Misty Marlborough landscapes and the wild rocky Pelorus riverside were the backdrop to this adventurous couples beautiful engagement shoot, captured by David James.
US based couple Candy and Seimac had never visited New Zealand before, but after hearing about the countries breathtaking scenery they knew they wanted to have their engagement photographs here. Photographer David shared his favourite locations with the couple, who decided on the scenic river valleys of Marlborough Sounds, specifically the wild forest and river scenery of the Pelorus river. We love that Candy and Siamac chose their New Zealand adventure to record such a beautiful visual memory of their engagement.
How long have you been together?
2 and a half years
The love story…
Our story starts like many other love stories today, with a dating app. Our first date was at a local ice cream shop where we stayed so late that we were politely kicked out as the store closed. After a few more dates that outlasted store hours, it became clear that we had something special.
The proposal…
A few weeks before our anniversary I told Candy that I had made reservations for a famous restaurant she had always wanted to go to. I dropped some heavy hints about how it was going to be a very “special” night. She was a little annoyed by how obvious I was being, especially since we had already been ring shopping together. Little did she know that it was all a ruse…
The day before the dinner she got home from a conference at about 10pm at night. She was greeted at the door by our dog and cat, both wearing bow ties. I was waiting for her in the bedroom which I had decorated with candles, photos, flowers, and a large amount of her favorite chocolates. I sat her down on our favorite yellow chair and proposed. It was the most successful surprise I had ever planned!
The shoot location…
This was our first time in New Zealand. After hearing about the breathtaking scenery of the country, we knew we had to get our engagement photos taken there. We were so fortunate to have found David. He gave us great recommendations for his favorite places to shoot around Marlborough and we chose Pelorus based on research we did at home in the US. As beautiful as Pelorus looked on Google images, we were stunned by how much more amazing it looked through David’s lens.
Style and vibe of the shoot…
Neither of us has had professional photos taken before. In a sense, we blindly put our faith in David and what we had seen of his past work. Fortunately for us, David had a vision and executed it beautifully. He was very personable and made the experience feel just like another day exploring New Zealand. The photos had an intimate yet spontaneous feel. The moody scenery with a tumultuous sky perfectly complemented the romance David captured between us. The experience was certainly a highlight of our trip!
What does love mean to you?
They use to do these hearing tests when I was in elementary school. They put these big headphones on you and gave you a button to press when you heard a beep. I was always anxious the first few seconds before the first beep. I would sit there, listening as hard as I could, thinking “When is the beep coming? Did I miss it? Am I even able to hear it at all?” But when the beep came, I would feel silly that I was ever nervous. It was unmistakable. Love is sort of like that hearing test. When you’re young, you spend a lot of time wondering what love is and when you’ll experience it. As you get older, you fear that love had somehow come and gone or that maybe you’re incapable of finding love at all. You start to question what love really is. But love means different things to different people. And at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how you define it. Because you know it when you get it. It’s unmistakable.
What are you most excited about for your upcoming wedding?
The two of us come from two different cultures. Siamac is predominantly Persian and Candy is Chinese. For our wedding, we hope to join our favorite elements from both cultures through decorations, music, and most importantly, food. We are very excited to share our wonderful mosaic of traditions with our family and friends.
| CREDITS |
Photography: David James
