Pre-wedding | Engagement session on Piha {Auckland wedding photographers}

So excited to share with you a recent pre-wedding | engagement session gallery with Grace & Andrew on Piha beach and Karekare Falls {Auckland}. It was such amazing experience, a little bit pity we cant be couples wedding photographers, as they come all the way over from Canada to have this couples photo shoot in the wild and beautiful New Zealand!

Breathtaking experience and natural, romantic, beautiful and real photographs, memories for years to come!

We started our session from Karekare Falls in West Auckland and finish at sunset on Piha Beach.

Couple shared their love story: “We have been together for 10 years - nearly 11. We met while we were volunteering at a Christmas event in High School - we were volunteering to help kids make gingerbread cookies. Andrew pretended he didn't know how to tie a knot for the bags and that's where it all started. “

Proposal: “We were driving to Jasper, Alberta (which is where our mountains/ national park is). We stopped at one of the pit stops on the road to "take some photos" but he surprised me all of a sudden with a ring. Lots of cars on the road were honking (for congratulations) and thus I partly did not hear his speech (which I made him repeat again in the car) haha. Then we spent a few days in Jasper :)” Amazing story!

Enjoy highlights with candid moments!

The Voice Finalist - Auckland wedding photographer: Awards - Publication

Im so excited to announce one of my images from Josh & Linda engagement session became The Voice finalist. Its such a great honour for me, Auckland wedding photographer, to be presented in this collection with finalists from all over the world. Congratulations to all talented artist to win this Awards! All photos from collection also been presented as a publication in Click Magazine - one of prestigious international publishers.

Need to mention, there was over 48000 submissions! Im so trilled to be one of the photographers - finalists! Its like dream come true! What a great way to start a New Year!

Enjoy full The Voice collection and spot this image below in “Womanhood” category {I could not wish for any others!}

Josh & Linda

P.S.: To my friends-photographers - don’t be afraid o put your work out there, you don’t have anything to loose! Dream Big and just go for it!

{also you can capture amazing moments with any equipment! My favourite Sigma 35 mm Art was in service that day and I used for this session Nikon 50 mm 1.8 Dx one of the kit lenses that I used when I got my crop camera at the beginning of photography. You just need your eye and ability to see the moment!}

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Giveaway - Engagement Session {Auckland wedding photographer}

It’s time to share the love! Im so excited to announce a ✨GIVEAWAY ✨
WIN an engagement session with L & L - Auckland wedding photographer!
Simply like Levien & Lens Photography on Facebook, tag your partner or friend who may be interested, comment with your ideal date if you can choose the location anywhere in the world! (Each comment/tag is an extra entry!)
Follow @levienlensphotography on Instagram as an extra entry!
Let the adventure begin!

The winner will be announced on my birthday, 8 January 2019 ;)

Conditions: session can be scheduled based on availability, up to 3 months time, session duration is 1 hour, Auckland region, the winner will receive 30+ artistic retouched images. Session will be transferred to a runner up if prize not redeemed in a timely manner.

Good luck! 

Cant wait to capture your beautiful, emotional and real moments!

x Olga Levien

Best of 2018 - wedding and engagement photography in Auckland {New Zealand weddings photographers}

It was such an amazing year! Im so happy to share with you Best of 2018 - our wedding and engagement photography in Auckland, New Zealand and beyond! It was such a honour for us, your weddings photographers to capture so many beautiful, emotional and real moments, so many incredible adventures!

We captured weddings and engagements | pre-wedding shoots in Auckland, Tauranga, Rotorua, Leigh, Matakana, Hamilton, Christchurch, Fiji and many more.

Im so proud for my Online Class “Tales of the Moment” that launched in August and got around 1000 participants from all over the world, with so many warm and positive reviews!

It was year of big achievements, so many international awards and publications {including Rangefinder, Junebug Weddings, Click magazine, The Voice, Dear Photographer, Lemonade and Lenses, NZIPP Iris Awards and many more}. We are so grateful for these opportunities!

This acknowledgement mean a lot, but much more mean for us heartwarming moments and amazing celebration with our couples!

