Gabi & Dave's Pohangina Heights Wedding

Introducing the Corpes! Gabi and Dave got married at Pohangina Heights in the Manawatū, and these two were so much fun to photograph.

They’re a rural couple who feel right at home on the farm, so a relaxed garden venue on the slopes of the Ruahine Ranges, overlooking the Pohangina Valley, was the perfect fit for their wedding day.

Their whole day felt relaxed, fun and completely them — with beautiful gardens, plenty of laughs and one incredible sunset to finish things off.

A Garden Ceremony at Pohangina Heights

Gabi and Dave’s ceremony had the most stunning backdrop, surrounded by established gardens with those big Pohangina Valley views stretching out behind them. Pohangina Heights has so much variety in one property, with several outdoor ceremony areas, beautiful gardens and a barn with a large deck overlooking the valley. It also means we can stay on site for family photos, wedding party photos and portraits without having to disappear somewhere else.

Vintage Fur Coats and Champagne at Sunset

As dusk rolled in, out came the vintage fur coats — such a fun addition to their photos!

The sky put on the most gorgeous sunset, and Gabi and Dave sprayed champagne while their friends cheered them on. It was one of those spontaneous parts of the day that made for some of my favourite photographs.

I’ll always be a fan of sneaking outside for a few sunset photos. You don’t need to leave your reception for a huge photoshoot — if the light is doing something special, we can pop outside for ten minutes, make the most of it and get you straight back to your guests.

Engagement Shoot Before the Wedding

Before their wedding, we also did an engagement session together on the farm at sunset.

Like so many couples, being in front of the camera didn’t necessarily come naturally at first, so having that session beforehand was a great opportunity to relax, get used to how I work and realise that photos don’t need to feel awkward or overly posed.

By the time the wedding day arrives, you already know what to expect, which makes everything feel much more natural.

Review from the couple

"If you want incredible photos, to have a great time getting them, and to use someone who takes huge pride in going above and beyond, Charlotte's your photographer ❤️ We had Charlotte as our photographer for an on-farm engagement shoot and our wedding, and we could not rate her more highly. She was great to deal with, she just got us from the beginning and actually made us feel at ease and enjoy being in front of the camera. I almost wouldn't have minded if we hadn't got any photos back from our engagement shoot at all, the experience alone was so fun and cool to do. At our wedding, Charlotte just made everything work effortlessly. She went above and beyond to make the whole experience amazing, and just fitted in like a guest. We had multiple comments about how brilliant she was on the day. She then left and got straight to editing, and turned our sneak peeks around in record time. Every single photo has exceeded our expectations, she's so talented. Thanks Charlotte for capturing us, and our day in the most beautiful way ❤️"

Planning a Manawatū Wedding?

If you’re planning a wedding in Manawatū, Hawke’s Bay or anywhere around New Zealand and are looking for relaxed, natural wedding photography that captures the people, moments and atmosphere of your day, I’d love to hear from you.

The Dream Team

Gabi & Dave's Pohangina Heights Wedding | Manawatū