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.
Dudley Point Wedding Ceremony
The East Point Reserve, just north of the Darwin city center was where Melanie and Kerry chose to 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!
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 🙂
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!
Thanks so much to Melanie and Kerry for having me at your Dudley Point wedding!
