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How to Capture Memorable Beach Wedding Photos – 5 Tips

Joyful beach jump by a happy couple against a serene ocean backdrop.

Beach Wedding Photos That Capture Perfect Moments

Having a wedding by the beach is a dream for most couples, and as an Australian-based wedding photographer I’ve been to my fair share! Particularly at this time of year – it’s warming up and everyone wants to head to the beach!

When you think about a romantic setting, the beach is often on top of the list. Imagine the blue and calm ocean as your ceremony’s background, with the light beaming off the waves, and a cool, delightful sea breeze that embraces you and your guests. That is a special welcome ceremony for starting a new, happy life together.

Top 5 Beach Wedding Photos Tips for Unforgettable Memories

With this heavenly setting, you can take beautifully captured wedding photos. If you want breathtaking beach wedding photos to display at home, here are some beach wedding photos tips to enhance an already captivating ceremony and make the most of your stunning setting!

 

Bride and Groom on Maslin beach

 

#1 Find a beach you can own for the day

While tourist beaches probably come to mind first, you might want to find a place that is not too crowded. You will likely find a location that is as good but also peaceful and pristine. Aim for a beach with clear waters, fine sand, and surrounded by hundreds of trees. There are quite a surprising number of these types of beaches available here in Adelaide, Darwin, and Hobart!

While these points might seem like a given for most people, sometimes the beaches that some people want to goto can be quite dreadful. Take for example the Hallett Cove Conservation Park here locally, south of Adelaide – stunning surrounds but the entire beach is covered in pebbles – or try setting up a Darwin wedding ceremony on one of their beaches where the sand quickly turns into quicksand and swallows your feet!

Make sure it is also easy to reach for your guests but miles away from civilisation. A private resort or a remote island will be a perfect getaway for all to have a romantic barefoot ceremony and make for some stunning beach wedding photos.

Middleton beach Wedding

#2 Check the weather and tide forecast

A photo taken during high tide will look different from one taken during low tide. Some beaches will look dry during low tide, which is a crucial detail to know, especially for your photographer. With this information, your photographer should be able to come up with plans to make the setting even more magical than it looks. The team should be able to make informed decisions using tide charts and weather forecasts.

One of my favourite spots to shoot in Darwin is especially succeptible to this! Sometimes there is a beautiful rocky beach to frolick around, while other timese it’s covered in meters of water. Check the tides, a!nd the timing of the sunsets too

Semaphore Beach Sunset

#3 Make a beautiful ceremony arbour

A wedding by the beach is beautiful on its own, but add a gorgeous arbour, and you will have a centrepiece that can also serve as a nice backdrop for beach wedding photos. You should carefully choose where to position this arbour, as you want the lighting to be just right for your photos. It;s best for your photographer to position youselves so that the sun is shinging on you from behind, and not to any one side.

Ideally, the ocean should be the view behind the couple. However, if the scene is not camera-friendly, and if the sun is in the wrong direction, you can always create a stunning nature backdrop instead. You can either go big and create an extravagant centrepiece covered with flowers or opt for a minimalistic bamboo arbour.

Glenelg beach wedding

#4 Make sure you bring appropriate clothing

Wedding attire isn’t what most people would often wear to the beach, and generally can be a bit of a bother when trying to scramble over rocks, or wade through sand – but if you prepare correctly the beach wedding photos you capture can be well worth the effort!

First up are the shoes – bridal heels need to be swapped out for either flats or no shoes at all, while your groom’s hushpuppies are going to be fairly annoying getting filled with sand also. Either dress as though you were going to the beach, or be prepared to have a bunch of people helping you walk about.

A long dress train is bound to get sandy and dirty before your reception – be prepared for this! If you don’t mind a bit of dirt on your special dress, then go to the beach! If not, perhaps stay on the grass or jetties – or not head to the beach all.

You’d usually think about heading to the beach on a hot day too – so if your wedding day turns out this way, perhaps plan for a short shoot in places you’d like to go and limit the amount of time you spend in the sun. A 3 piece suit and heavy dresses are not the best outfits in this kind of weather and can actually be dengerous to your health. Make sure you bring plenty of water.

