Tag Archive for: ideas

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Choosing a wedding venue: 5 Tips to Think about

  • Carclew House

 

Things to Consider When Choosing Your Wedding Venue

Your wedding venue is as important as your wedding dress. It’s one of the things you will remember vividly from your big day as either fantastic and perfect, or rather dull and a horrible choice. This is because it is where the ceremony takes place, and where your guests will stay or go to during reception It’s where your whole day happens. It also affects how your wedding would look and feel like, both in your memories and in your wedding photography. No matter how good you planned your wedding program, if the venue doesn’t do it justice, your wedding will turn out not as expected, which is the last thing you will want on your special day.

Before visiting your potential wedding venue

Doing venue visits is tiring and costly, which is why you should review the place first with the information that you can find online. Do your initial check remotely to see if the venue is fit for you. I’ve put together a large list of wedding venues in Adelaide for anyone looking for their perfect Adelaide wedding venue. You can sort them by location in Adelaide and also by their type.

Aside from how good a venue looks, there are several factors that you should consider when choosing the right venue for your wedding. Whether you’re planning to hold it on a hotel, garden, beach, or an overlooking hill, you must take into consideration the following:

  • Availability: Is the venue available on your desired wedding date?
  • Cost: Is it within your budget range?
  • Alcoholic beverages: Do they permit the serving of alcohol in the venue?

Most soon-to-be brides and grooms always prioritise the aesthetic appeal of a place when deciding on a venue. They choose a place that they know will look great in their wedding photos. But also keep in mind that your venue will affect the mood of your wedding, which is why you should choose a place that makes you feel comfortable and delighted.

Glanville Hall Wedding

5 Tips to think about when Choosing your wedding venue

In this article, we will share with you five tips for choosing a perfect wedding venue:

  1. Sufficient Capacity

The capacity of the venue should always come first on your venue checklist. When checking the holding capacity of the location, plan in your head how you will arrange the tables, chairs, and decor. Doing so will help you decide whether the place is a good fit for your planned wedding activities.

Serafinos Wedding Reception
  1. In-house Catering

Although you can get a separate food service, having in-house catering will help lessen your planning responsibilities. In-house catering can give you plenty of options from their menu, and you can ask for special servings if you would like. Let the venue staff help you out and allow them to take care of this matter.

Also, ask if the chairs, tables, utensils, and table arrangements are part of their package. If they are, then that’s one less responsibility that you’ll have to think about. This said however, opting to self cater and doing a DIY wedding may help with the budget.

Kuitpo Hall wedding reception
  1. Parking Area

When thinking of things to think about when selecting your wedding venue, this is possibly the most overlooked aspect. Make sure that the venue has adequate parking spaces to accommodate your guests. If there isn’t enough, see if there are nearby ones where your guests can park. Although, keep in mind that doing this can be risky since you wouldn’t want your guests to wander on unfamiliar streets. Also, make sure that the venue is accessible because you wouldn’t want your guests to come to your wedding looking all tired and haggard because the road is sketchy.

Cars arriving
  1. Covered Facilities

You will never know if the weather on your wedding day will be great or not. Especially if you’re planning on an outdoor wedding, make sure that there is a covered facility that you can use in case it rains. If there is none, ask at least if they have marquees or anything similar that they can provide. If not you can hire them, or if you’re budget concious, Bunnings actually offer some cheap alternatives.

Surprise Backyard wedding under the marquee
  1. On-site Accommodation

If you have guests coming over from different states or overseas, make sure that they have a place to stay after the reception. Once the day is over, you would not want to leave your guests on their own, especially if you’ve done your wedding away from the cities. Check and see whether or not the venue has facilities to accommodate your guests after the long night.

Guests enjoying themselves

Your wedding day is a celebration of love, not only with your partner but also with the special people in your life. Let them know that you appreciate their presence at your wedding by making them feel comfortable throughout the day. Hopefully this list of tips for choosing a wedding venue will help in your selection of the perfect spot to hold your perfect day!

If you are looking for a professional wedding photographer in Adelaide to capture the best moments during your wedding, and to help you plan out your day get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

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The Golden Hour: Why Is It The Best Time For Photos?

