KIWI CAPTURES l THE INTERVIEW

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE YOUR BUSINESS?

I arrived home from living overseas to get ‘a real job’ and attempt to settle down. After 6 months I realised that was not going to be happening and that I needed to follow my creative passions and build a business that could work around the lifestyle I wanted to live.Attending a full summer of my friends getting married got me totally hooked on weddings. I mean could there be a better job than photographing happy people surrounded in love?!

TAKE US THROUGH A DAY IN THE LIFE OF YOUR BUSINESS

Coffee. Instagram. Emails. Then either editing/shooting/location scouting/marketing/tutorials/planning or having meetings that involve coffee. The beauty is that no day is ever the same and you never know what inquires you will get that day!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BRIDAL TREND AT THE MOMENT?

Animals at weddings! Who needs flowers when they can have puppies?

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING (IN REGARDS TO YOUR AREA OF EXPERTISE)

Know that this is your day and you can run it however the heck you want to. You don’t have to follow the cookie cutter timelines. Want to do your first look up a mountain for sunrise? Do it. Want to say your vows at midnight under the stars surrounded by 100 candles? Sounds amazing. Want your pets to be involved in your big day? Let’s make it happen! It is too easy to be pressured into pleasing everybody else when really this day should be about you, your partner and your love story. We as photographers understand that and can help you create a custom timeline, so we can get those epic shots and still let you spend time with all of your guests and family.

BEST ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED?

Commit yourself to making lots of mistakes. – Mistakes teach you important lessons. The biggest mistake you can make is doing nothing because you’re too scared to make a mistake.

I WISH I KNEW HOW TO…

Scuba dive. I would love to be able to explore some of the incredible dive sites in Egypt! I need to commit to learning and getting my license one day.

NEXT TRAVEL DESTINATION?

USA – I am heading over for Coachella in April next year and planning to get some one on one mentor sessions with a couple of my favourite destination wedding photographers!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 18-YEAR-OLD SELF?

You can make your dreams come true. Never lose that focus. It might take longer than you planned, but it will happen.

https://www.kiwicaptures.co.nz/

Engaged Now What ? | You & Me Collective Feature

  So you’re newly engaged and on Cloud 9!

Right now, we know it’s all a bit of a whirlwind of emotions - from where to begin planning, to budget stresses and late nights binge eating watching American wedding movies that are 100% unattainable (we recommend 27 Dresses or Mama Mia).

There are 1,000 thoughts running through your head - do I actually want that Fijian beach wedding or something extravagant? How to I announce on FB to maximise likes? Who will I pick as my bridesmaids without pissing everyone off? Will our parents go halves? We get it.

We’ve put together the perfect starter pack to ease your nerves and get you on the road to planning a kickass wedding. This makes a gorgeous gift for an engaged bestie or to treat yo’ self

Bride Business + Together Journal, Wild Hearts Mags Dameselfly Candle - Look at You Getting All Married + Shit

Whether you’re planning on tying the knot soon or a few years down the track, be sure to slow down and enjoy the sights along the way.

Here are our top 5 don’t-panic-babes-you-got-this tips:

1. Start brainstorming a date and venue. This will give you a good base and make you feel like you’ve got your shit together. People will ask you about this before you’ve barely had a chance to think about it, but it’ll help as a conversation starter to throw some ideas out there.

2. Fretting about your body shape or skin? Get stuck in to some exercise and healthy eating. It’ll help you ease the nerves and feel like you’re making progress from the get-go.

3. Go and get your nails done so you can take gorg photos of your ring. It’ll boost your confidence showing it off too, as we all know fresh nails give the impression of ‘I’ve totally got myself together’.

4. Get a good planner, such as our Bride Business to jot down all your thoughts. It’ll help you feel grounded and in control.

5. Start pinning themes and ideas. It’s the fun part, and it’ll help to get the creative juices flowing.

Finally, plan an engagement party, because pressies, but also it’s a chance to have a bit of fun and celebrate your new chapter.

Be sure to check out our next post on what to consider when planning your engagement party next month at www.youandmecollective.com

Love Me Do turns 2!

We had so much fun today celebrating Love Me Do's second year in business with an amazing high tea runway event at The Thomas Green in Gore.  Amie + Sacha pulled out all the stops to produce a birthday party to top all others complete with gorgeous real models who paraded the gowns through the crowd giving everyone a close up glimpse of the beautiful fabrics, cuts and detailing.  Sacha + Amies motto, "Love the skin you're in" was the perfect reflection for the day as the models in all their beautiful sizes showed off dresses especially chosen to accentuate their most amazing features, be it curves or signature tattoos.

