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Bridesmaid gift ideas

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As a wedding photographer, I’ve been privvy to a vast variety of different bridesmaid gift ideas, so I thought I might make a list of some of the more thoughtful bridesmaid gift ideas that I’ve come across at my weddings. Giving your bridesmaids a gift before your wedding ceremony is a modern traditions and is seen today as a way for the bride to thank her entourage on a personal level for helping her plan and put together her big day.

Bride and Bridesmaids looking at ring

Bridesmaid gift ideas

Jewellery

The most common of bridesmaid gifts are pieces of jewellery. Usually given to accentuate what the bridesmaids are wearing on the day, and also to give a bit of uniformity between the bridesmaids – if that’s the style you’re going for at your wedding. Jewellery can also be very personal, it’s usually small and easy to package as a gift, so it one of the easier gift ideas to manage too! Generally jewellery gifted in this way should be something you’d know your bridesmaids would like to wear and enjoy after the day itself.

Personalised gowns

During your wedding preparation with your bridesmaids, it’s fun to dress up in matching gowns that have been embroiled with either their names, or fun monikers, such as ‘bridesmaid #2’ or even ‘bride’s b****’, depending on your personality 🙂 There are a number of different ideas when it comes to this sort of thing and while the gowns are personalised specifically for this one wedding, they can be used at home for lazy days also.

Gowns

A services gift certificate

Here’s one that’s not directly related to your wedding! How about gifting your bridesmaids a gift certificate for a massage, or a beauty treatment, or even a portraiture sitting with a professional photographer? This can be a great idea to allow your bridesmaids to pamper themselves after your wedding day and to show them that you think they are all beautiful and care about them outside the sphere that was your wedding day.

Personalised items

One common gift I’ve been seeing lately are personalised items such as wine glasses to drink from at the reception, or even clothes hangers to hang dresses on. These are easy, simple gifts people are bound to use more than once, or at least put them someplace in their home so that they will be reminded about your wonderful day and the role they had to play in it.

Wedding reception

Personal artwork

This one may not be to everyone’s taste, but if your the artsy type, one of the most personal bridesmaid gift ideas I’ve ever seen was a personalised piece of art drawn and painted by the bride herself. This is heartfelt, personal and cheap! And it’s something that your bridesmaids will no doubt put on display once they get home. Failing that I’ve also seen professional artists at weddings where they would hand out quickly drawn caricatures of guests at your wedding reception, but this really falls more into the reception souvenir category along with photobooth photos.

Clothing

Be it shoes, a bag, or even her dress, having a formal dress for each girl at a wedding can get expensive, so many brides opt to make this their bridesmaid’s gift. It’s practical too in many ways, as if it’s the type of dress that would not look out of place at a club, or even at work it may get quite a bit of wear out of it. This goes for shoes also, and you can never have too many clutch purses to choose from can you?

Bridal Party Dresses

There are of course a thousand other ideas for bridesmaid gift ideas, just to list a few other ideas – body products, candy, movie tickets, etc. But really whatever you decide to give, or not give your bridesmaids, I’m sure they’ll love you just the same 🙂

Bridgewater Mill Wedding – Anna & Jeremy

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  • ANNA & JEREMY

    Bridgewater Mill Wedding

    Through the foliage at Bridgewater Mill

It was a very warm day in January when I was lucky enough to cover Anna and Jeremy’s Bridgewater Mill wedding as their wedding photographer. So much so that unfortunately the original plan of holding the ceremony on the newly renovated decking at the Mill was replaced with the indoor area. Thankfully the cloud cover kept much of the heat away and everyone had a wonderful time 🙂

Preparation photos

Anna and Jeremy were prepared in separate rooms of the Manna Hotel in Hahndorf with me starting off with Anna and her bridal party just to say hello before heading over to the boys then heading back to the girls. Both Anna and Jeremy were fairly laid back in the morning, and the nerves were well hidden – but occasionally showed!  The natural happenings during preparation allowed me to capture some wonderfully candid photos of all the participants before heading outside for a bit of a walk around the local area. They both werent overly keen on heading out into the heat, but thankfully I could coerce them as we got some nice shots.

