Beachside engagement shoot by Benjamin & Elise Photography

Sorry I've been awol for the last couple of days!! These past few months have been crazy crazy busy with invites, and the lead up to Christmas trying to get all jobs out the door is always rather manic. This year I made yesterday my absolute deadline for getting all jobs back from the printer and out the door and I'm SO happy to say I stuck to it and achieved it!! I'm taking a bit of a break from Ruby & Willow for the next 4-5 weeks to catch up on life... (seriously that's how it feels at this time of year), and also work on the magazine. I also find that I'm so busy, that any thought of Christmas - decorating, present buying or entertaining - takes a back seat, so I'm really quite excited at the prospect of having 10 days ahead of me to get my Christmas on! In fact no sooner did that last job go out the door, my first decorations came out!! Next week I plan to take plenty of walks with Charlie on the beach, have my nieces over to stay and do some baking and fun things with them, and go shopping without stressing about the time factor!! Woohoo!!

Anyway I'll leave you on this stunning Saturday (seriously this past week of sunny weather is already more than what we had the whole of last summer!!), with this sweet and simple beachside engagement shoot from Benjamin & Elise Photography.

Engagement shoot by Jemma Keech

Hello, how is your weekend going? The sun's shining around here so I hope you have some lovely plans? Perhaps getting ready for Christmas? I guess I need to think about that at some stage!! In the meantime I'll dream over pretty shoots such as this by Jemma Keech! Jemma shoots all on film and the colours in these images are so dreamy... like a painting! And how stylish are these two? I love her outfits. Beautiful, beautiful work Jemma!!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone! K xo

Engagement shoot by Danelle Bohane

This is quite possibly one of the most beautiful engagement shoots I've laid my eyes on!! Everything about it is exquisite and I adore how simple it is and how in love Tama & Hessa look!! They recently got married in Malaysia but managed to fit in this stunning shoot just prior to winter (hence that gorgeous light!!) with Danelle Bohane. Congratulations to you both... and Danelle you are truly a magician!!

Round up | Romantic Canoe Photos

There is something ever so romantic about floating on the water with your loved one in a canoe or rowboat, and lately I've been seeing a lot of couples bringing this into their wedding photography - pretty sure The Notebook is responsible for this resurgence to a large extent!! Ryan Gosling in a rowboat is pretty inspiring right? Just last week we saw images of actress Amber Tamblyn arrive by canoe for their wedding ceremony, and as you can see in this round up plenty of couples are taking to the water to capture some fun and romantic moments. Although I'm quite sure some of these moments must end up as very candid falling in water shots too! If you're not quite brave enough to jump into a vessel on water, use it as part of your wedding decor like in the bottom image. Makes for a fun display or way to keep all your beverages cold... perfect for a outdoor or backyard wedding. So tell me would you go for a trip downstream to capture the perfect romantic canoe shot? I wouldn't hesitate!

 Photos; Oh Darling Photography | Our Labor of Love

 Photos; Love is a Big Deal | Bethann Greenburg Photography

 Photos; Mastin Studio | Ryan Ray | Julie Harmson

 Photo; Elizabeth Messina

 Photos; Caroline Tran | Ashley Forrette

Photos; Mastin Studio | Style Me Pretty

South African Love Shoot by Carolien & Ben

It's been a while since I've featured an engagement shoot and who doesn't love a gorgeous sunlit love shoot like this one by Carolien & Ben on a Tuesday afternoon!! Love the pop of the red skirt against the golden tones of the field. These two sweeties are getting married in December... can just imagine how stunning they will be in their wedding pics!

Colourful Autumn Engagement Shoot by Vela Images

Ooo how I adore the colours of autumn and it's shown off in all her beauty with this scrumptious engagement shoot by Greta of Vela Images. 

Timing has been crucial for Peter and Jessica. They met on New Years Eve '06/07 in Taupo, New Zealand, through a mutual friend only moments before midnight. It was a chance meeting in every sense, with professional sportsman Peter only in town for a few nights, and Jess's friends having drawn Taupo out of a hat of destinations hours earlier, that afternoon. They went their separate ways before fate intervened again, a few weeks later. Peter broke a finger, forcing a 5 week break from the hectic cricket season, and next thing you know an unlikely relationship started, that took them all round the world.

Fast forward 3 years and they returned to Taupo for a romantic weekend to end the '09/10 cricket season. In the preceding weeks Jess began plotting, and with Peter's guard down, blinded by brunch and a thrilling Huka Falls Jetboat ride, she delivered the most romantic wedding proposal possible, popping the question on a private jetty on the banks of the Waikato river, at Huka Falls Lodge.

With their upcoming wedding having a vintage chic theme, they wanted their love shoot to have a similar feel, so chose old school props from On My Hand that fitted the theme. The Autumn colors and Jess's natural sense of style were a perfect fit for the Art Deco theme and after seeing their photos from Vela Images, can't wait for their big day to arrive.

Farmers Market Engagement shoot by Silvana di Franco

Good morning!!! I sincerely hope you had a far more productive and fun weekend than I did!! I literally spent the whole weekend sick in bed... can't remember a time I've ever done that! Ever! Gotta say I'm still feeling pretty dreadful and full of a cold and never-ending cough, but hey there's work to be done. To anyone waiting on emails etc from me... please bear with me, they're on their way I promise!!

I love this fun engagement shoot from the fabulously talented Silvana di Franco (seriously check out her work... it's gorgeous!). Amy and Tom met in Australia and have since moved to San Francisco. Because the love going there every Saturday morning, they had a vision of a Farmer’s Market shoot so they met at San Francisco’s Ferry Building, strolled the tents and settled in for an urban breakfast picnic. I can only imagine how fabulous their October wedding is going to look if this is their engagement!

Bear Creek Engagement Shoot from Brumley & Wells

This is most delightful engagement shoot from Jacob & Annie of Brumley & Wells. I'm such a big fan of their style. These photos just leap off the page with their beautiful light. You may remember this gorgeous shoot of theirs I featured earlier in the year.

From Annie... "We were delighted to get our feet wet in the warm waters of Bear Creek for Connie and Brad's engagement session. Tucked away in an oasis in the middle of the city, Brad and Connie danced in the creek, explored fields and thickets, spotted turtles and badgers, laughed as their toes sank into the muddy creek banks, and ventured across fallen logs, flirting and laughing with each other the entire time. Connie brought a bag of beautiful details that she'd chosen for their session, and styled the session herself. They were both so full of life, joy and love for one another that it made our job not only easy, but an absolute joy."

Photography | Brumley & Wells, Vintage Props | A Vintage Affair Rentals