Cara and Jamie | Mt Cook Engagement Session

Cara and Jamie headed to Mt Cook with one of our absolute favourites, Johanna Macdonald for the most incredible engagement shoot I have seen in a while. How stunning is this landscape - and that light is pure magic! Below I got the chance to talk to Cara about their love story, and the all important wedding plans. Take a look for yourself below:

Jamie and my beginnings are a bit of a classic tale of girl meets boy at Uni During O Week. It was a bit of a sliding doors scenario at my good friend Kate’s house party. We had a few months in the same city before Jamie left for a semester in Canada and I graduated. Seven years later and a house, a dog, a few fun adventures and we are engaged!

Last year we added some extra time onto Jamie's trip to row at Henley with his Avon crew. It was the perfect excuse for a trip abroad to escape winter! During the trip, Jamie had a couple of days to plot a final adventure without me knowing the details. Top secret planning, to the point where he handed me a folded up boarding pass to hide the destination. Palma de Mallorca was the destination for us. A lot of sunshine, historic places, Spanish treats, and sangria! On the final day we went on a Mediterranean hike with a guide which finished with swimming at Banyalbufar, a truly breathtaking spot. Jamie was keen to stay longer once the guide was packed and ready to get us back to the bus to Palma...I probably should have pegged something was up at this point. Returning to our hotel we went to the rooftop pool to enjoy the last of the sun and the views. While enjoying a delicious Spanish red in the light of the evening sun Jamie got down onto one knee and revealed a beautiful ring - Which had been sneakily tucked in his luggage for the past 3 weeks! I ‘ugly’ cried my little heart out. It was unforgettable.

Our engagement shoot location was Johanna's suggestion and we were very happy! The Nearby town Twizel, is a special place for both Jamie and I, we even dreamt of getting married here. For Jamie, it is a gem of a rowing regatta location and a winter sports haven and for me it's an old family favourite for camping by the lakeside and now holidaying throughout the year in the bach. The Mackenzie Country is a stunning spot for photographs and Jo certainly scouted out the most phenomenal spots and time of day to show it off!

I think the initial thoughts around planning a wedding was - 'eep! what a massive thing to plan'. I went into true procrastination mode rather than sinking my teeth into making bookings and getting our ducks in a row. I really don't recommend going slow on the planning, but we have locked in most of the main bits and pieces! We are excited to be getting married at Mt Vernon Lodge in Akaroa. This superb spot allows us to celebrate over a weekend which is great for those coming together from far and wide. Johanna Macdonald is our brilliant and fun photographer and we are really pleased with her magic behind the camera during our engagement shoot and cannot wait for her to be part of our big day. Along with that came the dress hunting, scouting out caterers, and pondering table settings and music planning. Most of all, we are both looking forward to celebrating with our family and friends on this important day.

Engagement sessions can be such a fabulous way to get comfortable in front of the camera prior to your big day, and a great way to get to know your photographer. Plus, why not capture such a special moment in your lives?