Port Elliot Memorial Gardens Wedding – Jess & Jake

Jess & Jake
Port Elliot Memorial Gardens Wedding

I’m pleased to present the wedding of Jess and Jake which took place in the Port Elliot Memorial Gardens during a very busy weekend during October! I say very busy as SvenStudios managed to cover 3 weddings this weekend, with the wedding of Jess and Jake here photographed by Ross Daly, and editing done by yours truly.

Preparation

Jess and Jake were being prepared at McCracken Country club which boasts a magnificent view overlooking the golf fairway and a lovely intimate reception center. Ross was caught up with preparations on the day so saw himself walking in between rooms, taking photos of both Jess and Jake in turn.

Bride

Makeup

Back of wedding dress

Smiling bride

Wedding shoes

Engagement ring

Wedding dress

Bride and maid of honour

Groom

Best Man

Watch

Best Man

Groom and Best Man

Port Elliot Memorial Gardens wedding ceremony

During World War 1, Port Elliot was a place of recreation for soldiers on leave. The gardens were originally established as a community project for soldiers, and then officially dedicated as a Soldier’s memorial after the planting of the memorial trees lining the park. The trees were planted in a tribute to the local soldier’s contribution and includes a tree planted to fallen New Zealand soldiers. The Park also now includes trees planted in commemoration of Australian soldiers involved in other conflicts as well, with 24 bronze plaques dedicated in May 2012.

Holding wedding ring

Port Elliot Memorial Gardens wedding

Blushing Bride

Maid of Honour

Holding Hands

Groom looking nervous

Wedding Certificate kiss

Glamour Photos

After the wedding ceremony, Ross, along with Jess and Jake’s videographers led the couple around the Port Elliot Memorial Gardens for some glamour shots. The gardens provide for a wide range of different backdrops, including weaving paths through flowerbeds, huge lining trees and even a beach scene.

Sitting on a bench

Walking in the garden

Looking out the trees

All smiles

Walking in the garden

Sitting on a bench

Kissing amongst the roses

Going for a walk

McCracken Country Club wedding reception

The McCracken Country Club always puts on a good fare at a wedding. Their function room overlooks the country club’s fairway and is spacious enough to host a decent sized wedding party without feeling too cavernous. I hadn’t been back to McCracken since I was the wedding photographer at a wedding last new year’s eve, so I was a little envious of Ross!

Wedding Cake

Doors of McCracken COuntry Club

Wedding lollies

Cutting the cake

Smiling Bride

November 28, 2016

Wedding preview, Wedding

St Andrew’s Church Wedding – Vanessa & Justin

VANESSA & JUSTIN
St Andrew’s Church Wedding

Vanessa and Justin’s wedding took place at the historic St Andrew’s Church in Walkerville, north east of the city. The church provided some beautiful surrounds to what was obviously a love filled ceremony to celebrate two wonderful families coming together. I started the day at St Andrew’s Church for the ceremony, and saw us venture into Port Adelaide for some industrial-themed glamour shots and then to the Royal Australian Yacht Squadron for Vanessa & Justin’s reception. vanessa and Justin opted to take advantage of my flexible hourly package for 4 hours. The weather on the day was absolutely stunning which enabled some amazing photos to be taken. Enjoy!

St Andrew’s Church Wedding Ceremony

I arrived around an hour early to the wedding which enabled me to float about capturing Justin and his entourage putting the final touches on their suits and adjusting their hair. Justin was all smiles which just a touch of nervousness sneaking in, but he hid it well 🙂

Groom smiling

St Andrew’s Church is a historic church being built in 1848 on land enthusiastically donated by a local brewer. It’s claim to fame are its magnificently preserved stained glass windows, the majority of which are from the British Company of James Powell and Sons of Whitefriars. The insides of the church provide a wonderfully dimly-lit atmosphere perfect for a sacred ceremony such as marriage, plus it’s cavernous ceilings give great opportunities for epic photographs.

St Andrew’s Church

Inside the church

Bride walking down aisle

Priest

Lighting candle together

signing registry

Bride and Groom at altar

First kiss

Bride and groom

Inside the church

Groom smiling at bride

Bride and Groom at altar

Glamour photos

Wedding rings

In front of the church

After the ceremony and group photos out the front of the church, we headed down to a very popular wedding photography spot in Port Adelaide. So popular in fact that we had no less than 3 different weddings there at one point! While we waited for the other weddings to leave at the Port Adelaide Wool Sheds, I suggested we head around the corner to a more quiet location with wonderfully industrial walls to use as a backdrop.

Port Adelaide Wool Sheds wedding

Brick walls

Bridal party with wedding car

Wedding car

Port Adelaide Wool Sheds wedding

Wedding car

After the other weddings had left, we had the roads in front of the famous Port Adelaide Wool Sheds all to ourselves, and the sun was fantastic! I used the sun’s flares to great effect behind Vanessa and Justin to create a beautifully lit, dreamy backdrop. I had loads of fun 🙂

Flower girl eating berries

Bridal party

Port Adelaide wool sheds wedding

Groomsmen

Wedding shadows

Port Adelaide wool sheds wedding

Sun backdrop

Bridal party on brick wall

Before the reception started at the Royal Yacht Squadron, we had a few minutes to utilise the stunning backdrop of the marina for a few more photos. This was mainly due to having tried Semaphore beach for some shots with the jetty, but not finding a park.