Thank you so much to our awesome couples for your constant support and love and all these amazing moments together!

Enjoy these candid, documentary, fine art moments in video slideshow and a photo gallery

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LooksLikeFilm feature - best photos of the day {top Auckland wedding photographers}

Im so excited to share with you amazing news - one of the photos got into LooksLikeFilm feature - best photos of the day from all over the world. Such a honour to be featured in this community with over 50000 top world photographers, including Auckland, New Zealand.

Enjoy this publication, have a look at all insanely amazing and talented - beautiful, natural, real and emotional storytelling moments , documenting different genres of photography.

Let me know if you have any questions!

x Olga Levien, your Auckland based wedding-family-maternity photographer

Auckland engagement session {pre-wedding photography in New Zealand} Muriwai Beach

Have a look at the highlights of this Auckland engagement session with Kathryn & Michael. Im so excited about this pre-wedding photography on New Zealand Muriwai Beach. Can’t wait till this couple’s upcoming wedding!

We had such amazing time before the sunset, walking and talking about couple’s story and relationship, plans for upcoming wedding and more.

Enjoy these highlights!

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Engagement photo shoot - Piha: Sara and Matt {New Zealand pre-wedding photographer}

Excited to share with you highlights of this beautiful engagement photo shoot on Piha with Sara and Matt. Such amazing people in one of the most stunning beaches in New Zealand, such a perfect place for pre-wedding photos {this is my personal opinion as a wedding photographer based in Auckland}.

Engagement session is a perfect opportunity to better know each other before the wedding, feel on ease on the wedding day and feel how we roll.

We been talking about couple story, relationship and their projects {as they both working on TV, on one of the recent project - Grand Designs NZ}. So exciting to share common passion and love.

Enjoy these highlights of couple’s photo gallery:

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Muriwai Beach Engagement Session {Auckland pre-wedding photographers}

We had such an amazing time with Kathryn & Michael on Muriwai Beach Engagement Session in Auckland. We are so excited to be their wedding photographers, the special date is coming soon!

We had so many wonderful, romantic and real moments, just walking and talking about couple love story and plans for their wedding day!

Enjoy these photographs in a quick sneak peek!

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Auckland City Engagement Photo Shoot: Anne-Marie and Oliver {New Zealand wedding photographer}

Im so excited to share with you a recent Auckland City Engagement Photo shoot with Anne-Marie & Oliver, such amazing couple that choose to celebrate their special day away from New Zealand, in Rarotonga and asked me, Auckland wedding photographer to capture so beautiful and real moments in the heart of the city.

We walk and talk and explore around the beauty of modern and industrial feel of our city.

Enjoy this pre-wedding session highlights in photo gallery. Contact me with any questions!

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Beach pre-wedding - engagement session in New Zealand {Auckland wedding photographer}

I’m so excited to share with you my recent beach pre-wedding - engagement session with Courtney and James in New Zealand {I’m as an Auckland wedding photographer always thrilled to capture for couples so special moment at their pre-wedding photo shoots}. It allow us to know each other better, feel on ease on the wedding day and feel each other, know how we roll.

Enjoy highlights of this photo session:

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Muriwai Beach post-wedding session Sneak Peek {Auckland engagement - elopement photographer}

I had such amazing experience on this Muriwai Beach post-wedding session, where I met my couple that I shoot in early February in Auckland Landscendt Garden. Its always a pleasure to meet my couple again as an old friends!

SO much positive emotions! 

Emma brought her two dresses from the wedding day and one extra red dress. You know I just love beautiful dresses and cant help myself to capture this beauty all around in such a stunning location!

Enjoy this sneak peek highlights! Cant wait to move through couple's final gallery!

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Winter engagement session Sneak Peek: Courtney and Jason {wedding photographers in Auckland}

I'm so excited to share with you our recent winter engagement session sneak peek with Courtney & Jason, such adventurous couple. We chose Riverhead forest and Muriwai beach, such a perfect locations to shoot for any wedding photographer in Auckland! It give us a perfect variety for incredible pictures!

