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Wharf One Wedding – Darwin – Amanda & Brian

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  • Amanda & Brian

    Warf One Wedding

    Out on pride rock

Amanda and Brian’s wedding was held right on the foreshore of Darwin under the verandah of the Wharf One restaurant with the picturesque backdrop of Darwin’s Kitchener Bay. The day’s weather was absolutely magnificent, as can be expected from Darwin at this time of year! I love heading up to the Northern Territory for this exact reason! Amanda and Brian had quite a few of their family and friends travel up to Darwin for their wedding day which included two separate tea ceremonies and a lovely laid back ceremony and reception at Wharf One.

Morning Tea Ceremonies

Amanda and Brian hosted two separate traditional tea ceremonies for their two travelling families. The first in a rather nice, large bed and breakfast propertry overlooking the Darwin shoreline. It’s also where Amanda and her bridal party had their makeup and hair done before greeting Brian who arrived brandishing flowers.

I rather like the idea of giving thanks to family members and seeking approval of the wedding through the exchanging of tea in the morning before wedding ceremonies as it brings together and includes family members who would otherwise not have as much to do on a wedding day. It formalises the idea of the coming together of two separate families in a lovely traditional way.

Makeup
Makeup
Family on couch
Engagement ring
Tea set
Wedding rings
Wedding dress
Wedding dress
Grooms arrival
Smiling bride
Hugs
Tea ceramony
Tea ceramony
Jewellery gift
Little girl
Smiling guests
Entrance
Mobile photos
Drinking tea
Drinking tea
Offering tea
Tea cup
Tea ceremony
Tea ceremony

Preparation Photos

As is often the case after hosting a tea ceremony on a wedding day, it’s not uncommon for the bridal party to change clothing into their wedding ceremony attire. After heading back from the Darwin city center and back to the bed and breakfast for lunch, Amanda changed out of her red dress into her white bridal gown, while Brian suited up. They managed to hide the dress entirely from Brian despite being prepared at the same location by hiding it in an upstairs bedroom which Brian was forbidden to enter. That way the tradition of seeing the bride for the first time on the day was saved for when she walked down the aisle in her white dress, which Brian hadnt seen yet! 🙂

Shoes
Cufflinks
Crossing fingers
Putting on shirt
Sorting out ties
Pose
Putting on jacket
Helping out
Helping out
Closeup of flower
Walking out door
Bridesmaid helping out
Putting on dress
Walking down the stairs
Bridesmaid putting in veil
Looking pretty
Bridesmaids

Wharf One Wedding Ceremony

The decking just outside the Wharf One restaurant was the setting for their wedding ceremony, with the entire congregation shaded from the hot sun, and yet still enjoying the beautiful weather while surrounded by the calm waters found in the Darwin artificial beach precinct. The ceremony itself was a lovely simple affair with a couple of friends and family sharing readings and laughter as their celebrant highlighted some of the funnier parts of their relationship.

Wedding sign
Groom waiting patiently
Bride getting ready to go
Bridal approach
Out the front together
Smiles
Smiles
Wedding ceremony
Smiling bride
Wharf One Wedding ceremony
Exchanging wedding rings
Holding hands
First kiss
Bridal exit
Bridal exit

Glamour Photos

After the family photos, the rest of the congregation enjoyed the precinct surrounding the Wharf One restaurant while Amanda, Brian, their bridal party and I went for a little drive to make use of some of the more picturesque spots scattered around Darwin. Our first stop was of course the decking surrounding Wharf One where we took a few bridal party shots. We then head over to the wonderful trees out the front of the Darwin Botanic Gardens. The trees here are wonderful to have photos done at that time of day as the sun peeks through the foliage in such a delightful manner! We then head around to the parklands surrounding Lake Alexander before heading up to Dudley point to make use of the delightful hanging cliffs for the sunset.

Bride and Groom walking together near Wharf One
Pushing the groom into the drink
Bridal Party
Bridal Party under a tree
Bridal Party under the trees
Bride and groom walking together
Bride and groom walking together
Under a tree
Amongst the scrub
Amongst the scrub
Romantic
Hugs
Walking together
Holding one another
Holding one another
Out on pride rock
Out on pride rock
Out on pride rock
Beautiful light on the rocks
Beautiful light on the rocks
Sunset
Sunset

Wharf One Wedding Reception

Amanda and Brian’s wedding reception was held back at the Wharf One restaurant a little late as we stayed out at Dudley Point for the sunset, but noone seemed to mind much. The atmosphere was jovial and everyone had a delightful meal backdropped by live music and the odd foray into the photobooth – who’s attendant happened to be the very same attendant at my first wedding in Darwin over 2 years ago! Very small world.

Bridal entrance
Speech
Schedule
Best Man speech
Bride
Maids of honour speech
Laughing bride
Hugs
Wedding cake
Speech
Cutting the cake
Inside Wharf One Restaurant
Boys hanging out

Thanks so much for Amand and Brian for having me as your wedding photographer! If anyone is looking for a photographer in Darwin, I’d be super keen to travel back up for your wedding! Check out my darwin website at https://darwinweddingphotography.com for more details!

