Tag Archive for: Adelaide Hills

The Cedars Wedding – Sara & Zac

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  • Sara & Zac

    The Cadars Wedding

    Bride and groom under autumn colours

Sara and Zac’s The Cedars wedding could not have taken place on any better day for the weather, and the incredible light that seeped it’s way through the trees!

It had been a while since I was last at the Hans Heysen House, or The Cedars as it’s now called for a wedding – and I had very much been looking forward to shooting here again as I knew that for a wedding venue, the gardens here literally inspired one of the defining Australian Artists in Hans Heysen.

Preparation

When hosting a wedding at The Cedars, it’s not unsual to take advantage of the package deals that The Haus group offers. The Haus group now being the custodian of the Cedars wedding venue also runs quite a few spots around the historic town of Hahndorf, including accomodation, and places to hold receptions – like The Haus Restaurant.

Sara and Zac were preparaed at one such hotel, and then held their reception at The Haus – which was all very convenient as everything was very nearby and travel time between locations was minimal for everyone involved. Particularly good in a tourist town like Hahndorf on a Saturday!

Sara’s preparation was a quick affair with me trying top hang her dress in a nearby tree first, then her bridesmaids came and helped her put it on – it was all done within 30 minutes.

Engagement ring in large orange flower
Wedding dress hanging on large tree trunk
Bride’s family out the door
Bridesmaids helping bride in hotel room
Bridesmaids helping smiling bride
Bridesmaids helping smiling bride on deck
Smiling bride on htoel room deck
bride holding bouquet in double doorway
Bride laughing with bridesmaids

The Cedars Wedding Ceremony

The first time I saw Zac was in front of his arbour set up within the bushiest part of The Cedars’ gardens so that all their wedding guests would be shaded from the sun.

Sara and Zac’s dog was a centre piece for their whole day so I made sure to get a few nice photos of their fur baby before he was taken home!

Sara and Zac’s wedding ceremony itslf was a lovely, simple affair with a few readings being read by family and friends, and emotional vows from the two of them, helped along by ample pats of their lovely doggo!

Black dog in bowtie
Arbour set up at The Cedars wedding
Groom waiting by Arbour at his The Cedars wedding
bride arriving at her The Cedars wedding
Grooms first look at the cedars
The Cedars wedding ceremony
bride holding bouquet during wedding ceremony
Groom looking and his bride just before the ceremony starts
The Cedars wedding ceremony Hahndorf
bride and groom holding hands under arbour at The Cedars
Bride and groom during The Cedars wedding ceremony
First kiss at The Cedars wedding
The Cardars wedding ceremony bride and groom
Singing the registry in the sunlight
Bride and groom exiting The Cedars wedding ceremony
Wedding Party in heart shape at The Cadars wedding Hahndorf

Glamour Photos

After the group photos were taken on the large, grassy area just behind where The Cedars wedding ceremony was set up, we used the beautiful natural lighting that was peering through the trees to amplify the Autumnal colours from the trees. Honestly, this spot was a joy to photograph in due to the way the sun was behaving and the colours on the trees – it was all just stunning!

sara had made it clear to me that they had chosen me as their wedding photographer mainly due to how I’m able to incorperate nature and the l;andscape into my work, so this was just perfect for what I do best!

We were planning on heading up the road a little to make use of the Mt Barker rail tunnel, but the sun was fading quite fast, and I figured the best use of the remaining sunlight was really to stay at The Cedars – and maybe use some of the Autumnal colours on display on the Hahndorf Main street before heading in for their reception.

Black Dog Portrait
Bride and groom under autumn colours
The Cedars wedding Photography
Bridal party under the autumnal colours
bride and groom walking their dog through The Cedars
Bride and groom looking back at camera on bench
Bride and groom through foliage in the gardens of The Cedars
Bride and groom standing in amongst the garden
Bride and groom standing in amongst the sunlight
Bride and groom against tree in The Cedarts wedding garden
Bridal party walking along dirt path
Bridal aprty next to old stone wall
Bride and groom walking throguh long grass together
Bride and groom in the grass
Bridal party in the long grass
Bride and groom with old building in background
Wedding rings in sunlight
Bride and groom looking at one another under lights
bride and groom surrounded by Autumn colours
Bride and groom looking out onto main road in Hanhdorf
Bride and groom with smoke and Autumn colours

The Haus Wedding Reception

After taking ample The Cedars wedding photos, we head back to the main street of Hahndorf for Sara and Zac’s reception at the Haus restaurant where I had already set up my photobooth prior to their day starting.

