Ross & Renee’s Whangamatā Vow Renewal - Captured by NZ Wedding Photographer Ilumography
Ross & Renee’s Stormy Beach Vow Renewal - A Valentine’s Day to Remember
Some days don’t go to plan… and somehow those days turn into the stories you keep forever.
Ross and Renee had their vow renewal on Valentine’s Day (which is also their wedding anniversary), hoping for the same perfect weather they had on their wedding day 10 years earlier. Instead, Whangamatā decided to give them the full Coromandel experience - wild wind, rolling clouds, and rain that just kept coming. For a moment, they wondered if they should abandon the idea altogether.
But everyone had travelled all this way. Their family was there, their chosen people were wrapped around them. And in true Ross and Renee style, they decided to push through and embrace whatever the day gave them.
The ceremony was beautifully intimate — umbrellas up, kids huddled close, the waves loud behind us. Despite the weather, everyone laughed, cried, and fully leaned into the moment. Renee was an absolute superstar, even though she is not a fan of stormy weather, being cold and wet and will very rarely step foot in the ocean. Which makes what happened next even more special.
After the vows, the rain got heavier. Instead of calling it a day, they decided: “Let’s just go for a swim.”
In their clothes.
In a storm.
On their anniversary.
It was perfect.
I followed them in to capture these memories and then of course my favourite moment during the family photo in the water when I did not warn them about the surprise wave coming from behind on purpose. The reactions on the photo after the official one - priceless.
We finished with a couple session on the moody beach, the wind gushing through her hair and his shirt soaked through. Stormy weather does something beautiful: it forces you to hold each other a little closer and tighter. Their session was incredibly romantic - the kind of images that only happen when a couple lets the day unfold naturally.
They spent the rest of the day celebrating with their closest people, warm clothes, good food and drinks, and full hearts.
Ross and Renee — thank you for trusting me with this. Thank you for allowing me into this sacred moment and for stepping into the storm. Thank you for reminding me that sometimes the most meaningful moments come from the days that go “wrong.” It is beautiful to see your family’s strong bond and the incredible example you both are to your three beautiful boys.
And happy 11th wedding anniversary!
