It was a stunning, sunny day for Suzie and Jay’s Old Oval Estate wedding in Mclaren Vale! The mood was laid back and jovial all day, with all involved just keen on making sure Suzie and Jay have a beautiful celebration of the coming together of their two families.
Suzie and Jay opted to host a ‘first look‘ within the beautiful Bone Gully section of Kuitpo Forest before heading to the Old Oval Estate and Fork in the Road Winery for their ceremony before heading all the way to Macclesfield’s delightful little Three Brothers Arms Pub for their family – oriented reception.
Preparation
I began my day with Jay and his groomsmen being prepared at their family house nearby Meadows. The weather was actually quite grim and foggy up there in the morning, but the weather certainly came out nicely for the rest of their day!
Jay and his groomsmen had a grand old time ripping on one another as they helped each other get dressed, while also making sure Jay’s cigar was lit and hip flask was full.
The great thing about where Jay and his entourage got prepared was the ability to wander off into some neat forested areas behind the house which we made use of for many of their photos.
Suzie and her bridesmaids were being prepared at a bed and breakfast, not far from the Bone Gully forested area where Suzie and Jay held their ‘first look’. The delightful little cottage boasted sweeping views of a nearby pond and a beautiful driveway flanked by tall gum trees which we most certainly made use of for their photos!
Suzie and her bridesmaids shared the jovial mood the boys displayed by making sure Suzie and the little one running about was having a great time – even to the point of having the little one treat a bed like a trampoline!
Bone Gully, Kuitpo Forest First Look
I just love heading to Bone Gully – a part of Kuipto Forest for wedding photos – I’ve taken a couple of bridal couples here – but it’s always a bit of a hrd sale to most due to the difficult terrain that a couple would have to traverse in order to make the most of the location – and wedding attire really isnt best suited for hiking.
That said though, when I finally do get the opportunity to shoot a wedding in Bone Gully, the tall trees and amazing scenery really makes it such a special place! So I was super exicited to learn that Suzie and Jay were keen to head there for their first look!
We made use of the well used BMX tracks, just inside the gates of the forest for the actual moment where suzie approached Jay for their first look, which when surrounded by the dappled light of the harsh sun beating through the trees made for an intimate moment shared by the two of them.
We then went for a bit of a walk up the hill a bit to take a few more shots of the bridal aprty as a whole and also made sure to make the best use fot eh sun shining through the trees.
Old Oval Estate Wedding Ceremony
Holding an Old Oval estate wedding ceremony usually means setting up on a grassy area, under a large gum tree, flanked on either side by vineyards. It’s a delightful spot to host an outdoor wedding ceremony – particularly when you also organise shade for your guests on such a sunny day as this was!
Suzie and Jay had one oof their friends act as an officient throughout their ceremony, who continually made jokes about swishing his mullet around and made in-jokes about Suzie and Jay’s relationship. This is always a nice way to include close friends, and also make the whole ceremony a lot more intimate for all involved.
After the ceremony, we took family photos under the large gum tree, before spending a little time having some leisurely drinks at the cellar door.
Three Brothers Arms Wedding Reception
Suzie and Jay’s wedding reception took place a fair drive away in Macclesfield’s Three Brothers Arms Hotel – a historic building in the town which Suzie and Jay were keen to make use of for some gritty, not quite so lovey-dovey wedding photos – which I had the most fun setting up and shooting!
We made use of the rustic front bar for some shots of the two of them reading their favourite books, and even finished the day with laying down in the gutter out the front for a ‘drunken’ photo anyone whould be keen on printing and hanging on a wall 😛
Suzie and Jay’s day was a blast to be a part of and I thank them for having myself and my wife be a part of their Old Oval Estate wedding day!