We are so excited to have been invited to be a part of the celebrations, and joining with a host of other collective vendors, we were honoured to be showcased alongside Southland Celebrant Sharyn Payne, wedding photographer Fern McAulay, Framing Good photo booth's Rod + Sammi and the Love Me Do girls themselves.  We were able to share a little bit about who we are and our hopes and dreams for the collective, and whilst public speaking is definitely not a talent of mine, it was a great opportunity to connect with a lovely group of brides to be.  Sharyn entertained with a rundown of ceremony formalities and Fern gave some great tips on choosing a photographer who you really click with, as she pointed out, you spend more of your wedding day with your photographer than you do with anyone else so it really helps to like them! Amie + Sacha had some amazing giveaways and a bunch of lucky ladies went home with some epic prizes, including an engagement shoot from Fern and full bridal styling package from I Do Crew amongst many others!

Rod and Sammi captured snaps of the brides and guests with their fabulous Selfie Mirror photobooth, which added a great interactive element to the afternoon and would be a hit at any event. Fern and I got in on the action too and tested it out!

Wowed by the makeup and hair stylist talent we found today we have some exciting new additions to the Collective we will share soon!  The Thomas Green set the scene beautifully for what was an amazing afternoon and we loved every minute.

Beautiful women in gorgeous dresses with a lovely crowd to top it all off, Happy Birthday Love Me Do! Well done Sacha + Amie and your crew of amazing helpers! Looking forward to next year!

What goes in to a surprise proposal ... when its for Radio

One of the things that excites us the most about building this directory of fabulous wedding vendors is the potential for amazing collaborations.  All our vendors are talented beyond all get out, but when you start bringing everyone together we can create magic! 
Jenna + Bryns engagement, a.k.a The MoreFM Surprise Proposal, was our first opportunity to organise such a collaboration, and this amazing crew pulled together an epic proposal setup with 3 days notice.  
Ashley and the team from Skeltz Jewellers had dreamed up the idea of a surprise proposal, and created the most stunning engagement ring for one lucky guy to surprise his girl with.  The biggest surprise was that More FM would get to pull all the strings, choosing the mystery man, getting the girl there unawares, and playing out the whole affair live on air for all of Southland to hear.  We were all hoping she would say yes!
We were so excited for Southland Wedding Collective to get onboard and help out, and all in the name of making the morning a truly memorable one, we gathered a dream team of vendors together to take care of styling, photographing and filming Jenna + Bryns special moment, as well as gifting them some special treats to complete the whole experience.
MoreFM's love gurus, Steve and Jack, scouted out locations, settling on a secluded spot in Queens Park that could be transformed into a magical setting by the talented team at Something Borrowed.  

This gorgeous duo, Kara and Tim, pulled together a collection of their amazing props that they have for hire, and with a brand new baby at home, they created the entire setup in their backyard, photographed it, and then Tim braved it alone to recreate it perfectly in our Queens Park setting in the early hours of the morning.  With an arbor and macrame hanging creating a perfect backdrop, a Turkish rug piled with cushions and a pair of the most perfect butterfly chairs was the scene for the down-on-one knee perfect proposal.  Lanterns with candles flickering added to the romantic bohemian vibe and the finishing touches included a gorgeous wild bouquet of flowers lovingly put together by Shani from Ambrosia Designer Florist, and the sweetest cake from Dani at The Urban Kitchen... because shouldn't every proposal include cake?

