Tag Archive for: reception

Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club Wedding – Amy & Brendon

April 2, 2021/in Wedding preview, Wedding

Amy & Brendon
Brighton and Seacliff yacht club

After a few false starts due to the unfortunate effect that the COVID-19 pandemic had, Amy and Brendon finally held their Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club Wedding on an overcast day in early February.

I had been looking forward to being Amy and Brendon’s wedding photographer for quite a while, having learnt much more about this couple than many others due to them having me also produce their RSVP website, writing and reading about their relationship on there – although the wedding ended up being held at a different venue.

The day was filled with fun, lovely people to be around and they all certainly turned it up a notch later at night on the dance floor!

Preparation

My day began with Brendon and his groomsmen being prepared with his parents and their ‘best dog’ which diddnt seem too keen on me that morning! Wasnt too sure about the flashing camera.

The atmosphere was jovial, with brendon running about trying to be as helpful as he can be to everyone there – perhaps to try to cover any nerves he was feeling that morning? 🙂

Wedding rings on shoe black and white

Grooms jacket hanging on door

Groom in dark doorway

Wedding rings in box

Getting the best dog ready

Dad helping the groom

Groom getting ready in the front room

Boys getting ready together in the front room

Groomsmen walking down street together

Groomsmen group shot

Amy and her bridal party was being prepared nearby at a bed and breakfast. It was a delightful house with a beautiful hall way that lead to a brightly lit master bed room where Amy got prepared.

The girls were all having a marvellous, laid back time sipping bubbly and enjoying each other’s company all morning, I’m not sure Amy ever stopped smiling!

engagement ring in rose

Wedding dress hanging in hallway

Bride walking to her wedding dress

Bridal party hugs

Bride and bridesmaids together on bed

Bride hanging wedding dress

Bridal shoes on display

Bride being helped get ready by bridal party

Buttoning up wedding dress back

Mum helping get ready

Bride holding her bouquet next to window

Bride standing at end of hallway

Bridal bouquet being held

Bridal veil in front of camera

Bride and bridal party on balcony

Bride reflection in mirror

Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club Wedding Ceremony

Amy and Brendon’s Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club wedding ceremony took place on the back directly in front of the club house. Unbeknownst to anyone prior to the day, it was a little unfortunate that the yacht club was holding a little regatta right next to where the ceremony had been set up! So hiding all the yacht trailers and people walking in the background of their photos was a bit of a challenge.

The weather was very calm, and cool due to the overcast sky which made for a perfect beach wedding ceremony. While a little bit of sunshine might have been pleasant; exposing photos on the white sand of the beach with a hot sun beating down, creating harsh shadows on faces isn’t easy – so the cloudy sky made for much nicer photo-taking conditions!

Amy and brendon’s ceremony was a lovely simple affair, with a fun little twist at the end where they randomly selected their witnesses to sign their marriage documents! This was a fun little nod to their personality, and also events leading up to their wedding day!

Amy and brendon had also asked me to live stream their wedding using my little livestream setup which worked very well for the guests who unfortunately could not attend due to COVID lockdowns.

Groom and best dog

bride arriving in car

Groom waiting on beach

Bride and Mum approaching ceremony

Grooms first look at wedding ceremony

Smiling groom on the beach

Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club wedding ceremony

Smiling bride on beach

Celebrant doing her thing

Holding hands during wedding ceremony on beach

wedding ceremony on beach

Best man and wedding rings

Exchanging wedding rings on the beach

First kiss Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club wedding

Bridal exit at Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club wedding

Glamour Photos

After a (rather too quick) family shoot session – we whisked away to the Pt Willunga Jetty for glamour photos. Amy and brendon decided to head down there to make use of the stunning demolished jetty on display there.

We also made use of the nearby Kingston House gardens and made sure to head out during their reception for what was left of the sunset.

Cheeky best dog

bride and groom on hill over ocean

Bridal aprty walking down to pt willunga jetty

Bridal party in front of pt willunga jetty

pt willunga jetty wedding photo

closeup of bridal bouquet i front of pt willunga jetty

flying wedding veil in front of pt willunga jetty

Bridal couple in front of pt willunga jetty

Bridal couple in pt willunga caves

Groom lifting up his bride on beach

Bridal party in front of pt willunga jetty piers

bridal couple reflections

Bride and groom under a tree with sun

Bride and groom under a tree at Kingston House

Bride and groom under tree at Kingston House 2

Bride and groom walking into their sunset

Bride and groom embrace under sunset

Groom lifting up bride under sunset

Sunset wedding photo

Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club Wedding Reception

Amy and Brendon’s Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club wedding reception took place in the club house upstairs, overlooking the stunning beach below where they held their ceremony.

