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Glenelg Golf Club Wedding – Tam & Shaun

  • TAM & SHAUN

    Glenelg Golf Club Wedding

    Walking along together

It was a beautifully sunny day for Tam and Shaun’s wedding at the Glenelg Golf Club which backdropped an incredible day full of love and joy. They opted to have me as their wedding photographer for the entire day allowing me to capture both of their preparations, right through until their exit from the Glenelg Golf Club where they held both their wedding ceremony and reception.

Preparation

I started the day with Shaun’s place of preparation which was a house in Hallett Cove, surrounded by his extended family and friends. The atmosphere was laid back and Shaun’s groomsmen were doing their best to keep things light hearted and fun by telling jokes and ripping on one another. When it came to tying ties though, things started to get serious, as none of them really knew how to tie the specific knot that Tam had requested them to wear! So out came a handy youtube video to help, but they still hadn’t perfected the knot before I left. It’s a pretty common thing that men have trouble with during their preparation. 🙂

Groom looking suave
Groom and his groomsmen
Smiling groom
Mum putting on flowers
Putting on ties
Groom and parents
Suits
Walking towards the door
Putting on ties
Wedding Rings
Mum helping out

Tam was getting prepared in a room of the Grand Hotel on the Glenelg foreshore. Much like the guys, the atmosphere was lovely and laid back with no real rush to get ready too soon. Once the dresses and make up was done, we went for a little walk out along the Jetty and used the Grand’s pool area for some glamour photos before revealing the wedding dress to tam’s dad.

Grand Staircase
Looking out over the Glenelg Foreshore
Getting ready
Getting ready
Wedding Dress
Walking together on Glenelg Jetty
Lacing up dress
Walking down the staircase
Smiling bridesmaid
The Grand Pool area
Getting ready
Dad
Engagement rings

Glenelg Golf Club Wedding Ceremony

The Glenelg Golf Club is located just to the south of the Adelaide Airport, nestled away in an area that you just wouldn’t know is there unless you’d sought out one of the best and most awarded golf clubs in South Australia. Founded in 1926, the Glenelg golf club was developed by the idea of a group of local business men who wanted to have a more local golf club for ‘regular Sunday morning sojourns’. Due to it’s locations, it’s become one of the more prestigious and well looked after golf clubs in South Australia.

The functions side of the Glenelg Golf Club has been awarded as well, winning a multitude of ABIA awards, with the most recent being the 2017 Australian Bridal Industry Academy Award for Best Club Reception Venue in Australia.

Tam and Shaun’s wedding reception took place on a little grassy area in front of the club house, as is the case with the majority of weddings that take place at the Glenelg Golf Club. The area is backdropped by a line of trees and a fairway for one of the course’s holes which can be a good and bad thing, as it looks nice, but you’ll always have people playing golf in the background. The time of day they held their reception however saw some magnificent sun shine seeping through in their photos which was nice.

Bride kissing speech giver
Exchanging wedding rings
Grooms first sight of bride
Vows
Wedding Ceremony
Bridal motorcade
Smiling Groom
Bride arriving
Vows
Glenelg Gold Club Wedding Ceremony
Happily married couple
After the first kiss

Glamour Photos

Rather than stay at the Glenelg Golf Club and make use of their lovely fairways as a backdrop to their wedding photos, Tam and Shaun opted to go for a bit of a drive down to  Hallett Cove where they spent their first date. However due to the slightly later wedding ceremony they held in Glenelg, by the time we arrived at Hallett Cove, the Sun was just about ready to set, so we had to hurry to get all the photos we could before it sank below the horizon all together.

