Posts Tagged ‘relaxed wedding photography’

Brooke and Jason’s Ascot House Wedding

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

Jason always joked that he’d meet his future wife while hosting trivia, but he never thought it would actually happen. So when he met Brooke at a trivia night and they eventually decided to tie the knot, it was only natural that they’d have a trivia game — with a prize! — at their reception.

This was just one of the fun, personal touches at this sweet couple’s wedding. Brooke and her bridesmaids got ready for the day with Brooke’s very excited family at the grand, historic Rendezvous Hotel on Flinders Street. The bridesmaids looked sleek in black lace dresses with tiered skirts that mirrored Brooke’s gown, while the groomsmen were dapper in timeless black suits and ties with whimsical elephant cufflinks.

With plenty of happy tears, the ceremony took place under the gazebo in the gardens of the Ascot House, followed by a reception in the garden room overlooking the courtyard.

After the wedding, Brooke sent us this sweet thank-you note: “From first meeting you, we were very happy with how relaxed you made us both feel. On the day we hardly noticed you were snapping away, which resulted in the natural style of wedding photography that we were after. You made our friends and family very comfortable and they are all as excited as us to see the final product. We are very happy that we found you and have already recommended your services to friends. Many thanks again, Lizzy and Clara. You made our day even more special by capturing it so beautifully.”

Thank you, Brooke and Jason, for letting us be a part of your day!

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Wedding location: Ascot House

Ceremony Official: Robyn Rodda

Bridal gown: Essence, Fairytale Bridal, Moonee Ponds

Groom’s attire: The Suit Warehouse

Groomsmen: The Suit Warehouse

Bridesmaids: Review

Shoes: Mallouk Custom Bridal Shoes

Makeup/hair: Chelleon for Hair, Woodend

Flowers: Gisborne Cottage Flowers

Cars: Triple R Cars

Cake: Pastry Art Design, Collingwood

Music: DJYak – Peter Yacono

Bonboniere: Pink Frosting

Invitations: Bride and Groom

Wedding Rings: G&N Jewelers

Bridal accessories: Linda Gorringe Couture

First night: Rendezvous Hotel, Melbourne

Honeymoon: Queenstown, New Zealand (They decided on a “mini-moon” prior to traveling to USA later in the year)

A Trentham Wedding ~Macedon Ranges

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

Peta and Ben have been together for ten years and recently got married in Trentham, Victoria. Trentham, nestled in the Macedon Ranges, is a super cute country town not far from where Ben grew up. Ben and Peta got ready together on a lovely country property just outside of town. The rain that was pattering down made everything look lush and green, but also a little soggy. The rain didn’t dampen their spirits; especially not Peta, who was very impressed with how nicely Ben managed to scrub up! (He did look pretty dapper in the crisp new suit he’d purchased only days earlier.) The rain continued to fall during the ceremony, but everyone was tucked up cosily in the marquee attached to the Cosmopolitan Hotel, so nobody seemed to mind. It stopped just long enough for us to get a few lovely shots in the gardens of the hotel and the adorable streets of Trentham. The beautiful wooden stables of the Cosmopolitan provided the perfect atmosphere for their intimate reception dinner.

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petaben wed61 A Trentham Wedding ~Macedon RangesThe details:

Wedding location: Cosmopolitan Hotel, Trentham VIC

Ceremony Official: Melissa Jacob – The Ceremony Store

Bridal gown: Mariana Hardwick

Grooms attire: Hugo Boss

Shoes: Joanne Mercer

Makeup/hair: Switch Hair & Beauty Woodend (hair) make-up (bride’s own)

Flowers: Flowers in a Vase – Mt Macedon

Jewellery: Linda Gorringe Couture and Mariana Hardwick

Cake: Cosmopolitan Hotel Trentham

Music: Hardrive Bluegrass Band

Bonboniere: Beatties Biscuits – Trentham

Invitations: Paperee c/o Etsy

Wedding Rings: Treware Jewellery South Melbourne

Honeymoon: Vietnam

A Queens Park Wedding and an intimate restaurant Reception

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

I meet and work with genuinely lovely people, even though I work in an industry commonly known for its Bridezillas! I can honestly say that I’ve never met even one. Lorissa, especially, was what I’d call the picture of calm and happiness on her wedding day; she was definitely no Bridezilla. When I arrived at her hotel room it was full of smiles, laughs, and relaxed conversation. She made sure that I had everything I needed and then went on to enjoy the lead up to the ceremony with her family and close friend, even finding the time to put the final touches on the bouquet she made herself.
Mick, who is the perfect match for Lorissa with his laid-back attitude, mused over how the ceremony went off without a hitch. He made me smile when he said that “weddings aren’t so hard to organise. I don’t know why everyone makes such a big deal!” He was right, of course. They’d pulled it off perfectly! We strolled around the gardens in Queens Park (originally their local park and now their wedding location), and spent some very relaxed time getting some great portraits of the two of them. I was flattered and may have blushed when Mick thanked my assistant and me for a lovely afternoon of photography in his wedding speech. It was funny that he actually enjoyed the photography and made special mention of it in his speech when Lorissa apparently had to drag him to our rehearsal/practice/engagement session! It mustn’t have been too bad! (Don’t worry, Mick. Most grooms are the same!) I totally appreciate Mick’s very genuine and no-fuss attitude, so I’ll take the compliment and run with it!

