Bethan and Alex were waiting with baited breath whether or not that recent bout of bad weather in Adelaide was to pass before their scheduled Kuitpo Forest couple shoot. Thankfully, despite the cold temperature, the weather cleared just in time to make use of the spectacular Kuitpo forest for their couple shoot. Bethan and Alex made use of my offer of a discount couple shoot made to all those who voted on my yearly wedding photo of the year contest, and I’m so glad they did.
The atmosphere given to the forest after such bad weather made for some fantastic scenes, and it was all done within an hour! My job was made easy of course by the fun loving attitude of Bethan and Alex who were keen to playfully run about in front of the camera to create some ‘loveydovey’ photos. Which was fantastic as I love doing things like this!
Kuitpo forest was the first of many forest plantations in the Mount Lofty Ranges, established in 1898 to ensure a sustainable timber supply for South Australia. Today it serves as both a stunning place to go for a walk, in in this case, a Kuitpo Forest couple shoot and a commercial logging area. The area also plays host to one of the most popular hiking trails throughout SA, being the Heysen Trail.
Having a Glenelg Wedding would have to be one of the things may South Australians would have in common with one another, however Joanne and Gregor travelled half way around the world to have theirs! The loving couple flew out from Scotland to celebrate their wedding on the famous beachfront with local family and friends. They were incredibly lucky with the weather as only the previous day Adelaide and it’s surrounds were thrashed with terrible weather causing erosion and a lot of damage. Joanne and Gregor’s wedding however was blessed with some stunning weather, complete with an amazing sunset which we took advantage of for some great shots.
Preparation
As Joanne and Gregor opted to have me with my flexible hourly rate, I was able to visit Joanne getting prepared in the Oaks Plaza hotel on the northern side of the Jetty. The whole styling was all wonderfully Scottish, complete with thistle in her bouquet and her mother wearing a beautiful tartan sash.
Flower girl
Bride looking pretty
Engagement ring in flowers
Wedding dress
Bride and Mum smiling
Flower girl
Bridal preparation
Bridal preparation
Glenelg Wedding Ceremony
As the weather was wonderfully suited for it, Joanne and Gregor held their Glenelg wedding on the beach, just in front of Joanne’s hotel room in the Oaks Plaza Hotel. One downside of having your wedding on such a famous beach is, even during times of inclement weather, you have to keep shooing tourists out of your carefully laid out altar! The men involved with the wedding were all clad in stunning kilts and Joanne as led out by a piper. It was all wonderfully Scottish 🙂
After wedding
Signing registry
Glenelg wedding
Beach wedding
Groom seeing bride for first time
Exchanging wedding rings
Beach wedding
First kiss
Glamour shots
It wouldn’t be a Glenelg wedding without taking some shots along the famed coastline using the Jetty, which was exactly what we did. We headed over first to the Jetty, then to the public square. We then walked along the beachfront back up to the Glenelg marina before enjoying the reception in the Oaks Plaza Hotel.
Bride and groom on Glenelgs Jetty
Bride and Groom in Glenelg
Scottish salute
Bride and Groom
Bouquet
Bride and Groom in marina
Glenelg beach walk
During the reception we popped out to take advantage of the stellar sunset, and I’m so glad we did!
Glenelg wedding sunset
Glenelg sunset
Glenelg sunset
I’d like to thank Joanne and Gregor for having me as their wedding photographer at their wedding in Glenelg and I hope they enjoy their photos as mucha s I enjoyed producing them!
The beginning of my day covering a wedding as a wedding photographer usually sees me at the location where the groom and his grooms men are being prepared and getting dressed in order to get the wedding ceremony. As a result I’m usually asking for the wedding ring to do a bit of wedding ring photography. Doing the wedding ring photography and other product shots affects such as the shoes, or any jewellery like cuff links, and wearables like ties and suit jackets I like to treat as a bit of a warm up for the day for both myself and for the boys, who may not be overly comfortable with a photographer constantly taking photos of them during the day.
It’s usually the case that this sort of photogrpahy requires specialised lenses and photographic equipment that may or may not be common place in a wedding photographer’s kit – but to do the best work, you need the best camera and lenses for product photography.
Wedding ring photography
The goal is really to show any details of the ring or rings while having some sort of a background that speaks to the type of person the groom is. It’s traditional at a wedding for the groom and his best man to look after the rings so I feel having something like his tie, or cuff links, even the flowers he’s wearing on the day as a background really helps portray this personal aspect of the wedding rings.