Backseat kissed for the bride and groom
Hallett Cove Beach Wedding
Kisses at sunset
Hallett Cove Beach Wedding
Walking along together
Groomsmen in their car
Night Time shot

Glenelg Golf Club Wedding Reception

The Glenelg Golf Club’s reception hall is a lovely laid-out area surrounded by decking outside suitable for guests to wander out on during the night. The guest’s tables were spread out across the room that can accommodate a rather large wedding congregation, surrounding the dance floor which was located at the fore of the head table where Tam, Shaun and their bridal party sat. It was a good fun night, culminating in a sparkler send off out the front of the club rooms with every guest, sparkler in hand seeing off their getaway car. Was pretty awesome 🙂

First dance
Entrance styling
Glenelg Golf Club
Speech
Bouquet Toss
Cutting the Cake
Speeches
Bridal hugs
Wedding Cake
Love Heart Guest Book
The Garter Catcher
First dance
Laughing Bride and Groom
Smoking Groomsmen

Thanks so much Tam and Shaun for having me capture your wedding photography. I hope you enjoy your photos as much as I enjoyed taking them! 😀

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Willunga Peacock Farm Wedding – Aubrey & Darcy

Willunga Peacock Farm Wedding photography

Willunga Peacock Farm Wedding – Aubrey & Darcy

I love heading to the Willunga Peacock Farm as a local Mclaren Vale wedding photographer. The venue has a stunning variety of lovely backdrops to use in photographs, and this is precisely what I drew upon at Aubrey and Darcy’s wedding. They had me as their wedding photographer for 7 hours which saw me at their wedding ceremony through to after their first dance at their reception venue out at the One Paddock Winery at Currency Creek.

Willunga Peacock Farm Wedding Ceremony

As usual I arrived a little early to the Willunga Peacock Farm so I was able to wander about capturing some shots of Aubrey and Darcy’s guests as they arrived in the beautiful Autumnal sunshine.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the centerpiece of the venue – the pond – was full of water as last time I covered a wedding here it was unfortunately dry. Their wedding ceremony was set up on the grassy area next to the pond which allowed for a lovely backdrop to the entire scene.

The Willunga Peacock Farm is an all-in-one wedding venue that is built around an organic, completely self sustaining farm. The venue boasts a rustic reception hall set within a covered veranda connected to a heritage listed farmhouse built in the 1800s. Theres also a bed and breakfast and gardens on site suitable for wonderful wedding photography.

Vows
Sun flare
Wedding ceremony
Willunga Peacock Farm wedding ceremony
Hugs
Groom waiting for bride
Bride and groom getting married
Wedding ceremony
Willunga Peacock Farm wedding ceremony
Groom waiting for bride
Groom waiting for bride
Signing the registry
Bridal party procession
Walking back down the aisle
Exchanging wedding rings
Bride arriving

After the ceremony I gathered everyone together to take an aerial photo with my drone which has become one of the most popular aspects of my wedding photography service.

Drone group photo

Willunga Peacock Farm Glamour Photos

Walking about the Willunga Peacock Farm’s gardens and surrounding historic buildings is a wonderful experience, especially as a wedding photographer. The scenery lends itself well to the kind of natural wedding photography I’m known for. During May, the sun was setting quite early in the day which was fantastic as I managed to capture it in the most beautiful way in the backdrop of many of the photos.

Wedding photography in the gardens
Bride and groom looking back at bridal party
Smiling at the camera
Sun setting behind the bride and groom
Willunga Peacock Farm Wedding photography
Garden wedding photography
Smiles all round
Walking together
Holding one another in a tree
Walking across the bridge
Bridal party ripping bride and groom apart
Bridal party walking through the gardens
Walking across the bridge
Wedding rings
Walking across the bridge

One Paddock Winery Wedding Reception

The One Paddock Winery down in Currency Creek was a bit of a drive away from the Willunga Peacock Farm, so by the time we arrived for the wedding reception, it had already turned dark. Once I arrived the guests were enjoying themselves in the lobby having a wonderful time chatting and having a few drinks. The wedding reception itself took place in the large reception hall they have decorated with winery paraphernalia such as wine barrels and plenty of rustic metal and wooden decor. It’s a beautiful, homely venue which suited Aubrey and Darcy’s wonderfully personal and intimate wedding day.