They had my photobooth set up in the corner, complete with a custom made photobooth book I had made for them, but all focus was definately on the dance floor, which was full all night starting from the end of Amy adn brendon’s first dance!

bridal entrance at Yacht club

Wedding cake at brighton and seacliff yacht club wedding

Cutting the Wedding cake at brighton and seacliff yacht club wedding

Deck of brighton and seacliff yacht club

First dance at brighton and seacliff yacht club

Brighton and seacliff yacht club first dance

Dancing guests at wedding

Kiss amongst dancing guests

Dancing bride with guests 2

Groom making a striking figure

Guests enjoying themselves on the dance floor

Dancing bride at her wedding reception

Guests having fun in the photobooth

Dancing bride and groom

Guests pointing at the camera

I’d like to thank Amy and Brendon for having me as their wedding photographer and I apologise for continually mispronouncing Brendon’s name as Brandon! The bridal party all made fun of me for it 😛 I hope you enjoy your photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

St Francis Winery Wedding – Chelsea & Nathan

September 28, 2019/in Wedding preview, Wedding

Chelsea & Nathan
St Francis Winery Wedding

It was a stunning day in amongst some rather ordinary weather for Chelsea and Nathan’s St Francis Winery Wedding at the beginning of September. It’s rather exciting to head to weddings like ths as I knew form the outset that Chelsea and Nathan were excellent dancers so I knew their reception was going to be a blast! I was lucky enough to be asked to be their wedding photographer all day and we managed to make most use of the time without the day seeming too rushed.

Preparation Photos

I was asked to begin the day with Chelsea’s preparation photos at the St Francis Winery room where she was being prepared, but I felt as though Nathan was missing out a bit so I head around to the nearby house he was getting ready at for about 10 minutes also – just to grab a shot of the rings and other small things lying about the place.

Wedding rings

Getting ready

Engagement ring

Wedding dress

Getting ready

Through the makeup light

First Look

The preparation phtos wasn’t a huge deal to Chelsea and Nathan, but what was exciting was they opted to have their main ‘glamour’ photo shoot done before their wedding ceremony in what’s known as a ‘first look’ where the groom and bride meet each other before the ceremony away from prying eyes and the nerves that would otherwise accompany the usual tradtional ‘first look’ as the bride walks down the aisle.

One of the Nathan’s groomsmen was a good sport here as Chelsea had secretly dressed him up in a stunning dress to play a bit of a prank on Nathan before she arrived for the real first look! 🙂

Groom walking about

Groom and groomsmen

The beautiful bride approaches

Surprise

Hugs

The actual bride approaches

Hugs

Glamour Photos

After the first look we had a good amount of time to use the St Francis Winery grounds and surrounds for some glamour photos. This time of year the weeping willows surrounding the pond on the grounds was just starting to turn green again which always makes for a lovely backdrop – particularly on sunny days where the sun flares through the foliage. We also head out for a bit to the nearby bike track which I knew – having lived in the area for quite a while – made for a lovely backdrop wth it’s arching tall trees either side. This made for a little diversity in their photos.

Chilling on the cart

inside the St Francis winery wedding reception area

under the weeping willow

Together in front of the flowers

On the bike path

walking together

Near the cart

Wedding rings

On the bike path

Standing together

under the weeping willow

Bridal party

Walking together

inside the St Francis winery wedding reception area

inside

Under a tree

Walking amongst the forest

Smiles under the trees

In front of the cellar doors

Holding bouquet

Under the trees

Under a tree

St Francis Winery Wedding Ceremony

Chelsea and Nathan’s actual wedding ceremony was a lovely simple affair which, after the music had been fixed at the begining went off quite well 🙂 Unfortunately their music had been set up with the bridal party walking down together holding flash cards as a bit of an inside joke, but diddnt work out so well 😛 Diddnt put a dampener on anyone’s mood though!

wedding sign

Groom waiting patiently

Bridal approach

Smiling groom

Smiling father of bride

St Francis winery wedding ceremony

Smiling bride

St Francis winery wedding ceremony

together out the front

Nerves

Vows

Listening

Smiles

Celebrant

Exchanging wedding rings

First kiss

Celebrate!

Checking out ring

Congregation

St Francis Winery Wedding Reception

As I mentioned before I knew Chalsea ad Nathan were pretty good dancers as their circle of friends happened to be the same as a wedding I covered several years ago where the bride and groom attended the same dance club. I also knew that many of the same dance club would be there than night, so the dance floor was always in action this night, and not just with people swaying and bopping, actual proper dancing! It was great to witness 🙂

First dance

Daddy daughter dance

under the trees at night

bonbonerie

talking

Main

Speech

reaction

Dancing

Thanks so much to Chelsea and Nathan for having me as your wedding photographer on your big day!