Darwin’s Pride rock

#5 Guests attire can also be thematic

What you wear will affect how your photos will look, and the same goes for your bridesmaids and guests. Choose outfits that are stylish and weatherproof, and remind your guests to do the same as well. Avoid feautres like facinators that will easily be blown by the wind so you can be comfortable throughout the ceremony.

Since your wedding is not a traditional church wedding, you can be more creative with your approach. Instead of the traditional veil, try using a floral crown. You can also choose bohemian gowns that are perfect for beach celebrations. If you choose to do so, do not forget to pick a groom’s suit that matches your dress. More importantly, add accessories and statement pieces to make the wedding photos stand out.

Bride and groom on Maslins Beach

A beach wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you should not take for granted. Even if your chosen setting is already a beautiful sight, following the beach wedding photos tips mentioned in this article can help you elevate the experience and ensure that all your beach wedding photos will be as magical as you imagined.

 

Do you need Adelaide-based wedding photography services for your beach wedding? SvenStudios is a trusted wedding photography studio that will give you memorable photos to treasure and look back on. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.

 

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The Best Wedding Photo Locations in Darwin

From the weather, the people, and the incredible sunsets, shooting a wedding in Darwin has always been an incredible experience for me and I’d like to share some of my favourite wedding photo locations in Darwin.

My goal here is to provide a simple list of locations in and around the Darwin general area, without having to force bridal couples to travel too far. I’ve also restricted this list to free to enter locations – that is photo locations that do not require a permit in order to be allowed ot have photos taken there or even an out-and-out Darwin Wedding Venue. An example of an otherwise obvious addition to this list would be the Darwin Botanic Gardens which do require a permit.

A list of my favourite Wedding Photo Locations in Darwin

Nightcliff Jetty and Surrounds

The Nightcliff Jetty and surrounding parks is a popular spot for locals and tourists a like to bask in the glow of the famous Darwin sunsets that light up the sky in a glorious orange glow during the Darwin wedding season. It’s not uncommon to see multiple weddings having their sunset photos done here in the evening.

It’s the uninterrupted view of the sunset and the wonderful rocks that emerge from the ocean that draw people here to have their photography done!

Darwin wedding sunset

East Point Reserve

Similar to the Nightcliff rocks, the East Point reserve has some incredible rock formations you can have an adventurous bridal couple climb over for some epic scenes – particularly at sunset. Also if you’re able to time it right, at low tide you can walk down from nearby Pee Wees on the Point to the beach with some incredible rocks, mango trees and coloured cliffs that make for some great backdrops! Just takes a bit of planning from the bridal couple to get down there. You can also use some of the World War 2 historical buildings nearby.

Darwin’s Pride rock
Out on pride rock
Darwin wedding photo

SunSet Beach / Fannie Bay Foreshore

Just down the road from the East Point reserve is SunSet Beach which is one of my favourite wedding photo locations in Darwin largely due to it’s so easy to get to. Both Nightcliff and East Point rocks require your bridal couple to be ok with traipsing over rocks – where as its the same with Sunset beach, but it’s a lot easier to get to, and less dangerous.

Out on the water

Lake Alexander

Right across the road from SunSet Beach is Lake Alexander. If you’re looking for a little more greenery in your Darwin wedding photography, then heading to the Lake Alexander park would be your best bet. With curated lawns and green trees bordering the lake itself, it makes for a nice change in pace from the dark greens, and yellows you would get from shooting in front of cliffs, beaches and rocks all day.

Walking together
Holding one another

Gardens Park Trees

When covering a wedding in Darwin I always try to visit the incredible trees located on Gardens rd, just outside the entrance to the Darwin Botanic Gardens. The  unique trees that are growing in Gardens Park make for an incredible backdrop for wedding photography. And it’s not just one or two of thetrees here, it’s pretty much all of them! They are climbable, huge, always green and would not look out of place in any Harry Potter movie.

Under a tree
Bridal Party under a tree
Darwin wedding trees

Vestey’s Beach Rocks

If you’re looking for a relatively quiet sandy beach, and a few rocks, then Vestey’s beach is a good bet. It’s a beach that’s closed off from the famous Mindil beach next door, but usually without the crowds that usually go along with Mindil beach during the dry season due to the Mindil beach markets. The rocks a short walk from the boat ramp make a nice frame to any shot too.

