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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 groom
Groomsmen getting ready
Grooms flower
Smiling bride
Smiling bride
Groomsmen standing around
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.

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

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

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!

Bride is hungry!
Coriole Winery Wedding
Food
Entrance
Groomsmen smoking

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Smiling groom
Hugs
Cheers!
Guests talking
Girls together
First dance
Gangnam style!
First dance
Dancing guests
Dancing guests
Wedding Cake
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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Royal SA Yacht Squadron Wedding – Anika & Phil

  • Anika & Phil

    Royal SA Yacht Squadron Wedding

    Sitting on the yacht together

The wedding of Anika and Phil took place on the sunny day in April, amongst the wonderful surrounds of the Royal SA Yacht Squadron. I was asked to be their wedding photographer for the entire day so I was shooting from both locations of preparation, through to the end of their reception. The entire day from the Ceremony took place on the grounds of the Royal SA Yacht Squadron and we were lucky enough to be able to utilise a yacht that was moored within the marina – which is a very rare occurrence! Was fun.

Preparation

I arrived at the house where Phil and his groomsmen were getting ready, only to find that no one was there! Apparently the guys were chasing some choice sushi in the city before heading back to get ready. Once there, we had less time than usual to shoot some choice photos, so the morning was a bit rushed, but still pretty organised regardless!

Groomsmen getting ready
Groomsmen getting ready
Wedding rings
Cufflink
Groom getting ready
Putting on the flowers

The girls on the other hand were nice and organised, sitting about waiting for the makeup artist to finish, and having set up all the items I needed to take photos of before I arrived. The atmosphere was laid back and they were keen on having a good time and some fun leading up until they left. They ended up leaving a little late,m but that’s just to be expected. 🙂

Putting on wedding dress
Bride leaving the house
Flying veil
Looking in the mirror
Putting up the hair
Engagement ring
Wedding dresses
Talking ladies
Smiling bride
Putting on wedding dress

Royal SA Yacht Squadron Wedding Ceremony

The wedding ceremony took place on the decking area located next to the bar behind the boat shed. This was a major difference to the other times I had covered wedding ceremonies here, with others opting for having their ceremony on the large, open grassy area located nearby the boat house. The location Anika and Phil opted for however was wonderful for such a sunny day however, as the sun provided for a wonderful backdrop to the ceremony, and it helped keep their guests cool under the umbrellas.

The Sailing club has been on this location since 1924 after having been founded at Birkenhead in 1881. The Royal SA Yacht Squadron has recently been renovated into what has become quite a popular wedding venue, with myself heading there quite a few times a year!

Drone shot of the Royal SA Yacht Squadron
Groom’s first look
Wedding ceremony
Wedding ceremony at the Royal SA Yacht Squadron
Walking back down the aisle
Holding each other
Wedding ring exchange
Bride and father
Exchanging wedding rings
Wedding ceremony
Married!
Smiling bride

Glamour Photos

After the group photos and family shots on the grassy area, we used the inside of the historic boatshed for a few shots, then walked about the marina taking some shots with the magnificent sunset as a backdrop. We were lucky enough to be able to use a family member’s yacht for some photos, in which case I was super keen to bust out my drone to get some unique angles of the bridal party on the yacht from the water.

Royal SA Yacht Club Boat House
Kissing in the marina
Sitting on the yacht together
Dancing in the boat house
Walking into the sunset
Bridal Party
Catching a bride
Bride and her bridesmaids
Sunset at the Royal SA Yacht Squadron
Royal SA Yacht Club Boat House
Sitting on the yacht together
On the stern of the yacht

Royal SA Yacht Squadron Wedding Reception

Anika and Phil had set up the Royal SA Yacht Squadron’s function hall with a slightly nautical theme, making sure that their personalities and heritage was on show. With Phil’s affinity for fishing, and a beautifully cultural wedding cake the night was topped off with a live band which kept the dance floor full the entire night! Anika’s bouquet throw was quite a bit different as she held a ‘reverse’ bouquet through were only married women were allowed to be in contention. The MC then had them all dance and having them leave the dance floor the longer their wedding has gone on, with the winner being the longest married women receiving the bouquet. I thought it was sweet and a great way to hold a bouquet throw when there arent many single ladies in attendance!