Common Wedding Cake trends of 2021-2022

June 4, 2022/in Interesting, ideas, Wedding

A quick look at the Wedding Cake trends from the last few years

It’s always a bit of fun to look back at some of the wedding trends that take place over the past 30-odd weddings I’ve covered as a wedding photographer – in this case lets have a look at some of the wedding cake trends from 2021 – 2022 I’ve had the privilege of photographing!

A wedding cake is traditionally made to bring good luck to guests and the couple, and in modern weddings it serves as a centre piece of interest at a reception party. As such a wedding cake is a towering tribute to the personality of the couple being married.

3 tiered cakes

As far as wedding cake trends go, it seems to me that the 3 tiered cakes are the way to go over the last couple of years. What does surprise me however is that lack of what was known as the ‘nude‘ cake were fondant or icing was used sparingly allowing for the texture of the cake inside to show through to the surface. There werw a few weddings which had this, but not realy as many as there had been in the past.

What was common with these cakes – actuall all cakes in the last few years – is the ample use of floral decorations, creeping up the tiers of the cake, often culminating on top, combining with the cake topper. The use of colour was also quite obvious – with white being the usual traditional choice, accented by pops of colour from eith the colour of the fondant/icing or the flowers themselves.

3 tier white wedding cake on barrel

3 tiered wedding cake

3 tiered white wedding cake

Wedding cake under circle

Wedding cake on display

Wedding cake in front of head table

Wedding cake

Wedding cake on display

Wedding Cheese wheel cake

Wedding cake on barrel

Colourful wedding cake

Wedding cake on display at Ivybrook Farm

Cluedo themed wedding cake

2 tiered cakes

Carrying on with the theme of a heavy use of floral arrangements, the 2 tiered cakes I shot all seemed to use flowers to add a bit of colour to the cake with only a few opting to use the fondant or icing as the colour – but those that did really made a splash!

Wedding cake topped with pink flowers

Wedding cake lined with candles

Wedding cake on display during lunch reception

Wedding cake on display

Flowery wedding cake

White Wedding cake

Green wedding cake

Wedding cake on display in circle

Wedding cake on display 2

Wedding cake at brighton and seacliff yacht club wedding

Single tiered cakes

Many of these single tiered cakes I came across were actually made by either the bride and groom themselves, or a member of their guests – that isn’t to say that they all were but it just seemed to be that way. I actually think it’s a lovely way to involve someone who wouldnt otherwise be this intimately involved with your wedding.

Square wedding cake

mr and mrs wedding cake

Green wedding cake

Wedding cake set up at Krystal Function centre

Wedding cake on barrel

The Robinsons Wedding cake

Wedding Cake on display with Certificate

Wedding cake in front of brick wall

Wedding cake on display at the Manor Basket Range Wedding Reception

Cup Cake Cakes

Instead of going through the fhassle of having to cut up your wedding cake – everyone gets a cupcake! This sort of wedding cake is often topped by a small cake, perfectly suited for just the bride and groom, or their bridal party to share – or even keep in the freezer as a wedding momento. I know I still have a bit of my wedding cake in the freezer 6 years on!

This is another of those wedding cake trends I have mentioned that has seems to lose favour in the last few years – at least at the weddings I have photographed. I know it’s still quite popular though as it tends to be cheaper and easier to personalise, or even produce without the need of a wedding cake designer..

Cupcake wedding cake

bride and groom cutting their wedding cake

Mt Lofty House Wedding – Amy & Aaron

November 22, 2016/in Wedding preview, Wedding

AMY & AARON
Mt Lofty House Wedding

Amy And Aaron were wed at the historic Mt Lofty House on a cloudy day in October. Despite the less than favourable weather for such a lofty (sic) location, Amy and Aaron had a wonderfully memorable day, full of love and joy displayed by all who attended. They opted to take advantage of my flexible hourly coverage option, having me as their wedding photographer for much of the day.

Preparation

The original plan was to have me take photos of Aaron and his entourage for a while before heading over to Amy and her bridal party. But Aaron was running a little late so I went over to the girls first. Amy was being prepared in the beautiful old cottage run by Mt Lofty House across the road. The House provided a wonderfully rustic vibe throughout. Was a wonderful place to take photos in 🙂

Laughing bride

Blushing bride

Remember Love

bridal preparation

Wedding dress

Bridal preparation at Mt Lofty House

Smiling bride

Bridal makeup

Bride and Mum in doorway

Once the boys turned up, we walked around the gardens that surround Mt Lofty House to take a few pre-wedding photos. As the boys had already got dressed, preparation photos were limited to the application of their causages and adjusting of ties. As is often the case, the boys had a bit of trouble applying their flowers, but thankfully the wonderful staff were on hand to help out.

