Robin + Andie

You may recognise the names of these two mega-talented photographers we are blessed to now have live in Canterbury - Robin + Andie sure have made an impact on the local wedding scene with their warmth & generosity, humour and of course wizardry behind the lens! 2022 became the year they finally got hitched in a wholesome, yet extended series of intentional celebrations. If you’ve been looking for some fresh ideas and new perspectives as you plan your day - stop right here and prepare to get excited as we chat through their what, why, when, who and how.

Let us in on your love story, and how you came to settle here in Canterbury?

Our first date was in London during the summer of 2016. We went to a street party in Knightsbridge and had the best time! At the end of the night, there was a massive thunder and lightning storm and the noise was deafening! It was like the universe telling everyone that two worlds had collided haha. During the date, we realised we’d been to all the same events and festivals over the last decade and along with our love for photography we had a lot in common. It’s like we had been orbiting each other for years. At the end of the date Rob invited me to come to Copenhagen Fashion Week with him… and it wasn’t even weird for him to ask. It’s like we knew we’d always be together from that point on. When the pandemic hit in 2020 we felt like we wanted to come home and be safe and sound with my family. Rob didn’t need any convincing as he’d already been to New Zealand to photograph a wedding for a friend and he’d loved it. We combined our professional photography skills and Robin + Andie was born!

Tell us why you decided to elope, and how far out your planning started?

Like many, we weren’t able to have the big 2020 wedding we had planned pre-pandemic with our favourite people flying into New Zealand from all over the world. We were going to have the most amazing 20/21 New Year’s Eve party, but the NZ border closed and our overseas guests struggled to get refunds on the flights they’d booked as travel agents in the UK were in meltdown. We had no choice but to put our own ‘big party’ dreams on hold to try and keep our photography business, finances, and anxiety under control! It was heartbreaking, but what really kept us going and inspired us were our amazing wedding clients who went ahead and got married during the craziness. We loved documenting and being a part of the incredible micro weddings and elopements that made 2020/21 so remarkable.

At the end of the 21/22 wedding season and after dusting off two years of Covid complications we felt like we should celebrate that we’d made it through these challenging times together! 22/6/22 suddenly seemed like the most perfect date for us to get hitched as it marked 6 years since our first date in London. We weren’t sure if it would be possible to organise anything in just a few weeks! So, we decided to focus on what was really important to us.

What was most important to you when it came to your day?

We wanted to hang out with those closest to us and those who had been supportive during the peak turbulence of the pandemic. At heart, we wanted a ‘big little day’ that was super chilled and wouldn’t cause us any worries or financial strain. It still HAD to be super special though!! Beach, Bolly and the best food were the order of the day. After a huge day celebrating… we spent our wedding night at The Observatory Hotel - Christchurch’s new luxury hotel located within The Arts Centre.

Your outfits were by no means ‘traditional’, can you talk to us about that?

In terms of style, we wore appropriately warm winter clothing we felt represented our best selves. This included a woolly poncho hand sewn by my mamma with jeans and Merry People gumboots for splashing around on the beach which were SO much fun to wear and reminded me of the good times we’ve had together at festivals. Because we work in the wedding industry we didn’t want to feel like our own wedding was ‘Just another day at the office’ and that’s why we wanted to do something a little different to the norm.

We love seeing just how much you’ve used many of your wedding items/accessories already, past your wedding day. How important was that to you?

We’ve absolutely loved wearing our elopement clothing again as they’re not just ‘One day only’ pieces and they bring back so many happy memories. I still see the joy on Rob’s face when he puts on the Happy Socks he bought to wear on the day and the devastation on his face if he loses one behind the washing machine haha. My new jeans have been so handy to have and I’ve worn my wedding shoes to every single beach or hilltop engagement shoot this winter. Purchasing my ‘Charlie’ hat by Me & The Brave gave back 5% to mental health causes in NZ which was pretty awesome too.

The two of you are photographers, how did you navigate what to do in that space?

As documentary wedding photographers, we thought it might be interesting to photograph our own day. We wouldn’t recommend anyone does this unless they’re pro, slightly bonkers and equipped with several cameras and lenses, a tripod and trigger and a drone! After the generous wine pairing at MAPU, we were in no state to take photos after lunch, but we did anyway and that was all part of the fun!

Would you do anything differently?

Hmmm… Was it a good idea to photograph our own wedding? No, no it was not! But we are actually really happy with the results we were able to achieve and only Rob could have taken the gorgeous photograph of me and my dad ‘walking down the aisle’ of Robinsons’ Bay Valley Road with the magical Okains Peak in the background. It was an image I had pre-visualised for years and had told Rob about… so only he could nail it.

There are literally hundreds of incredible photographers in New Zealand we would have loved to photograph our day, but we do adore our elopement pics… they’re natural, relaxed + funny!

Share your highlights of the day with us?

The weather! Oh my God, the winter weather was incredible. Why don’t more people get married in winter in Canterbury? The Banks Peninsula turned on its stunning late June sunshine and we had the best day!! From the sunny mid-morning ceremony beside our favourite lagoon at Okains Bay to Full Time Tart’s gorgeous cake at sunset it was all such a treat!

How did you select your vendors and how did your industry experience help shape your day?

For our elopement, we wanted to be with lovely wedding industry people who are on the same page as us and we greatly admire their talent. Our fab celebrant Kineta Booker and makeup artist Chloe Jacobs always bring warmth and sunshine and they’re so good at what they do! We feel at ease with them both and Chloe even managed to cover up the mascne (mask acne) on my nose and cheek with ease! My hairdresser Swaye from Akaroa Hair Studio always colours and straightens my hair to perfection and he makes me laugh so much! He’s the best. Giulio who we’ve done a shoot with before at MAPU has created a next-level dining experience in Lyttelton. With only 6 seats in his test kitchen, it was the perfect place to take my parents and our two witnesses (bestie + bro) for lunch to celebrate! Giulio had thoughtfully designed a bespoke pescatarian menu, especially for us with countless courses including crayfish and wine pairing. From gathering olive leaves for our biodegradable confetti to booking Alex from The Flower Press to design a bouquet for me that incorporated some olive branches from our family grove… Rob and I made sure every single detail of our day felt celebratory or meaningful to us. Ultimately, we chose our vendors because we can feel and see the love they put into their art, and we are super grateful to everyone who helped make our day so extraordinary.

Considering you eloped, talk us through your continued celebrations with your extended circle, and how your decisions offered wriggle room for a getaway?

We threw a big family party in November at the olive grove when Rob’s parents were over from the UK to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. We hired an awesome band via Rattle and Strum - Johnny & the Fox, Thirsty Caravan and lots of cool outdoor furniture from The Little Hire Company. It was so fun! We also jet-setted to Tokoriki Island Resort in Fiji for our honeymoon (we waited so long for this!!) and received a wedding blessing on the beach while we were there - I finally got to wear the summery wedding dress and cape I had designed at a boutique bridal shop in Brighton in the UK pre-pandemic.

Wedding Dream Team

Photography | Robin + Andie

Ceremony | The lagoon at Okains Bay.

Celebrant | Kineta Booker

Confetti | Robinsons Bay Olives

Private Dining | MAPU

Cake | Full Time Tart

Wine | Champagne Bollinger, Quartz Reef + Prophets Rock

Wedding night | The Observatory Hotel

Andie

Wedding ring | Walker & Hall

Hat | Me & The Brave