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A Lyrebird Falls Wedding

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

Bonnie and Bill are truly lovely people and I feel honoured to have played a small part in their wedding day. They clearly have a deep respect for one another and the people around them, and their wedding day was evidence of this; they thought carefully about how to include their nearest and dearest in their special day. Their ceremony was beautifully thought out, and showed them as individuals and as a couple, including what they value and cherish in one another.

When I asked Bonnie and Bill what was the standout moment during their wedding day, the following was one of their responses.

During the reception we took the opportunity to sit outside together just the two of us. With all of the formalities of the day completed, it was very special to have a moment that just belonged to us. I sat on Bill’s knee and we looked in at the rest of the guests all having a great time, and we were able to feel proud that we’d worked so hard to ensure people enjoyed themselves.

Even on their own wedding day their thoughts were about the enjoyment of their guests. How lovely is that?
The wedding ceremony and reception was at Lyrebird Falls in the Dandenongs. It was like being in your own private rainforest tucked away on the outskirts of Melbourne! The reception included a photo booth, which was lots of fun and was a hit with all of the guests. Bonnie and Bill even arranged babysitters so that the older guests could take a break and enjoy the fun of the evening.


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The Details

Wedding location: Lyrebird Falls , Kallista http://www.lyrebirdfalls.com.au/
Ceremony Official: Carol Langabeer http://weddings.langabeer.net/
Bridal gown: Raffaele Ciuca, Brunswick
Grooms and Groomsmen attire: Prinzi Formal Hire
Bridesmaids attire: gowns made by Julieanne from What About Me http://www.wataboutme.com.au/index.php
Shoes: Low heel satin peep toes from Zu Shoes
Makeup: Nicole Giardossi http://nicolegiardossi.com/
Hair:  Sally from Forever Flawless http://www.foreverflawless.com.au/
Flowers: Sassafras Flower Design http://www.sassafrasflowerdesign.com.au/

Jewellery: Diamond earrings- gift from groom’s mother
Invitations: handmade and designed by the couple
Wedding Rings: Dia Oro Jewlery
Photobooth: Little Black Booth http://www.littleblackbooth.com.au/
Babysitters for young guests: Babysitters R Us http://www.babysittersrus.com.au/main_page.html
First night: Sherbrooke Retreat of Olinda http://www.sherbrookeretreat.com.au/
Honeymoon: due to go to Thailand and Laos in Feb 2012

Vintage Inspired Wedding ~ Preston Chapel and Manor ~ Queensland Wedding

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Some of you might not know this about me, but I spent a few years living in Queensland. It’s where I met my husband and a lot of good friends, so I have a bit of a soft spot for Queensland; especially a place called Toowoomba. So for all of you that think I am entirely Melbourne-centric, I do have another side…

Last month we travelled up to Toowoomba for Fiona and Dylan’s Wedding. I might be a little biased because I know the couple personally, but what an amazing day! Really, it was the most carefully thought-out, fun and beautifully romantic wedding. It was very special for my husband, Dave, and me, since we both got to play our little parts; me as photographer and Dave as a bridesmaid! In case you’re wondering, Dave and Fiona are old friends from way back. In fact, she was a groomsman at our wedding.

The girls (and Dave) prepared for the day at Vacy Hall, a beautiful historic mansion in downtown Toowoomba, and were driven to the Preston Village Chapel in style in a pristine 1936 Dodge limousine. Fiona looked stunning as she stepped through the doors of the chapel. As she walked down the aisle, Dylan couldn’t help but shed a few tears at the sight of her. (Dylan, I hope you don’t mind me sharing this with the world but it was truly lovely!)

The party kicked on at the adjoining Preston Manor as the sun set over the valley. The guests laughed and cried with the happy couple during the speeches, and giggled uncontrollably while playing dress-up in the photo booth.

If you feel as though you are seeing double when looking at these photos, don’t despair; you kind of are. Fiona’s lovely twin sister Christina was maid of honour, and was responsible for many of the beautiful crafty details. You can see some of Christina’s amazing work on her blog. Fiona is an active blogger herself; you can check out her award-winning blog here.