Ekhidna wines wedding vineyards

Why Golden Hour is the Perfect Time for Wedding Photography

Ever noticed how some wedding photos have that warm, dreamy glow? That’s the magic of golden hour—the time just before sunset when natural light makes everything look incredible. If you’re planning your wedding, knowing when to take advantage of this perfect lighting can make all the difference.

Golden hour is that magical hour just before sunset when the atmosphere beams lighting that is perfect for taking photos. Before now, you must have seen some glowing wedding photographs of couples, and you can’t help but imagine when it was taken. No doubt, it’s possibly the golden hour. Finding the perfect time to capture priceless moments during a wedding ceremony can make all the difference.

But you shouldn’t be thinking about this on your wedding day, you have more important things to worry about. That’s why you need a photographer. And not just anyone will do. You need to hire a professional that understands the significance of this “hour” and what it means for your wedding.

When planning your wedding, think about golden hour photography. The right photographer will know how to use that soft, golden light to capture stunning, unforgettable moments.

Semaphore Beach Sunset

Sadly, many wedding photographers fail to take advantage of this hour during a wedding ceremony. The fact is that someone that lacks the intricate photography skills can easily get stuck up in the reception and watch the sunset waste away without taking any photos. Therefore, it takes an expert to know when the sunset is likely going to occur and how to take advantage of it to create images that the couple would be glad to look back on for many years to come.

What Makes Golden Hour Photography Unique for Weddings?

It’s hard to discuss creative wedding photography without mentioning the golden hour. Why is this so?

First of all, during this time, the sunlight is less harsh and softer and usually a golden colour – hence the name. Therefore, your photos will radiate a beautiful soft glow due to the beautiful bright flares that hit the lens of the camera. Photos taken during this time are also devoid of squinty eyes and strong shadows. This makes the job of the photographer a bit easier as he won’t have trouble trying to make the faces of those starring at the camera less awful.

The golden hour helps in creating astonishing images for any wedding. Here are more reasons why you should treasure this precious hour.

  • It brings out the best look in the couple.
  • It doesn’t limit the extent of creative photoshoots.
  • Photo editing is a lot easier (at least for us)
  • The unique sunset that follows a wedding day is important to capture
Ekhidna wines wedding at sunset

Why Lighting During Magic Hour Photography is Essential for Wedding Photos

You must have realised how valid these words are if you have ever seen an awful wedding photo that makes you wonder if the photographer threw his skills to the donkeys during the wedding. You might be the most stunning bride in history, and your partner might be looking his best too, but if the lighting is not right, then your photos are not going to be the best.

If you are preparing for your wedding and you desire the best possible photos, there is no other better time to plan for it other than now. Golden hour photography brings a warm, natural glow to your wedding photos, creating timeless images you’ll cherish forever.

The truth is that any experienced photographer must have realised that no matter how hard you force a smile from the faces of guests when taking photos, if the sun is too hot in the sky and the photos are taken outdoors, you might not get the best shot. It’s a big reason to have photos done during this time of day, other than the amzing golden light. Therefore, taking wedding photos during the golden hour does not just help to bring out your best look during your wedding day, it also makes the job of the photographer easier.

But… what if the golden hour is not our best time for photos?

It’s common for me as a photographer to wish we were out taking photos during golden hour, only to be stuck inside for the reception.  In adelaide the golden hour tends to be around 7-8pm, and most receptions start at about 6-6:30. have a think about whether or not having sunset photos in the golden hour is worth popping out again during your reception. Often is well worth the effort! In the end, you will love the soft ambiance that this hour creates and the magical light it radiates.

Santorini Sunset

Why You Should Hire a Professional for Golden Hour Photography

There is nothing as devastating as hiring someone that can barely tell the difference between sunset and sunrise and how it affects wedding photos. That is why it is paramount to hire the best hands for your wedding. Fortunately, you have an expert photographer at your beck and call. I have worked with many clients all around Australia and the world and help them to take advantage of this precious hour. We can do the same for you. Instead of wondering what time is best to take wedding photos, let us help you plan it out.

We would love to hear from you and discuss your wedding photography needs as well as help you figure out the perfect spots to take advantage of this short time.