Wedding rings
Wedding rings
Wedding Rings
wedding rings
Wedding rings
Wedding rings
Wedding Rings
It is however coming more and more popular for the bride and her entourage to look after the rings, I’m thinking trust is the defining factor here? 🙂 When this is the case, the rings are often placed nearby flowers, or clothing such as the wedding dress. This is again to show a bit of personality behind the photograph. It’s also quite common to find them tied onto the page boy’s cushion, ready to be presented during the wedding ceremony.
Wedding rings
Wedding rings
wedding rings
Wedding Rings
Adelaide wedding photographer
Wedding rings
Wedding rings
This being said however, wedding rings are usually very personal items to begin with, so there is a certain charm to wedding ring photography where the background is as plain as possible. I usually try to find a nice clean hardwood surface to produce these types of photos, as the grain fades away in the natural bokeh of my lens in a very satisfying way.
Wedding rings
Wedding rings
Wedding rings
Wedding rings
Wedding ring photography, I feel is one of the important photographs I must capture on a wedding day as they signify the never ending union of the wedded couple, and as I’m there to capture all the emotion and joy on this most special of days, I figure the wedding rings should also play a major role in those memories! 🙂
Gemma and Ryan’s wedding at Utopia waterfall gully was an absolute blast to be a part of as their wedding photographer, not only because of the amazing wedding venue, but also because Gemma ad Ryan, along with their entourage were really fun to be around and couldn’t have been nicer people. Their affinity with the fantasy genre and their goal to incorporate their fandom into their wedding photos made it even better 🙂 From their preparation photos with weaponry, through to more personal affects such as personal charms and style of their wedding rings.
Preparation Photos
First off, Gemma and Ryan wanted to throw as many wedding traditions out the window as was passable by their respective families. This was apparent right off the bat when I arrived at their preparation location of the old Mt Lofty Railway station in Stirling. It was a joint preparation, where everyone was being prepared within the same space, both the groom’s party and the bridal party. What made it even more fun was the inclusion of larp weaponry, straight from the Lord of the Rings.
Bride smiling
Engagement ring
Groom putting on tie
Bridal Party
Wedding dress
Bride and groom
Bridal preparation
Bridal party with weapons
Weapons
Wedding rings
Wedding rings
Groomsmen playing boardgames
Face off
Bridal preparation
Bridal preparation
Grooms katana
Checking pocket watches
The bard
Groom preparation
Utopia waterfall gully wedding ceremony
Utopia waterfall gully was chosen by Gemma and Ryan as it reminded them of Rivendell, the Elvish city in Lord of the Rings. This was fine with me as I absolutely love the location as a wedding venue, and it’s pretty much second to none in Adelaide. The timing of their wedding was also perfect for Utopia waterfall gully, as the Autumn colours were in full swing, which provided the perfect backdrop to an already beautiful place.
Utopia waterfall gully
The chalet that now makes Utopia waterfall gully was originally constructed as a tea room in 1912. It was built in the style of a Swiss chalet and is now considered Australia’s earliest example of a ‘refreshment room’ set in a national park. Today the heritage listed building still stands, and has been recently updated to accommodate a larger gathering of people for events such as wedding receptions. The inside really is quite spectacular and has a wonderfully homely feel perfect for weddings.
Gemma and Ryan’s wedding ceremony took place on a small patch of grass near a gazebo erected below the chalet, which is where most weddings take place when opting to have Utopia waterfall gully as the venue.