The only snippet of information we had been given about Jenna was that she loved white lillies... Shani built her bouquet around these perfect flowers and the inspiration gleaned from the vision of Something Borrowed, and Dani was inspired to create her perfect white chocolate drip cake to match.
The lovely Dominique of Dominique Cook Photography was there not only capturing all the little details, but chipping in to help with the setup aswell, arranging cushions and throws like a pro!  
Missing in amongst all this action was Cam from We The Collective who found himself at the last minute hanging out with the girls as part of MoreFMs elaborate ruse.  This played out a little something like this ... Jenna's bestie Corrina got sent an email saying that she had won a competition on The Edge and the prize was a mums day out with her best friend, starting with breakfast out and then yoga in the park.  They were told to dress up a bit as they would be being filmed for publicity - thanks Cam! - and so Bryn had to take the morning off work to look after their sweet baby Poppy.  As soon as Jenna was gone, Bryn donned his suit from McKnight and Brown, dressed Poppy up, and headed to the park with his speech and that amazing RING!  Nothing quite like rocking up to the park in a suit at 7.30 am and being greeted by a team of strangers to calm any nerves!
Musician Sam Cullen was at the ready with his guitar to accompany Jenna through the park... 
Jenna: Hey look! A guy playing a guitar in the park! ... OH! I love this song! ... umm.. he's following us ... is that a bit weird? 
Not quite the leisurely stroll anyone had been expecting, Sam had to chase them at pace trying to get through the chorus of Elton Johns "Isn't it funny" before they got to the spot where Bryn was waiting.
Charged with emotion, Bryn said some lovely heartfelt words before getting down on his knee and asking Jenna to marry him.  Still slightly confused about whether yoga in the park was actually going to happen or not, Jenna said yes and then slowly took in the clapping cheering strangers around her and the news that they were live on air.  Gretchen and Steve had been commentating the whole proposal from the bushes, Cam caught the whole thing on film which you can see here, and Dominique expertly captured the whole story in photographs to preserve this moment in time for this cute couple. It was a crazy whirlwind of preparation, emotion and congratulations and then it was over... Jenna + Bryn taking home Poppy to enjoy their cake and flowers with a little less publicity! Everyone has their love story ... Jenna + Bryns has just been shared a little more than most and is a testament to what can be achieved with a little planning, a great team and a whole lot of love!

Love Steph + Soph xx 

Fern McAulay's top five tips for nailing your engagement photos

#1 Be relaxed, it’s just you two as a couple and a chance to be a little more intimate - it’s helps with getting comfortable with your photographer.

#2 Bring ideas with you but remember that your photographer has their own style and can’t always copy/execute another photographer’s style.

#3 Engagement shoots can be at any location but are always nice if in a special location (first date, where he/she proposed etc)

#4 It’s about you as a couple so make sure you tell your photographer what you want and if you aren’t comfortable.

#5 Engagement sessions are fab because you get the chance to get to know your photographer and they get to know you!

How Jenna Met Bryn...More FM Surprise Proposal

How did you meet?

I first met Bryn for the first time at the Frog 'n' Firkin bar out with some friends when I was about 23 yrs old and the week before I was about to move to Christchurch, so a good 10 years ago. My friend knew him because he went to the gym she was working at. I remember thinking 'damn he seems a really nice guy pretty good lookin' too shame I had to meet him the week before I move away'.

I moved back to Invercargill three years later  and was out  with some friends at a bar and ran into him again. I thought 'OMG its him... and hes even more better looking than I remembered'. We hung out all night, exchanged numbers, he stayed with me that night and every night since!

What did you first think of your partner?
I remember thinking he was a really nice guy with a bit of a soft side when I first met him.. Haha I did remember thinking to myself when is this guy going to stay at his own place though at one part and one night he surprised me and said he wasn't coming over that night I thought thank god.. later did i discover that i missed his mug and we were inseparable from then lol.

Tell me three things you love about your partner.

I love that he is a kind-hearted, caring person, he is laid back and relaxed which is good for me because I'm highly strung so he keeps me real when I get crazy. The love he has for our 5 month old daughter is pretty special to see.

How did the proposal happen?

Bryn entered the More FM surprise proposal recently and won so it was definitely a special day. I will never  forget.

Name three memorable experiences you’ve been through together as a couple.
memorable experiences we've had together would be buying our first home together, getting engaged and the birth of our beautiful daughter.

What are things about your partner that drives you a little crazy — things that only you could love.
3 things that drive me crazy about Bryn would be when he lets me tell a story and then I realise he isn't even listening to any of it! Or when he drops crumbs on the floor straight after I have luxed and he always leaves his wet towel from the shower on the bed.

More Fm Surprise Proposal Shout Out

Organised- More FM

Ring - Skelts Jewellers 

Florals - Ambrosia Designer Florist

Styling + Props - Something Borrowed Ltd 

Photography - Dominic Cook Photography

Videography - We the Collective

Cake - The Urban Kitchen

Music - Sam Cullen Music

Supported - Southland Wedding Collective 

Love Stories - Cam from We the Collective

How did you meet?
We met through friends, then didn't see each other for a while and then happened to bump into each other one night at an event. The rest is history.