Getting ready in the mirror
Buttoning up vest
Jeremy and his groomsmen
Getting ready in the mirror
Putting on jacket
Putting on flowers
Jeremy and his groomsmen
Heading out the door
Wedding rings
Engagement ring
Stealing jelly beans
Smiling bride
Running kids
Putting flowers in hair
Flower girl
Bridal Party
On the streets of Hahndorf
Smiling bride
Putting on shoes

Bridgewater Mill wedding ceremony

The Bridgewater Mill is a historic Flour Mill built in the 1860s to take advantage of  the nearby stream that now runs through a nearby park. This incredible location provides a picturesque backdrop for wedding photos due to it’s old-world charm and unique water wheel which still turns. Unfortunately this wedding season the wheel is cordoned off for renovations, and also as the ceremony was held indoors, I couldn’t get it in any photo :(. That being said though, the area is still an amazing place to walk about and take photos. The ceremony location was lined with a fairly modern looking wood and glass interior which provided a ton of light while still having a homely atmosphere.

Anna and Jeremy opted to have a sand-pouring ceremony, which after a bit of shyness overcoming the flower girl as she walked down the aisle, she joined in happily. It’s always a lovely ceremony to have when joining two families together, particularly with kids involved. The coming together of the three different sands in the same vase represents the impossible nature of separating the family ever again.

Group photo inside Bridgewater Mill
Sand ceremony
Together holding hands
Bridgewater Mill wedding ceremony
First kiss
Groom and groomsmen at altar
Wedding sign
Exchanging wedding rings
Sand ceremony
Walking back down aisle

Glamour photos

After the ceremony was over, and after I broke out my drone for a few overhead photos, we went for a bit of a walk around the nearby park. The park was quite busy as we had to unfortunately remove a family of frolicking kids playing in the water of the stream to take the photos I wanted, but they were kind enough about it 🙂

In a doorway on Bridgewater mill
Drone love heart
Bride and groom holding one another
Genderbender wedding shot
On the wall of Bridgewater Mill
Through the foliage at Bridgewater Mill
On the wall of Bridgewater Mill
Wedding rings
Through the foliage
Bridgewater Mill wedding
Playing on the playground
Bride and groom on stone wall
Kiss with the bridal party in the background

The Haus wedding reception

We headed back to Hahndorf for the wedding reception held at The Haus Hahndorf. The Haus is famed for it’s wonderful selection of dishes made from primarily local ingredients.  Anna and Jeremy’s reception was a cocktail/buffet style evening with waiters walking about serving guests with platters of food or drink, along with a nearby self-serve buffet. As they had quite a few ties with the music industry, the DJ’s setup was quite impressive with a number of the guests also bringing their acoustic guitars. The entire evening was a joy to be a part of with all the guests contributing to the wonderfully jovial atmosphere.

Groom’s speech
Speech
Reception entrance
Wedding Cake
First dance
Kisses after speech
Victuals!
Hugs on the dancefloor
Cutting the Cake
First dance

I’d like to thank Anna and Jeremy for having me as part of their wedding as their wedding photographer, and I very much hope they enjoy their photos as much as I enjoyed taking them! 😀

Some of my favourite photos from 2016

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I’ve put together a bit of a video showcasing some of my favourite photos from 2016. These photos have all been taken at weddings SvenStudios has covered during 2016, and put into a bit of a slideshow. I went through each of the 21 weddings covered in 2016 and picked out one or two of my favourite photos in each one. I thought it would be a nice little warm up to the 2016 iteration of the Seven Studios wedding photograph of the year contest which I will be launching very soon. The difference being that this video showcases some of my favourite photos from 2016, where as the contest will showcase the favourite photos of the brides and grooms we have taken photos for.

I put together a slideshow like this about once every 6 months in order to refresh the video offering on the SvenStudios homepage, while also serving as a vehicle to promote some of my best work. throughout that period. The slideshow I put together for the first half of 2016 can be viewed here.

