Tag Archive for: darwin wedding

Darwin Surf Life Saving Club Wedding – Lauren & Trent

/in ,

  • Lauren & Trent

    Darwin Surf Life Saving Club Wedding

    bride and groom walking at sunset on casuarina beach

People often ask me why I head up to Darwin so often as a wedding photographer – well it’s in no small part due to weddings like Lauren and Trent’s Darwin Surf Live Saving Club wedding!

Their day was super laid back with Trent and his boys swapping shirts and ties for hawaiian shirts and thongs, while Lauren enjoyed going barefoot! This along with the stunning Darwin weather and incredible sunet, it made for such a stunning day!

Preparation

Lauren and Trent’s places of preparation were conveniently located across the road from another in separate houses which meant I wasn’t confined to one spot the entire time and could flit inbetween houses as needed.

Trent and his boys were quite keen on being as lowkey as possible, lounging about in their hawaiian shirts while having a beer, while Lauren and her girls had their hands full with the little flower girl who liked to be the center of attention 🙂

Wedding rings perched on wood
Groom putting on hawiian shirt
Groom and groomsmen by the pool
Groomsman in pink hawaiian shirt
Groom and groomsmen on street

We spent a little bit of time getting the little one ready before realising we also had to get Lauren in her dress ready to go too!

The whole atmosphere surrounding Lauren and Trent’s day was very laid back and low key which made evrything that much more enjoyable!

Wedding dress hanging in the foliage
Fun loving baby
Engagement ring in pink rose
Opal necklace on rock
Mum talking to Bride
Little flower girl
Bridesmaids helping out

Darwin Surf Life Saving Club Wedding Ceremony

Lauren and Trent’s Darwin Surf Life Saving Club Wedding Ceremony took place on the beach front, just beyond the large grassy area in front of the club house itself. The famed Casuarina beach is a delightful sight to behold with a huge amount of sand inbetween the surf club and the water, as far as the eyes can see in either direction.

The wedding ceremony was set up so that the lowering sun took pride of place in the background along with much of the beach – it was a beautiful sight!

The weather was a little windy, but still very warm for a September wedding but everything ran very smoothly and after a few giggles and personal anecdotes this loving couple were married in front of family and friends!

Wedding ceremony set up
Groom approaching ceremony on beach
Bride approaching wedding cermeony
Groom watching as his bride approaches
Wedding ceremony at Darwin surf life saving club
bride listening to her groom during ceremony
Groom listening to bride during ceremony
Beach wedding ceremony
First kiss at darwin surf life saving club wedding
Darwin Surf Life Saving Club Wedding Ceremony

Glamour Photos

We had a short period of time for some glamour photos after the family shots were done, so we made use of the sunset while walking along the beach front as muich as we could, then retired to a nearby swing set up for people to just sit and enjoy the view.

During the night I also brought out some lighting to use the stunning nighttime scene that is the surf club’s grassy area!

bride and groom with little one
bridal party under the sunset
bridal party standing on the beach
Bridal party walking along casuarina beach
Bride and grom walking on casuarina beach
bride and groom enjoying sunset
casuarina beach wedding photo
Holding hands in sunset
bride and groom walking at sunset on casuarina beach
Groom lifting bride on casuarina beach
Bride being carried by groom on beach
bride and groom sitting together at sunset
Bride and groom in trees at night
Darwin surf lifesaving club wedding reception

Darwin Surf Life Saving Club Wedding Reception

The grassy area in front of the club house is such a stunning location, it’s little wonder why it’s such a popular wedding spot in Darwin. The main draw is the fact you get uninterrupted vews of the spectacular Darwin sunsets over the incredible Casuarina beach while enjoying the company of family and friends on a private patch of grass.

During the night the fairy lights illuminate the whole space beautifully and creates an amazing atmosphere that only Darwin can provide!

Darwin surf life saving club wedding reception at sunset
Darwin surf life saving club wedding reception at night
Dad and boy enjoying the lights
Two tier white wedding cake
bride playing with children
First dance at Darwin surf life saving club wedding reception
Guests during reception
bride and groom cutting cake
bride and bridesmaids standing togetherbride and bridesmaids standing together

Thanks so much to Lauren and Trent for having me as your wedding photographer! Was an amazing day and I hope you enjoy your photos and video!

Darwin’s Dudley Point Wedding – Melanie & Kerry

/in ,

  • Melanie & Kerry

    Darwin’s Dudley Point Wedding

    Darwin East Point Pride Rock wedding photo

It was so good to be up in Darwin again for a wedding, and I was super excited for Melanie and Kerry’s as it was the first time as a frequent Darwin wedding photographer to be in the Top End for Territory day!

I had heard stories of the fireworks and how crazy the streets of Darwin gets, but I finally was going to be in town to see it! Even better they head out to East Point for a spot of private fireworks the night before – awesome!

Melanie and Kerry’s big day’s weather turned out brilliantly – if not a bit chilly for Darwin, and it was an awesome day to be a part of!

