Heidi Horton Photography

It's the last day of October already and what a month it's been! I can't say the weather has been particularly steady but I've still managed to get through some awesome portrait sessions and we got some cracker days amongst all this rain and wind!

The start of October was full on with the Invercargill leg of my spring mini sessions. And then I've been all over Southland this month doing family portrait sessions on homes & farms.

Here's some of my favourite portraits from the beautiful month that has been...

I loved this portrait session with the gorgeous Affleck family! Richard & Kate's boys were very much on the go and I loved the documentary, candid approach we took - simply capturing them as a family, enjoying quality time at the park. Hunting for painted rocks, riding their bikes and enjoying the spring sunshine.

Meet Colin & Dorothy's beautiful family with ten grandies! I so enjoyed my time with these beautiful people capturing precious family portraits in Dorothy's lovely garden at Thornbury.

Extended family portraits are a great chance to not only create those legacy family photographs of the whole family, but also for each family group to update their portraits too!

My printer is running hot at the moment with so many prints from all these beautiful shoots, including a wonderful black & white series for the Anderson family. It was a huge privilege to get to photograph these guys again, now with little George too!

Alison, Jordan and their fun wee man Jack. We took a stroll around their backyard at Blackmount to create some family portraits, complete with matching Red Band gumboots of course!

My 2019 calendar is just about full and I'm booking portrait sessions for January & February already. Get in touch to grab a portrait info pack from me and get your portrait session booked!

And if you're getting organised with Christmas presents for your loved ones and friends, why not give the gift that keeps on giving - with a gift card for portraits! You can buy them directly here or enquire with me for more info. x

Every single portrait from Aaron and Katelin's wedding day is packed with emotion - from the biggest smile when Aaron first saw Katelin, a few tears shed during the ceremony and tons of laughter as the bridal party celebrated with these two gorgeous souls. Aaron and Katelin filled their day with fun, love and happiness - all of my favourite things to photograph!

Not to mention that this wedding had an almost fairytale magic to it's styling. From the gorgeous florals, Katelin's princess dress, special silver detailing and the fun pops of blue throughout. Hawthorne Gardens was a treasure trove for photo backdrops with all the spring growth. Aaron, Katelin and their guests were so much fun to spend the day with while we had the privilege of photographing all the beautiful and precious moments.

But at the core of it all, this day was simply about celebrating the love Aaron and Katelin share. They bring out a sparkle in each other, one is not complete without the other. And now they will forever remember October 25th 2019 as the day they made their love official in front of their families and friends.

Isn't Katelin a total babe?! That dress, the light, her smile. Ah I'm obsessed with these images!

Aaron's morning looked pretty chilled out with a few beers with the lads! And wait until you see his wedding shoes... I found out they're not even for sale yet! It just so happened Aaron knew the right person and the shoes happened to be the perfect sizing for him!

Aaron and Katelin chose to see each other before the ceremony. It allowed them more time to chill out with their guests after the ceremony because the bulk of their portraits were already done and it always helps to calm any nerves.

Aaron's grin says it all...

So cool getting to work with our good friend and talented peer; Megan Graham! Aaron & Katelin were Megan's first wedding video gig, adding on to her vast skill set. You can check out her sneak peek of the video here!

A few last minute things to set up at Hawthorne Gardens and then Aaron was ready to get married!

Wonderful as always working with celebrant superstar Megan McKenzie. ​Aaron and Katelin had beautiful vows written for each other.

While guests began making their way inside to their tables we stole the bride and groom for a stroll around the beautiful Hawthorne Gardens.

I felt like I hardly gave Aaron & Katelin any instructions during portrait time! Usually I give some relaxed directions so our couples don't feel lost or awkward in front of the camera, but these two were just in their own bubble of love & joy that Matt and I simply stood back and snapped away to our hearts content. ​

After dinner and dessert, catered by the incredible Country Manor, the party bus arrived taking guests to the second venue for the evening, Collegiate Rugby Clubrooms, where Dene Allen was ready with the tunes to get the celebrations kicked up a gear.

Aaron & Katelin's first dance as husband and wife was epic!

Congratulations friends on an incredible first day of marriage and the perfect beginning to a lifetime of happiness together! Thanks for having us along on this journey with you. Enjoy the honeymoon! xx

DRESS: Brides by Donna Rae  | ALTERATIONS & DETAILING: SarahBeth  |  MAKE-UP: Ashlee Whipps  |  HAIR: Vivo Hair Salon  |  FLOWERS: Ambrosia Floral Design  |  CELEBRANT: Megan Mckenzie  | VENUE: Hawthorne Gardens  |  CATERING: Country Manor  |  STATIONERY: Danya Grace  |  CAKE: Oh Cakes  |  MUSIC: Dene Allen  |  VIDEO: Megan Graham.

Chris and Kady's love story began with a random chance phone call. Chris hardly remembers what they talked about (he was at the pub at the time). But clearly there was a spark because that was almost 10 years ago now! Next year these two get married and we're stoked to be their photographers!!!

Last Saturday evening Chris & Kady treated us to a farm tour including a gorgeous sunset, epic views AND pizza for tea! All in the name of an engagement session! We were spoilt for choice with backdrops for photos and there were plenty of stories and laughed shared. Chris's only demand was that we finish photos in plenty of time for him to catch up rugby game on the telly! 😂(That was absolutely no issue seeing as how late the world cup games are!). 

You might be wondering what I was thinking placing my couple beside a water trough for a photo...this is actually the location where Chris proposed to Kady. His favourite paddock on the family farm and Chris had to lure Kady up there (on Christmas Day no less!) under false pretences that the trough needed fixed. Kady wasn't very impressed about being dragged out on the farm at the time but I'm sure that all changed when Chris got down on one knee!

Chris and Kady - thank you so much for all the fun on Saturday! We loved catching up with you both and getting to create these photographs for you, plus get a tour of the farm! Bring on April 2020! x