wedding venues Archives

Thorngrove Manor Wedding – Darren & Nahal

August 3, 2020/0 Comments/in Wedding preview, Wedding /by Steven Duncan

Darren & Nahal
Thorngrove Manor Wedding

I was super excited to head back to the picturesque Thorngrove Manor for Darren and Nahal’s intimate wedding in mid July as I hadn’t been back this marvellous spot for several years! It’s quite a rare thing to shoot a Thorngrove Manor wedding as the owners tend to like to keep the number of people on their property to a minimum – which is fair enough considering how amazing this place is!

It was a magical time Darren, Nahal and I had walking around this gem of a spot for their small, intimate wedding/elopement!

Preparation

My time with Darren and Nahal began with Nahal in amongst the stone-hewn chambers of the bed and breakfast’s Queen chamber of the Manor where Nahal was completing her makeup. While nerves weren’t showing too much just yet, as time drew nearer to make the walk through the garden towards her fiance, it became a bit more of a thing.

Darren and Nahal certainly made their whole tiny wedding quite an easy wedding to photograph though! With two very good looking people and a stunning location like Thorngrove Manor, it’s certainly one to show off!

Hanging Thorngrove Manor wedding dress

Wedding dress hanging in Thorngrove Manor

Engagement ring in box

Bride looking out window at Thorngrove Manor

Bride playing with bouquet at Thorngrove Manor

Bridal approach at her Thorngrove Manor wedding

Thorngrove Manor Wedding Ceremony

Where else to hold a Thorngrove Manor wedding ceremony but right in front of the majestic view that is the driveway leading to the front door of this marvellous house? Nahal walked swiftly the the waiting arms of her finance and their intimate little wedding ceremony began.

Perhaps I should refer to their wedding as an ‘elopement’ as due to the unfortunate events unfolding in the world at the moment due to COVID-19, Darren and Nahal opted to have in attendance only their suppliers – Nahal’s makeup artist, their celebrant and myself, while having the owners of the Thorngrove Manor bed and breakfast act as their witnesses. It was only due to the fact that they were staying the night that they were allowed to use the grounds for their ceremony.

Darren and Nahal had me also produce a ceremony video for them, alongside my usual 360 degree virtual reality video I produce so that their friends and family can relive their precious moment.

Groom watching his bride approach

Smiling groom during his ceremony

Smiling bride on her wedding day

Exchanging wedding bands

Groom looking at his bride

Thorngrove Manor wedding ceremony

Standing together in the sunlight

First kiss at Thorngrove Manor wedding ceremony

Thorngrove Manor Wedding Photos

As their wedding ceremony took place at 4pm, we had around 1 hour to meander around the Thorngrove Manor grounds and make use of it’s manicured beauty for photos. As I had shot here in the past I knew what would and would not work so I devised a little itinerary of where we should go and when.

Despite having forecast to be overcast and rather dreary, the weather was absoutely delightful for Darren and Nahal’s photoshoot. The sun was shining and made for a lovely golden glow through the trees. We did however wait until the sun was a little lower before we took some ‘money shots’ of the Manor’s main keep in the background as it tends to really shine bright in the sun.

I can certainly spend hours using the manor as a backdrop for wedding photos, but unfortunately all good things have to come to an end!

Before I left, Darren and Nahl were sitting down for a lovely looking home-cooked meal, surrounded by the medieval splendor that only Thorngrove Manor can put on show! It looked to be a supurbly romantic evening!

