I was super excited to be a part of Amanda and Daniel’s wedding at the Pepper Tree Café due in no small part to Daniel’s enthusiasm and endearing eagerness to hold the most perfect wedding possible for his bride to be. He was in constant contact, making sure I knew all the details including how well the dancing lessons I had got them at Dance Amor were doing, and how the Pepper Tree was going to be set up on the day.
Everything he had planned came to fruition on the day, with the slight unfortunate hiccup of a bit of rain directly after the ceremony. Fortunately it let up a bit for us to get out and about in the garden for a few photos J
Preparation
I started the day as I usually do at Daniel’s place of preparation. He and his boys were all getting ready and were in various stages of undress when I arrived. Daniel was keen on having everything set up and running smoothly – he was obviously excited!
I then head over to where Amanda and her bridal party were being prepared – the atmosphere was noticeably more laid back and fun filled with the ladies, with laughter and fun times being had. Emotions were high when gifts were handed out which made for some marvellously genuine photos!
Pepper Tree Cafe Wedding Ceremony
The Pepper Tree Café was a wedding venue I had not yet had the privilege of visiting, but it turned out to be a lovely little intimate space in Aldinga, featuring a large Pepper Tree (naturally) alongside a rustic live music and dining area surrounded by a nice mix of curated garden and wilder natural scenes. Quite a nice spot for photography.
Their wedding ceremony took place on the grassy area in the centre of the gardens, with all the guests standing either side of an aisle lined by small lanterns. The rain was threatening by this time, but thankfully held off until after I had my drone in the air and took a couple of group photos.
Glamour Photos
Directly after the ceremony ended we had to rush into the Café area to avoid the rather heavy rain that was now falling. We made use of the time to take family photos on the stage and have a bit of a mingle with guests. Once it was evident that the rain had set in a bit, Amanda and Daniel decided we’d need to head out in the rain for a few photos, so that’s what we did. Thankfully soon after this decision, the rain stopped for long enough for some proper shots around the garden.
Pepper Tree Wedding Reception
The reception area at the pepper Tree Café is an intimate, rustic little area, decorated with steel and wooden styling, akin to an old wool shed. The area boasts a nice live music stage and room enough for a modest congregation.
Amanda and Daniel’s reception was a lovely display of heartfelt speeches, impromptu bagpipe recitals and high running emotions, it was a ball to be a part of, and I thank Amanda and Daniel for having me be a part of it! 😀
Jasmine and Mervyl were in Adelaide for a short while and while here they figured they’d use the time to have a bit of an Adelaide glamour shoot before their wedding next year back in Singapore. They are also planning on having photos taken in Canberra also a few days later, so they’ll have quite a bit of diversity to show on a big screen at the forefront of their wedding reception.
Himeji Hardens
We began our short shoot in the Himeji Gardens, on South Terrace. We were very lucky at this time of day as the weather surrounding the shoot, both before and after was pretty atrocious, with wind and heavy rainfall – so i was happy to make use of any sun we had! Unfortunately the hem of Jasmine’s white dress started to get muddy towards the end, but lucky she had a change in dress! 🙂
Veale Gardens
After about 30 minutes walking about the Himeji Gardens, we head over to the nearby Veale Gardens – a popular wedding venue in it’s own right the gardens boast beautifully manicured grassy areas, with a splash of unkempt Australiana just in the rear which we made use of.
North Terrace
After a bit of a dress change and makeup touch-up, we continued our Adelaide glamour shoot around the lovely North Terrace buildings, including the Adelaide University and Bonython Hall. It’s at this time when the heavens started opening on us and it looked as though our luck with the weather was running out.
Grange Jetty
We ended the shoot at the historic Grange Jetty, when fortunately the sun peeped out from the clouds for just a minute allowing us to run about in the bitter cold to take a few shots 🙂
I hope Jasmine and Mervyl enjoy the photos from their Adelaide Glamour Shoot and hope their wedding in Singapore goes fantastically!
Preparation wedding Photography
One of my favourite times of day on a wedding day is the preparation time, the time of day when the bride and groom are getting ready for their big moment in front of family and friends, which allows for some incredible moments of emotion and nerves to show through, painting a story of the personalities of the couple through Preparation Wedding Photography. Capturing the individual moments of personality of the bride and groom before they become an ‘item’ so to speak is a primary goal of taking photos during this time of day. This is the last moments of their lives where they aren’t sharing a family with a significant other. I feel it’s important to make use of this time to paint a portrait with my photography of the lives and personality traits the bride and groom exhibit as an individual. The lovey dovey moments when they are together come later.
If you consider a wedding album as a photographic story, then the preparation photos are the beginning of the story, the coming together of these two individuals would be the ceremony, and the happily ever after the glamour photos and reception.
Groom preparation wedding photography
When photographing the preparation of the groom and his groomsmen, it’s important to recognise the atmosphere of the situation, by gauging the nerves, and/or playful (or lack of) nature of the party getting ready. One is able as a photographer to guide the party through a series of unposed photos while getting dressed, while also focussing on small things like wedding rings and shoes. When having as many weddings as I do under my belt, I’m able to read when would be appropriate to also transition into a more traditional, formal shoot after the more photojournalistic scenes.
Bridal preparation wedding photography
When heading over to the girls and the bridal party, the approach to preparation photos is largely similar. There are still nerves, emotions and drama occurring all around, with the difference being that there’s an additional process (usually) considering makeup and putting on much more complicated clothing (bridal dresses). Once again it’s important to capture the small things, like jewellery and shoes while also being photojournalistic leading up to the point where the ladies are putting on their dresses. Preparation wedding photography also tends to become highly traditional in parts with the bridal party, with shots of the bridal party fussing around the bride, and other scenes such as putting on the garter which are very traditional scenes.
Overcoming Challenges in Preparation Wedding Photography
Here are common challenges in groom photography preparation, along with simple ways to handle them:
- Cluttered rooms: We suggest decluttering early or using one tidy corner for key shots.
- Poor lighting: Our team identifies naturally lit spots or uses discreet lighting tools to maintain ambience.
- Tight schedules: We add buffer time to ensure no moments feel rushed, allowing you to enjoy every part of your day without stress.
- Camera shyness: A calm, friendly approach helps everyone relax and act naturally.
- Distractions and movement: We guide the couple and bridal party gently to ensure focus without interrupting real moments.
These steps help us capture genuine, stress-free memories during your preparation. They also apply to bridal photography preparation.
Must-Have Equipment for Preparation Wedding Photography
Capturing the quiet excitement before the ceremony takes both skill and the right tools. For groom preparation photography, a fast prime lens and off-camera flash help capture sharp, candid moments in low light. For bridal preparation photography, reflectors and macro lenses highlight accessories, while a silent shutter preserves the mood.
At SvenStudios, we carefully select our equipment to suit each setting—whether it’s a bustling groom’s room or a serene bridal suite. Our approach ensures every glance, laugh, and heartfelt moment is preserved beautifully, setting the tone for timeless wedding memories right from the start.
I strongly believe however, particularly with preparation wedding photography that it’s far better to be as invisible as possible when being a wedding photographer as I feel that there would be nothing worse than having someone with a huge camera taking shots of you while you’re getting dresses on the most emotionally charged day of your life. As a result, I tend to stay primarily photojournalistic in having the bridal parties get ready as usual and take photos of that,m and then once they’re used to me being there, join in a little for more constructed photos. I tend to hate turning people into mannequins 😀
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