February 4th, 2010 in Albums by Nigel Hicks
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Caroline and Jamie’s beach wedding was shot by well known UK photographer Simon Whitten last summer.
Location: Scarborough Beach, Perth, Australia.
Check out several more of Simon’s albums featured here and here.
Cheers, Nigel
February 2nd, 2010 in Food for thought by Nigel Hicks
Ian recently wrote about what makes certain photographs special. It depends on who’s looking at them.
Looking through our wedding photos, I was amazed at how much of the wedding I’d missed.
Seeing the girls getting ready beforehand, the shots of Kayla just before the ceremony, the expressions and emotion of the guests, how I looked as she walked down the aisle…
It was as though these images completed a puzzle in my mind, a puzzle I didn’t know wasn’t finished.
To me some of the most special photographs are of things I missed, or didn’t even know happened. They add more meaning to my memory of the day.
Cheers, Nigel
January 25th, 2010 in Food for thought by Nigel Hicks
I would have just left (the shop)…
Enjoy
Cheers, Nigel
January 21st, 2010 in Stories by Nigel Hicks
Thirteen months ago an outdoor wedding wasn’t even on the cards. We’d seen several friends’ weddings and engagement parties washed out by rain and we weren’t taking the risk.
Come December 12 though, and there we were getting married in a garden.
But we wouldn’t have done it without a rock solid, easy, indoor option at the same venue.
That way, if it rained there’d be little or no impact on anyone but the venue. And even then, it’d be minimal. There’d be no extra cost, no disruption or confusion for our guests, and most importantly, it meant we didn’t have to worry. Whatever the weather.
But as we’d quickly found out when we were making our plans, the fact a venue has a ‘wet option’ doesn’t mean you would want to, or could, get married in it.
Most venues we saw with an indoor and outdoor option had either or both of two problems:
1) The indoor option was much smaller than the outdoor setting and wouldn’t accommodate all our guests.
2) Or they were just plain ugly (compared to their outdoor counterpart).
As it happens we found a venue with two big, beautiful options.
And with a bleak outlook the morning of, we were glad we’d been a little more picky and realistic about the chances of rain. We could relax and know that, no matter what the weather that afternoon, we’d still be married in a beautiful setting.
Cheers, Nigel
January 15th, 2010 in Photography by Ian Baugh
Your best wedding photos probably won’t make it to a magazine … or win any prizes … and the reason isn’t because you’re not Brangelina.
It’s because other people won’t be looking at the pictures through your eyes.
Nigel and Kayla invited Heather and I to their wedding, and I’ve just seen the photos.
What really struck me amongst the hundreds of images – and probably because I work with Nigel and know him so well – were a couple of shots that show the rush of emotion he felt when he saw Kayla walk down the aisle.
I reckon one day someone might look at those pics and think – or say, “Gee Grandad, you really loved her…”
Not every photographer understands that their job is to grab those moments, tell your story and pluck at your heart strings.
Cheers, Ian
PS No, I’m not going to show you!
January 13th, 2010 in Stories by Nigel Hicks
(Photography by Johannes van Kan)
Exactly one month ago yesterday, Kayla and I reached the end of a 13 month engagement and tied the knot.
I’ve still got plenty more engagement posts to write – and I’m working on the newly engaged Danny to help me out with them – but let me jump forward a little and talk about the day itself.
It was perfect. Truth is, it was always going to be perfect. No matter what happened.
I had my bride, my friends and my family, we had fun, and most importantly, we were happy. On the day, that’s what mattered.
The weather forecast wasn’t looking great. And the morning of, it poured. Come three o’clock though, the lights turned on behind the clouds. Overcast, but not the threatening grey that would have made for a miserable outdoor wedding.
The ceremony was beautiful – our good friend officiated a personal and meaningful service. One of the advantages of having someone you both know well, marry you.
Our amazing photographer Johannes van Kan had the guests, and us, wrapped around his little finger. His manner and presence during the day was outstanding. His poetic and entertaining direction had everyone captured. And the photos… Well, we were blown away.
Guests haven’t stopped talking about how good he was, and most haven’t even seen the photos yet. He added a element of humour, fun and excitement to the day that people noticed. And that’s important because your photographer does spend most of it with you… A third wheel if you like 
The food, the speeches, the dancing – all of it was perfect in its own way.