Their night was full of fun filled people, happy to be there, celebrating Sara and Zac’s special day, and the photobooth got a good workout during the rest fo the night!

Bridal kiss through cheers
Place name for guests
Cupcake wedding cake
Thumbs up wedding guests
Guests enjoying the photo booth
First dance at the Haus
First dance at the Haus bride
Dancing
Cutting their wedding cake
Feeding each other wedding cake

Thanks so much to Sara and Zac for having me shoot at your Hans Heysen – The Cedars wedding! Was a great day and I hope you enjoy the resulting photos!

The Manor Basket Range Wedding – Ameeta & Brenton

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  • Ameeta & Brenton

    The Manor Basket Range Wedding

    Bride and groom in the Australian sunlight 2

Ameeta  and Brenton’s wedding at the Manor Basket range was certainly one to remember! It was a lot of fun being a part of a traditional wedding I had not seen before now, while also being in the stunning surrounds of The Manor, Basket Range! It’s the best part of being a wedding photographer, and I can now add a Hindu wedding ceremony onto the list of different traditions of ceremonies I have now photographed!

Ameeta and Brenton then also held a shorter Lutheran ceremony making use of the Manor basket Range Wedding Chapel before holding a lunch time reception in the venue’s lower reception hall.

Preparation

Before heading out The Manor Basket Range I head into the city where Brenton and his groomsmen were being prepared at a hotel. The morning was jovial, with the boys making jokes while brenton’s parents and family got ready within the same room.

Wedding rings on groom shoes
hanging suit jacket
groom getting ready in black and white
Gran helping out
Dad watching son get ready
groom and groomsman through door
Watching on
Groom putting on tie in hotel room
Groomsmen helping put on grooms jacket

Ameeta was prepared before the Hindu wedding ceremony in the small room reserved for bridal preparation above the Manor’s main doorway. The colours and intricate dresses and decor on display rally made for some striking scenes and I was really enjoying myself!

Mum getting ready in traditional dress
helping
Smiling bride in Hindu dress
Bride in Hindu garb looking in mirror
Smiling bride in Hindu dress 2
getting ready for the Manor Basket range wedding
Placing the bride’s bindi
Placing the bride bindi
bride in front of arch

The Manor Basket Range Wedding Ceremonies

As Ameeta and Brenton’s Hindu wedding ceremony had to take place on the ground, they set up their wedding ceremony location to the left of where people usually hold their ceremonies at The Manor Basket Range; in front of the little stone chapel they have on site.

This allowed for more room to add more seating for all their guests while facing directly at the ceremony. The green foliage located behind the small chapel also made for a lovely backdrop to their photos.

Hindu Wedding Ceremony

As part of the Hindu wedding tradition, the groom arrives in pompmous style only to be greeted by the bride’s family where they assess the groom and allow him to pass in a ceremonial ritual that involves the spreading of ceremonial items and the groom stepping on and cracking an urn.

I wasn’t overly clear on the meaning of all the rituals, but it was a lot of fun to document both with photography, but also with videography which Ameeta and Brenton asked me to do in order to document their ceremonies.

Hindu affects
Limo carrying groomsmen arrives
Groom arriving in limo
Groom family dancing towards brides family
Brides mother greeting groom
Dancing groomsmen heading to ceremony
Holding urn
Brides mother performing blessings on groom
Brides mother performing blessings on groom 2
Brides mother performing hindu blessings on groom
groom entering the ceremony location
Smiling groom before the ceremony starts

Once Brenton had been allowed in, then the ceremony started proper with the Hindo priest presiding over various ceremonies while chanting in Hindi. I knew Hindu wedding ceremonies tended to take a long time, but Ameeta and Brentons was a little abridged and only took a little less than 2 hours.