bride and groom looking on as the registry is signed

Bride and groom looing at each other bathed in light

Engagement ring in red bouquet

Wedding rings on slab

bridal couple in amongst the gardens

Bridal couple just married in the garden

Bridal couple holding one another surrounded by greenery

Thorngrove Manor bed and breakfast wedding couple

having some fun at Thorngrove Manor together

in front of the interesting architecture at Thorngrove Manor

Thorngrove Manor wedding couple

Thorngrove Manor wedding couple in front of front door

Thorngrove Manor Portrait

Leaning in for a kiss at Thorngrove Manor

Stained glass windows at Thorngrove Manor

Through the harp at Thorngrove Manor

Thorngrove Manor

Thorngrove Manor wedding photography

bridal couple under the arch

Bridal couple holding one another

Bridal couple on the balcony together

Thorngrove Manor’s main tower

Bridal couple enjoying Thorngrove Manor

Thorngrove Manor wedding at sunset

Bride and groom in the Thorngrove Manor chambers

Congratulations to Darren and Nahl on their wonderful Thorngrove manor wedding / elopement! I’d like to thank you guys so much for having me as your wedding photographer as I had an absolute blast!

St Helens Park Wedding – Nikki & Toby

August 7, 2020/0 Comments/in Wedding preview, Wedding /by Steven Duncan

Nikki & Toby
St Helen’s Park Wedding

I was so happy to cover Nikki and Toby’s lovely St Helens Park wedding in Prospect, North Adelaide. Their original plan when they asked me to photograph their wedding was to hold a small, breakfast wedding later in the year, only to have it change to the beginning of the year, but then COVID hit. So their little St Helens Park wedding, or rather elopement at the end of July ended up being their big day, and I was super happy for them 🙂

St Helens Park Wedding Ceremony

The plan was to meet at the gazebo at the center of the St Helens Park and sort out where the hold the wedding ceremony. One option was the gazebo itself, while I actually suggested the rather neat old tree nearby to stand in front of. It was a pretty neat spot as the sun was shining through the foliage quite nicely while Nikki and Toby shared their vows.

Nikki and Toby’s congregation was as tiny as possible, consisting only of themselves, their celebrant and a family of friends who acted as their witnesses. They opted to hold their tiny wedding due to the complexity of holding a slightly larger wedding during the height of COVID-19 restirctions. I often think these tiny weddings are much more intimate anyway!

Wedding ceremony at St Helens park

Sun through the tree

Happy bride in Prospect

Smiling bride looking at her groom

Smiling groom looking at his bride

Wedding ceremony under the tree

Wedding ceremony bathed in sunlight

Exchanging wedding bands under the tree

St Helens Park wedding ceremony

First kiss under the tree at St Helens Park

Looking at her bouquet

St Helens Park Wedding Photoshoot

In the early days of Prospect city, the area was a private subdivision of Yatala, which intersected at the village centre, which is now st Helens Park. The center piece of this historic park is a very neat old tree which is perfect for climbing and using as a framing device for wedding photos!

After the wedding ceremony, we went for a little walk around the Park, starting at the awesome tree right behind where they held their ceremony, and did a big lap of the area. We made use of the nice trees and nearby playground before finishing up back on top of the tree where they were married next to the gazebo.

Bride and groom holding one another in St Helens Park

Bride and groom together amongst the green

In amongst the trees at St Helens park

Wedding bands on the tree

Bride and grrom on their St Helens Park wedding day

Bride and groom together in the tree at St Helens Park

Walking together on the grass

Bride and grrom holding one another 2

St Helens Park wedding 2

Bride and groom looking at camera 2

Bride and groom having fun under a tree

St Helens Park wedding photo

St Helens Park wedding photo of the bride and groom

On top of the tree at St Helens Park

Thanks so much Nikki and Toby for having me as your wedding photographer! I had a blast and I hope you enjoy your photos.

Mt Lofty House Wedding – Kate & Matt

May 16, 2019/0 Comments/in Wedding preview, Wedding /by Steven Duncan

Kate & Matt
Mt Lofty House Wedding

Kate and Matt travelled all the way from Sydney to have their wedding at the lovely Mt Lofty House, while the majority of their guests also travelled from places like Singapore, Egypt and other countries! You could tell by the guest list that the coming together of such a far flung family was a very special occurrence so I was so excited to be Kate and Matt’s wedding photographer!