Vesteys beach rocks

Darwin Waterfront Precinct

If you’re after a more industrial feel to your wedding photography, the Darwin waterfront precinct would be one of my favourite wedding photo locations in Darwin. Away from the restaurants and tourists, there are some fun walkways and industrial looking walls lining walkways with the bay in the background.

There is also the Bicentennial park nearby, which I have not made one of my favourite wedding photo locations due to the fact that it’s nearly impossible to go there without getting others in the background which is usually the aim win wedding photography.

Bride and Groom walking together near Wharf One
Bridal Party

Rock formations on Casurina drive

It’s really hard to get a bridal couple to head out here for photos, but when they do it always pays off. The famed ‘fingers’ rock formation is difficult to get to, due to the long walk, or jumping over a fence to get to, it’s also a fair way away from any other photo spots – so to get here it can eat up a bit of time which is usually at a premium on a wedding day. But just look at this place!

Darwin Fingers Rock Formation

Darwin Surf Club Beach

It’s not so much the Darwin Surf club, but rather the beach out the front of the wedding venue. The beach not only goes on for miles in both directions, but also boasts hundreds of meters of sand between the land and the water at low tide. The reflections you can get in water pools at sunset are absolutely awesome.

Darwin Surf Club

There are so many other gems of wedding photo locations around Darwin, but these are a few of my favourite wedding photo locations in Darwin to get you started exploring the wonderful photo opportunities that this city offers.

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Mclaren Vale wineries – 8 of my favourite

  • Above the Ekhidna Winery vineyard

 

A list of Mclaren Vale wineries

Being a local to the area, having grown up and still living nearby to Mclaren Vale and also being a wedding photographer that is often asked to cover weddings in Mclaren Vale, I’ve come to really enjoy heading to Mclaren Vale and thought I’d list some of my favourite Mclaren Vale wineries. This list is based on my own personal preferences and is not ranked from most favourite to least favourite – it’s just how lists go, they need to be numbered! 😀 Also most of the photos I’ve featured in the list were photos I’ve taken at weddings I’ve covered at that winery.

Mclaren Vale boasts some of the most world-reknown best vineyards and wineries that create some of the best wine in the world. The scenery available in the region is also sometimes absolutely incredible. The entire town of Mclaren Vale is under strict government ordnance no not develop too much so as to preserve the unique charm the area has developed over it’s long history. I love heading down to Mclaren Vale as it feels like a beautiful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life – and you can enjoy some great wine and food too! I’ll be writing up a short personal description of each winery and also giving my choice of my favourite drink produced at each!

1. Ekhidna Winery

Ekhidna Winery is a small little winery located off a short dirt track, but still pretty much right in the middle of the Mclaren vale wine district. The winery is backdropped by the stunning southern hills and the cellar door itself is surrounded by vineyards that light up spectacularly during sunset. Although it’s a winery my favourite drop from here are the alcoholic ginger beers on offer here – they are just great!

Ekhidna Winery Wedding Ceremony
Ekhidna Wines
Walking amongst the Ekhidna Winery vines

2. Coriole Winery

Coriole was always my own personal choice of winery to host my own wedding at, as the whole set up is nothing short of spectacular. The grassy area where a wedding or event would usually take place overlooks the whole valley of Mclaren Vale, while there is a small intimate courtyard in amongst the garden and heritage building that makes up the establishment. My favourite wine would have to be the 2016 Cabernet Merlot.

Kisses in the Coriole Vineyard
Coriole Winery Wedding
Coriole Winery Wedding

3. Woodstock Winery

Woodstock Winery has one of th enicest settings for an upper class restaurant in the region in my opinion. I always enjoy heading out here for a nice lunch with the family – although it can be a little pricey. As for an event venue, it boasts a large grassy area surrounded by gum trees and vineyards which makes for a beautifully intimate setting. The Woodstock winery ‘Ruby Velvet’ Sparkling red is my choice of wine from here!

Woodstock winery at dusk
Woodstock winery wine bottles
Woodstock winery wedding ceremony

4. SC Pannell Winery

SC Pannell is one of the few Mclaren Vale wineries in this list that faces East to West, rather than North South – this is important when you’re thinking of sunset photos. I’m not entirely sure if they still offer wedding ceremonies or receptions as last time I was here they were changing hands and werent sure on the furtue of weddings at their venue. The winery has a very nifty motif for their logo and their bottles stand out amongst the rest because of it. My favourite wine from here would have to be their 2016 Tanino.