While taking their photos I made sure to capture each individual small movement made by both Ameeta and Brenton, along side their parents and priest in order to make sure I did not miss anything important!

Mother of the bride
mother of bride performing in Hindu wedding ceremony
hindu wedding ceremony affects
Groom reaching for something
Hindu wedding ceremony
Hindu bride approaching ceremony
Sheet placed between bride and groom
bride being lifted on shoulders
jewellery between bride and groom
Smiling bride during Hindu wedding ceremony
holding hands during Hindu wedding ceremony
Preparing the bride during ceremony
Preparing the bride during ceremony 2
Hindu Wedding Ceremony at The Manor Basket Range
Hindu wedding ceremony custom
Touching toes
Feeding one another during wedding ceremony
Gifts recieved from Bride mother
bride and groom sharing a moment during ceremony
Hindu red book

Lutheran Wedding Ceremony

After a short break, Ameeta and Brenton also held a Lutheran wedding ceremony in the same area that was set up for their Hindu wedding ceremony. One of brenton’s entouage from the morning presided over the shoprter ceremony as a Lutheran priest which was spearheaded by a speech he made about the use of different items in ways not usually intended.

bride’s parents lighting candles
Lit candles
Priest running ceremony
Bride listening to priest
Lutheran wedding ceremony
bride and groom standing across from one another
Smiling bride during Lutheran ceremony
Wedding ceremony on the grass at The Manor Basket Range
Exchanging wedding rings during the ceremony
First kiss in front of the Greenery

The Manor Basket Range Wedding Reception

After the two ceremonies, Ameeta and Brenton hosted a lunch time wedding reception at The Manor Basket range’s smaller reception area on the ground floor. The area really seems like the inside of a castle and mades for a stunning atmosphere not often found in Australia.

Guests in love heart shape
Wedding cake on display at the Manor Basket Range Wedding Reception
MC doing his thing
bride and groom kiss in front of guests
The Manor Basket Range wedding reception
Cutting the wedding cake at the Manor Basket Range wedding
Feeding the groom
Parent speech
bride and groom speech

Glamour Photos

Both before and after their reception we made use of some of the nearby areas to create some glamour photos of Ameeta and Brenton, while family photos took place after both wedding ceremonies.

We first walked around the grounds of The Manor Basket range and used the small gardens, and of course the stunning castle-style building the Manor is famous for, and then drove down the road a bit to a small Australian forested area to mix things up a bit.

While driving them down to where they were staying in Adelaide, we even found a nifty little vineyard to take a few photos in!

Bride and groom standing in Garden together
Wedding photo in garden
Manor basket Range garden photo
Manor basket Range garden wedding photo
Hindu bride standing in garden
Smiling bride over groom shoulder
Close up of Henna Tattoos
bride and groom walking away from The Maor Basket Range
Against the gate of the Manor Basket Range
Black and white of Henna Tattoos
bride and groom in Australian bush
Bride and groom walking through long grass
Bride and groom in the Australian sunlight
Bride and groom in the Australian sunlight 2
Typical wedding photo in Australian bush
Bride and groom in vineyard
Bride and groom in vineyards

Ameeta and brenton’s wedding day was a blast to be a part of and I thank them so much for having me be their wedding photographer!

Morphett Vale Church Wedding – Mayli & Nathaniel

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  • Mayli & Nathaniel

    Morphett Vale Church Wedding

    bride and groom under blue lights and smoke

Mayli and Nathaniel held their Morphett Vale Church wedding at the local Seventh Day Adventist Church on a lovely day with family and friends. Their day was full of fun, faith and lovely people who all combined to create a super memoriable day!

It was a little fun for me too, having had only just recently moved away from living pretty much next door to the Morphett Vale Seventh Day Adventist Church which Mayli and Nathaniel held their ceremony and lunch time reception in – so I felt like coming back home!

