Serafino Wedding – Alice & Stephen
Serafino winery is the location everyone thinks about when they think of a Mclaren Vale wedding, and it was my privilege to cover Alice and Stephen’s Serafino wedding as their wedding photographer. Alice and Stephen took advantage of my flexible hourly rates to have me cover their preparation right through to the end of their first dance. The day turned out just beautifully with stunning weather and friendly guests. It was just fantastic!
Preparation
Stephen and his groomsmen were being prepared at a friend’s house near the Cove. As I arrived the boys were polishing off a pizza sitting about being quite relaxed. It was only until I was about to leave did Stephen start showing some nerves but he was overall quite calm about the whole thing!
Alice and her bridal party were being prepared on site in one of Serafino’s hotel rooms. The room had a lovely little cottage vibe, perfect for preparation photos. The girls were having a bit of fun when I arrived placing temporary tattoos on their legs and generally having a good time.
Serafino wedding ceremony
The Serafino estate is one of the younger wineries in Mclaren Vale, established in 1968 when Serafino “Steve” Maglieri planted his first vines after having immigrated form Italy. The venue is set around a wonderful little lake, complete with a gaggle of resident geese and 200 year old gum trees. It makes for a wonderful backdrop for an outdoor wedding.
Glamour photos
Directly after their ceremony and group photos, we spent a little time walking about the lake and then headed over to the ruins of Pt. Willunga Jetty for some photos. While at the Jetty we were visited by an adorable little fluffball of a dog that we ‘borrowed’ from it’s owner for some cute photos of the girls cuddling it. 🙂 The jetty always provides for an amazing backdrop, contrasting between the lighter colours of the horizon and the people in the photo.
On the way back to Serafino for their reception, we stopped off along the side of the road to take some photos amongst the long grass and vineyards. We also made use of a line of olive trees located just off the main road. This spot happens to be my favourite spot in Mclaren Vale for wedding photos, for reasons I feel will be obvious as you view the photos 🙂
Serafino wedding reception
The reception area back at the winery is a sight to behold. The entire area is covered in an arched, glass awning and the head table is backdropped by wine barrels stamped with ‘Serafino’. The bar area has plenty of room to move and the entire place could host a very large wedding party is so desired. My only gripe about the place is how dark the dancefloor is! During the night we head out for a bit, first to take photos with the geese as they were fed, and then to have a bit of fun light painting in front of the cellar door.
I’d like to thank Alice and Stephen for having me as their wedding photographer, and I very much hope they enjoy their photos as much as I enjoyed creating them!