After having been their wedding photographer at their wedding in Renmark back in October, 2017 – I was privileged to recently head to the Belair National Park to conduct a bit of a maternity shoot for them before their new bundle of joy comes along later this year. I was looking forward to using the sun shining through the trees of the National Park as I had so often done before for wedding shoots, however the day turned out to be rather miserable in the afternoon, but this turned out to be pretty advantageous, allowing for some soft, dreamy scenes throughout the forest.
Belair National Park Maternity Shoot
Libby and Simon returned form their home in Texas, USA to celebrate their wedding day at the Chateau Tanunda with friends and family living in South Australia. Both their families were spread out around the globe, so it was wonderful to witness the coming together of these two lovely families 🙂 I was asked to be their wedding photographer for the majority of their day, seeing me at Libby’s place of preparation, through to the first dance at their reception.
Preparation
I was asked to start the day with Libby and her bridal party preparation at a nearby bed and breakfast in Tanunda. All morning there was the bustle of activity as each bridesmaid, flower girl and a few other family members all used the large, old cottage as a base of operations 🙂 The house featured a large, open lounge room, complete with a wonderful bay window, perfect for bridal preparation photos.
An interesting side not for the day was that I was contacted by Raw Cotton Collection, a clutch bag manufacturer based in Perth, through Instagram to give Libby and her flowergirls a free clutch and bags in exchange for some photos with the girls, was a fun little side note 🙂
Chateau Tanunda Wedding Ceremony
The Chateau Tanunda has been a feature of the Barossa Valley since the 1880s, being built near vineyards that were planted in 1840s, it’s a historic place that makes for a wonderful backdrop for a wedding! Libby and Simon’s wedding ceremony took place in a long, thin function hall/chapel on the far left of the Chateau which featured some wonderful wooden slat ceilings and large windows overlooking a grassy croquet field.
Glamour Photos
Directly after the ceremony, Libby, Simon and I escaped in their MG getaway car and used the surrounding beauty that is the Chateau Tanunda grounds. First making use of the picturesque driveway through the vineyards towards the Chateau, then behind the building in a small park situated beyond a disused train line. The sun was setting beautifully for some nice sun flare coming through the trees. We were also lucky enough to utilise the wine barrels in the large tasting room for the winery.
Chateau Tanunda Wedding Reception
The venue boasts a huge reception hall, big enough for Libby and Simon’s wedding reception guests twice over, which made the dance floor quite large! As it was a chilly night, being the beginning of May, their were plenty of gas-fired heaters throughout the room to keep guests warm.
Thank you so much Libby and Simon for having me be your wedding photographer, I hope you enjoy your photos! 😀
Ruth and James held both their wedding ceremony and reception at The Jade pub in the city for a lovely night-time wedding in late April. I was recommended to them as their wedding photographer from one of the groomsmen at a wedding I covered in Darwin which is great as I know I’m doing something right! 🙂 So I was asked to capture their wedding photography for 3 hours, while Ruth and James also had my Photobooth set up for their reception.
Before the Wedding
Having arrived a little early to set up the photobooth, I was able to observe the setup of Ruth and James’ wedding. The whole area was set up with a lovely, simple vibe, complete with cheese platters and hanging fairy lights over the beer garden.
The Jade Wedding Ceremony
Ruth and James made use of the cozy live-music venue and beer garden just off to the side of the main bar at The Jade for their ceremony and party, and also held it fairly late, so the sun had well and truly gone by the time their ceremony took place. As a result, their entire wedding ceremony was artificially lit by stage lights. Made it a bit of a challenge to shoot and get natural skin tones – but I made it work! 😀 The virtual reality video I put together for them turned out great in this sort of setting!
Glamour Photos
We had around 30-40 minutes to walk about for some glamour photos, as as it was well and truly night time, I made use of some of my portable lights, and any artificial lighting we could find – such as the lighting within the nearby carpark and the doorway of the church next door! 🙂 I was aiming for more of a different look at Ruth and Jame’s wedding to a more traditional setting, as the venue and backdrops I was working with certainly weren’t traditional! I particularly enjoyed shooting in the carpark, it made for some grungy, and very different wedding photos.
The Jade Wedding Reception
Ruth and James’ wedding reception was a laid back affair, with not too many speeches, more just mingling and enjoying the night, both in a leisurely fashion in the beer garden and on the dance floor. Food was served by chefs in a buffet style on a biug long table. There was more than enough food for everyone, and quite a mixture of cuisine too!
Thanks so much for having me as your wedding photographer Ruth and James, I had a blast at your wedding and I hope you enjoy your photos! 🙂
Lucy and Callum’s historic Golden Grove Uniting Church wedding was on a rather wet and windy day in April, but the weather certainly did not hamper any celebrations! I was asked to be Lucy and Callum’s wedding photographer for their entire day, so this saw me at both of their preparation locations, through to the end of their reception at the Palais, Semaphore. Lucy and Callum got onto be as I was recommended by a wedded couple whom I covered their wedding for several years prior – Bron and Robert. It’s always great to find out that I was recommended due to my prior work! 😀
Preparation
Callum and his entourage were being prepared at the awesome Largs Pier hotel, so we were able to make use of the historic surrounds for some of their photos! The weather was horrible while they were being prepared, but the rain held up enough for us to venture outside for a bit before I head off to Lucy’s place of preparation.
Lucy and her bridal party were being prepared at their house, closer to Golden Grove. I arrived just as their makeup was just getting finished so this allowed me to take a few shots of them finishing up before putting on her dress and looking awesome in front of their large window. The overall atmosphere was one of fun and laughter, if there were any nerves Lucy hid them well! 😀
Golden Grove Uniting Church Wedding Ceremony
Lucy was all smiles as soon as she arrived for her Golden Grove Uniting Church Wedding. Thankfully the weather had changed for the better by then and the church was packed with family and friends ready to celebrate Lucy and Callum’s wedding!
The Golden Grove Uniting Church is a pretty, historic church built to serve the Golden Grove area back in 1866 with the aim to be more practical, rather than ornamental. With this mindset, the church was built to be quite humble, but because of this the present day church oozes old-world charm and simplistic beauty. The back of the church has some more modern facilities like a meeting hall, but the original church out the front is untouched.
Lucy and Callum’s wedding ceremony was full of hymn and personalised bible readings which made for a beautifully intimate wedding ceremony.
Glamour Photos
After the ground photos and some shots fo the cars in front of the Golden Grove Uniting Church, we head off to a nearby park, complete with some awesome gum trees and a pretty little pond we made use of to get some great reflections shots. We then head off to the Largs Bay pier for some shots along the jetty. The first head to the Semaphore jetty, only to find that the weather was causing waves to crest over the jetty itself, so we head to the Largs Pier as it’s taller. The wind and rain was fun to battle against as we walked together taking shots, but sometimes the bad weather creates some awesome unique wedding photography.
Palais Wedding Reception
The Palais at Semaphore was the venue for Lucy and Callum’s wedding reception. They have a purpose-built contained tent-like structure built out the back of the establishment that makes for a private, intimate venue, perfect for weddings.
Thanks so much to Lucy and Callum for having me as their wedding photographer! I had a heap of fun and I hope you enjoy your photos.