Twelve Mile Delta Queenstown Elopement

This Twelve Mile Delta Queenstown Elopement saw Katrina and Jawad become husband and wife. This Sydney, Australia couple chose Queenstown for their elopement because of the stunningly beautiful & intimate areas around Queenstown.

The amazing Philippa Thomas was their wedding celebrant. She’s somebody I work with quite a bit these days … I love her young, fresh and fun approach to weddings! Based on recommendations by both Philippa and I, Katrina and Jawad had their ceremony literally right on the edge of Lake Wakatipu. They were rewarded with beautiful lake and mountain views. Our only challenge was finding enough beach to have the ceremony! We’ve had such a wet summer here in New Zealand – the lake levels are way up!

But it all worked out in the end! We chose a spot with the most perfect willow trees draping their branches around Katrina & Jawad. They provided shade from strong UV and kept them at a comfortable temperature. More importantly, the light flattered their faces perfectly and meant they didn’t have to squint!

The ceremony was everything a wedding ceremony should be in my opinion: simple, intimate, heartfelt. So call me a big softy, but when beautiful Katrina started getting emotional and had to wipe away a tear, I’ll admit I did get a bit misty eyed myself. I guess my sensitive and romantic nature is ideally suited to wedding photography?

After Jawad and Katrina were pronounced man and wife, they celebrated with a glass of Jacob’s Creek Moscato Rose and a kiss.

After that, we did a hop skip and a jump along the road for some photos in the forest on the 12 Mile Delta walking track. We finished off the day with some mountain-top photos on Coronet Peak.

Our timing was perfect! After a few quick photos atop Coronet Peak, the wind started gusting strongly and it was time to call it a wrap. I was stoked with the photos we had so far, so I was happy to let Katrina & Jawad get on with their day.

I found out the newlyweds hadn’t eaten lunch. I wanted them to eat somewhere special on their big day, so I had rung ahead and reserved a table for them at the amazing Amisfield Vineyard & Bistro. Their menu, especially the Trust The Chef option is unique and incredible! If you’re not adventurous, then you MUST try the slow-roasted lamb! I drove them straight there from our shoot and managed to sneak them in just before the kitchen closed the lunch menu.

All in all it was a pretty amazing day and Katrina and Jawad’s photos look incredible. Of course the images are amazing, these two are a good looking couple and the scenery here in Queenstown is stunning, so I can’t take all the credit.I love hearing how happy couples are with their images. I received this short note from Katrina not too long after their shoot:

“Thankyou so much for being a part of our big day. You made us feel at ease and definitely lived up to your relaxed and fun name. Myself (my family) and Jawad all love the photos!”

I love elopement style weddings like this! If you’re heading my way for your wedding, give me a shout to see if I’m available!!