Mt Lofty House Wedding – Naomi & Neil

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  • Naomi & Neil

    Mt Lofty House Wedding

    Mt Lofty House Garden

Naomi and Neil held their lovely intimate Mt Lofty House wedding on a lovely day in late September. Unfortunately they could not hold their ceremony out on the house’s lawn, overlooking the Mt Lofty botanic gardens, due to it being a little chilly, but the great thing about a  Mt Lofty House wedding is that there’s always a backup spot for a ceremony inside, just in case! I was asked to be their wedding photographer for 3 hours on their big day, and I was so pleased to be a part of their lovely day!

Preparation

My day started with Naomi being prepared on site inside one of the private cottages surrounding Mt Lofty House. Neil was also getting ready there, but left before Naomi had her dress put on, allowing for the traditional ‘first look’ of the dress as Naomi walked down the aisle.

The atmosphere within the house with Naomi and the girls getting ready there was upbeat and quite laid back, punctuated just before leaving for the ceremony with a little emotion as Mum and Dad came in just before she left. It’s always nice to capture the smiles and/or tear of the parents as they witness their little one all ready to be married! 😀 One of the reasons why I love being a wedding photographer, you never know how people will react, and it’s wonderful to share in the emotion of wedding days!

Wedding shoes
Flower
Engagement ring
Wedding dress
Wedding dress
Helping bridesmaids
Using the mirror
Putting on dress
Looking pretty
Dad’s first look

Mt Lofty House Wedding Ceremony

As I mentioned earlier, Naomi and Neil’s Mt Lofty House wedding took place inside the hotel’s restaurant instead of the previously planned lawns overlooking the valley due to being a little cold. The space provided by Mt Lofty House in these cases has ample space for medium to large sized congregations, and it fit all of Neil and Naomi’s guests nicely. The space as they had it set up has huge windows overlooking the valley as if they were outside on the lawns anyway, while having the added confort of being inside. It was the second time in a row I’ve been the wedding photographer at a Mt Lofty House wedding inside.

Wedding sign
Groom’s first look
Bridal approach
Bridal approach
Together
Holding hands
Holding hands
Dad looking on
Smiles
Smiles
Mt Lofty House Wedding Ceremony
Mt Lofty House Wedding Ceremony
Exchanging wedding rings
inside wedding ceremony
First kiss
Exit

Glamour Photos

After some family photos which we took outside on the lawns, we used the gardens surrounding Mt Lofty House and the interior spaces of the house itself for some glamour photos. As the sky was rather overcast, walking about the gardens and taking photos there were an absolute dream and made the task of making pretty photos that much easier! The inside of Mt Lofty House was as always a super stately affair, and as Naomi and Neil were keen wine drinkers they were excited to head down to the well stocked wine cellar located below the house itself. Some very expensive wine bottles down there!

Mt Lofty House cellars
Most interesting man in the world
Mt Lofty House steps
Starway
Starway
On the steps
Engagement ring
Wedding rings
Mt Lofty House Garden
In amongst the trees
Walking about
Against the wall in the Mt Lofty House gardens
In the library
Mt Lofty House steps
Playing chess
Narnia
Bridal party

Mt Lofty House Wedding Reception

Naomi and Neil’s reception took place in the newly rennovated add-on room nearby the Mt Lofty House restaurant, which is a lovely airy space, adjacent to the gardens. They held a simple lunch time reception which allowed me to capture their cake and it’s cutting, and a photo of pretty much everyone there before I had to leave. I’ve noticed this before, but Naomi and Neil also opted to have a non-traditional wedding cake – which was actually several cheese wheels stacked upon one another. This is feel is a wonderful alternative for those of us who aren’t real cake eaters. Looks great too! I believe they had it cut up and distributed as part of their bonboneire gifts for their guests!

Cutting the wedding cake
Smiling guest
Guests
Speech
Cheers
Wedding cheese cake
Smiling bride
Guests
Food
Wedding bubbles

Thanks so much to Naomi and Neil for having me as your wedding photographer, I enjoyed myself immensely, and I hope you love your photos!

Karkoo Nursery Wedding – Kirsty & Jason

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  • Kirsty & Jason

    Karkoo Nursery Wedding

    Holding one another in Karkoo Nursery

The Karkoo Nursery in Blackwood was the rather unlikely backdrop for Kirsty and Jason’s wedding! They had never hosted a wedding there before, but it made for the perfectly eclectic backdrop for Kirsty’s keeness to keep things simple and do as much as she could herself. This allowed for a lovely aesthetic that spoke perfectly of Kirsty and Jason’s personality while focussing on the important stuff! I was asked to be their wedding photographer for 3 hours which saw me with them for the ceremony at Karkoo Nursery, glamour photos at the nearby heritage listed Gamble Cottage, then a short time at Eire Cafe for an early dinner reception.

Karkoo Nursery Wedding Ceremony

The Karkoo Nursery regularly hosts live music events in this space, so it’s not as if the store had no experience in holding events, and there was ample numbers of chairs for guests and room to move about. It was the eclectic nature of the backdrop and surrounds that drew Kirsty and Jason to hold their wedding ceremony here. Every chair was different, and the surrounding merchandise was as random as any antique furniture store, but it suited very well!