Night shot on the dock
First Dance
First Dance
Bride and groom entry
Listening to speech
Wedding Cakes
Speech
Wooo!
Bride dancing with brother
Guys at the bar

Anika and Phil’s wedding was a blast to be part of, and I very much hope they enjoy their photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

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Sinclairs Gully Wedding – Jessica & Adam

Sinclairs Gully winery is the type of venue you just have to jump at the opportunity to shoot a wedding at, which is exactly what happened when Jessica and Adam asked me to be their Adelaide Hills wedding photographer. In order to cater to their short wedding plans, they asked to use my engagement shoot rate to cover their wedding for only 90 minutes which was enough time to photograph their ceremony and a few glamour shots after.

They held their wedding a little later in the day so by the time their ceremony was scheduled, the sun was already fading, and the overcast skies weren’t helping either. However this kind of light is pretty much perfect for photography so I was having a blast 🙂

Before the wedding

As usual I was on site at Sinclairs Gully early, in fact only Adam and his groomsmen were there putting the finishing touches on the venue. So I wandered about taking photos of all their personal touches and the boys helping calm the nerves of Adam. Once the girls arrived I was able to take a few shots of them together with their adorable VW van.

Girls looking pretty
Groom’s flower
Girls arriving
Blushing bride
Groom looking nervous
Groom walking about
Line of groomsmen
Wedding sign

Sinclairs Gully wedding ceremony

Sinclairs Gully is a winery hidden away in Norton Summit, and when you’re there it feels as though you’d only even know about the place if you already knew it was there. The incredible privacy the venue provides due to the lush Australian bushland is perfect for an intimate wedding ceremony such as Jessica and Adam’s. The bushland provides for beautiful bokeh when used as a backdrop to wedding photos and it really is just beautiful. There’s even a Australian animal reserve on site too!

Jessica and Adam’s wedding ceremony took place in a small clearing situated at the foot of the Sinclairs Gully winery carpark, so the setting was completely surrounded by gum trees and scrubland. During their ceremony they held a time capsule ceremony where they placed a bottle of Sinclairs Gully wine into a home-made timecapsule, along with love letters to one another only to be opened on their 10th anniversary. It’s a lovely gesture and a fun thing to put on display in their home.

Saying their vows
Time capsule
Sinclairs Gully wedding ceremony
Bride and Father
Wedding ceremony
Smiling bride
Married!
First kiss
Grooms first look
Smiling groom
Wedding Ceremony

Sinclairs Gully Wedding Glamour Photos

After the ceremony and family photos, we had around 30 minutes for some glamour photos around the winery grounds. It was quite an easy task to create something epic and eye catching as the surrounds just simply lends itself well to the task. I was really looking forward to getting around to editing this wedding as I knew some of the shots I took were absolutely stunning!

Hugs
Looking through foliage
Tree hugs
Private kiss in undergrowth
Sinclairs Gully winery wedding
Embracing within the trees
Walking along the driveway
Bride and groom in front of the combi van

I had an amazing time capturing Jessica and Adam’s Sinclairs Gully wedding, despite the short coverage. The wedding was filled with love, happiness, and unforgettable moments that I was honored to witness and photograph. It was a pleasure to be a part of their special day and to create images that will serve as treasured memories for years to come.

I hope that when Jessica and Adam look back at the photos, they will be transported back to the joyous atmosphere of their wedding day and relive the love and happiness they shared. It was a privilege to document their love story and to provide them with visual keepsakes that will last a lifetime.

Once again, thank you to Jessica and Adam for choosing me to capture their special day. I am grateful for the opportunity and wish them a lifetime of love and happiness together.