Hi! I'm Melissa.
My whole being is so happy to have you here. Capturing your stories is an absolute dream and I pinch myself every time I get to be behind my camera and document your love story.
I live in Whakatane, in the bay of plenty and am lucky enough to have my home right in the middle of some of the most beautiful beaches and lakes where I spend lots of time with my husband, 2 young girls and our fur babies.
I’m super chatty, bubbly, inappropriate at times and know how to have a laugh. I enjoy getting lost in a good book and being outdoors soaking up the sun rays or out for a bush walk.
I love being with my people, filling my cup with laughs, chats and enjoying living in the moment.
Capturing the raw, the real & the beautiful moments for my clients is a huge passion. What that means is capturing each moment in your day as it unfolds naturally and beautifully.
Hanging out with me on your wedding day
Hiring a wedding photographer isn't just about finding someone who captures all the pretty thangs, it is about finding someone who you vibe with, who cares about your wedding day and strives to put the needs of you first. I am your absolute hype girl and also defender. If someone comes along and tells you to do something a certain way on your wedding day I will 100% tell you to do YOU! you make your day about you as much as you can and don't let family and especially vendors tell you how you need to do it. This is so important for me and a huge way in which I work on your wedding day. I will capture the raw & real moments of your day as they unfold, I will not be telling you to do anything fake, I will get those laughs naturally and have fun alongside you, and I absolutely will not be stealing you from your wedding day for hours .. your images are what you look back on to remember your wedding day not the other way around., you do not have a wedding to get photos, so I will ensure you get the most of your day with the people you love, celebrating you, while also capturing all the magic in your day. We take photos where YOU want to take photos, it is about you not me, but I can also help if it is needed and wanted. All I need is 15mins with a couple on their wedding day and 20 mins with the bridal party but also we can keep going longer if you are just an absolute model who vibes the camera and wants to carry on but if you want to get back to your wedding, lets go!
I 100% will laugh with you, joke with you, swear with you and join in on any inappropriate chats haha I am fun and outgoing and don't take myself too seriously (groomsmen, be prepared to take as much shit as you give aha). I'm always down to get low on the D-floor, show you my beer pong skills and just be silly alongside you like one of your friends. But I am also amazing at being assertive where I need to be and get everyone gathered when and where they should be.
During your wedding day prep, your morning looks however you want it to look, having whoever you want help you in to your dress in whatever way that makes your heart happy and I will be there to capture each special moment. I aim to be a fly on the wall (or a secret stalker haha) but I absolutely will give tips and tricks too, but all before your day so that we don’t have to have all the chats on the day giving you more time with your chosen people who are there with you.
There will be no fake moments of dress fluffing or ties being put on, no telling you to look in to each others eyes or doing something that just isn't you, I will capture it as is all just naturally unfolds making your images so much more special to look back on knowing nothing was forced and are all absolutely raw, real and beautiful. But fear not, during your bridal prep and during the whole day, I am amazing at getting out all those natural laughs and capturing you with your crew in a fun way, no awkwardness around here haha you are safe in my hands. We 100% will get those loved up moments of you and your newly wed partner, but there will be no award standing there and stay there, it will be fun and relaxed and you will get to just hang out together, while I also happen to be stalking you with my camera :)
No tears, laughter or silly antics will be missed by me, I’ll be ready (secret stalking) to capture it all.
Explaining how I work is so darn hard .. if you can see me in action, well that would be a whole lot easier haha .. so I suggest you ask around, ask those who have seen me in action or had me as their hype girl on their day, they can tell you so much better than I can through here :)