23/03/2025
Red-Eye Adventures: From Christchurch to Warkworth for Claudia & Brad’s Wedding
Ah, the joys of a red-eye flight. You know, that delightful experience where your body tries to convince you it’s still bedtime while your mind is anxiously counting down the minutes until you’re on the ground. You can’t sleep, but you can certainly lose track of time in the strange limbo between midnight and 4.30 a.m. when all you want is to be curled up in your bed, but instead, you're squished into a middle seat on a plane, wondering how it got so cold.
But let’s rewind to the start of my adventure. I had just said goodbye to the lovely city of Christchurch and boarded the red-eye flight to Auckland. This wasn’t just any flight, though. No, no, no. This was the flight to photograph Claudia and Brad’s wedding in Warkworth. I had to be there, and I had to be there now. What’s that they say about the things we do for love? Well, I was doing it for wedding photos. And sleep deprivation. And Red Bull, Lots of Red Bull
As I took my seat, I quickly realized something important: the thing about red-eye flights is that they’re full of people who’ve either just woken up from an accidental nap or are desperately trying to sleep and failing. So naturally, I had to strike up a conversation with my neighbor, an overly chipper woman who clearly had a few too many cups of pre-flight airport coffee. She asked me if I was excited about the wedding. I thought about this for a moment and realized that yes, I was, but it wasn’t the wedding itself that had me buzzing; it was the fact that I was somehow wide awake in the middle of the night, battling the urge to close my eyes and snooze like the rest of humanity.
By the time the plane hit cruising altitude, I was too tired to read but too awake to sleep. I spent the next hour doing that thing where you close your eyes and hope that the plane will somehow magically transport you to your destination without you realizing the whole flight has just been a very weird dream. Instead, I just stared at the tiny, faraway lights on the ground and wondered if this was what it felt like to be a superhero—flying through the night, saving wedding photos one click at a time.
Finally, we landed in Auckland at the ungodly hour of 6:30 a.m. I staggered off the plane like a zombie, clutching my camera bag as though it were my last lifeline. But there was no time to sleep—Warkworth awaited, and with it, Claudia and Brad’s magical wedding day.
I hopped into a rental car, somehow managing to drive (I swear, autopilot mode kicked in) and made my way to the charming town of Warkworth. As I got closer, the world seemed to wake up. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting the most beautiful pink hues over the landscape. Honestly, if you’re ever in need of a wedding location, Warkworth has got some magic in the air—especially when you’re half-delirious and running purely on caffeine and adrenaline.
Fast forward to the wedding. I was, for the most part, holding it together. But I’d be lying if I said my camera didn’t occasionally tremble with the combined forces of jetlag and my very strong need for a nap. Claudia looked stunning, Brad was the epitome of calm, and the venue? Picture-perfect. The couple danced, laughed, and made their vows, and I, on the other hand, snapped a million photos like the determined professional I am (or at least, like someone who had pretended to be a professional by now).
I’m pretty sure I went into autopilot mode during the ceremony—my camera clicked away, capturing moments I was half aware of but mostly too tired to process. Every time I thought I might collapse, someone would hand me a drink or mention the word food, and suddenly, I had just enough energy to keep going. There’s nothing like the promise of a well-timed snack to revive you during a wedding shoot.
The wedding went off without a hitch, the couple was thrilled with the photos (thankfully, I didn’t fall asleep mid-shot), and I wrapped up my day with a heart full of love for Claudia and Brad, as well as an overwhelming desire to sleep for approximately a year.
So, to all the fellow wedding photographers out there: don’t underestimate the power of the red-eye flight. Sure, it’s a test of willpower, sanity, and caffeine tolerance, but it’s also the gateway to some unforgettable adventures. And if you’re ever flying to Warkworth for a wedding? Pack an extra large coffee and maybe a neck pillow. You’ll thank me later.
Until next time, here’s to the magic of weddings, red-eye flights, and surviving on pure determination (and coffee)!
www.dolceweddingphotography.co.nz
