Preparation Trenton and his entourage were being prepared in a bed and breakfast on Main street Mclaren Vale, and while Trenton seems cool, calm and collected he was obviously trying to find things to do to keep his mind busy – but he certainly managed to do so, and had his groomsmen nearby to keep […]
Tag Archive for: winery
Preparation
When I arrvied at the bed and breakfast in Port Noarlunga, I was under the impression that no one was home! I had wandered over to the wrong door and was knocking on it for a good 10 minutes before I started to investigate whether there was another way in – turns out there was a large windowed area where Pete’s entourage were milling about in. However there was no Pete! Apparently he had forgotten about having his preparation photos done, and was still in the city!
So after having rushed back to Port Noarlunga, and worrying poor Jayne thinking Pete was going to miss out on his photos, we had a good 30 minutes of photos done where Pete and his groomsmen all got ready overlooking the lovely Port Noarlunga Jetty.
After having done Petes photos, I head off up the road a little to Jayne’s bed and breakfast where she was getting ready alongside 3 little flower girls. The atmosphere was a lot more laid back that Pete’s whirlwind photoshoot as we had much more time to get ready!
In fact we had so much time I had a lovely chat with Jaynes relatives and a bit of morning tea before they were starting to move on to Paxton Winery in a mini bus.
Jayne’s Mum wasn’t overly keen on being in front of the camera but I hope she likes the photos I took of her! it was also lovely to see the reaction of Jayne’s father as he saw her in her dress for the first time.
Paxton Winery Wedding Ceremony
Jayne and Pete’s Paxton winery wedding ceremony took place on the large grassy area right next to the main building of Paxton winery. The set up overlooks the wonderful rolling hills, topped with vineyards that the Mclaren Vale wine district is famous for.
It’s also a wonderful setup for weddings, as the bridal motorcade can be seen as it drives down the long driveway towards the Paxton Wines cellar door, and then it’s a straight walk over grass for the bridal party to the ceremony location.
The ceremony itself was a lovely laid back affair, with Jayne’s Father giving her away with a little procession at the beginning, and her little flower girls throwing flowers at the couple at the end.
The sun came out during the ceremony and everything was perfect! I only wish the PA system they had wasn’t so tinny – it was tought o edit it out for their highlight video!
Glamour Photos
After the appropriately socially distanced group photos, and drone shot of the entire winery we set out for our glamour phtoos around the Paxton Winery estate.
A wonderful part of hosting a Paxton Winery wedding is the variety of wedding photography you can capture on site. As it’s a winery there the usual rolling vineyards that are always a treat to photograph, but there is also something unique to this location that I was quite excited about.
Right near some beautiful pepper trees and grassy meadows, there is an old heritage homestead on site that made for a lovely backdrop to Jayne and Pete’s wedding photos!
We also managed to sneak out once it got dark to take some nighttime photos of the large lit up ‘LOVE’ sign Jayne and Pete had hired, while i also got out my ‘smoke in can’ to create some atmosphere within the vineyards at night.
Paxton Winery Wedding Reception
The highlight of Jayne and Pete’s wedding reception for me was the incredible bongo drum player they had to augment the DJ’s music! He was slamming and rocking out with the energy of 1000 suns all night! If I were to do what he was doing, I’d be sure to have very sore hands for the rest of the month!
The reception took place on the smaller of the two grassy areas nearby the Paxton winery cellar door, with the original plan being to hold it inside – however due to Coronavirus restrictions it had to be moved outside – which I actually think was the better choice as it was a lovely night and the lighting was beautiful!
The guests had lawn games to entertain themselves, and we were treated to some very good speeches that made everyone laugh over and over. It was a great night!
Thanks so much to Jayne and Pete for having me as your wedding phtoography at yoru paxton winery wedding! I had a blast and I look forward to getting out to wedding again very soon, once this virus shenanigans has past!
Being a local to the area, having grown up and still living nearby to Mclaren Vale and also being a wedding photographer that is often asked to cover weddings in Mclaren Vale, I’ve come to really enjoy heading to Mclaren Vale and thought I’d list some of my favourite Mclaren Vale wineries. This list is based on my own personal preferences and is not ranked from most favourite to least favourite – it’s just how lists go, they need to be numbered! 😀 Also most of the photos I’ve featured in the list were photos I’ve taken at weddings I’ve covered at that winery. For more wedding imagery, see Natural Mclaren Vale Wedding Photography.
Mclaren Vale boasts some of the most world-reknown best vineyards and wineries that create some of the best wine in the world. The scenery available in the region is also sometimes absolutely incredible. The entire town of Mclaren Vale is under strict government ordnance no not develop too much so as to preserve the unique charm the area has developed over it’s long history. I love heading down to Mclaren Vale as it feels like a beautiful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life – and you can enjoy some great wine and food too! I’ll be writing up a short personal description of each winery and also giving my choice of my favourite drink produced at each!