Chatting bride
Group photo
Group photo
Outside the front of One Paddock Winery
Guests chatting at the bar
Guest laughing
Table setting
Wedding Cake
Using the props
Selfie
One Paddock Winery
First Dance
Reception hall setup
Bride and groom entrance
Group photo
Speeches
Light Painting

Thanks to Aubrey and Darcy for having me capture their wedding photography!

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Coriole Winery Wedding – Georgia & Ben

  • GEORGIA & BEN

    Coriole Winery Wedding

    in the Coriole vineyards

Georgia and Ben travelled all the way from Tasmania to hold their wedding ceremony at the beautiful Coriole Winery in Mclaren Vale. And despite the weather being slightly overcast, the weather stayed fine and was a wonderful afternoon for all involved! Georgia and Ben opted to have me as their wedding photographer for 3 hours, capturing their ‘first look’ photos, through to the end of their ceremony. As it turned out this was a smart way of doing things as their ceremony happened to be quite late in the day, and by the time the ceremony had ended there was hardly any natural light left to use!

First look

A ‘first look’ is a trend at weddings where by the bride presents herself to her groom before the wedding ceremony in order to capture the emotion from the meeting in a more intimate place rather than at the altar. The idea also being usually that their glamour photos are to be taken before the wedding even takes place. In this regard it’s not the most traditional of wedding activities, but if you’re planning a later wedding ceremony, it may be your only option.

Smiling bride
Smiling groom
Groomsmen standing around
Groomsmen getting ready
Smiling bride
Grooms flower
Sneaking up on the groom

After seeing each other for the first time, we had around an hour to walk around the Coriole Winery and use it’s incredible scenery as the backdrop to their wedding photography. I myself originally wanted to use Coriole Winery as the wedding venue at my own wedding, such is my love for the place. The Winery boasts rolling hills of vineyards, and and old house, complete with a pretty little garden surrounding.

Bride, groom and flowergirl
Walking through the garden
Dancing in the Coriole vineyards
in the Coriole vineyards
Holding one another at Coriole Winery
Walking about together
Sneaking up on the bride
Engagement ring
Drone photo in the vineyards
Holding one another in the vineyards
Smiling ladies
Smiling bride
Holding one another in the vineyards
Holding one another in the Coriole vineyards
Smiles
Smiling groom
Coriole Winery Wedding

After walking about the winery taking these photos, we had a bit of a rest period before the wedding ceremony took place. The girls hid themselves within the house to hide themselves from their guests that were arriving slowly, and the men sat outside.

Flowergirl holding engagement ring
Groomsmen at the bar
Groomsmen having a rest

Coriole Winery Wedding Ceremony

Wedding ceremonies that take place on location at the Coriole Winery usually take place in one of two locations if it isn’t raining, either within the courtyard area of the house, or in Georgia and Ben’;s case, overlooking the incredible valley that is Mclaren Vale on the grassy area to the side of the house. As the light was fading quite quickly during the ceremony, by the end the sun had well and truly left.

Bride looking anxious
Bride and groom getting married
Coriole Wedding ceremony
Smiling bride
Wedding
Exchanging wedding rings
Groom seeing bride walking down aisle
Signing paperwork
Groom and groomsmen
First kiss

After the ceremony, I quickly launched the drone to take an aerial photo of all the guests together, with the Coriole Winery in the background. As I said however the light was fading very fast, so it was pretty tricky! I hung around for a bit after to capture their entrance to the reception, and also to have the groomsmen smoke their celebratory cigars!

Groomsmen smoking
Coriole Winery Wedding
Entrance
Bride is hungry!
Food

Thanks so much to Georgia and Ben for having me as their wedding photographer. I hope you like your photos! 😀

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Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding – Ciara & Max

  • CIARA & MAX

    Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding

    Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding

It was a beautifully sunny day for Ciara and Max’s Adelaide Botanic Gardens wedding in April, which was great considering the kind of unpredictable weather we had been having leading up to the big day. With Ciara’s Irish heritage and Max’s Korean heritage, their wedding was a wonderful example of the coming together of two very separate cultures within one of the most multicultural of cities, Adelaide. I was asked to be their wedding photographer for the entire day, and we made good use of the time, covering a lot of ground to get the most diverse portfolio of wedding photography as possible in and around the Adelaide CBD and botanic gardens.