Te only drawback to the day was the unfortunate weather which caused the location of their ceremony to be moved indoors, along with the family photos, and also forced the glamour shots around the gardens to be a little rushed. But this little set back couldn’t wipe the smiles off of Kate and Matt’s faces!

Preparation

The day started for me at Matt’s place of preparation at a delightful bed and breakfast nearby. The stunningly decorated house was surrounded by autumnal leaves hanging from some wonderful trees which we made sure to make use of in the photos! One of Matt’s groomsmen was running a bit late, but we managed to grab a shot together before I had to head off to Kate’s place of preparation.

Getting ready

Walking about

Waiting

Grooms party minus one

Putting on tie

Getting ready

Dancing

Putting on tie

Hugs

Walking

Grooms party minus one

Looking out window

Laughing

Wedding rings

Wedding shoes

Kate was being prepared in the Gatekeeper’s cottage at Mt Lofty House. It’s a nice little house suited for little romantic getaways, but with 15 odd people walking about here, the place was a little cramped 🙂 It does make for some nice shots around corners and through doorways though. While Kate was getting ready, it started to rain unfortunately so the ceremony was moved indoors.

Engagement ring

Putting on flower

Makeup chair

Bridesmaids helping

Putting on veil

Looking pretty

Bridesmaids helping

Getting ready

Wedding dress

Dad looking on

Laughing

Looking in mirror

Looking pretty

Putting on flower

Looking in mirror

Helping out

Looking in mirror

Buttoning up dress

Mt Lofty House Wedding Ceremony

Kate and Matt’s guestlist was around 100 people, so moving the ceremony indoors was not too much of an issue in regards to space as Mt Lofty House has a large enough area to hold both their reception and a ceremony. It did cause both the videographer and I to be a little stuck sometimes, but it wall worked out 🙂

Groom’s chest

Wedding sign

Bridal approach

Tearing up groom

Priest

Speech

Listening

Holding hands

Laughing

Vows

Exchanging wedding rings

First kiss

Married!

Holding hands

Kisses

Exit

Glamour Photos

After the (seemingly) several hundred family photos we took in the grand library that takes center place within the house, we made as much use of the Mt Lofty House gardens as we could before feeling the weather and having enough time for Kate to touch up her makeup before entering their reception party.

The doorway of Mt Lofty House

Under the trees

In front of the coach house

Looking dapper

Under the trees

Kisses

In front of the coach house

The doorway of Mt Lofty House

Leaning on the old wall

In front of the coach house

On the staircase

Walking around the coach house

Mt Lofty House Wedding Reception

Kate and Matt’s reception party was delightful mixture of customs and traditions from all over the world. We held a Chinese toast or ‘Yum Sing’, while also enjoying Egyption dancing and then of course the first dance and bouquet tossing. The night was awesome to be a part of and I had a great time while photographing and also manning the photo booth.

Entrance

Bouquet Toss

Dancing guests

Speeches

Dancing Guest

Table setting

Dancing Groom

Dancing guests

Wedding Cake

Entrance

First Dance

Daddy Daughter Dance

Bouquet Toss

Daddy Daughter Dance

Speech

Cutting the cake

Yum SIng

Photobooth Props

Night Time Shots

During the night we went for a bit of a walk to make use of the unique fog opportunities we had that night in some night time shots 🙂

Lamp Post

Kiss in the fog

Mt Lofty House Doorway at night

Thanks so much to Kate and Matt for having me on your day and I hope your other ceremonies around the world are as much fun as the one you held at the Mt Lofty House! 😀 #kateisgettingknighted

Mt Lofty House Wedding – Naomi & Neil

October 22, 2019/0 Comments/in Wedding preview, Wedding /by Steven Duncan

Naomi & Neil
Mt Lofty House Wedding

Naomi and Neil held their lovely intimate Mt Lofty House wedding on a lovely day in late September. Unfortunately they could not hold their ceremony out on the house’s lawn, overlooking the Mt Lofty botanic gardens, due to it being a little chilly, but the great thing about a Mt Lofty House wedding is that there’s always a backup spot for a ceremony inside, just in case! I was asked to be their wedding photographer for 3 hours on their big day, and I was so pleased to be a part of their lovely day!