SC Pannell Wedding Reception Hall
SC Pannell wall
Walking down the SC Pannell driveway

5. Maxwell Wines

I feel as though Maxwell wines was never really set up to host large events, but as a venue it can handle smaller gatherings and weddings rather nicely. It’s restaurant isnt huge, nor is there much flat grass to stand on, but there is an awesome maze to venture through and a wonderful aged cellar that is great to take moody photos in. Maxwell may also be a name better attributed to it’s Mead production too as the winery produces one of the most well known brands of Mead around!

Maxwell winery wedding ceremony
Maxwell winery Cellar wedding photo
Winery wedding

6. Paxton Winery

Paxton Winery is a delightful little spot hidden on one of the backstreets leading into Mclaren Vale. I say it’s hidden as it’s located on a little dirt road and can be a little tricky to get to if you’re already in Mclaren Vale itself. Whats great about this little winery is it’s stunning vistas available form it’s cellar door, coupled with the wonderful heritage listed buildings around the place that adds to the charm of this wonderful spot. I’m going to have to go for the Pinot Gris from here.

Paxton Winery Roof
Bride and Groom in Pepper Tree

7. Serafino Winery

Serafino Winery is perhaps one of the most popular spots in Mclaren Vale to host a wedding as it can cater to both high and low budget weddings, while also being able to be set up to reflect the budget. The main event hall is stunning with a domed glass roof, and it’s wide open grassy areas make for some wonderful spots to walk about or host an event. Talking of events, Serafino wines usually hosts some of the bigger music festivals in Mclaren Vale like Hot Dub Wine Machine. My favourite drop from here would be any of their award winning Terremoto Syrahs.

Serafino winery’s reception hall
Serafinos Wedding First Dance
Serafino wedding

8. Olivers White Hill Estate

Olivers is an interesting one to add to this list as the winery itself is not the same as the bed and breakfast I usually visit for weddings – so sorry to say thT i cannot recommed a wine from this particular winery 🙂 The appeal of this spot is the fact that it’s one of the oldest houses in Mclaren vale and the gardens overlook a beautiful little pond surrounded by native gum trees.

Cake in Olivers Chaff Shed reception hall
Olivers Chaff Shed grounds
Olivers Chaff Shed reception area

There are so many more Mclaren Vale wineries so this is by far not a complete list – I will however be adding more to this list as I sample more Mclaren Vale wineries!

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Beautiful Santorini Wedding – Greece – Kerri & Tony

Both Kerri and Tony live in Adelaide, South Australia, but chose to hold a destination Santorini wedding in order to head around Europe on honeymoon. Another reason was that Kerri and Tony met in Canada, where Tony lived, so in order to make the wedding fair to both families they held it somewhere in between the two countries!

Preparation

While shooting destination weddings in Santorini is an absolute blast and pretty much a wedding photographer’s dream, walking inbetween wedding venues in the height of the Greek summer was no easy task! Thera is a town located right at the top of the cliffs, so walking to any wedding venue really takes it’s toll on your thighs! I mention this as Tony and Kerri were both prepared at different locations a good walk away form one another – good thing I’m fit! 😛

I started the day with Tony and his family, with his groomsmen who all travelled out from Canada for the big day. After getting in a bit of trouble splashing a bit of water out from the pool in order to get a shot of the boys jumping in, I took photos of them all getting ready. It was a fairly laid back affair with Tony showing little to no signs of nerves, and more keen on having a good time with his mates.

Jumping int he pool
Swimming
Bow Tie
Wedding Shoes
Putting on shirt
Putting on shirt
Doing up tie
Doing up tie
Groom and his groomsmen
Walking down the road

Kerri and her bridal party were the same, laughing and joking about whilst occasionally doing little dances all around the rooms and making funny faces in front of the camera. Perhaps the only difference was that everyone got ready inside so as to avoid the beating heat of the lovely sunny day. Kerri’s paresnts and flower girl dropped in for a visit just as she was about to leave which was nice as we got to have some family photos done before walking up to the ceremony at Dana Villas.