A couple of weeks in the sunny Gold Coast was just what the doctor ordered for some post wedding R&R before coming home late on Christmas eve to a house full of wedding presents. Needless to say we had a busy christmas day opening presents!
Cheers, Nigel
January 12th, 2010 in Albums by Nigel Hicks
This album featuring a beautiful London home was shot by well known English photographer Bruce Thomas who’s based in the South of France.
Bruce specializes in photographing super yachts and exclusive properties in the South of France and the UK. To view more of his work click here.
Click here to view a slideshow of this album.
Cheers, Nigel
December 23rd, 2009 in Food for thought by Nigel Hicks
Last post I said we didn’t get married in a castle. This time I get to admit we didn’t drive Bentleys to the venue. I’m starting to feel quite a man of the people!
… I’m not a car guy. The two cars I’ve owned have been hand-me-downs from my mum, and I prefer to ride my Vespa. You get the picture.
But the guys’ one job at a wedding is to choose the car – the colour and make and model and size … and it proved to be a little harder than I expected…
Kayla grew up driving BMWs and Audis, so I wanted something a little different.
A couple of Bentleys would have been nice. But it turns out finding a couple of Bentleys that people are willing to lend to some random guy isn’t as easy as flashing a cheque. After all, they don’t need the money.
So I did a bit of homework and came up with four options…
Friends – this was the obvious place to start. I knew people whose cars we could borrow, or who had contacts in the industry. Nothing amazing, just nice cars.
Rental companies – After a bit of Googling I realised that other than hiring a limo (no thanks), something vintage (not our style) or a fleet of Toyota Priuses… the NZ car rental market doesn’t offer you too many options.
Car dealers – Ideally I wanted three cars the same, so I figured a car dealer was the place to go. Some had a ‘no rent’ policy (insurance was too high), some said they couldn’t afford to have three cars off the yard on a Saturday, but others said, ‘Sure thing, but it’ll cost ya.’
Car clubs – I had a hunch that although they didn’t advertise, members of car clubs would hire out their cars for occasions like weddings, and a quick email to a couple of different car club secretaries confirmed that they do.
Since our need for cars was fairly minimal, as our ceremony and reception were at the same venue, I went with the ‘friends’ option.
A couple of Range Rover Sports, and a Mercedes to lead the way. All black.
Cheers, Nigel
December 22nd, 2009 in Stories by Nigel Hicks
(Photography by Simon Whitten)
Truth is, sometimes I’ve felt a bit self-conscious writing about our wedding.
Every day I see albums from top photographers around the world of the most elaborate, extravagant and expensive weddings you could imagine.
Sometimes I’ve wondered if what I’m writing is even relevant … because Kayla and I didn’t get married in a castle!
But my intention has been to share our experiences and insights, not to compare our wedding to another. And the truth is that the weddings we’re lucky enough to share in at Queensberry take place everywhere, “from humble homes to palaces.”
Maybe you are getting married in a castle! There are plenty of us curious people out there, so why not share? What have been your frustrations, experiences, highs and lows?
Every engaged couple has something interesting to tell about their wedding planning experience, so if you’d like to contribute a story or insight of your own, please flick me an email. I’d love to hear from you.
Cheers, Nigel
December 11th, 2009 in Food for thought by Nigel Hicks
“The frankest and freest product of the human mind and heart is a love letter; the writer gets his limitless freedom of statement and expression from his sense that no stranger is going to see what he is writing.” – Mark Twain.
I’ve always thought of wedding vows as a love letter read out loud.
But the way they’re typically spoken, written, and expressed, is almost forced. They’re an expression of love, I think, better kept for a love letter.
I want my vows to be my frankest and freest thoughts and feelings. But I don’t feel that limitless freedom that Twain talks about.
Knowing this letter – the most personal, important, thoughtful and lasting love letter I’ll ever write – will be heard by everyone, scares me.
That’s why, as a guy who expresses himself much better on paper, I’ve decided to write Kayla a love letter as well. The love letter. A love letter written in a way I wish I could have spoken to Kayla – but can’t.
Just like a photograph, I want her to be able to re-read my vows to her, remember why I married her and cherish that letter for the rest of her life.
Maybe your medium of love is through music or poetry or art. Whatever it is, it’s helped me to think of my vows as a love letter.
If you’re a bit stuck too, start by expressing yourself in the most natural way you know how.
Cheers, Nigel
PS I’m getting married tomorrow 