Kirsty did a lot of work herself leading up to the day, hand making a delightful bouquet and lapel pins out of scavenged knick-knaks, and sourced some delightful hollowed out ring ‘books’ that held their rings in a lovely unique way. They had close friends be wedding singers and copnduct readings which made for a wonderful friendly atmosphere.

Closeup of button
Ring Books
Plan
Groom standing out the front
Hand made bouquet
Groom nervously waiting
Bridal arrival
Grooms first look
Karkoo Nursery Wedding Ceremony
Bridesmaid
Groomsman
Speech
Holding hands
Smiling bride
Karkoo Nursery Wedding Ceremony
Groom
Exchanging wedding rings
Kiss
Congratulations
Hugs
Congratulations
Congratulations

Glamour Photos

After the family photos and the mandatory ‘breakfast club’ recreation photos, we head over to the nearby heritage listed Gamble Cottage to use the delightful small garden there for photos. As the day was fairly overcast we were very lucky to see a little bit of sun poking out through the clouds while we were there which made for wonderful ‘fairytale’ lighting.

Breakfast Club
Holding one another in Karkoo Nursery
Bridal Party
In a tree
Wedding rings
Walking amongst the garden
Standing in the garden of Gamble Cottage
Under a tree near Gamble Cottage
On a bench together
Walking by Gamble COttage
Under a tree in front of Gamble Cottage

Eire Cafe Wedding Reception

Finally, after the glamour photos in Blackwood, we head down the hill a bit to Eire Cafe which is a small little cafe suitable for smaller congregations just like Kirsty and Jason’s family-oriented reception!

Personalised name placing
Guests
Wedding Cake
Having fun

Thanks so much to Kirsty and Jason for having me as your wedding photographer! I had a great time, and I hope you enjoy your photos!

One Tree Hill Engagement Shoot – Thalia & Josiah

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  • Thalia & Josiah

    One Tree Hill Engagement Shoot

    One Tree Hill Engagement shoot

One Tree Hill Engagement Shoot

I’m not sure why, but whenever someone mentions ‘One Tree Hill’ I just imagine a single tree on a beautifully landscaped green hill, similar to the famous Windows XP wallpaper. Perhaps it has something to do with the town’s name? 😛 Anyway when I arrived on Josiah’s family farm for Thalia and Josiah’s Engagement shoot, One Tree Hill pretty much lived up to it’s name sake. There were rolling green hills that made for beautioful vistas, and even an incredible flowering (cherry?) tree that would not have look out of place in a Harry Potter film! The only thing better would have been if the tree was on top of the hill!

We used this area for their engagement shoot as Thalia and Josiah shared one of their first dates here, in amongst the bushes, which were unfortunately a little sparce due to it being winter, but still made for an awesome spot for a little picnic. This little corner of Adelaide was a stunning spot to visit and I mentioned it to Josiah that they could probably rent out the space for wedding photography 🙂 I had a bunch of fun and captured some really unique shots!

Under a tree
Engagement photo poses
On top of the hill
Smelling the flowers
Walking up the hill
On top of ruins
Ruins
Under a beautiful tree
One Tree Hill Engagement shoot
On top of the hill
Under a tree
Amongst the ruins
Engagement rings
Under the branberry
Smiles
Under a beautiful tree
Ruins
Amongst the ruins
Walking
Amongst the greenery
Under a beautiful tree

Santorini Couple Shoot – Greece – Geri & Ashwin

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  • Geri & Ashwin

    Santorini Couple Shoot – Greece

    Santorini Couple Shoot

I was super excited to cover Geri and Ashwin’s Santorini Couple Shoot as I happened to be on the Greek island of Santorini for Kerri and Tony’s wedding for which they were guests to! Geri’s choice of dress was amazing as the red of her dress really stood out amongst the typical blue and white for which the island of Santorini is famous for. Both Geri and Ashwin were quite natural in front of a camera also, making for some wonderful scenes without much effort, and while surrounded by the sun parched surrounds of Thera on Santorini, it made for some lovely scenes.

I said it before and I’ll say it again, shooting in Santorini and expecting to be surrounded by pristine stairways and white buildings is fine, but you also need to be prepared for throngs of tourists also getting in the way! Leading up to Kerri and Tony’s wedding photo shoot I had scouted out certain spots around the city that seemed to have fewer tourists than others, while still looking awesome, so I took Geri and Ashwin to all the same spots as I took Kerri and Tony, with a few other spots thrown in. As the time of the day was very different between Kerri and Tony’s shoot and Geri and Ashwins, it was quite interesting to visit the same areas and work with the different light.

Santorini Couple Shoot

Holding one another
Amongst the white buildings of Santorini
Walking about together
Geri
Walking about Santorini
Above a blue domed church
On a bench together
Holding one another
Kisses
Santorini Couple Shoot
From above
Sitting on a wall
Smiles all round
Sitting on a wall