.

From the moment I met Emma and Keith, I knew theirs was a love story worth capturing. Their infectious laughter and unwavering affection for each other set the tone for an exciting journey ahead.

The anticipation was palpable on their wedding day. As Emma prepared to walk down the aisle, a momentary hiccup arose when her veil went missing. However, thanks to her quick-thinking brother, the crisis was averted, and he emerged as the hero of the day, ensuring that Emma looked every bit the radiant bride she was meant to be.

The ceremony itself was a testament to their love, witnessed by family and friends who had eagerly awaited this joyous occasion. Against the backdrop of Pat Homestead, Emma and Keith exchanged vows, with the lovely Elain Spearman as their celebrant.

Following the ceremony, we embarked on a magical portrait session during the golden hour, capturing the essence of their love against the picturesque backdrop of Pah Homestead. The venue was nothing short of perfection, providing the ideal setting for their special day. From the stunning décor to the impeccable service, every detail was carefully curated to reflect Emma and Keith's unique style and personality.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the incredible vendors who worked tirelessly to bring their vision to life, and family members who also helped set up and put in those finishing touches.

Reflecting on our journey together, from our initial Zoom conversation to their engagement session at Muriwai Beach and finally, their wedding day, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to capture their love story. Emma's kind words are a testament to the joy I find in my work, and I am humbled to have played a part in documenting their special day.

In Emma's own words, "Sarah did a wonderful job capturing me and my hubby's special day. She is an excellent photographer who is clearly very skilled and talented, and our photos turned out AMAZING. Sarah is also kind, patient, and funny – if you are looking for someone to make you feel comfortable and at ease behind a camera, Sarah is your girl!! Couldn't recommend her higher, would give 100 stars if I could!!”

To Emma and Keith, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your love story. May your journey together be filled with countless moments of happiness, laughter, and love. Cheers to a lifetime of cherished memories and adventures yet to come.

Tori’s Maternity Session

I met with Tori for what turned out to be my last photoshoot before New Zealand went into its first lockdown in 2020. Looking back now, it’s so hard to believe it all even happened. And at the time of these photos we had no idea of what was to come. And thank goodness for that!

We were blessed with a beautiful evening full of laughter and happiness, all finished with a magnificent west-coast sunset at Piha Beach in Auckland. Piha is one of my most favourite places to take maternity photos, and I just love the close knit community out west.

For all my maternity photoshoots I have a number of maternity dresses available for you to use. I know first-hand how much these photos mean to Mama’s and their families. I think back to my own maternity photos and remember how wonderful I felt at a time when I had generally been feeling very, bleurgh! The third trimester can be pretty brutal so it was nice to have my hair and make-up done and wear a nice dress to make me feel a little more like myself. It was a far cry from my usual leggings that’s for sure!

As you can see Tori looked absolutely stunning in one of my maternity dresses. In fact the dress fit so perfectly it felt like it was meant to be. 

If you’re looking for a location to have your maternity photos you really can’t go wrong with any of the beaches on Auckland’s west coast. The sunsets and scenery are breath-taking, and the light during golden hour is extremely flattering. And hey, sometimes when you’ve had a really long day or you’re feeling particularly tired or worn out from growing a small human, you need a walk on the beach to bring you back to base.

Divya and Vijay’s Maternity Session

Roy and I have lived in Auckland for over 10 years now, and one of the reasons why we love our home is because of the other people that live here. People from all over the world have chosen New Zealand as their adopted home and really when you think about it, it's not hard to understand why.

Divya and her husband Vijay moved to New Zealand from India. Far from a traditional arranged marriage, they met in India and asked their parents if they could marry. I can understand why their family agreed that they are a great match. Both down to earth, caring and funny; and now, soon to be parents!

I was so excited to meet Divya and Vijay for their maternity shoot at Bethell's Beach. It's one of the first west coast beaches Roy and I explored when we first got to Auckland, so I always enjoy coming back here for photo sessions.

Originally we had planned to meet in the evening however, this was changed a few days before as a potential house purchase was on the cards, and who am I to stand between someone and their dream family home! So we met at 11am and the first thing I had Divya do was to choose one of my maternity dresses to wear. I have a few different colours to choose from, and  Divya chose one of two white dresses that near enough fit her perfectly.

It was a scorching summer day, with full sun and a strong and blustery warm wind that almost knocked us over a few times (don't you just love Auckland weather!) but we persevered and had some fun capturing this special time in Divya and Vijay's life. 

Divya also wanted to add in some special touches that she could show to family back in India so we had a few outfit changes and of course the all important scan photos. I am always so blown away with how incredible women's bodies are, and getting close ups of Divya's bump with some beautiful henna tattoos was one of my favourite parts of the shoot.

We finished the session in the rock cave to the right of the beach. I love the silhouette of Divya and Vijay together with the bright light of the world behind them, as I feel like it really captures their journey together.

Thanks again to Divya & Vijay for choosing me to capture their growing family together.