Preparation

I was to cover the preparation of just Ciara and her bridal party, who were getting ready nearby in the Mayfair hotel, as Max was spending the morning running about putting final finishing touches on things before the wedding ceremony. The girls were fairly laid back and had a lovely morning being pampered and getting pretty. Unfortunately the plan was to have a few photos taken in the upstairs Hennessy rooftop bar, only to find out it required a prior booking. This didn’t dampen spirits however while we took a few photos in and around the hotel room instead.

Walking across King William st
Smiling bridesmaid
hair spray
Wedding dress
Mum helping
Bride in mirror
Bridal party dresses
Smiling bride
Engagement ring
Putting on veil
Smiling bride
Wedding Shoes
Putting on wedding dress

Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding Ceremony

Ciara and Max’s Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding Ceremony took place on the far side of the gardens, nearby the ‘Friends Gates’ on Plane Tree drive. The location boasts a beautiful grassy area, bordered by a small stream and a picturesque footbridge in the background of the whole setting. Despite the Adelaide Botanic Gardens being a public place, the venue can easily host around 3-4 weddings on the same day in different locations around the gardens without having too much of a hassle with members of the public wandering in the way of any photos or guests attending a wedding. The area also provides for some top notch vantage points for some incredible wedding photography, so I always enjoy visiting the gardens!

The ceremony was a lovely affair, complete with a traditional giving away of the bride by the father, and a rather beautiful hand binding ceremony that brought together the customs of the celtic together with Korean culture by using a traditionally woven sash brought from Korea specially for the occasion. The sun was out, and provided for a stunning backdrop filtering in through the giant gum tree Ciara and Max were wed under.

Bride saying vows
Groom’s first look
Smiling groom
Exchanging wedding rings
Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding Ceremony
Best man and the rings
Holding hands
Whole congregation
Bride arriving
Speeches
Wedding Ceremony
Bride and Groom
Father taking arm
Picking something out of his hair
Bride under her veil
Sun lit wedding ceremony
Hugs
Smiles
Speech
Hand binding ceremony
Walking back down the aisle

Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding Photos

After taking the family photos, Ciara and Max, flanked by their bridal party went for a walk around the gardens for their glamour photos. As I said before, I love covering Adelaide Botanic Gardens Weddings as the area in and around the vicinity of the gardens provides for an incredibly diverse pool of scenery I can call upon as a wedding photographer.

Under a tree
Walking to the footbridge together
Autumnal colours
Groomsmen jumping
Crest of a hill
Walking together
Having a rest
Walking through the foliage
Big oak tree
In the bamboo forest
Walking through the foliage
Holding hands with wedding rings
Lounging about
Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding
Holding the bouquet together
Adelaide Botanic Gardens wedding

Once we exhausted the areas we wanted to visit within the gardens, we said farewell to the majority of the bridal party to expand out around the Torrens and North Terrace where we made use of Government House, and the buildings in and around Adelaide University. Ciara and Max had one of their first dates near the Torrens so it was important for them to revisit on their wedding day.

Adelaide University Wedding
Bride and Groom in Adelaide University
Adelaide Museum
On the steps of Government house
Adelaide Museum
Near the Torrens
On the steps of Government house
Adelaide Museum
Adelaide University Wedding
Adelaide University Wedding Photo
Adelaide University
Bride and Groom together

Adelaide Botanic Gardens Wedding Reception

What was absolutely glorious about Ciara and Max’s wedding as opposed to any other wedding I had covered at the Botanic Gardens was that they chose to have their reception at the cafe located at the very center of the entire place which meant that I had the very rare opportunity to make use of the Gardens after dark! The Botanic Gardens Restaurant is a lovely intimate venue that can cater for a smaller wedding guest list. The food was wonderful, and staff more than friendly which all combined for a wonderful evening.