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The bread and salt wedding tradition

I’ve been to a number of weddings now as a wedding photographer and I’ve seen quite a few different wedding traditions and one I quite like is the bread and salt wedding tradition. If you consider the fact that marriage is the supreme bond of love and affection, and wedding is the ceremony of this holy union. Weddings give you an ultimate chance to proclaim your love to the entire world, perhaps most importantly, to the people that matter to you.

From the day you first met, shared your first kiss or proposed may forever be imprinted in your mind, not a single memory will come close to your wedding day. It is a day to enjoy endless luxury, happiness, enthusiasm, good food, champagne, and never-ending opulence, just to celebrate the one you love.

The epitome of any wedding day is of course the declaration of wedding vows. A proclamation that declares unflattering commitment, admiration, promises, and legally claims one another. This day is truly the day of days for all love birds, and for this reason, should be made meaningful and personal, and people like to do this by incorporating traditional wedding customs such as the bread and salt wedding traditon.

The Bread and Salt Wedding Tradition

The bread and salt wedding tradition is an European tradition usually accredited to Poland, but many countries in Europe follow something similar from Russia through to the UK. It’s basically a welcome greeting ceremony in several Slavic and other European cultures and in Middle Eastern cultures. As a welcome ceremony its a nice way to celebrate the coming together of two families and welcome the bride and groom’s guests to the ceremony.

Ukrainian Bride and Groom sharing the bread and salt wedding tradtion

What Is Meant by The Bread and Salt at A Wedding Reception?

For the bread and salt wedding tradition, the bride and groom meet both sets of parents at the wedding reception. The parents will have a loaf of bread, which will be sprinkled with salt and will also have a goblet of wine. The parents say a toast to the couple so that they have good luck during their marriage. It also symbolizes that the parents hope that their children will never go without and that they have an abundance of what they need. In more detail, this is what is meant by the bread, salt, and wine during the wedding reception:

1. The Bread

In the bread and salt wedding tradition, bread is a symbol that is sweet, and it is given by the parents to the bridal couple. They hope that the couple never has to want for much. It is their hope that they never go hungry and always have enough.

bread-delicious-eat

2. The Salt

Salt usage during the wedding reception is so that the couple understands that life will not always be easy. This part of the tradition conveys that the parents want their children to know that life will have its difficulties at times, but the two must learn how to deal with and handle their struggles. It will make them grow stronger as a couple when they learn how to get through the harder times together.

salt

 

3. The Wine

The wine is there to show that the parents hope that the couple never goes thirsty. It also symbolizes the wish for the couple’s life to be filled with joy and happiness for many years to come. The parents want the best for their children in all ways, and they are showing this through this tradition.

 

Woodstock winery wine bottles

Breaking of The Plate and The Glass

This occurs when the bride and groom each take a piece of the bread and sip of the wine and then throw the plate and the glass to the floor so that they are broken. The parents give each of them a kiss, and then the wedding reception carries on. It is to show the beginning of their life as a couple.

The singing of The Song Sta Lot

In order for the bread and salt wedding tradition to be final, the song Sta Lot is played. It means that the wishes for good luck to the couple last for 100 years. This a huge celebration and people really enjoy it as they watch the bride and groom begin their life together with all of their loved ones close at hand. Having all of their closest friends and family there to witness their vows and traditions for their wedding means so much to the couple.

Where Did This Wedding Tradition Originate?

The roots of the wedding tradition are part of Slavic, European, and Middle Eastern cultures. People love to see this tradition at weddings because they referred to it as sweet and they know that the parents of the bride and groom really want their children to be happy. That is why the symbolization of the bread and salt tradition is so important, and it occurs before the rest of the wedding reception begins.

The Type of Bread, Salt, And Wine to Be Used

In the past, it was a loaf of bread. In modern wedding ceremonies, it can just be a couple of pieces of bread, regular salt, and any kind of wine or champagne that is used for their tradition. They are merely symbols of the meanings behind the tradition, so there are no strict rules when it comes to what is used by the couple for the reception.

Making It A Point to Have This Tradition at The Wedding Reception

A wedding symbolizes the union of two souls and often the continuation of tradition. Although in modern times, this tradition may seem a little odd, having the bread and salt wedding tradition in a modern marriage can mark that day with a time to reflect on old ways that were handed down from generation to generation. They will never forget how much it means for their parents to wish them good luck during those moments of sweetness and tenderness at the wedding reception.

