It’s been a long time coming for today’s happy couple. Takudzwa (TK) & Hazel have actually been dating for eight years long distance! “I met Hazel through a friend in Australia and we commenced an 8-year long-distance relationship while she was in the UK and l was in Australia” explains TK,  “I flew regularly to meet her throughout the years resulting in me proposing to her, us doing a traditional dowry marriage and getting married once COVID was slowing down this year in Alice Springs.”

With a love of the backdrop that only Central Australia can bring “Our style was “territory formal” says TK, the pair decided to marry at their local church, before using the rugged landscape for an intimate photo session. It is this beauty, that thanks to photographer Naomi Hill we get to share today.

Even though they were far apart, TK still managed to completely surprise Hazel with his proposal, telling “I planned everything with her sisters in the UK. It was a surprise. It was in my last year of university in the mid-semester break. I had a two-week window to get it done. I organized a secret proposal at M restaurant where she thought we were going out on a date night. She walked in and was greeted by her friends and family where l popped the question.”

Hazel walked down the aisle to “River Flows in You” by Yiruma.

They held their ceremony at their church Desert Life Church. “It has amazing facilities.” The ceremony matched the intimate mood, “We wanted our ceremony to be small but cosy” explains TK. “Having Hazel’s family in the UK, we wanted them to feel a part of it. Bible scriptures.”

The jewels were made by Diamondline Jewellery says TK “The main thing l wanted was for Hazel to have a unique ring and band. So l custom designed her wedding band to be all diamonds.”

“Enjoy the day and the process. Don’t stress and really soak in the new journey you are embarking on as a married couple. We were both extremely nervous and it felt surreal after being apart for 7.5 years and then getting married – it was amazing.”

The floral arrangements were styled by Phone-A-Flower. “Dealing with our florist – Kate was our favourite part of the planning” remembers TK. “Kate really was amazing at helping create Hazel’s dream bouquet. We chose pastel roses with local flowers that really popped.”

“Naomi, really made the day extra special” remarks TK. “We met her through church and have always been an admirer of her work. When we were sorting out our day we knew we had to ask her to take our pictures. She really made our day and experience extra special and was really informative and provided direction to capture the nicest pictures. All credit goes to her for the incredible work she did and she made the shoot so much fun and relaxed.”

Congratulations to you both TK and Hazel! Thank you for sharing the beautiful moments of your day with us. Thank you also go to Naomi Hill for sharing today’s beautiful images.