Dancing guests
Girls together
Hugs
Smiling groom
First dance
Gangnam style!
Wedding Cake
First dance
Dancing guests
Cheers!
Guests talking
Cutting the cake

During the night I took Ciara and Max out into the night to make use of the magnificent arch way of trees at night, which is a rare opportunity as member of the public aren’t allowed to enter the gardens at night.

Light Painting wedding photo
Light Painting wedding photo
Light Painting wedding photo

Thanks so much to Ciara and Max who had me as their wedding photographer and I hope they enjoy their photos as much as I enjoyed taking them! 😀

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Essential Wedding preparation tips for the Groom

Grinning groom in window

Wedding preparation tips for the Groom and Groomsmen

While most blogs generally relate to the wedding preparation of the bride and her bridal party, there’s not much out there about Wedding preparation tips for Men. So when bespoke diamonds – a wedding ring designer from Dublin, Ireland – sent me this infographic to share on my site, I figured it was a fairly good idea!

As a wedding photographer based in Adelaide, I’ve been to hundreds of weddings, and at every single one, the men tend to need as much help as possible. I mean sure, some are better than others, but even at my own wedding I mistakenly forgot a few of these tips despite being a wedding professional! – pro tip men, iron your shirt BEFORE your big day 😉

groom and groomsmen on road

This list of Wedding preparation tips for the groom and the men of the wedding would be perfect reading for those of you planning a wedding together, but sometimes the groom doesn’t have much of an idea of what, or how to contribute. So if you brides out there looking for some help, send him this way to have a little read. It’s his big day too, so it can’t hurt of brush up on the basics.

I love infographics like this, that outline quite complicated concepts such as organising a wedding in such a simple way you’d think that it’s the easiest thing in the world. It really isnt though, and having as much help as you can get should be a welcome sight to anyone going through the process. Organising the men can often be even more complicated so having this list of Wedding preparation tips should help out quite a bit. Enjoy!

Wedding preparation tips for Men

Here are some helpful wedding preparation tips for the groom to ensure you feel confident and relaxed on your big day:

  • Plan your outfit early: Finalise your attire, including shoes and accessories, well in advance to avoid last-minute stress.
  • Get a haircut a week before: This gives your hairstyle time to settle and look natural in photos.
  • Practice grooming habits: Follow a simple skincare routine for a fresh, photo-ready look.
  • Prepare a checklist: From cufflinks to vows, list everything you need so nothing gets forgotten.
  • Stay well-rested: A good night’s sleep helps you look and feel your best.
  • Trust your photographer: When wondering how to prepare for the wedding, grooms, remember that capturing genuine moments is easier when you’re at ease—something SvenStudios ensures for every couple.

Common Wedding Day Mistakes Grooms Should Avoid

Here are a few key mistakes to steer clear of during wedding preparation for groom:

  • Forgetting the rings or important documents
  • Skipping meals or staying dehydrated
  • Running late for the photography session
  • Not coordinating with vendors or the wedding planner
  • Overlooking outfit checks or last-minute grooming needs

Avoiding these can ensure your special day goes smoothly and stress-free.

Morning-of Wedding Preparation Checklist for Grooms

Here’s a simple and effective wedding preparation for groom checklist to ensure a smooth start to the big day:

  • Have a hearty breakfast to fuel up and stay energised.
  • Hydrate well—it’s easy to forget water in the excitement.
  • Lay out your outfit: suit, shoes, cufflinks, tie, and watch.
  • Grooming check: shave, trim facial hair, and apply your fragrance.
  • Charge your phone and keep emergency contacts handy.
  • Confirm timings with your photographer and groomsmen.
  • Take a moment to breathe and stay calm before the celebration begins.

These steps will help you stay relaxed, focused, and photo-ready.

Men

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