Maria & James | Hilton Queenstown Wedding | Auckland Wedding Photographer

A Perfect Day A Top the Snows

There's no other way to describe Maria & James' wedding other than a majestic mountainous spectacle of a marriage. It was one for the magazines, from the perfectly coordinated colors to the onlooking mountain for the backdrop. While there are many epic venues to choose from in the New Zealand area, James couldn't turn down the snowy mountains.

There were too many smiles and laughs to count, but they were all flawlessly captured. The Hilton Queenstown is conveniently located just 15 minutes from the center of Queenstown, making it the perfect destination for their family and friends to fly into from all over New Zealand, including Australia. Everyone got to spend the day on the shores of Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu that kisses the face of the snowy mountains.

With all the excitement and anticipation, the bride and groom couldn't help but give in to their early hunger urges. Like anyone getting married, they made a quick pitstop at Burger King. Well, because why not? Shortly after arriving back at the venue, the wedding started with the bride and groom taking in the view of the surrounding bluish gray-colored waters that almost perfectly matched the ombre color of the partly cloudy skies.

From here, they headed straight to the chopper for their photoshoot on one of the world's most remarkable natural geographic hallmarks-a mountain top. It's difficult to put into words the stunning image that ensued while the bride and groom walked along the snowy Coronet mountain peak that was nearly covered by misty grey clouds. Maria's pearl white dress paired perfectly with the freshly fallen white snow. The different hues of grey James wore for his dress shirt and coat were a perfect match to the ombre grey tones of the mountain and sky. It was like a flawlessly coordinated art show.

When the ceremony started, it was equal parts chic and earthy. With the mountain for the backdrop and the simple arbor finished with a drapey leafy green accent piece, Maria & James said, "I Do." The bridal party whisked off to take additional photos, first over the lakefront bridge with duck-filled water below. The stunning architecture of the Hilton was used as another beautiful backdrop, helping to capture Maria & Jame's smiles filled with excitement and joy.

The reception was a show of its own, from the perfectly decorated venue to the calming white lights. The newly married couple sat in front of hanging garden lights, shining attention to their table. The long rectangular-shaped wedding tables were modestly decorated with white and green earthy-tone decorations, matching the natural yet chic vibe of the room. Speeches commenced, filling the room with nostalgic and happy emotions. When the lights dimmed and the floor was open for a night filled with dancing, drinking, and a whole lot of partying, everyone let loose, and the party began. Crazy dance moves couldn't be missed, and they lasted throughout the night, adding a kiss of funky spice to the dancefloor.

Nothing says a majestic wedding like exchanging your vows in front of snowy mountains on the shores of crisp grey waters. Maria & James picked a dream destination and did a remarkable job turning their dream wedding into a real-life fairytale.