Belair National Park Wedding – Justine & Nathan
It was a rather overcast day in early December for Justine and Nathan’s wedding at the Belair National Park. Rain was threatening all day, but thankfully only showers for brief periods all day. Good thing too as the ceremony and following picnic-style period in between the ceremony and reception was all out in the open within the park. Turned out to be an awesome day though. I was asked to be their wedding photographer for the entire day and I had an absolute blast!
Preparation
Started off the day with Nathan and his boys getting ready at their home. I arrived to the boys all sitting about playing Super Smash bros on their Nintendo Switch before getting them moving to get dressed. There was a neat empty room off to the side of their living room where there was plenty of room to move about and take some rather atmospheric shots 🙂
I think the best experience of the morning was at Justine’s place of prep at her parent’s place. The emotion certainly got hold of Justine’s Dad who was holding back tears all morning, it was a delight to see and made the whole morning that much more emotional to witness that kind of fatherly love. Justine was fairly calm and collected through the whole morning though, quite keen on getting her dress on and moving the day forward 🙂
Belair National Park Wedding Ceremony
Their wedding ceremony took place in a hireable spot of grass within the Belair National Park in the shadow what I’m told to be the tallest certain type of gum tree in South Australia. Backdropped by native fauna, the place is a lovely setting, nearby some lush greenery ready for photos after.
Belair National Park Picnic
The great thing about this spot is that it boasts plenty of room to set up a ceremony, and a picnic while still having plenty of room for lawn games including cricket, chess and marks up. Everyone had a blast, and I got to witness one of the most intense games of giant jenga ever conceived.
Glamour Photos
For the glamour photos we wandered around the local area nearby where Justine and Nathan’s ceremony took place using the lovely greenery, and an awesome tree I discovered. before heading to another spot on the other side of the Belair National Park nearby the railway station. It’s always a great shot there with a huge archway of gum trees throwing themselves over the walking trail. Once we were done here we head off to the Glenelg Golf Course for the reception. While waiting to head in we used the scenery there for a few shots too.
Glenelg Golf Club Wedding Reception
The reception was quite a boisterous affair at the Glenelg Golf Club, with dancing going on all night and everyone having an absolute blast! The girls and boys all got into the bouquet and garter tosses, and everyone from young to old I’m sure were rubbing their feet the next morning from all the dancing they did the night before! It was a lot of fun circling the dance floor with my camera s when I walked by I’d always get someone throwing a funny face or going crazy in front of me!
Thanks so much for Justine and Nathan for having me capture their wedding photography! Was a great day!
Botanic Gardens Wedding – Renee & Ben
It was a stunningly sunny day for Renee and Ben’s lovely friends and family oriented wedding amongst the greenery of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Renee and Ben opted to host their intimate little wedding in the southern gazebo, known as the Summer House where they were protected from the harsh sun, and was able to fit a modest guest list made from close friends and family. I was asked to be their wedding photographer for 3 hours, which allowed me to capture their ceremony, glamour photos around the gardens then their reception at the Earl of Leicester Hotel.
Before the Ceremony
While waiting about for Renee to arrive, Ben was wandering about greeting guests and organising seating and moving council worker orange tape that had been left nearby 🙂 Renee arrived a little late which raised nerves a little, but the entire day was super laid back and relaxed so I don’t think it hampered any of the frivolity.
Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding Ceremony
The ceremony itself was a short and simple affair, with all the guests fitting under the gazebo to witness the coming together of these two beautifully bubbly personalities. Even the constant drone of the nearby motorsport festival had little bearing on Renee’s huge grin she wore all throughout the ceremony.
Glamour Photos
Once the family photos were done, we were free to walk about the gardens for some glamour photos. We managed to do a whole lap of the place using the stunning backdrops the botanic gardens naturally provide.
Earl of Leicester Hotel Reception
After around an hour of glamour photos, we drove to the Earl of Leicester Hotel, south of the city for a beautifully intimate lunch time reception, complete with hand made dolls and a projector showcasing images of Renee and Ben while they were dating. The guests all had a short poem speech prepared as a surprise and made everyone laugh the entire time I was there.
Renee and Ben’s wedding at the Botanic Garden’s Summer House Gazebo was an absolute blast to be a part of and I’m so glad Renee and Ben had me as their photographer!
Golding Winery Wedding – Brooke & Cohen
It was a reasonably overcast day for Brooke and Cohen’s wedding at the Golding Winery in Lobethal, but luckily the rain held off just enough so that we got their ceremony and their glamour photos done before the end of their reception at the Stangate house in Stirling. really the planning that went into Brooke and Cohen’s day couldn’t be more perfect for the weather, having their ceremony reasonably early so that their lunch time reception was hardly affected due to the foresight of the shrewd purchase of a fleet of white awnings that covered the entire congregating for their reception.
Preparation
The day started as it usually does with the preparation photos at the couple’s house where Cohen and his boys were getting ready. The atmosphere was very relaxed with Cohen fussing over table lists, and the different novelty socks each other were wearing 🙂 The trickiest part was putting on their suspenders, which none of the boys had ever worn before 🙂
Brooke and her bridal party were being prepared at a delightful little bed and breakfast called Billy’s Cottage in Hahndorf, complete with a beautiful room with an open fireplace and lush green garden, which provided for a lovely backdrop for their preparation photos :). The girls preparation wasnt running as smoothly as the boys, having crept over their planned departure time by about 20 minutes before I head off to the Golding Winery, but it all worked out fine in the end!
Golding Winery Wedding Ceremony
The Golding Winery is a beautifully situated winery in Lobethal, featuring sweeping vineyards along a sloping hill that can be backdropped with a wonderful sunset on non-cloudy days, it’s grounds also feature a beautiful curated garden and sweeping driveway lined with trees and a large pond. The wedding ceremony location is just off the front of the cellar door, which is a large grassed area, framed with foliage from hedges and other plants. There was a large plastic awning in place for Brooke and Cohen’s wedding due to the threat of rain, and the congregation was covered with umbrellas, but thankfully they weren’t needed. brooke and Cohen had organised two white doors to backdrop their ceremony which framed them as they were saying their vows with each other. It was a lovely spot and the emotions were certainly showing from within the congregation ranks! 🙂
Glamour Photos
Once the group photo was taken care of, on the driveway in front of their ceremony location using my drone, and the mandatory family photos we first made use of the wonderful Golding Winery grounds, before heading down the road for a photo under the gum tree awning, before heading to the Stangate House gardens before their lunch-time reception was due to start.
Stangate House Wedding Reception
As I said before, everyone was thankful for the last-minute purchase of white awnings to cover the entire reception as towards the end of their reception, the heavens opened and did not stop for the rest of the night. That being said however, several very intense games of jenga were being had and the guests were treated to the stunning Stangate gardens for a good few hours before that happened. 🙂
Thanks so much to Brooke and Cohen for having me as their wedding photographer, I hope they enjoy their photos and much as I enjoyed being part of their day!