Wedding dress
Looking in mirror
Getting dressed
Getting dressed
Putting on bracelet
Engagement ring
Laughing in mirror
Standing in doorway
Getting ready
Dancing about
Dad looking on
Flower girl
Walking up stairs
Playing with flowers
Bridal crew

Dana Villas, Santorini Wedding

The Dana Villas ceremony location is a one of those Santorini wedding venues that you recognise straight away – even if you’ve never visited Santorini. Overlooking the entirety of the Santorini caldera – caused by an ancient volcanic eruption, the romantic setting of the Dana Villas wedding terrace is the setting of any dream wedding ceremony, and in my opinion would have to be one of the best wedding venues on the island.

There is a purpose built wooden arbour that covers where the bride and groom stand during wedding ceremones, while having a stunning viewpoint to the waters below. It’s conveniently located amongst some of the more upper scale hotel accomodations available on the island, and also withing short walking distance to the center of the town of Thera. The space allows for an intimate wedding ceremony with no compromise.

Kerri and Tony’s intimate Santorini wedding was officiated by a friend of theirs using some personal injokes and personalised vows that made sure their congregation were chuckling throughout. They even went as far as incorporate their mutal love of board games by having the rule book of ‘Settlers of Catan‘ as their marriage registry book.

As everyone had travelled for this destination wedding, both from Canada and Australia the congregation was a rather intimate affair with no more than 40-50 people in attandance.

Groom looking for bride
Bridal arrival
Bridal arrival
Smiling bride
Smiling bride
Dana Villas Wedding Ceremony Location
Santorini Wedding Ceremony
Standing together
Reading vows
Smiling bride
Exchaning vows
Laughing
Smiling groom
Santorini wedding ceremony
Exchaning rings
First kiss
Smiles
Exit

Thera, Santorini Wedding Glamour Photos

As Kerri and Tony werent overly keen on the idea of spending too much time on their wedding day having glamour photos taken, I had spent the previous few days I had in the island scouting out spots on the walk in between the Villas and the Apelos cafe – where their reception was taking place. The aim being that I could utilise the wonderous views of Thera on Santorini, without taking up too much time before entering their reception and starting the party 🙂

A goal of mine before heading out to Santorini was to find a spot to capture the iconic blue domed church and three bell arch that’s symbolic of the Greek isles backdropped by the agean sea – luckily I found a spot in Thera for just that purpose and it wasn’t too crowded with tourists for us to use. For other shots I simply used the stairways and wonderful vistas the island naturally provides.

Just a tip for anyone out there planning a Santorini Wedding – try to book your day during a period where there are few cruise ships in port, as the island tends to fill up with tourists in no time when there are 3-5 cruise ships in town and some of the best spots for photo taking just get swamped!

Looking over the caldera of Santorini
Walking through the streets of Thera
Putting on jacket
Skipping down the steps
Kisses
Sitting together
Bride and her girls
Kiss on the cheek
Bridal party
Santorini Wedding
Santorini Wedding
Under a lamp post
Silly faces
Lovey dovey
Bridal party walking together in Thera, Santorini
Bride and her bridal aprty
Bride and groom in front of blue domed church
Santorini wedding photography
infront of flowers
Walk ways of Thera, Santorini
Thera, Santorini Wedding

Apelos Wedding Reception

The Ampelos cafe in the middle of the city of Thera is a wonderful little cafe situated on the rooftop overlooking the caldera of Santorini. It’s located right on the main pedestrian strip of the city where at sunset it gets super crowded with tourists, so being above everyone in the rooftop space was great for uninterrupted views of the world-reknowned sunset.

On one side of the reception space theres a magnificent white domed church which made for a beautiful backdrop for Kerri and Tony’s head table, while the guests tables were situated under the roofing, surrounding the dance floor. It was a beautiful spot to end what was an absolutely stunning day!

Entry to Reception
Entry to Reception
Guests
Laughing groom
The last supper
Bride looking out over Santorini’s Caldera
Laughing bride
Speeches
Santorini Sunset
Santorini Sunset
Speech
Speech
Wedding cake
First dance
First dance
Flower girl cuddles
Bouquet toss

I’d be super keen to head back for any other Santorini weddings that you might have planned! Get in touch as I’d go out of my way to be const effective and my usual super awesome self! Or If you’d just like to have a chat about wedding venues in Santorini, I’m your guy!

