I head out recently for a bit of a family shoot with the aim of updating the aging family photos that had been taken quite a few years prior! We head out to the Bone Gully Forest section of Kuitpo Forest near Kangarilla to make use of the dying light and we certainly produced what we set out to do!
Bone Gully would have to be one of my favourite spots to head to within the Kuitpo forest area as the kills and closely growing pine trees make for a marvellouslly intimate atmosphere! It’s just a shame not many wedding couples are keen on heading this far out of Mclaren Vale to utilise it. Makes it easier when it’s a family shoot like this though!
Lisa’s family came from far and wide, mainly from ceduna to update their family photos and I’m so glad to have been a part of their little outing as their family photographer!
Family Photoshoot at Bone Gully Forest
Smiling boy amongst the trees
Standing in the trees of Kuitpto Forest
Couple standing amongst the trees in Bone Gully Forest
Tahlia and Alex’s Seppeltsfield Winery Wedding was an absolute blast to be a part of! Beautiful people, amazing venue and the weather was just sublime to take wedding photos!
Even though Tahlia and Alex has originally planned on holding their wedding in Fiji but due to COVID could not – which I was very much looking forward to as a destination wedding photographer – Their Seppeltsfield Winery Wedding turned out to be absolutely brilliant and I’m so pleased for this couple to have had such a fun filled day in the Barossa Valley!
Preparation
The day started out by me heading to Alex’s place of preparation at a bed and breakfast in Tanunda. The mood was jovial, with the boys all having a little bit of fun at Alex’s expense, followed up by a delightful drop of liquid courage which they all shared before heading out to meet Tahlia for their first look.
Grooms wedding shoes
Wedding rings on tie
Groom about to get ready
Groom buttoning up shirt in front of window
Groom looking out window pensively
Best man Helping tie tie on groom
Helping tie tie on groom
Groom socks
Close up of groom affects
Groom and grooms men walking away down road
Groom and grooms men walking down road
Groom looking great
Tahlia and her bridal party were also having a bit of fun with laughter and smiles all over the place. The bed and breakfast that tahlia had chosen for her preparation venue looked to be purpose built for having bridal party photos done, being decorated with rustic affects and painted white throughout, it was a delightful spot to get ready in!
Wedding dress hanging on white stairs
Bride sitting about getting ready
Engagement ring in flowers 5
Engagement ring in flowers 6
Bridal wedding shoes on bed
Bride having her makeup done
Bride having her makeup done 2
Bride and her bridesmaids sitting together
Bride putting on her wedding gown
Smiling bride as she gets ready
Bridal party having fun on white stairs
Bride playing with her bouquet on stairs
Bride playing with her bouquet in front of window
Bride with her wedding gown on
Bride bathed in light
Seppeltsfield Winery Wedding First Look
Tahlia and Alex opted to have what’s known as a ‘first look’ where they actually get together before their wedding ceremony in order to see each other outside the prying eyes of friends and family at their ceremony.
This allows for any nerves that Tahlia and Alex may have been feeling to be dispelled defore their ceremony and can produce some lovely intimate moments that otherwise would not have happened if they were to do the traditional ‘first look’ as Tahlia walks down the aisle.
We also made use of the time just after the first look to have bridal party photos done with the bridal cars around the Seppeltsfield Winery grounds using the delightful trees they have hiding at the back of the grounds.
Groom waiitng patiently for his bride
bride approaching her groom for their first look
Bridal first look
Groom turning around to see bride
Wedding first look
Bride and groom together at Seppeltsfield Winery
Smiling bride and groom at Seppeltsfield winery
Bride and groom laughing together
Bridal party walking amongst the trees
Bridal party at Seppeltsfield Winery
Passionate kiss in between wedding cars
Seppeltsfield winery wedding photo
Seppeltsfield winery wedding photography
bridal party together on the grounds of Seppeltsfield winery
Seppeltsfield Winery Wedding Ceremony
Tahlia and Alex’s Seppeltsfield Winery Wedding ceremony took place on what’s known as the ‘winemaker’s lawn’ which is an open grassy area surrounded by delightful old buildings with a backdrop of amazing glory vine that covers the majority of the wall behind the bridal party. During the Summer this wall is a vivid bottle green which makes for an amazing backdrop for a wedding ceremony.
