Tennessean newlyweds Rachel & Brad recently set off on their honeymoon around New Zealand to quench Rachel's 6th grade Lord of the Rings dreams - how epic, right? 
But I was shocked to hear they wanted to stop by in Auckland and have me take their photographs.

Rachel is a talented wedding and portrait photographer herself, so the pressure was certainly on to impress, but that was all helped by the incredible location they chose. We hit Piha beach on the West coast of Auckland at 7am for sunrise and were all lost for words when we arrived - the dramatic coastline looked like a still from a movie, but it was no match for the gorgeous couple.

With the typical interchanging Kiwi weather of strong winds, rainy showers and incredible sunlight diffused by the sand blowing across the beach, the three of us spent the morning taking in the views and wandering the shore for what felt like a few hours in wet and windy paradise.

I hope I captured the true beauty of the morning and wish Rachel & Brad the very best for their future together.

If you would like me to capture your own love story in New Zealand, drop me a message at ellelouise2@gmail.com.