Part II: Charisse and Chris’ Cinematic Wedding at Settlers Country Manor
Charisse Uy, who you might know from Shortland Street, and her husband Chris Groen, tied the knot on a beautiful spring day in Auckland, New Zealand. The theme was the perfect mix of their favourite cinematic film and TV influences: Lord of the Rings, Bridgerton, and the Wes Anderson look.
Their venue, Settlers Country Manor, could not have been a more perfect backdrop for these themes.
This article is Part II of a 2-part series. If you haven’t read Part I, click here.
Our story of the royal wedding picks back up after a brief recess.
Portraits
After the ceremony and group photos with family and friends, we went around the premises with the bridal party for a quick portrait session. Here we executed more Wes Anderson poses and just absolutely had fun with it.
Skipping ahead a bit, we went out again just after sunset to capture these beautiful blue-hour moments between husband and wife.
The Reception
A Grand Heralding
The bridal party and all family members were individually announced into the reception, with their own royal titles. Finally, King Chris and Queen Charisse were welcomed into the grand ballroom.
A Touch of Home
It isn’t a Filipino celebration without lechon, a full roast pig. Served alongside the iconic buffet feast at Settlers, guests (and vendors like myself) were left with happy hearts and full bellies.
Dessert kicked off with the cake cutting, and the celebrations continued with heartfelt speeches from their nearest and dearest, including a surprise performance from one of the groomsmen.
Finally, the evening moved across to the dance floor.
The first dance started off with a song from the bride to the groom, taking inspiration from the Filipino tradition of harana, a serenade usually done in the courting stages.
Then the band ushered us into the rest of the night, closing out the celebrations with a killer set.
While I appreciate a good DJ mix, a live band is and will always be on a different level. There’s a special touch when you’re able to interact with the singers and musicians, especially if the song involves a well-known chant or some sort of call-and-response.
Personally, just like a good closing scene in a movie, I like to close out my day of photographing with a good end scene. It’s usually of the guests dancing the night away, taken from afar or through a window such as this. For me, it’s the perfect way to end the festivities and give a good conclusion to the story.
If you resonated with this and would like a similar look for your photos, I’d love to chat.
Photographer: Jille Cristobal, Reina Jille Photography
Videographer: Hayley Greer Films
Venue: Settlers Country Manor
Flowers: Blooming by Beck
Dress: Astra Bridal
Suit: Barkers Men’s Clothing
Rings: Walker and Hall
Hair & Makeup: House of Makeup
Story featured on Woman’s Day