Exchanging wedding rings
Autumnal wedding
Groom looking nervous
Best man speech
Wedding rings on certificate
Bride and groom
Utopia waterfall gully wedding
Bride and groom
Autumnal wedding
Groom
Bridal party
Signing marriage registry
Utopia waterfall gully wedding
Waterfall Gully Glamour shoot
It had been a long time since I last visited waterfall gully, and I can’t remember ever visiting during the Autumn, but the colours in waterfall gully were absolutely amazing for wedding photography. But this also meant that truckloads of tourists were also wandering about in the background of almost every composition I lined up to shoot! The experience was much different to the last wedding I took in Waterfall Gully almost 3 years ago in the winter. Gemma and Ryan were quite adventurous also, which made taking wonderful nature-clad photos that much easier as they were keen to climb about the hills and through foliage as I directed 😀
Bridal party
Wedding in Autumn
Bride suprising groom
Waterfall gully wedding
waterfall gully weding
waterfall gully wedding
Bride and groom under autumnal colours
Bride and groom sitting
Waterfall gully wedding
Bridal party throwing leaves
Bride and groom under autumnal colours
Utopia waterfall gully wedding reception
Gemma and Ryan’s wedding reception filled out the chalet of Utopia waterfall gully, spilling out onto what would usually be used for the dance floor. With that many guests, with varying dietary requirements, Gemma and Ryan also opted for something I hadn’t seen before, which was a selection of two different wedding cakes! One traditional, the other whole cheese wheels stacked upon one another! And if that wasn’t thoughtful enough, they had what I consider to be the best bomboniere idea ever, which was lego men for all! This catered for both the large compliment of children, and the children at heart that were in attendance. 🙂
Wedding cake
Bride and groom
Wedding cake two
Bride and groom cutting cake
Center pieces
Thank you Gemma and Ryan for having be as part of your amazing wedding day. I had an absolute blast, and you even gave me ideas for my own upcoming wedding! Definitely stealing the Lego minifig idea!
The rolling hills of Mclaren Vale was the setting of Julie and Dave’s wedding at the Maxwell winery. Julie and Dave took advantage of my flexible customizable wedding package to have me be their wedding photographer for 5 hours, this was plenty of time for me to travel to both of their preparation locations between Hackham and Moana, then a small part of their reception at the Maxwell winery.
Preparation photos
Dave was being prepared at their house in Hackham along with his grooms men. I think I surprised them as I turned up, as Dave jumped up and started getting dressed as I walked in. Apparently I wasn’t expected for another hour or so 🙂 Anyway, this drew the boys away from thir horse racing and started getting ready at least. The guys were really laid back, making quips amongst one another and keeping one eye on the horse racing. I don’t think anyone won any money unfortunately.
Grooms men preparation
Boys walking the sunshine
Cufflinks
Groom and Dad
Boys looking dapper
Grooms men preparation
Julie was being prepared at a rental in Moana overlooking the beach. The setting was a lovely simple apartment which allowed for beautifully soft light which lent itself well to the style of dress Julie chose, along with her wonderfully long veil. Like the boys, the girls were fairly laid back, making sure everything was perfect as they were getting prepared. They even arrived almost an hour early to the ceremony, meaning they had to do a bit of a lap around McLaren Vale.
Bride in wedding dress
Bride in doorway
Bride in car
Bride in doorway
Bride and bridesmaids
Engagement ring in flowers
Bride and bridesmaids
Maxwell Winery Wedding
The Maxwell Winery in Mclaren Vale is famed for it’s large hedge maze located at the foot of a vineyard covered hill it stands upon. As a wedding venue its facilities are perfect for intimate cocktail receptions. The main attraction for unique wedding photography in Mclaren Vale is the inside of the old Maxwell winery cellar, however it’s not really that old at all. The winery itself was built in the 1990s after expanding to the location due to good business. I might just point out here that Maxwell winery does produce some very nice wine, but they are also Australia’s largest producer of mead – a honey based drink which is delicious 😉
Groom waiting
Bride arriving
Signing the registry
Bride arriving
Signing the registry
Bride and groom at ceremony
First kiss
Maxwell winery wedding ceremony
Winery wedding
Mclaren vale wedding
Mclaren vale wedding
As Julie and Dave opted to have their wedding ceremony rather late at 7pm, towards the end of their ceremony, the sun as completely vanished, as a result our choices for glamour shots after the ceremony was limited to artificially lit locations, such as the famed Maxwell winery cellar, which was wonderfully lit with candles. I had a lot of fun in here 🙂 The Maxwell Winery cellar is such a unique spot to have photos taken, it even looks as though Maxwell Winery have taken to using some of my photos in their own wedding advertising 🙂 Nice to see they like my photos!
Maxwell winery Cellar wedding photo
Bride and groom in cellar
Maxwell Winery wedding photo
Maxwell Winery Wedding Reception
I was able to stay until the end of Julie and Dave’s first dance at their cocktail reception, which was pretty perfect as I was able to capture all the official events they had planned before I left. The reception was a lovely family affair and you could really feel the love.
Wedding cake
Reception fun
First dance
First dance
Blow up slide
Reception group photo
Reception fun
Groom speech
Wedding rings
Cocktail food
Dad speech
I’d like to thank Julie and Dave for having me as their wedding photographer and I hope they enjoy their wedding photographs as much as I enjoyed creating them!