This is to many couples the most important moment of the entire wedding experience. Traditions create a bond that is truly unique and beautiful. And many couples cherishing traditions that stem from their cultural roots can put special imporntance on different things. Embracing the tradition of bread and salt in their weddings is one such way to celebrate the delights associated to their cultural heritage.

 

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Ultimate Wedding Photography Timeline Guide

  • The Ultimate Wedding Photography Timeline Guide

    Holding each other under the winspy trees

A wedding photography timeline is a vital part of wedding planning. You spend a fortune to make sure your wedding is something that turely represents who you are as a couple, so it’s best to make sure you get every important part of your wedding documented by your wedding photographer. Having a well-planned schedule helps to do this immensely. That being said though, a wedding photogrpahy timeline does not have to be complex – you only need to make sure it’s clear as to where your photogrpaher needs to be and when throughout the day.

Although wedding photographers should be quick and ready to capture important moments at all times, they also need some time and proper flow to produce quality photos for the couples. I’m not saying you need to say that your photographer should be ‘along the right wall of the barn while Jakod does his speech’ – it’s more about what time your makeup will be finished by in the morning, or when you pan to do your first dance in the evening.

Here’s everything you need to know before putting togtehr a wedding photography timeline.

Wedding Photography Timeline Guide

  1. The Preparation

Prep time is the best time to capture candid moments between the bride or groom and their family and friends in modern wedding photography, it’s become some of the most important photos to take to tell a story.. It is nice to capture moments that show how the whole wedding began. Little snippets of the couple getting dressed or made up will surely be a good reminder of how the preparations went. That will also remind you of your wedding vendors and how you feel at the moment.

Grooms wedding shoes
Helping put on wedding dress
Taking the wedding dress for a spin

What photos are taken: Portraits of the bride and groom. Take photos of the wedding preparations, the wedding details, and conduct group photos for the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Recommended shoot time: I usually budget around 1 hour with the groom and his groomsmen, and between 1.5-2 hours with the bride and her bridal party. Adjust accordingly considering travel time between locations and you may also wish to take into account the possiblity that you may wish to have a ‘first look’ before the ceremony.

 

  1. The Ceremony

It is the most awaited part of your wedding—where the exchanges of vows and the witnessing of the union happen. Make sure to take photos of important moments.

Adelaide Sailing Club Wedding Ceremony
Burbrook forest wedding ceremony
Mt Lofty House Wedding Ceremony

What to take: Photographers should capture as much as they can during the ceremony. Take photos of the crucial moments, such as the bride and groom’s reactions, the kiss, the confetti, and the congratulations and hugs afterwards. It is a nice touch if the photographers have candid shots of the guests’ reactions too.

Recommended shoot time: Allocate around one hour for the whole ceremony – even if the ceremony isnt planned to go that long. Things happen at weddings that cause timelines to change, and the ceremony is not a part of the day you should skimp on. Some religious ceremonies can also go much longer than an hour.

 

  1. The Family and Important Groups

It is the part of the wedding ceremony that should be done as fast as possible – however it hardly ever pans out that way, and if it doesnt, although you’d want to remember your day with the special people in your life, remember that you can always take more pictures later – probably at the reception.

group wedding shot at st francis winery
Guest group shot
Bridal group

What to take: Take photos of the bride and groom with their immediate family and close friends.

Recommended shoot time: Allot around 30 minutes to do this. Since it can take longer, try and make a list of photos you’d want taken before the day and give it to someone who has a loud voice and can organise people. This will help this process become much less painful for all those involved.. It can also serve as the photographer’s guide to capture photos of everyone important to the groom and bride. Sometimes family politics make photos of certain people together something to avoid – so this can also help avoid sticky situations.

 

  1. The Couple’s glamour photos

This is the period of time during a wedding day where you’re able to get the bride and groom alone to capture the ‘pretty shots’ that are usually printed and put on the wall.

Ekhidna wines wedding vineyards
Bride and groom under a fallen tree
Inglewood Inn Wedding Photo

What to take: Take romantic shots of the newlywed and photos showing off the new wedding ring.

Recommended shoot time: I usually allocate about 1 hour per locations you’d like to travel to for this. One hour is probably too long for it, but it makes for a much more cruisey experience. It is best to schedule this session at least before the sunset. This way, you’ll get the best light in your photos.