1. Ekhidna Winery
Ekhidna Winery is a small little winery located off a short dirt track, but still pretty much right in the middle of the Mclaren vale wine district. The winery is backdropped by the stunning southern hills and the cellar door itself is surrounded by vineyards that light up spectacularly during sunset. Although it’s a winery my favourite drop from here are the alcoholic ginger beers on offer here – they are just great!
2. Coriole Winery
Coriole was always my own personal choice of winery to host my own wedding at, as the whole set up is nothing short of spectacular. The grassy area where a wedding or event would usually take place overlooks the whole valley of Mclaren Vale, while there is a small intimate courtyard in amongst the garden and heritage building that makes up the establishment. My favourite wine would have to be the 2016 Cabernet Merlot.
3. Woodstock Winery
Woodstock Winery has one of th enicest settings for an upper class restaurant in the region in my opinion. I always enjoy heading out here for a nice lunch with the family – although it can be a little pricey. As for an event venue, it boasts a large grassy area surrounded by gum trees and vineyards which makes for a beautifully intimate setting. The Woodstock winery ‘Ruby Velvet’ Sparkling red is my choice of wine from here! See Lisa and Simon’s Woodstock Wines wedding.
4. SC Pannell Winery
SC Pannell is one of the few Mclaren Vale wineries in this list that faces East to West, rather than North South – this is important when you’re thinking of sunset photos. I’m not entirely sure if they still offer wedding ceremonies or receptions as last time I was here they were changing hands and werent sure on the furtue of weddings at their venue. The winery has a very nifty motif for their logo and their bottles stand out amongst the rest because of it. My favourite wine from here would have to be their 2016 Tanino.
5. Maxwell Wines
I feel as though Maxwell wines was never really set up to host large events, but as a venue it can handle smaller gatherings and weddings rather nicely. It’s restaurant isnt huge, nor is there much flat grass to stand on, but there is an awesome maze to venture through and a wonderful aged cellar that is great to take moody photos in. Maxwell may also be a name better attributed to it’s Mead production too as the winery produces one of the most well known brands of Mead around!
6. Paxton Winery
Paxton Winery is a delightful little spot hidden on one of the backstreets leading into Mclaren Vale. I say it’s hidden as it’s located on a little dirt road and can be a little tricky to get to if you’re already in Mclaren Vale itself. Whats great about this little winery is it’s stunning vistas available form it’s cellar door, coupled with the wonderful heritage listed buildings around the place that adds to the charm of this wonderful spot. I’m going to have to go for the Pinot Gris from here.
7. Serafino Winery
Serafino Winery is perhaps one of the most popular spots in Mclaren Vale to host a wedding as it can cater to both high and low budget weddings, while also being able to be set up to reflect the budget. The main event hall is stunning with a domed glass roof, and it’s wide open grassy areas make for some wonderful spots to walk about or host an event. Talking of events, Serafino wines usually hosts some of the bigger music festivals in Mclaren Vale like Hot Dub Wine Machine. My favourite drop from here would be any of their award winning Terremoto Syrahs.
8. Olivers White Hill Estate
Olivers is an interesting one to add to this list as the winery itself is not the same as the bed and breakfast I usually visit for weddings – so sorry to say thT i cannot recommed a wine from this particular winery 🙂 The appeal of this spot is the fact that it’s one of the oldest houses in Mclaren vale and the gardens overlook a beautiful little pond surrounded by native gum trees.
There are so many more Mclaren Vale wineries so this is by far not a complete list – I will however be adding more to this list as I sample more Mclaren Vale wineries!
Lot 100 Wedding – Alice & Dion
As an Adelaide Hills wedding photographer, capturing Alice and Dion’s Lot 100 Wedding in Hay Valley was an absolute blast! The day was filled with so much fun and excitement that it seemed to fly by in a flash. Even though I started early in the morning in Myponga and didn’t finish until late at Lot 100, every moment was filled with joy and celebration.
From the exhilarating clay pigeon shooting to the lively German folk dancing, the entire day was a thrill to be a part of. As a wedding photographer, I was able to capture some amazing scenes that truly showcased the love and happiness of the couple. Overall, Alice and Dion’s wedding was an unforgettable experience that I was honored to be a part of as their photographer.
Preparation
Dion and a group of his friends all congregated in the early morning at Myponga to go Clay Pidgeon shooting together on a nearby farm. I had never even been present when this sport was going on, so I was quite excited for it – certainly made for a different change in pace to what I’d usually be taking photos of while the boys were getting ready! Dion even gave me a turn at trying my hand at shooting, and it turned out I was pretty good at it! Gave a new meaning to the phrase ‘out shooting a wedding’. 🙂
Alice and her bridal party were being prepared at a bed and breakfast in Stirling. It was a delightful little cottage with an intimate green garden full of little nooks to have details shots done of the rings, shoes, etc. The inside of the house was also well set up to take photos as there was some like windows around on plainly painted walls that just work very well for this kind of thing. Along with Alice’s bridal party there was also Alice’s brother there making sure everything ran well, but also there to provide some friendly, brotherly fun. 🙂
Lot 100 Wedding Ceremony
The location where Alice and Dion chose to set up their Lot 100 Wedding ceremony was on the sloped grass behind the main restaurant on site. It has a bit of a slope to it, but not so much that people could not stand straight. It was also great as there was a wonderful backdrop of tall gumtrees in each shot. The only unfortunate thing was that because it was set up that way, the sun was directly in Alice, Dion’s and the celebrant’s face – but the guests were more comfortable!