Preparation

My day started with Naomi being prepared on site inside one of the private cottages surrounding Mt Lofty House. Neil was also getting ready there, but left before Naomi had her dress put on, allowing for the traditional ‘first look’ of the dress as Naomi walked down the aisle.

The atmosphere within the house with Naomi and the girls getting ready there was upbeat and quite laid back, punctuated just before leaving for the ceremony with a little emotion as Mum and Dad came in just before she left. It’s always nice to capture the smiles and/or tear of the parents as they witness their little one all ready to be married! 😀 One of the reasons why I love being a wedding photographer, you never know how people will react, and it’s wonderful to share in the emotion of wedding days!

Wedding shoes

Flower

Engagement ring

Wedding dress

Helping bridesmaids

Using the mirror

Putting on dress

Looking pretty

Dad’s first look

Mt Lofty House Wedding Ceremony

As I mentioned earlier, Naomi and Neil’s Mt Lofty House wedding took place inside the hotel’s restaurant instead of the previously planned lawns overlooking the valley due to being a little cold. The space provided by Mt Lofty House in these cases has ample space for medium to large sized congregations, and it fit all of Neil and Naomi’s guests nicely. The space as they had it set up has huge windows overlooking the valley as if they were outside on the lawns anyway, while having the added confort of being inside. It was the second time in a row I’ve been the wedding photographer at a Mt Lofty House wedding inside.

Wedding sign

Groom’s first look

Bridal approach

Together

Holding hands

Dad looking on

Smiles

Mt Lofty House Wedding Ceremony

Exchanging wedding rings

inside wedding ceremony

First kiss

Exit

Glamour Photos

After some family photos which we took outside on the lawns, we used the gardens surrounding Mt Lofty House and the interior spaces of the house itself for some glamour photos. As the sky was rather overcast, walking about the gardens and taking photos there were an absolute dream and made the task of making pretty photos that much easier! The inside of Mt Lofty House was as always a super stately affair, and as Naomi and Neil were keen wine drinkers they were excited to head down to the well stocked wine cellar located below the house itself. Some very expensive wine bottles down there!

Most interesting man in the world

Walking about

Mt Lofty House Garden

Wedding rings

Mt Lofty House cellars

In amongst the trees

Against the wall in the Mt Lofty House gardens

On the steps

Narnia

Starway

Engagement ring

Mt Lofty House steps

In the library

Bridal party

Playing chess

Mt Lofty House steps

Starway

Mt Lofty House Wedding Reception

Naomi and Neil’s reception took place in the newly rennovated add-on room nearby the Mt Lofty House restaurant, which is a lovely airy space, adjacent to the gardens. They held a simple lunch time reception which allowed me to capture their cake and it’s cutting, and a photo of pretty much everyone there before I had to leave. I’ve noticed this before, but Naomi and Neil also opted to have a non-traditional wedding cake – which was actually several cheese wheels stacked upon one another. This is feel is a wonderful alternative for those of us who aren’t real cake eaters. Looks great too! I believe they had it cut up and distributed as part of their bonboneire gifts for their guests!

Cutting the wedding cake

Guests

Smiling bride

Food

Smiling guest

Speech

Wedding bubbles

Guests

Wedding cheese cake

Cheers

Thanks so much to Naomi and Neil for having me as your wedding photographer, I enjoyed myself immensely, and I hope you love your photos!