Royal South Australian Yacht Club wedding

Lovey Dovey

Royal South Australian Yacht Club wedding

Groom and his Groomsmen

Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron Wedding Reception

I’ve been down to the Yacht Squadron quite a few times now for different weddings and receptions. It’s become quite a popular venue due to its neat backdrop of million dollar yachts and close proximity to beaches like Semaphore. The clubhouses have been upgraded to have a modern, clean feel overlooking the marina and the staff couldn’t be nicer.

Bride and Groom laughing with guests

Gifts

Cutting the wedding cake

Bride and Groom laughing with guests

Kids being kids

Wedding cake

Bridal entrance

I’d like to thank Vanessa and Justin for having me be their wedding photographer on their wedding day, and I hope they enjoy their photos!

November 15, 2016

Wedding preview, Wedding

Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding – Dolores & Mauro

DOLORES & MAURO
Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding

I was lucky enough to be chosen as the wedding photographer at Dolores and Mauro’s Adelaide Botanic Gardens wedding in October this year. The weather was absolutely sublime considering the lead up was less than fine. In fact at a meeting with Dolores on the Tuesday prior to the wedding, it was raining the entire time! Despite a minor setback in the morning with Dolores running back to her hotel before the ceremony for some forgotten items, the day went beautifully, culminating with their reception at the Adelaide Wine Center.

Preparation photos

I started the day, as I often do at the place of preparation of the groom and his family. The magnificent house Mauro was being prepared in was in Wattle Park, East of the city. He was joined by his best man, and relatives including a trio of sharp looking kids, one of which was apparently not feeling very well. Mauro was quite calm and collected, despite breaking the stem of one of his flowers and had the attitude of ‘what happens happens’. The house provided some wonderful vantage points for some stunning preparation shots so I made good use if it.

Wedding Rings

Kids

Putting on Flowers

Flower Girl in mirror

Adjusting flowers

Nerve calming shots

Groom preparation

Flower Girl twirl

Dolores was being prepared in a less roomy hotel room at the Majestic Roof Garden Hotel. She was joined by quite a few people causing the small room to feel quite cramped. Her little boy was a bit of a camera hog, so many of the photos I took there had him in it!

Boy under table

Bridal shoes

Wedding shoes

Cheeky

Engagement ring

Putting on makeup

Boy looking suave

Bridal hugs

Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding Ceremony

It had been a while since I covered a wedding at the Adelaide botanic gardens. The last being in April, 2014. But the Adelaide Botanic Gardens are such a wonderful place to shoot a wedding, the time just flew by as we wandered about using the amazing scenery the area provides.

From the very first sketches for the plan of Adelaide city, colonel light always intended for Adelaide to have a ‘botanical gardens‘ and are therefore some of the best planned and laid out versions of the concept anywhere. However, it wasn’t until 1854, after a public appeal to the Governor, Sir Henry Young that gardens were established at the current location. They were officially opened in 1857. Amongst many scientific and educational displays of various fauna, the gardens hold one of the earliest propagated specimens of the Wollemi Pine tree, which was discovered as recently as 1994.

As a wedding venue, the Adelaide Botanic Gardens provides room for at least 3 weddings to be held simultaneously and boasts some of the most stereotypically stunning Adelaide wedding photography locations.

Page boy with sign

After first kiss

Groom looking happy

Adelaide botanic gardens wedding

Vows

Exchanging wedding rings

Wedding congregation

Signing of regisrty

Bride looking happy

bride meeting Groom

Glamour photography

We are so lucky to live in a city like Adelaide with sprawling botanic gardens such as these, as a wedding photographer, one cannot ask for a more diverse location for natural scenery than what’s provided right in the heart of the city. From hundred year old elm trees, toi weeping willows, and even wetlands and ultramodern architecture. The timing of our lap around the gardens was well timed too, as the sun was just going down for a marvellous finale to the day.

Walking through the gardens

Sun silhouette

Kids running after a duck

In the wetlands

Under the weeping willow

Close up of Wedding rings

The Elm walk

Adelaide botanic gardens wedding

The epic surrounds of the gardens

Sitting on a bench

National Wine Center Wedding Reception

The National wine center is a stunning modern function center built right next door to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens so it provided the most convenient of locations for Dolores and Mauro’s reception.

Opened in 2001, the Wine center contains an exhibition of winemaking, introducing visitors to the technology, varieties and styles of wine. It also has a wine tasting area, giving visitors the opportunity to taste and compare wines from different areas of Australia.

Dolores and Mauro’s reception took place in the Wine function hall, suitable for up to 120 guests. The room overlooked the wine center’s courtyard and had easy access to the end of the Botanic Gardens. A beautiful setting to round off a beautiful day.