This week, I’m joined by wedding photographer Ash Muir, who shares the story of her incredibly stylish and joy-filled wedding day at Longfords Lake Ōkāreka.

After spending years photographing weddings herself, Ash opens up about the pressure of planning your own wedding when you work in the industry, staying true to your style instead of trends, and creating a day that genuinely felt like them.

Sign up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠THE LOVE LETTER BY LYDIA RACHEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a fortnightly note from me with wedding inspiration, podcast highlights, real weddings I’m capturing, and a few things I’ve been loving. 

We chat about:

💜 The reality of planning a wedding when you’ve seen hundreds of other weddings

💜 Designing a wedding inspired by their own home and personal style

💜 Her custom Brooke Tyson dress and iconic green second outfit

💜 What’s actually worth spending money on vs where they saved

💜 Why she thinks couples need to stop trying to make their wedding “timeless”

💜 Why coordinators are completely underrated

💜 The challenge of not changing your mind every weekend when you work in weddings

💜 The pressure of people expecting your wedding to be “amazing” when you’re a wedding photographer

💜 How they turned the entire day into one big party with alfresco dining, cocktails, and an afterparty until 6am

💜 The moments from the day that mattered far more than aesthetics

...and so much more!

Let me know what you think of this episode!

Follow Ash here: @ashmuirphoto

If you’d like to see more from this wedding, check out the photos over on Instagram and make sure you’re following ⁠⁠⁠@thekiwiweddingpodcast⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠@lydiarachelphoto⁠⁠⁠ for more real weddings and inspiration.

Vendors:

Photographer: @kerynsweeneyphotographer

Videographer: @evoquefilms___

Dress + Green Veil: @brooketysonritual

Venue & Coordination: @longfordsnz

Styling: @withsophie__

Makeup: @gabriellehoughtonn @gabriellehoughtonmakeup

Hair: @dededaph

Catering: @creameatery

Cake: @chrissycakes

Bread & Butter Installation: @rosesdiningtable

Florals: @asterandbloom

Linen/Draping: @tble__linen__hire

Cocktails: @mrpicklesnz served by @blumedarling

DJ: @epicsaxguynz

Veil + Jewellery: @lovejamesstore

Marquee + Glassware: @andysmarquee_and_partyhire

Plates: @royallaboratorie

Engagement Ring: @cocoflorencenz

Second Dress: @acler