 

  1. The Reception and Party

This is when the party starts and scheduled formalities like speeches and the first dance happen.

First dance
first dance in blue smoke
best man speech

What to take: Some of the event highlights to capture here are the cutting of the wedding cake, the first dance, and the dance of the bride and groom with their parents. You should also include here the venue shot, the food shot, the bride and groom’s photos with their guests, and other candid shots of guests.

Recommended shoot time: When making a wedding photography timeline, I usually just ask for when the reception starts, as if I’m asked to cover the whole day I’ll be staying until all the formalities have completed. If I was asked to cover a reception in an hourly package, an hour is usually enough to cover the cake cutting, first dance and possibly a speech or two. Consider the travel time to the wedding reception if your location is separated from your ceremony venue.

 

A successful wedding depends on successful teamwork and a well laid out wedding photography timeline helps with this so much!. Beautiful wedding photos come from a well-planned schedule and great quality photographers. To ensure less headache on your special day, make sure to prepare well, and work with professional photographers. Professional wedding photographers usually have a proposed schedule and shoot plans that they relay to the groom and bride. That should help ease the load for you.

If you want a fun and relaxing way of capturing your precious wedding memories, we are at your service! We are Adelaide-based wedding photographers in South Australia, ready to capture beautiful photos that will transport yourself back to the happiest day of your life. Get in touch with us today!

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Star Wars Wedding Photography

Over the years I’ve been asked to photoshop in different Star Wars themed additions to create some Star Wars wedding photography. I’ve been asked to add different things to my photos in the past, including dinosaurs, zombies and even giant gummy bears, but scenes from Star Wars tends to be one of the most popular ‘additions’ to wedding photography. Star Wars wedding photography isnt just about the photoshop skill of the photographer, it also needs a bit of ‘action’ played out by the couple in their photographs 🙂

As it’s May the 4th today – a play on words pun from the famed ‘May the Force be with you’ line from the series, I figured it’d be a little bit of fun to go back over some of the Star Wars wedding photography I’ve put together over the years.

Star wars wedding at Auchendarroch House

The first being what is still my absolute favourite Star Wars wedding photo Ive ever put together. Rebecca and Simon’s Auchendarroch house wedding took place way back in 2016 but people still ask to have me as their wedding photographer based soley on this single image I put together for them. It just works so well witht he towering AT-AT walkers moving away from the carnage they presumably laid down in their wake before coming to crush the house and the wedding party. Classic 🙂

Star Wars Wedding Photography

The next is Chloe and Alex’s Edwardstown Baptist Church wedding where I was asked to photoshop in lightsabers for each of the bridal party as if they were attacking the bride and groom. Just a little bit of fun here, lightsabers are super easy to photoshop into a photograph but it’s the making the whole aesthetic darker than usual thats the tricky bit 🙂

Star Wars Wedding Photo

You might recgnise the AT-AT walkers in this shot I put together for Michelle and Ryan’s Woodstock winery wedding. They are the same models I used in Rebecca and Simon’s. Maninly because they are a high resolution version of the walkers and easy to gain a stock license to use! As far as the pose go, if you ever do a search fro Star Wars wedding photography, you’ll notice that this is a popular pose in many of the results that come up. Michelle and Ryan had seen something like it in the past and asked for it to be replicated on their wedding day 🙂

Wedding couple dodging lasers in forest battle scene

Angela and Josh’s Star wars wedding photography shot at their wedding at St Francis winery was a bit of a silly one to do as Josh’s pride and joy car was on the grass there and I figured I’d have it blown up by the AT-AT walker in the background 🙂

Have some Star Wars Wedding Photography done at your wedding!

I’m pretty sure I’ve done more Star Wars wedding photogrpahy in the past, but it may have been older than this site! Putting together these shots in phtooshop is quite a bit of fun, so if you want something as cheesy as these photos from your wedding day, feel free to ask for something like it. Doesnt have to be a Star Wars themed shot, it could also be giant dinosaurs, or maybe a Kraken leaping out fo the water? I don’t know :). These sorts of photos, as cheesy as they are really make a smile creep onto your face years down the track when you’re looking over your wedding photography.

Happy May the 4th everyone, and stay safe out there!

Tag Archive for: ideas