This day was so amazing, couple also prepared a little surprise for their pre-wedding session - they brought a few smoke bombs! We had so much fun playing with them!

Enjoy these highlights in sneak peek, cant wait to move through their final gallery!

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Engagement session on Muriwai Beach - Riverhead forest {Auckland pre-wedding photographer}

This engagement session on Muriwai Beach - Riverhead forest {Auckland} with Aishani & Janak was truly breathtaking. Couple wanted to do a pre-wedding session in New Zealand before they come back to UK after few years live in Auckland. It was a last minute call and Im so happy to be their couples photographer.

We spent amazing time walking around the forest and exploring the wild West Coast New Zealand beach with cave, rocks and stunning landscapes. Couple been so brave and adventurous and even walk in the cold water {its a winter here in NZ!}. I always love when couple brings traditions in their wedding | session so it was a great surprise to see their traditional Indian outfits - sari.

Couple shared their love story: "We met at university 10 years ago, were best friends for 3 years until Janak anonymously sent me flowers on Valentines Day. We pretty much immediately went travelling to India, Nepal & Malaysia as a brand new couple for 3 months. It was intense being with each other 24/7 right at the beginning of our relationship, but it showed us that we were a great couple... and here we are 7 years later!" 

The proposal was so amazing: "He flew me on a seaplane to the winery I really wanted to go to on Waiheke (Man O War). We had a wine tasting, then while we went for a walk on the beach and he got down on one knee! The proposal was a complete surprise as I thought the seaplane experience was a belated birthday gift."

Enjoy this video slideshow and photo gallery:

{by the way if you are interested in improving your photography, wait no longer! My online photography course is available for registration at Click Photo School, grab your seat and enjoy loads of materials: 100+ pages exclusive ebook, bonus materials, 6 shooting and 5 editing videos in Lightroom and Photoshop, culling in PhotoMechanic and introduction videos! Watch me shoot and edit this session! I'm so excited and would love to have you join!}

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Pre wedding session in New Zealand {Auckland engagement photographer} Photography Workshop

Alice & Sam come over to their pre wedding session in New Zealand , Auckland such amazing place for engagement photo shoot and Im so pleased to be chosen to be their photographer and document so special for couple moments!

Need to mentioned I know Alice from Clickin Moms photography forum, such a supportive community of amazing and talented women-photographers. I been so thrilled when she contacted me with their plans to come over to New Zealand from USA.

This moment was so amazing, we had such a blast on Karekare Falls and Piha Beach, such amazing and stunning locations. The love and connections that you can clearly see between Alice and Sam so insane. We had some exploring moments and fun as well. Its so great to introduce to someone so wild and beautiful nature and see their excitement and instant love to this country. Bring back memories!

Enjoy these highlights in video slideshow and photo gallery!

{by the way, if you a photographer and seeking the ways to bring more connection and soul to your photographs, check out my photography workshop with Click Photo School. You can see how I shoot this session, all my tips and tricks - hips of shooting videos, culling and editing videos, and 100+ pages exclusive Ebook plus hips of BONUSES!}

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Iris Awards NZIPP {top award-winning wedding photographers in Auckland}

So exited to share with you amazing news: one of my images just got an award at Iris Awards by NZIPP {Wellington, New Zealand}, such a honour to be in a row with top award-winning wedding photographers and represent Auckland region.

Im so stocked with amount of talent in each category. Its a pleasure to win a Bronze Award in Wedding In Camera Artistry Category. Congratulations to all my friends-photographers, you are so talented!

Thank you so much for my awesome couples who made all dreams come true!

Contact me with any questions!

The Travelling Dress Collective {New Zealand pre-wedding photographer}

I'm so excited to share with you a new publication of our amazing The Travelling Dress Collective project - where nine photographers from Australia and New Zealand come together to photograph just one dress with their unique Voice and Style.

It was such fantastic experience and so talented group of artists. Can't believe how this turned out. This dress was so gorgeous - made by Purity Lace Design. It's so amazing to see how different artists found something unique with their approach. You can look up their gorgeous work following the links: Camilla French, Francisca Jorgensen, Danielle Dobson, Peta Hood, Helen Whittle, Kristle Ricci, Melissa Brown, Julie Guertin and me, Olga Levien.