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Why you should bring your photographer with you to your destination wedding

Canada scene

Why you should bring your photographer

As some of you may know, I’ve just got back from Greece to cover a destination wedding on the lovely island of Santorini, complete with iconic blue domed churches and blindingly white architecture on the top of cliffs surrounding a caldera of an anciently erupted volcano.

It’s obvious why the bridal couple selected such a spot for their wedding ceremony, despite the fact they had to travel halfway around the globe to hold it! Hosting a destination wedding like this simply allows you to hold your wedding in your perfect location, and not having to settle for something mediocre by comparison.

It’s usually not a cheap exercise however and should only be contemplated by those super keen on hosting the most perfect wedding ever! Which is why I’m writing this article about why you should bring your photographer with you to your destination wedding.

Santorini destination wedding

Think about it, you’re hoping to host the wedding of the century in such a stunning location, and you’re willing to trust your photos and/or video to someone your wedding venue sorted for you? One of the drawbacks of hosting a destination wedding is that many venues or local wedding planners would bundle people like your wedding photographer or videographer in with the package deals they present you, meaning they are looking to make as much profit as possible.

It’s sometimes the case that they will find local ‘friends with a camera’ or cheap photographers to save themselves as much money as possible when sorting out your wedding.

If you can’t control other aspects of your wedding, at the very least try to control the one thing that will remain after the day is over – your photography and/or video, which is why you should bring your photographer with you to your destination wedding!

No wedding ever goes off without some small hitch or problem. There’s just so many things being organised and planned, it’s only natural for some small issue to arise. This is magnified when you’re hosting a destination wedding where you’ll be placing your faith in the venue or wedding planner to handle all of your vendors and set up for the most part.

Some things are definitely minor and able to get over them quickly – like the flowers being the wrong shade, or the chairs being a few short, but your photography? That’s not getting done again and is why you should use someone you trust, despite having to fly them around the world to your destination wedding!

Santorini destination wedding

Why you should bring your photographer with you to your destination wedding

Bringing your own photographer to your destination wedding offers you assurance of being able to research and select the exact photographer you want! You can perfectly link their style, personality, experience and packages to what you like, rather than relying on what your venue or planner say you want 🙂 Then the photos you that they capture from your day will be as memorable as you hope them to be.

As you probably know, your photographer and videographer (if you choose to have one) will be spending more time with you on your big day than anyone else; it’s important to select someone you know will do a good job on your day. This is true for any wedding, but especially true for a destination wedding – any wedding photographer that travels for destination weddings are super passionate in what they do and will go above and beyond to capture the day in a way they are sure you’ll enjoy while also being a huge opportunity for them to travel and see the world – which as being a photographer that’s pretty much our thing!

Photographers that you bring with you will most likely offer an uninterrupted full days coverage (not so with most resort photo packages) – although I do this anyway.

You may be reading this and agreeing with my points, but also in the back of your mind you’d be thinking the cost of bringing someone with you would include airfares, accomodation and then the usual rate your photographer charges so wouldn’t be overly cost effective – which to be honest would be mostly true, but hopefully the understanding and trust you have with the photographer you’ve brought would stretch beyond the cost.

Selecting a photographer for your dream wedding shouldn’t be able cost, and cutting costs on a photographer is one of the most common regrets from couples after their day.

That said however, if you love a photographer you have found and what them, and only them to travel with you to cover your wedding, much of the time they will cut a deal just for the opportunity.

For example in my case, the recent wedding I covered in Santorini, I covered in exchange for a lovely holiday – and yet another wedding I’m covering in Fiji next year I wanted to have in my portfolio, so I made my rates similar to what a local photographer would charge. Chances are bringing your own photographer could be more cost effective than you think! Another reason why you should bring your photographer with you to your destination wedding.

Santorini destination wedding

When it comes right down to it, planning and pulling off a destination wedding takes a lot of time, effort, money and stress – much like any wedding really, but when you hold it overseas or someplace your guests usually can’t access easily, it makes it even more so! It makes sense to surround yourself with vendors you trust, however the cake, flowers, DJ etc. will be gone… great photographs will always be there offering you a return to that special time in that amazing setting!