How did you start dating?
Well, we started with a semi long distance relationship. We live about 1hr and a half away from each other and I would make the commute to Wellington almost every weekend. My petrol money spending was out of control! Haha!

How did you know that your partner was the right one for you?
You can't explain when you know someone is "The One". It's a thing you have to experience for yourself. You just know.

Tell me three things you love about your partner.
Her drive and tenacity to get things done, her terribly dry jokes, and her undeniable skill to make the best home baking any human being has had the privilege of consuming.

What are some of your partner’s quirks? What are things about your partner that drives you a little crazy — things that only you could love.
Loose hair. Like.. every where. But I pick up anyway.

How did the proposal happen?
The day I proposed, Chloe had had a pretty stink day. Her phone got stolen that afternoon too so it made for a complete write off of a day.
I had finished a gig that I was DJing (Yes.. I was a DJ) shot to the Warehouse, bought her a new phone and raced over to Wellington to surprise her - all the while the ring was safely hidden in my bag. I get to her flat, go into her room where she had shut herself into. Chloe was fast asleep so in-abruptly woke her up and gave her the new phone to which she was mildly stoked about. I then rummage through my bag and say to her "Oh and here's the SIM card..." and then I whip out the ring and somehow find myself on my knee - like it was one fluid motion. I ask her if she'll marry me, she starts to cry and says Yes. Again, the rest is history.

How would you describe the dynamic of your relationship? 
Not sure how we would describe our dynamic but we are a pretty - get things done, take no prisoners - style of relationship. Someone once said we were a 'power couple' ?

What values are important to you as a couple?
We value family and showing up. Being new parents we realise how important it is to be present in people's lives. "Being there is 80% of the job done". Being kind, honest and genuine - no beating around the bush type stuff either. And we are big believers of treating people the way we would like to be treated.

If your love story became a movie which actor would play each of you ?
Oh easy. I would be 1980's Arnold Schwarznegger with an M-16 strapped to my back and Chloe would be.. maybe.. Sophie Vergara from Modern Family?

How did the proposal happen?
The day I proposed, Chloe had had a pretty stink day. Her phone got stolen that afternoon too so it made for a complete write off of a day.
I had finished a gig that I was DJing (Yes.. I was a DJ) shot to the Warehouse, bought her a new phone and raced over to Wellington to surprise her - all the while the ring was safely hidden in my bag. I get to her flat, go into her room where she had shut herself into. Chloe was fast asleep so in-abruptly woke her up and gave her the new phone to which she was mildly stoked about. I then rummage through my bag and say to her "Oh and here's the SIM card..." and then I whip out the ring and somehow find myself on my knee - like it was one fluid motion. I ask her if she'll marry me, she starts to cry and says Yes. Again, the rest is history.

How would you describe the dynamic of your relationship? 
Not sure how we would describe our dynamic but we are a pretty - get things done, take no prisoners - style of relationship. Someone once said we were a 'power couple' ?

What values are important to you as a couple?
We value family and showing up. Being new parents we realise how important it is to be present in people's lives. "Being there is 80% of the job done". Being kind, honest and genuine - no beating around the bush type stuff either. And we are big believers of treating people the way we would like to be treated.

If your love story became a movie which actor would play each of you ?
Oh easy. I would be 1980's Arnold Schwarznegger with an M-16 strapped to my back and Chloe would be.. maybe.. Sophie Vergara from Modern Family?

What values are important to you as a couple?
We value family and showing up. Being new parents we realise how important it is to be present in people's lives. "Being there is 80% of the job done". Being kind, honest and genuine - no beating around the bush type stuff either. And we are big believers of treating people the way we would like to be treated.

If your love story became a movie which actor would play each of you ?
Oh easy. I would be 1980's Arnold Schwarznegger with an M-16 strapped to my back and Chloe would be.. maybe.. Sophie Vergara from Modern Family?

Check out more about Cam here

WEDDING INVITATION IDEAS

If your  like most couples, you want your wedding to be unique, personal, and a memorable experience for your guests. The first glimpse of your wedding is your invitations. You want to be sure to the tone, theme, and overall feel of your wedding from the moment your guests open their mailbox. Check out some of our top picks below, make sure you pin your favourites to Pinterest x