It’s always interesting to look back at the weddings I have covered in the past year and reflect on how much I have improved and what I’m doing differently at weddings now. A year is a long time in development, especially when I’m increasing my experience reservoir by 21 weddings in that time. It’s also a big reason why I run my little People’s choice contest at the end of each year so that I can see what others see in my photography, and not just my own perspective. Last year’s People’s choice contest was run a little differently than it will this year, so look out for that announcement very soon to lock in your vote! 🙂

Some of my favourite photos from 2016

Adelaide CBD Engagement Shoot – Avery & Matt

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Avery and Matt had me shoot some pre-wedding shots in and around the Adelaide CBD with the distinct aim of incorporating as many Adelaide landmarks as possible. Being from Taiwan and with Matt continually travelling due to his work, they were keen on having photos from around Adelaide they could show off to friends and family overseas. At the time of publishing this preview, Avery and Matt should already have been married at the Adelaide Registry office last Thursday, so I’m thinking congratulations are in order! 🙂

It’s a bit of a tradition in Asian countries, not just Taiwan, to have their wedding photos done on a day other than the actual wedding day – thereby allowing more time on the actual day for celebrations. I feel this tradition is most obvious in Hawaii where on any given day there will be dozens of bridal couples along the beach of Waikiki along with crews of photographers and fleets of drones taking photos.

Adelaide CBD Engagement Shoot

Our day started quite early to try and avoid shoppers taking advantage of the new year’s stocktake sales around the Mall’s Balls with the aim of then using the top floor of Adelaide Arcade, then heading towards the Torrens. However the Adelaide arcade was not yet open so after taking some shots at the Mall’s Balls we headed over to North Terrace and Adelaide University before visiting the Torrens footbridge. We finished off the session by wandering over to the Elder Park Rotunda and Government House before heading back to Adelaide Arcade.

In the walkways of Adelaide University
Smiling
Reflection in the Mall’s Balls
On the steps of Government House
Adelaide Arcade
Under a tree on North Terrace
On the steps of Government House
In the walkways of Adelaide University
Under a tree on North Terrace
In the walkways of Adelaide University
Couple at Mall’s Balls Adelaide
Couple at Mall’s Balls Adelaide
in the old Police Barracks
Lensflare kiss
Under a weeping willow
Being silly with photobooth props
Door way of Adelaide University
Couple at Mall’s Balls Adelaide
Bonython Hall
Walking around Adelaide University
Smiling
Out the front of Adelaide Museum
Out the front of Adelaide Museum
Adelaide CBD Engagement shoot
In the walkways of Adelaide University
Behind the Adelaide Museum
Bonython Hall

I feel as though we managed to cover all that is Adelaide on our little tour of the Adelaide CBD, covering all of the major landmarks in around 2 hours. I wish Avery and Matt all the best in their globe trotting adventures and of course in married life! 🙂

Serafino Wedding – Alice & Stephen

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  • ALICE & STEPHEN

    Serafino Wedding

    Bride and groom walking in olive trees

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!

Groom walking towards door
Groom getting ready
Suit hung up
Wedding pizza
Wedding rings
Groomsmen getting ready

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.

Girls on bed chatting
Putting on wedding dress
Engagement ring
Looking on
Wedding dress
Putting on wedding dress
In the mirror
Grinning bride
Concentrating

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.

Bride and groom
Serafino wedding
Smiling bride
Groom speaking his vows
Wedding at Serafino winery
Exchanging wedding rings
Groom looking at bride

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.

Bridal party
Lovey dovey next to gum tree
Bride and groom walking along beach
Bride and groom walking along beach
PUPPY!
Groom in foreground
Bride on rock
Bride and groom under sun
Groomsmen looking on from cave
Pt Willunga Jetty wedding
Bouquet in foreground

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 🙂

Bride and groom in long grass
Bride and groom walking in olive trees
Bride and groom in vineyard
Bride and groom in long grass
Bride and groom walking in olive trees

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.

Selfie
Serafino winery’s reception hall
Serafino winery wedding
Wedding cake
Bridal entry
First dance
Groom speech
With the geese

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!