What would have to be the star of the show during Tahlia and Alex’s ceremony was their little page boy who would be as cute as a button beaming at everyone as he approached the ceremony holding the wedding bands for Alex!
Page Boy smiling
bride being walked down aisle
bride being walked down aisle with father
Groom seeing his bride during weddign ceremony
Seppeltsfield winery wedding ceremony
Laughing groom during ceremony 2
Wide shot of wedding ceremony
Smiling bride during wedding ceremony 3
Bride and groom holding hands during wedding ceremony
Bride looking at her groom smiling
Groom looking at his bride smiling
Seppeltsfield Wedding Ceremony
Closeup of exchanging wedding bands
First kiss at Seppelsfield winery wedding
Seppeltsfield winery wedding ceremony photo
Hugs with page boy
Signing wedding documents
Bride and groom exiting wedding cermeony at Seppeltsfield winery
Glamour Photos
Soon after the ceremony and group phtoos, we then had a little time before heading out to Harvest Kitchen for their wedding reception.
We began by driving out and up the road a little bit to make use of the famed palm trees that line the roads in this part of Seppeltsfield while also ducking in to the vines for a few intimate portraits there.
We then split up with most of the bridal party heading towards the wedding reception while we drove back to Seppeltsfield winery to make more use of the wonderful trees on site for some more glamour photos.
bridal party in front of bridal cars on Seppeltsfield rd
Groom surprising bride in vineyards
Bride and groom sharing a moment in the vineyards
Wedding Photo in Seppeltsfield winery vineyards
Bride and grom holding one another in vineyards 5
Bride and groom standing with each other in trees
Bride and groom standing with each other in trees at Seppeltsfield winery
In amongst the pepper trees
In amongst the pepper trees smiling
Seppeltsfield winery wedding photo in forest
Seppeltsfield winery wedding photo in trees
Seppeltsfield winery wedding photography in trees
Traditional Wedding photo
Traditional Wedding photo on log
Harvest Kitchen Wedding Reception
The Calabria Family Winery hosted tahlia and Alex’s wedding reception at what they call their Harvest Kitchen restaurant. The reception area boasts an open grassy area suitable for entertaining guests who arrived early, while the restaurant area had penty of room to host a medium sized wedding reception. The tables were moved throughout the night to make room for the dance floor which was put to good use!
The food was absolutely sensational, with share platters and personable chefs to explain exactly what’s been put in front of us and the atmosphere was one which made the entire night super enjoyable!
Wedding cake on display at Harvest Kitchen
Calabria Family Wines
Bride and groom entrance at Harvest Kitchen
Walking towards wedding cake
Cutting the wedding cake at Harvest Kitchen
Wedding shoe game at Harvest Kitchen
Wedding shoe game at Harvest Kitchen Reception
Best man speech during reception
groom speech during reception at harvest Kitchen
Daddy Daugher Dance at Harvest Kitchen
Having fun with the first dance
intimate First Dance Photo
Bride smiling during first dance
Dance floor opens up
Bride dancing with guests
Exciting Garter toss
Bride about to throw Bouquet at Harvest Kitchen
Active Bouquet Toss
Thanks so much Tahlia and Alex for having me photograph your big day! Hopefully this amazing Seppeltsfield winery wedding was ample sustitute for your plans in Fiji! It was an absolutely incredible day and I just adored how your photos turned out!
Sometimes the best parts of a wedding aren’t the bride’s entrance or the fun reception. It’s the moments leading up to the actual event when all the preparations are still taking place. These make for great photographs because they give a behind-the-scenes look at what it took for the couple, their loved ones, and guests to prepare for the big day.
If you consider your wedding album as a story, then the preparation photos are all about the personalities of the two main characters of your story, and the lead up to the big moment of your wedding ceremony – then the lovely dovey ‘living happily after’ bits at the end 🙂
How to get stunning wedding preparation photos
If you’re planning on having preparation photos with your wedding photographer, there are some aspects of your photography session that you will want to get just right. Here are some tips on how to get stunning wedding preparation photos –
Lighting
The most important component of photography is lighting as it will determine how well your photographer can capture the moment. Locations with good lighting sources will make it easier for both you and your photographer to get a good shot. While a photographer can make the best out of a bad situation, having difficult lighting conditions will definitely take more time and effort to work with.