AlRu Farm Wedding – Rachael & Jason

December 13, 2019/0 Comments/in Wedding preview, Wedding /by Steven Duncan

Rachael & Jason
AlRu Farm Wedding

Rachael and Jason went on a week long road trip from Perth with their little fur babies in order to hold their wedding at the stunning AlRu Farm in Northern Adelaide. It’s little wonder why as, combined witht he stunning surrounds fo AlRu Farm and the amazing weather they enjoyed on their day – the whole setting was stunning and made for a wonderful day! I was asked to be their wedding photographer for their day, along with providing my photobooth that was set up for their reception.

Preparation

Both Rachael and Jason were prepared on site at AlRu farm, in the cute little self-contained cottage on site, nestled in amongst the wonderful gardens and wild flowers that were sprouting this time of year. Jason and his groomsmen however had a much shorter amount of time to get ready as they had to juggle puttin finishing touches on their decorations around the venue, and the fact that Rachael and her bridal party were expecting to find the cottage unused and ready for them to get ready.

Groomsmen standing together

groomsman getting ready

Grooms getting ready

Grooms getting ready in window

Button holes

Groom putting on tie

Closeup on suit

As I mentioned previously, Rachael andJason brought their little fur babies along with them for their day, so they were present while Rachael was getting ready, trying to catch the ducks and generally just being little puppies. They were an integral part of Rachael and Jason’s day being their ring bearers during their ceremony, along with taking pride of place as a large printed photo near their head table during the reception.

Rachael and her bridal party had a very relaxing preparation, with little to no nerves showing, and everyone just laughing and having a great time right up until the ceremony.

Bride looking pretty at AlRu Farm

bride getting ready at AlRu Farm

Engagement ring

Putting on Mum’s flower

Doggies

Bridal party cheers

Wedding dress in windows

Bridal party helping bride get ready

Bridal party

AlRu Farm Wedding Ceremony

AlRu farm has a small, purpose built little grassed area, flanked on all sides by lush vegetation suitable for wedding ceremonies, which is where Rachale and Jason chose to hold their own ceremony. The sun was floating in and out of cloud cover all the while during the ceremony, which made it tricky for me – but made for quite a diverse range of photos.

Their cermeony was short and sweet, punctuated by heartfelt personalised vows, and of course their little puppies running in and being cute while carrying their wedding rings.

Wedding exit

Doggies

Holding hands

Groom waiting patiently

Groom’s first look

Bridal approach

AlRu Farm wedding ceremony

AlRu Farm wedding ceremony through arch

Hand fasting

Holding hands

Smiling groom

Close up of groom’s Buttionaire

Glamour Photos

For glamour photos, as one might expect when having a wedding at the stunning AlRu farm, we utilised the beautiful gardens for their glamour photos! The gardens on site are pretty much purpose built for wedding photos, with a range of different scenery that just makes taking wedding photography a breeze. Was just a shame we head out a little too late in the evening to catch the sunset over the lake, but we certainly made use of the greenhouse at night, where I lit it up with portable lights and made a stunning scene!

Together in the AlRu Farm gardens

Closeup of wedding bands

Amongst the gardens

Under the archway

Walking under the famed AlRu Farm Pillars

Bridal Party under the AlR Farm pillars

Bridal party together

AlRu Farm Driveway

Together on the driveway

Together in the long grass

Hugs in the long grass

AlRu Farm sunset

AlRu Farm Greenhouse

AlRu Farm Wedding Reception

The AlRu farm reception hall on site was where Rachael and Jason chose to hold their wedding reception, decorated all over by personal touches put there by Jason and his groomsmen prior to the day beginning. The hall itself is an old barn-type building, probably used back in the day for storing hay, or processing something, but these days it’s lined with mirrors and makes for a beautifully rustic backdrop for a wedding reception.

The highlight of the night for me was certainly witnessing what would have to be the best coreographed first dance I had seen in a while, which I’m sure Rachel and Jason practiced for months beforehand! They also held a shoe game, and the dance floor was filled all night by guests all having a great time!