Dad adjusting tie

Groomsmen walking through garden

Groomsmen

Adjusting flower

Groom and groomsmen

Groomsmen in the library

Mt Lofty House wedding ceremony

Despite the weather being quite windy and chilly, the guests were kept waiting a little bit before Amy arrived – as per tradition, but perhaps not by design. 🙂 Their wedding ceremony took place on a little outcrop of grass overlooking the valley adjacent to Mt Lofty. It’s a beautiful setting, and one which any guests to a wedding at Mt Lofty House will remember for some time.

Mt Lofty House was built between 1852 and 1856, originally serving as a summer residence for the Hardy family, and later their permanent home. The Hardy’s estate at the time included the land now known as the nearby botanic gardens and numerous small buildings and cottages, now used as accommodation.

The Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983 destroyed all but the stone walls on the property after having just been purchased by a young couple 2 weeks earlier. The devastated new owners sold Mount Lofty Estate without ever taking residence here. The ruined property was sold to a local architect who began the restoration into a boutique hotel, recreating its former splendour which we today know as the current Mt Lofty House.

Wedding Party

Bride looking Happy

Wedding at Mt Lofty House

Holding Hands

First Kiss

Grinning Groom

Bride and Groom

Glamour Photos

Surrounding the hotel are splendid green gardens, perfectly suited for wedding photography so I made good use of the opportunity! The surrounding area even boasts a small vineyard and the interior of the house is wonderfully opulent, which was good as the weather outside was not ideal to be in for long periods.

Close up of wedding rings

Eating pizza

Bride and groom having a rest

Bride and Groom in front of Mt Lofty House

Bridal party

Bride and groom sitting together

Walking through the gardens

Bride and groom under tree

Forehead kiss

Groom and grils

Mt Lofty House wedding reception

The hotel has built a small canvass-covered area suitable for hosting weddings if the weather turns bad, and it also doubles as the venue’s dance floor. It connects to a small, intimate dining area complete with bar and open fireplace. The area makes for a classy place to hold a wedding reception. Amy and Aaron impressed their guests with a wonderfully choreographed first dance, complete with well executed twirls and heartfelt hugs. 🙂

First dance

Sitting Down

First dance

Groom speech

First dance

Cutting cake

Wedding Cake

Placemat

Before I left at the end of the night, we went for one last walk around the property to make use of the building at twilight for a few more photos.

Sitting in the Library

Kiss in the stairwell

Mt Lofty House wedding

I certainly had a lot of fun at Amy and Aaron’s wedding as their wedding photographer, and I wish them all the best for the rest of their lives together!

Chateau Tanunda Wedding – Libby & Simon

June 21, 2018/in Wedding preview, Wedding

Chelsea & Nathan
St Francis Winery Wedding

Libby and Simon returned form their home in Texas, USA to celebrate their wedding day at the Chateau Tanunda with friends and family living in South Australia. Both their families were spread out around the globe, so it was wonderful to witness the coming together of these two lovely families 🙂 I was asked to be their wedding photographer for the majority of their day, seeing me at Libby’s place of preparation, through to the first dance at their reception.

Preparation

I was asked to start the day with Libby and her bridal party preparation at a nearby bed and breakfast in Tanunda. All morning there was the bustle of activity as each bridesmaid, flower girl and a few other family members all used the large, old cottage as a base of operations 🙂 The house featured a large, open lounge room, complete with a wonderful bay window, perfect for bridal preparation photos.

An interesting side not for the day was that I was contacted by Raw Cotton Collection, a clutch bag manufacturer based in Perth, through Instagram to give Libby and her flowergirls a free clutch and bags in exchange for some photos with the girls, was a fun little side note 🙂

Flower Girl

Having fun in the veil

Flower Girl helping out

Bride at front door

Flower Girl in Window

Getting Ready

Bride and flower girl

Wedding Dress

Lacing up

Engagement ring

Chateau Tanunda Wedding Ceremony

The Chateau Tanunda has been a feature of the Barossa Valley since the 1880s, being built near vineyards that were planted in 1840s, it’s a historic place that makes for a wonderful backdrop for a wedding! Libby and Simon’s wedding ceremony took place in a long, thin function hall/chapel on the far left of the Chateau which featured some wonderful wooden slat ceilings and large windows overlooking a grassy croquet field.