Have a read all stories in The Travelling Dress Collective project Blog and have a look at more photos in our recent engagement publication. Tina & Tony made their way from Australia to have a pre-wedding photo shoot in New Zealand. It was a great pleasure to capture so special for couple moments. Tina, this breathtaking dress and wild secluded Karekare beach {Auckland , New Zealand}  - all come together to create some magic! Love every single moment of our session!

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Junebug Weddings - Top 10 New Zealand wedding photographers {Auckland photographer}

Im so excited to announce: we {L & L} just been listed on Junebug Weddings in Top 10 New Zealand wedding photographers directory. Its such a great honour for me, Auckland wedding photographer to be featured in the row of such amazingly talented photographers from all around New Zealand.

It is not an easy task to make it through to this top 10 photographers as they are strictly evaluating the work, portfolio, other vendors recommendations and feedback from other wedding photographers. Just couple of years ago I can't even dream about making this list and now I just been contacted by Junebug Weddings to be listed in their stunning directory. It is a great honour and such a spark of positive emotions today!

Check out our listing and contact me with any questions!

Matakana Weddings in Sweetened and Romantic {Published wedding photographers in Auckland - New Zealand}

So excited to share with you amazing news: one of our Matakana Weddings with Alexandra & James just been published in Sweetened and Romantic, so honour for us, their wedding photographers from Auckland, New Zealand be featured internationally. This is always a great pleasure to see our natural, romantic and real photographs go live around the world.

This wedding in St Andrews Church and Stables {Matakana} was truly amazing with such a beautiful and emotional, warm and cosy atmosphere. Alexandra & James celebrated their special day with close friends and families in such a stunning surroundings.

Enjoy this international blog publication and see more highlights in couple's gallery.

Alexandra & James with bridal party - Big Omaha Wharf 

Contact me with any questions!

Brides Dress - Trish Peng
Brides Shoes - ALEXANDER WANG
Brides Earrings - Custom made by K. Amani Fine Jeweller 
Grooms Suit - Working Style
Bride and Groom Rings - Partridge Jewellers Cufflinks - Tiffany & Co.
Bridesmaid Dresses - Miss Crabb
Groomsmen Suits - Hallenstein Brothersi
Flowers - Flowers w/ Flare
Makeup - Shona Stevenson Makeup Artistry
Hair - Hair by Hannah
Celebrant - Jannette Marie Brown - Marriage Celebrant
Cake - Amy's Secret Kitchen 
Flower Wall - @Wallflower
Band - @Matt Stone and Coachella
MC - Simon Harris
Videographer - Rohan JBK
Wedding Coordinator - Karma Roberts

and wedding photographers in Auckland, New Zealand and beyond - L & L - Levien & Lens Photography, Olga & Matt

Tips on wedding planning for our awesome couples {Auckland - New Zealand weddings photographers}

It's time to reflect last season and create some tips on wedding planning for our awesome couples {as we shot so many Auckland, New Zealand weddings and as photographers can see what can help you to make your wedding day go flawless!}. Let the adventure begin:

Before the wedding day:

