When Tracy and Mark asked me to join them for their wedding in New Zealand, I did not have to think very long about saying yes! Having the opportunity to photograph such a spectacular destination wedding, visiting a country well known for their stunning landscapes, and satisfying the traveling nomad in me – how blessed can a photographer be! We spent two weeks driving 2,500km around New Zealand’s South Island (photos to follow soon), with the highlight of the trip being the days we spent in Queenstown for the wedding. The festivities started on the Saturday evening for the bachelor and bachelorette parties, rehearsal lunch on the Sunday, with the grand finale on the Monday for the wedding, which also happened to be leap year!

Although they live in Auckland, they decided on Queenstown for their destination wedding, with friends and family flying in from South Africa and the UK to celebrate with them. It is not difficult to see why they chose Queenstown – situated on the bend of Lake Wakatipu, the blue water is dramatically framed by The Remarkables mountain range, and beautifully offset by the green forests surrounding the town. Just outside of town, overlooking the canyons of the Shotover river, is the lodge which Tracy and Mark have chosen as the venue for their wedding. I can keep writing adjectives here to describe how insanely beautiful the location was, but I would much rather let the photos show you.

Their civil ceremony took place on the massive lawn in front of the lodge, with the canyon forming the backdrop to this important moment in their lives. Intimate, touching and true to the couple themselves, friends and family were visibly drawn into and immersed in the moment. Afterwards the celebrations started with a drinks reception, dinner and party time on the dance floor until it was time to call it a night. The day was filled with laughter, happy tears and friends catching up – just the way a wedding day should be! With the lodge being tucked away from the town lights, we ended off the day with an incredible photo opportunity under the Milky Way. I have never seen the stars so amazingly clear!

I hope you enjoy browsing through the images, and if you have never been to New Zealand I would strongly encourage you to book a plane ticket!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Canyons Lodge
Make up:  The Road To Beauty

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If you are looking for a Destination Wedding Photographer to capture your wedding day story, send me a message.