Preparation

I begun the day with Nathaniel and his groomsmen – all 8 of them! Coupled with Mayli’s 8 bridesmaids, that made a bridal party totalling 18 people! It’s pretty special that Nathaniel and Mayli were able to accomodate that many close, special people into their bridal party!

Nathaniel and his groomsmen were in good spirits when I arrived, watching TV and generally slowly getting dressed. One thing that caught my eye were the dress watches that each of them were wearing – I thought they were all pretty cool!

rings on shoes BW
Watches on tie
Jacket hanging on door in hallway
helping out with grooms tie
groom looking out window adjusting tie
groom next to window adjusting tie
Close up of grooms flower
Mum helping out get ready
groom and groomsmen in front of BMW
Groom and groomsmen group shot

Mayli and her bridesmaids were being prepared at a different house, nearby Flinders Univeristy and the atmosphere was decidedly more rushed 🙂 Girls running about making sure Mayli was properly prepared, and cramming together to take some nice shots together in the front room – but it all worked out wonderfully!

Bridesmaid dresses closeup
Wedding dress hanging in lit window
Engagement ring in white rose
bridesmaids helping put in brides dress
Strapping up the back of the brides dress
Smiling bride in front of bridesmaids
Bride looking out window with bouquet
bride walking out front door BW

Morphett Vale Church Wedding Ceremony

Mayli and nathaniel’s Morphett Vale Church wedding took place at the Morphett Vale Seventh Day Adventist Church – one of several churches on the same block on which I used to live.

The insides of this modern church was bathed in blue light, with ample room for a large congregation to watch mayli and Nathanienls wedding ceremony take place on the stage below. The ceremony was backdropped nicely by a yeallow-lit cross which added nicely to the overall theme of their ceremony.

The highlight of their wedding ceremony would have to have been the performance of two skilled musicians who sang and played guiter for a reasonable amount of time during the cermeony.

Mayli arriving in car
bride anxious to start walking down aisle
groom waiting patiently in church
Bride entrance at Morphet Vale Church Wedding
Grooms first look as she walks towards him
Morphett Vale Church Wedding Ceremony
Holding each others hands during Morphett Vale Church Wedding
Smiling bride during ceremony under blue lights
Playing guitar under cross
band singing during wedding ceremony
Holding up hands during chior
Celebrant holding microphone
Morphett vale Seventh Day adventist church wedding
Bride looking at her groom during the ceremony
Groom looking at his bride during the ceremony
Exchanging wedding rings at Morphett Vale Church Wedding
First kiss at Morphett Vale Church wedding
Signing the registry on stage
Happy groom while signing documents
Bride and groom with wedding certificate
Celebrating being married
bridal exit from Morphett Vale church wedding

Morphett Vale Church Wedding Reception

Directly after the ceremony, and the mandatory family photos outside under a tree, Mayli and Nathaniel held a simple wedding reception within the church hall. This took place just after lunch time, and made it possible for all their guests at the ceremony to attend their reception, before retiring to a more intimate family reception at a private property in Crafers.

Their Morphett vale Church Wedding Reception was where they held all their important speeches, cut their wedding cake and mingled with family and friends.

Wedding cake in front of brick wall
Bride and groom feeding doughnuts to one another
Cutting the wedding cake with guests behind
Speech giver
Laughing bridesmaid during speech
bridesmaid speech
Laughing bride durig groom speech
Kiss after speech

Glamour Photos

Before leaving the church, I made sure to make use of the blue lights and in house smoke machine that was on stage to take some nifty glamour shots of Mayli and Nathaniel within the church before heading out for some glamour photos.

We drove all the way up to Mt Lofty Summit to use the lookout up there overlooking Adelaide – unfortunately the day was fairly overcast, but we made the most of the little bit of sunlight poking through. We then head to a private property in Crafers where mayli and Nathaniel held their smaller, family based wedding reception.