Preparation

Melanie and Kerry had a pretty nifty set up for their preparation, having two separate properties connected via a shared backyard, where Kerry and his groomsmen got ready in one house, while Melanie and her bridal party got ready in the other!

I spent the time I was with them walking inbetween houses as things were happening and using the nifty surrounds which included pools, lush green trees and triple tiered interior of one of the houses!

The whole aesthetic of Melanie and Kerry’s day was very beachy, laid back and fun. The boys were dressed in Hawaiian shirts, while the girls were dressed in nice, short dresses with a blue theme for the beach.

Wedding rings in shell
Groomsman talking to groom
Blue engagement ring on yellow flowers
Bridal jewellery on rock
Wedding dress hanging in tree in Darwin
Flower girl watching bride get ready on balcony
Groomsman with socks on head
Groom and grooms men in middle of pool
Groom standing in middle of pool
Bride having her hair done
Flower girl makeup
Flower girl admriing herself in mirror
Bride decending down stairs
Bridesmaids in blue helping bride
Naked cat
bride putting on ear rings nearby window
Bride walking down stairs
bridal party on stairs
Bridal party next to pool

Dudley Point Wedding Ceremony

The East Point Reserve, just north of the Darwin city center was where Melanie and Kerry chose top hold their wedding. It would have to be one of my favourite spots in Darwin to take photos, so that was great!

Their Dudley Point wedding ceremony took place in the corner of the picnic area, with a view of the nearby cliffs. There was enough room for a large number of their guests, while also being intimate due to the fact the ceremony took place on top of the cliffs.

The ceremony itself was a lovely, simple affair with stories of how the two met, their vows were personally written and heartfelt – and everyone was all smiles at the end walking through bubbles!

Tesla Arriving at Dudley Point Wedding
Bride exiting Tesla
Posing in front of Tesla wedding car
Relaxed groom
Bride arriving at Dudley Point Wedding Ceremony
Grooms first look of bride at Dudley Point wedding ceremony
Bride andgroom talking at Dudley Point wedding ceremony
Dudley Point wedding Ceremony
Darwin’s Dudley Point wedding Ceremony
Bride smiling at her groom during ceremony at Dudley Point
Bridal vows
Bride and groom framed by square arbour
First kiss at Dudley Point wedding ceremony
Bride and groom exit from their Dudley Point wedding ceremony

Glamour Photos

Time was running short once we had sorted all the group photos, and I had managed to corral all members of the bridal party for a short walk along the cliff top to what I affectionately call ‘pride rock’ as it looks like the bride and groom are perched upon a thin sliver of sliff top, when it’s quite a wide chunk of rock – and it kind of looks like Pride Rock from the Lion King.

I wanted to head here first as I feared being the 2nd of July – it would be a super busy day in Darwin for weddings, and I presumed we would have to beat many other couples off this spot with a stick. Surprisingly no other weddings showed up! So we actually had the run of the place before driving out towards the Fannie Bay Foreshore for the sunset on the beach.

I also stuck in a firework photo I took the night before because I thought it was cool 🙂

Bride and groom out on clifftop
bride and groom nearby the tree on Pride Rock
Bride and groom with ocean in background
Bride and groom admiring sunset
Darwin East Point Pride Rock wedding photo
bridal party at East Point
Wedding socks
bride and groom with sunset in background
Groom elading bride through the undergrowth
Bride and groom share embrace surrounded by foliage
bride leads groom along beachfront
Bridal portrait of bride and groom
Bride and groom walking along Darwin beach
Bridal party with Darwin’s cliffs as a backdrop
Darwin’s Cracker night couples photo

Darwin Wedding Reception

After their Dudley Point wedding ceremony and their glamour photos, Melanie and Kerry held their reception at turned out to be a huge shed that they had spent untold hours setting up for their party!

Thousands of fairy lights adorned the ceiling over their huge u-shaped table seating all their guests – it actaully made for a pretty neat group photo spot!

The night was full of fun, speeches, great food and was great to be a part of!

Darwin reception setup in shed
wedding memorial table
group shot of all wedding guests
Grooms speech in front of white backdrop
Another angle of Darwin wedding reception
Bride’s speech
Triple wedding cake
Cutting their wedding cake
Bridal couple dancing
Groom having some fun
Bouquet toss result

Thanks so much to Melanie and Kerry for having me at your Dudley Point wedding!

PeeWees at the Point Wedding – Darwin – Kathryn & Mark

/in ,

  • KATHRYN & MARK

    PeeWees at the Point Wedding – Darwin

    Darwin wedding trees

Kathryn and Mark’s Darwin PeeWees at the Point Wedding in Darwin was an absolute treat to cover. I was flown up to the Northern Territory and treated to an amazing 2 weeks of stunning weather perfectly suited to taking wedding sunset shots. Usually to get that sort of service from the sun you’d have to have to travel across the world, people spend tens of thousands to have a wedding in Hawaii for this one scene. I cannot stress how amazing the weather was on the day. Kathryn and Mark’s Darwin wedding was the first destination wedding I’ve and I very much hope there will be more! Apparently I was cheaper to fly me up and accommodate me, along with my usual wedding rates than hire a local wedding photographer in Darwin, which is great as I’d love to head back up there!