The ceremony itself was nice and simple, with a reading from a friend and a bit of laughter all round as the celebrant retold small bits of Alice and Dion’s relationship up to now.
Glamour Photos
A rather unique part of Alice and Dion’s day was the after effects of the large bushfires that were raging on the nearby Kangaroo Island, causing smoke to waft up through the valley and cause the backdrop of most of their photos to be quite hazy. It made it very easy for me to create a beautiful set of wedding photos that really isolate Alice and Dion, but also incorporate the stunning surrounds of their Lot 100 wedding day.
We began their glamour photos using the trees nearby where they had the wedding ceremony set up. I wanted to use the valley as a bit of a backdrop with the bridal party and also use the sun shining through the trees a bit to create an ethreal feel to the shots. We then moved up the hill a bit with the bridal party and took a few more shots on a giant felled tree trunk, which was pretty enat to arrange a group shot like that.
Finally we hopped into their 4 wheel drive and drove around the huge paddock on site, towards a magnificently huge gum treeright in the middle of it all. While doing this I also had the drone flying about as the scenery was absolutely epic from the sky. We finished off by using the small forrest of gum trees situated at the top of a nearby hill, where I was looking forward to again taking shots looking through the trees.
Lot 100 Wedding Reception
The Lot 100 wedding reception area is a beautifully set out restaurant enclosed within a modernly built structure lined with windows all around. The center of the restaurant is the bar where they serve a huge amount of different craft beers and wines. Alice and Dion had their dance floor set up at one end of the area.
A huge standout of their night was the German dancers Alice and Dion had organised to come in and perform for their guests. The dancers made a bit of a mockery of Dion in good spirits while they also demonstrated their skill with some highly complicated dancing and music! Was a sight to see!
Another stand out for me was the fact that their night happened to be on a night with a super full moon, so we made sure to get out and make use of the moon while it wasnt hiding behind clouds. The smoke from the fires also made it a rusty orange colour! Really quite pretty!
I’d like to thank Alice and Dion for having me do their Adelaide wedding photography! Was a great day and I hope you enjoy your photos! 😀
Pre Wedding Shoot
The great thing about what Sarah and Ricardo decided to do was that they were able to dedicate their whole wedding day soley to their friends and family, without leaving everyone at their Ekhidna wines reception while they went off to have their glamour photos taken. As their glamour photos had already been done a few day prior they were able to just party all day! It was also great to me as we were able to make use of the best light during the day, without worrying about getting back inside for speeches or cake cutting. It was a wonderful idea and I can’t believe more pople don’t opt to do this!
Our glamour shoot began as a simple little ‘first look’ between Sarah adn Ricardo in the garden of the bed and breakfast they were staying at that night. It was a very small little garden, but it worked out beautifully as the sun was in a great spot for it to shine in through the leaves of the trees lining the road. Then we head out to the main street of Mclaren Vale where there is a stunning little grove of Olive Trees that are free to walk through as a tribute to the regions large Olive business.
I like using this spot later in the day as the sun shines through the canopy of this little grove quite nicely. The next spot we head to was the ‘story bench’ in Willunga which I learnt about back when I was a teacher at the nearby Willunga Primary School. Its a simple little park with large gum trees, a big open grassy area and some nifty, whispy trees I’m not sure what their names are. 😀 We then finished the day back at Ekhidna Wines where Saraha and Ricardo’s dog came to visit for a bit of a shoot throughout the vineyards.
Preparation
On the actual day of the wedding, Sarah and her bridal aprty were being prepared at the Ekhidna Wines on-site bed and breakfast which is always convenient as it’s right next door to the wedding venue. I had a little bit of time with Sarah and everyone there and grab a few shots of them all getting ready!
Ekhidna Wines Wedding Ceremony
Sarah and Ricardo’s wedding ceremoyn was full of meaningful readings and heartfelt cameos by friends and family throughout, and was of course backdropped to what I feel to be one of the best backdrops to any wedding venue in Mclaren Vale – that of the Hills behind Ekhidna WInes. When there is a little cloud in the sky, it just makes for a stunning backdrop!
Ekhidna Wines Wedding Reception
To finish up I was at Sarah and Ricardo’s wedding reception on site at Ekhidna wines for a few hours before my wedding photography coverage was at an end. Can you believe I maaged to grab all these shotswithin 6 hours?! 2 hours on their glamour shoot day, and 4 on their actual wedding day and I managed to pretty much cover it all! It was obvious to me that many of those who made speeches throughout the evening were used to public speaking as the quality of all the speeches were fantastic, and tall the guests got right into each one, making the whole experience that much more intimate and special.
Sarah and Ricardo, your wedding was an absolute joy to be a part of and I hope you enjoy your photos!
Tag Archive for: winery
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