1. Delegate tasks. {ask your parents, bridesmaids, and even groom!!! to help you with different tasks, it can make your wedding planning less stressful. You know they would love it! You can find their secret talents and passions {organise flowers, dance teacher, invitations etc.}
2. Be well prepared for the wedding day and be ready to go with the flow {expect the unexpected!}. Get water, snacks - you will be starving after the ceremony!!! Prepare gifts for your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and letters for each other {its a nice touch and allow us to capture more emotional moments}
3. Think about your timeline - allow yourself to have time to breathe and not rush into every event of the day. Consider to do a first look with Dad {it is such a particular moment when dad sees you for the first time in the wedding dress}.
4. Let's go for an adventure on your pre-wedding | engagement photo shoot {we recommmend to schedule it at least 2-3 months before your wedding, earlier is better!}. You can choose a different to your wedding venue location {beach, waterfall, city landscape, lake, river, farm, lifestyle at home or cafe | library etc.}
5. Plan a photography coverage: start getting ready at least 1-1.5 hour before leaving for the ceremony and finish time 0.5-1 hour after your first dance. First, things can run late and second, it helps to add to the story some moments before the ceremony - backstage and let you get used to the cameras and after the first dance - fun and party spirit with guests dancing - to tell a complete story of your wedding day. Note, we no need to have 2-3 hours for dancing photos as often same people are dancing and equal people are not dancing! :) You can extend your coverage if you feel you want to capture some special events {boys play golf or shooting at morning, girls do something special together, or there sparkles exit, many traditional dances at the reception, etc.
6. Send us a complete questionnaire one month before your wedding. Create a family groups list. We recommend to limit it by up to 10 groupings as each group take 3 minutes and big groups up to 10 minutes each. Make sure you have a shepherd - the person who quick will gather the family together.
7. Check the weather day before the wedding and get clear umbrellas for bride and groom or full wedding party {just in case}, you can get them in 1-2-3 dollars shops.
8. Get plenty of sleep and rest before the wedding day to look your best!

Wedding Day

1. It's time to relax and go with the flow. No matter how the weather looks like, or if something goes wrong {celebrant lost in the middle of nowhere, the band is few hours late, or caterers taking their time. You will be fine! Just enjoy this time of your life!
2. It's not a photo shoot; it's your wedding day! We need you to feel relaxed and allow yourself to go with the flow. Its the happiest day of your life {you will have sparkles in your eyes, and we will capture it}.
3. Try to spend time with important for you people. Firstly, they appreciate it, second, we can get special for your family and friends photos of natural, candid moments where you are talking with them.Take your time to take congratulations and hugs right after the ceremony. No need to jump into family formals photos right away. Enjoy this time! It will give us the opportunity to capture more natural and candid moments!
4. Don't forget to eat and drink. We found if you drink enough water on the wedding day you feel much better next morning!
5. Try to have some time away from the bridal party during our photo shoot. You no need any audience for such intimate photos of two of you along.
6. We can also sneak out of reception during the epic sunset {weather permitted}, you can plan around 20 min for it, while guests are eating or enjoying their conversations. There also a chance of nighttime creative photos with flash if wedding coverage allows.
7. We will come to you 10-15 min before our finish time to check if there any more photo requests, to not miss anything significant for you.
8. Relax, enjoy the party and dance away! We will make sure to document these moments!

After the wedding day

1. Sneak peek with your wedding highlights will be ready in 2-3 days after your wedding.
2. Enjoy your honeymoon, time of your life.
3. The link will be sent to beautiful online gallery 8-10 weeks after your wedding. You can share it with your friends and family {in New Zealand and overseas}.
4. The package will come your way a few weeks after online gallery went life: USB with artistic retouched high and low-resolution images and hand-picked 6x4" prints on fine art paper. I love this real touch!
5. We will start working on your custom album design. Choose your favourites in an online gallery or let us decide on the final look. Its so good to hold something real in your hands, treasured memories for years to come!
6. We appreciate all your kind words to your friends and family as well as testimonial | reviews on Social Media, our Website and Google. We so in love with our awesome couples!
7. Don't want to say good buy? We too! We are offering a limited number of maternity | birth| lifestyle newborn | family sessions during our off wedding season time. Let's catch up again for other unique moments!
8. Thank you for sharing such special moments with us!

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN!

Remember, we will be there for you!

New Zealand pre-wedding photo shoot: Danielle and Jarryd {Auckland engagement-wedding photographer}

Im blown away by my recent New Zealand pre-wedding photo shoot with Danielle & Jarryd, such amazing crazy in-love couple! We had such a blast in our Auckland engagement photo shoot, such a honour to be their wedding photographer, cant wait till their wedding!

We met at Karekare falls and had explored around a wild secluded Karekare Beach with so beautiful landscapes, just before the sunset.

Enjoy this video slideshow and session highlights in photo gallery:

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