For wedding preparation photos, it’s best to prepare the location beforehand. Most wedding preparations take place in a hotel or house, so scout for a good room that offers plenty of natural light and some nice ambient lighting as well. It’s important to visit the rooms themselves when checking wedding photo locations around Adelaide as they tend to look much larger in photos featured on the hotel’s websites. You’ll want to make sure your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and the photography crew will fit comfortably in the space you choose.
Bride looking out window at Thorngrove Manor
Tidy Spaces
Photographers can work with almost any environment they’re in, but most photos look best with plenty of open space and a minimal amount of clutter. Preparations tend to be quite a flurry of activity with make-up and clothes all over the place. Cleaning up the room where the photographs will be taken will have them looking much cleaner, more professional, and more worthy of keeping in your collection of wedding photos.
Wedding dress hung in window
Less is More
When getting ready for your wedding, try to limit the number of family members who help you get ready, at least for the duration of the photoshoot. Although it’s nice to have everybody involved, photographers will sometimes have to contend with multiple requests for photos with the bride and groom when the focus should be on the couple getting ready for their big day.
It will likely become a process that will stress you out, especially with getting ready being as hectic as it is—and adding extended family to distract you can be extra trying for your patience too! For preparations to go smoothly, it’s best to have just the bridal party and groomsmen, parents, and siblings to help the couple.
Taking the wedding dress for a spin
Hair & Makeup
Great preparation photos will also depend on the quality of hair and make-up. While it’s fun to have a few photos with rollers in your hair, it’s best to have variety in your shots to show the progression of your getting ready. Most photographers will recommend that you have most of your make-up and hair done before the shoot begins so that there’s not as much waiting to do.
Hiring a professional make-up artist is strongly recommended to get the best results since they’ll know how to make it flattering for both the camera flash and in-person. It cannot be understaated the importance of this to get stunning wedding preparation photos! It would also be worth doing a trial make-up run before the actual day to make sure that it is exactly the look you’re going for to avoid being late and having the photoshoot take longer than usual.
Saving time on hair and makeup will allow the photographer to get more pictures of you getting ready. Fixing up your dress, talking to your bridal party and family, and perhaps even enjoying a glass of champagne before the walk down the aisle are all important moments to capture!
Bride having makeup done
Having wedding preparation photos is all about capturing the moments leading up to the one monent everybody has been waiting for: when the bride and groom are finally married. Finding a photographer that you can trust to capture your most intimate and precious times with your soon-to-be spouse is crucial to make those memories in between the big event last a lifetime.
Some wedding photography packages in Adelaide will include wedding preparation photos. Here at Sven Studios, we offer professional wedding photographer solutions that will capture the best moments of your wedding day in a natural, fun, and relaxed way. To book us for your wedding, feels free to look through our website and browse our packages.
Erin and Phil were the bridal couple at one of the first ever weddings I covered as a wedding photographer all the way back in 2011, so it’s always nice to see how families are progressing when they ask me to come out again and produce some updated family portraits! I’ve also known Erin and her family since I was very little so it’s doubly nice to reconnect and have a bit of a chat. 🙂
We head out to the lovely Veale Gardens on South terrace in the city early in the morning so that we avoided the majority of walkers and have the gardens to ourselves. The sun is also at a nice height in the sky at this time in the morning so as to avoid most of the harsh shadows that can otherwise creep across faces in an unflattering way.
We began in the carpark behind the Pavillian restaurant and made use of the gum trees behind Veale gardens to create a bit of diversity in the colours of the final photos – as otherewise every photo has the emerald green colours of the curated grass within the gardens. it’s good to have some variety! We then walked up the rolling grassy hills towards the last rock pool, then looped back via the man made river meandering through the space.
As a result, I think The Kennedy’s Veale Gardens Family Shoot produced some lovely keepsake moments and nice family portraits for them to treasure forever more! helps a bunch when the kids are as well behaved as these were! Turned out to be a lovely morning.