Preparation

Mark and his groomsmen were all prepared at a rental house in Coconut Grove, just north of the city. The atmosphere was laidback and fun to be a part of. All involved had known each other since high school. The camaraderie and mateship on display made this obvious.

Groom and groomsmen
Doing up tie
Groom in doorway
Groomsmen shoes
Guitar man
Groom
Groom’s affects

After an hour or so, I headed out to where Kathryn and her bridal party were getting prepared; an apartment in the Darwin CBD. Nerves were high as unfortunately a few small things were going wrong for them as they were getting prepared. From a local makeup shop being flooded to a rather unfortunate fire alarm going off and requiring us to evacuate the building while putting on makeup! It all made for an interesting time, but fortunately the girls were all keen to see it all through with a smile!

Bridal party selfie
Engagement ring in flowers
Dress reveal
Bridesmaids
Bride on balcony
Bride getting ready
Bridal shoes
Bridal party

PeeWees at the Point wedding ceremony

Kathryn and Mark’s Darwin wedding took place at the picturesque Pee Wee’s at the point function center. The location boasts a large grassy area overlooking the bay where their wedding ceremony took place, while it also played host to the reception later in the night. If a plan B is needed due to bad weather, Pee Wee’s also has a large dining area. The Location is surrounded by lush parklands and nature reserve, so the entire setting is wonderfully private and intimate.

Flowers decoration
Ball and chain
Exchanging wedding rings
Darwin wedding at PeeWee’s
Bride arriving
Bride reading
Groom waiting for his bride
Bride and Father walking down ailse
Groom looking happy
After the wedding ceremony
Bridal party
Groom seeing bride

Glamour photos

As I said earlier, the weather on Kathryn and Mark’s wedding day was phenomenal, and with the amazing Darwin sun beating down on us, it made for an amazing opportunity to make use of it’s wonderful golden glow. We first head down to an area sandwiched between the George Brown Darwin botanic park and the Garden’s Park golf links to use some wonderfully gnarly trees. Then headed back up to Fannie Bay to make sue of the sunsetting over the bay. If we were shooting a similar scene in a place like Hawaii you’d have to compete with dozens of other newlyweds and their photographer trying to get the same shot. In Darwin, the scene is next to deserted, was amazing.

Bridal party having fun
Bride and Groom under trees
Groomsmen playing marksup
Bride and Groom under trees
Bride and Groom under trees
Bride and Groom under trees
Album cover
Darwin wedding trees
Bride and groom on beach
Bride and groom
Groom fishing

PeeWees at the Point wedding reception

As darkness was approaching we head back up to Pee Wee’s for the reception. Despite it being in the middle of winter, the night was still and warm, perfect for a reception that took place on the open grass. The whole setting was beautiful.

Bride and groom speech
Bridal entrance
Speech
Feeding each other cake
Bouquet toss
First dance
Dancefloor
Dancefloor

The entire night was a joy to e a part of, and I’d very might like to thank Mark and Kathryn for having me shoot their Darwin wedding, despite being an Adelaide-based wedding photographer. If there are any other Darwinites out there looking for a photographer up there though, I’d jump at the opportunity! 😉

Bride and groom in lightpainting

Wharf One Wedding – Darwin – Amanda & Brian

/in ,

  • 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://svenstudios.com/darwin-wedding-photography/ for more details!

Footage of a wedding photographer working

/in , , ,

I’ve always wanted to put together a bit of a background video showing how I work on the day of a wedding, and what I do to create those stunning images my clients know and love. So this footage of a wedding photographer is actually me walking about and taking photos at a real wedding; the wedding of Kathryn and Mark in Darwin. The day was an absolutely stunning day in Darwin, and as my first destination wedding, I was super keen on getting on with the job 🙂 I had my fiancee follow me about and take footage of how I work, and this is the result.

Footage of a wedding photographer

I’m really pleased at how it turned out and made me thinking I may well offer short videos like this to compliment my award winning wedding photography. Would anyone be interested in this? Having a video like this put together adds a whole other dimension to still images. Naturally a short video like this would not be focusing on the wedding photographer, but rather the wedding itself 🙂 Like I said before I just wanted to produce a video like this, taken at a real wedding to show how I usually work in real time.

Darwin wedding trees
Bride and Groom under trees
Album cover
Bride and groom

I’m also looking forward to coving more weddings in Darwin as the city offers some incredible backdrops in the form of sunsets and possibly large lighting storms! Travelling up from Adelaide is no problem for me and I’d certainly make it worth considering me as your wedding photographer!