This was where I was able to make use of the rather funky house overlooking the valley, while also mixing things up by going for a bit of a walk down the hill to make use of the Australian bush as a backdrop. Can anyone spot the photobombing koala? 😀

Much thanks to Mayli for making the effort to trek down there in her wedding dress and heels!

bride and groom under blue lights
Inside the Morphett Vale Seventh Day Adventist Church
bride and groom under blue lights and smoke
bride standing on Mt Lofty Obelisk
bride and groom sitting on Mt Lofty Obelisk
black and White Mt Lofty Summit Wedding Photo
bride and groom under the Mt Lofty Obelisk
Close up of bride and groom on Mt Lofty Summit
bridal party on the balcony
bridal party on the balcony looking at camera
bridal party photo at Crafers
Laughing bride and grrom from dress
Bride holding bouquet from dress
bride and groom on the balcony
bridal party sitting in the fire pit
bride and groom surrounded by Australian bush
Typical wedding photo
bride and groom looking at one another with sun in background
Wedding photo with photobombing koala
Bride and groom waling in long grass in bushland

Thankyou Mayli and Nathaniel for having me photograph your wedding!

AlRu Farm Wedding – Emma & Brad

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  • Emma & Brad

    AlRu Farm Wedding

    Alru farm wedding photo

I was priviledged anough to have been asked to be Emma and Brad’s Wedding photographer at their stunning AlRu Farm wedding towards the end of May!

The setting, the atmosphere, the weather and just about everything came together to form the most perfect day for these two newly weds, and it was an absolute joy to be a part of!

Preparation

I began the day with Brad and his groomsmen getting prepared in the on-site International Suite accomodation which boasts a large living area lots of beautiful natural light streaming in throught he rustic windows that line the rooms. The setting is delightful for preparation photos with such a lovely, rustic backdrop.

We also made a point of walking about the grounds a little but – without sneaking a peek of Emma as she was also being prepared on site in a different area.

Groom’s shoes
Wedding rings on tie 2
Groom reading letter
Groom putting on tie in window
groom pacing AlRu Farm
Suit Jacket hanging on windowsill
Groomsman looking in mirror at AlRu Farm
Groom looking out doorway
groom and groomsmen having fun on driveway
groomsmen shot
groom and groomsmen lost shot
Groomsmen together

Emma was being prepared also on-site in the Garden Pavillion, which is in my experience the best place for the bridal party to get ready due to it’s wonderfully huge windows lining the entire length of the cottage making for a stunning backdrop for bridal portraits and shots of the dress. AlRu Farm has such a wonderful set up in regards to accomodation, providing 3 separate, wonderful spots for preparation photos on a wedding day – which makes it one of my favourite wedding venues in Adelaide.

Emma and her bridesmaids were really relaxed all morning leadning up to the moment where we head out for Emma and Brad’s ‘first look’ amongst the gardens of Alru Farm. We even had a bit of fun tryign to get the cork to fly off a champaign bottle! Lucky we had 2 to get it right!

Bridal shoes
Putting makeup on
Wedding dress hanging at Alru Farm
Helping with brides hair
Engagement ring in amonst the flowers
bridal party with champaigne
Bride and bridesmaids in gowns
Wedding dress hanging above bridal party
Wedding dress hanging At Alru Farm wedding
bridesmaids helping put on bridal gown
bride having a wine while getting dressed
Buttoning up bridal gown
Smiling bride in windwo at Alru Farm wedding
Alru Farm wedding bride

First Look

Emma and Brad opted to have a first look done before the ceremony, having the nerves and pent up energy of the day shared with their bridal party rather than the entirety of their guests at the ceremony itself.

We also made use of the time before the ceremony to walk around the grounds a bit to take some glamour phtoos with the bridal party with the idea that they will have more time after the ceremony to spend with their guests rather than taking phtoos all day.

Groom waiting patiently for his first look
bride approaching groom for first look
nervous groom waiting for first look
grooms first look at Alru Farm wedding
Smiling bride during first look

Glamour Photos

We walked around the grounds of Alru Farm making use of the overcast day to really allow the yellows for the dying autumnal leaves to come through as much as possible in their photos. We also made friends with the local wildlife while walking about!

bride and groom amongst the long grass at Alru
Guinea Fowl