Fiona and Dylan, I wish you all the happiness in the world. I hope you are enjoying your honeymoon in New Zealand, and I can’t wait to see the Napier photos and all the art deco goodness you bring back!

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The details:

Wedding location: Preston Village Chapel - http://www.prestonchapelandmanor.com/chapel.html

Ceremony Official: Joan Kavanagh - http://celebrantsonline.com.au/joan-kavanagh/

Bridal gown: Vintage 1960′s from Etsy

Bridal accessories: Handmade sash with flowers - http://www.etsy.com/shop/ProjectU

Shoes: Forever New high heels

Bridesmaids Attire and Accessories: Handmade silk gowns and matching jackets made by brides mother, shoes from Wittner and silk clutches handmade by bride

Flowers:  Friend, Brad

Jewellery: Vintage jewellery passed down through family

Cars: 1936 Dodge D2, Kenz Classic Cars - http://www.kenzclassic.com.au/

Bonboniere: Crochet napkin rings, handmade by twin sister, Christina

Wedding Rings:

Bride: Great Grandmothers wedding ring.

Groom: Custom handmade ring by Christina Lowry Designs – http://www.christinalowrydesigns.bigcartel.com

First night: Vacy Hall - http://www.vacyhall.com.au/

Honeymoon: New Zealand for 11 days

Sara and Nima’s Wedding at The Prince in St Kilda

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

I like Sara and Nima’s style. They didn’t get caught up in the need to be conventional, to follow tradition or add a lot of extra faff. They just picked out what was important to them and went with it.

Sara and Nima had always planned to meet before the wedding ceremony to take some photos, so that the ceremony could run straight into the reception. We’d planned to meet in a local park for this “first look”, but just before the wedding Sara rang me and said that things were getting a bit logistically complicated, and that Nima was just going to come around to pick her up at the house. So that he did! Nima was greeted at the front door by the warm embrace of Sara and her family, which was followed by excited squeals. It was truly a unique, completely uncontrived moment. A unique moment for me to capture on camera. That is what weddings are all about—the unique moments.

It was so much fun wandering around St Kilda with Sara and Nima. They just smiled, laughed and joked the whole time. The ceremony was on the deck of the Prince, which was shared with their nearest and dearest who had travelled from all over the world to be there. The sun setting over the bay and St Kilda was the perfect backdrop for their laid-back reception.

It was a truly special day.

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A big thank you to Andy for assisting me on the day. He went above and beyond when he chased seagulls around St Kilda!

Snezana and Dean’s Boathouse Wedding

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Last month I photographed Snezana and Dean’s beautiful wedding day. Snezana and Dean met 10 years ago and the story goes slightly differently depending on who is telling it. Snezana and Dean could not be more relaxed. Their wedding day was no different. They picked the most glorious day in June to get married! At this time of year in the southern hemisphere it gets darker earlier and so their reception could continue on from their ceremony we got together and did some photographs before the ceremony in a local park . Dean was priceless when he first saw Snezana. All he said was “WOW” and well I agree it pretty much sums up how amazing she looked. She is gorgeous, isn’t she!?

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Snezana and Dean would like to thank the following people who made their day extra special

* Snez’s Dress: Eleni George in Pascoe Vale
* Brass Band: Opa!
* Kieran, Josh, Maelene and Scott from the Boathouse
* Rings: Canturi (Dean) and Rutherford (me)
* Celebrant: Margaret Collier

And an extra special mention to Snez’s mum who made their cake, Veronica who put together the flowers, both their parents, the groomsmen, the bridesmaids and friends Antonella, Lani, Lisa, Allison & Corina.

A Yarra River Wedding

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Last weekend I photographed Michelle and Simon’s wedding on the bank of the Yarra. It seems that Michelle and Simon will have a very luck filled marriage, as it rained a fair bit on their wedding day. Despite the fact that they came very close to having to move their ceremony across the river to the Studley Park Boathouse it hardly fazed them at all - a testament to both their lovely and relaxed personalities.  The ceremony was beautiful, and the intermittent rain didn’t bother anyone; everyone just put up their umbrellas and continued on. The sun shone through, right at the end.  It was as if they’d planned it that way.

We got some fantastic photographs around the river and at the Studley Park Boathouse, and it was really only right at the end when the rain started to pour, so Michelle and Simon went inside and continued to enjoy the evening with their family and friends.

My assistant Ryo did a great job protecting the camera gear while I was shooting by holding an umbrella over me- and getting very wet himself! It was almost comical when we were both huddled outside under an umbrella in the rain photographing the rings (last shot in this blog post) and he was holding an umbrella, a reflector and extra equipment. I wish we’d had someone to take a photo of us!

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J & B’s Retro Inspired Wedding

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

Despite the massive thunderstorm and potential flooding, in true Melbourne style the weather turned around completely for Ben and Jessamy’s wedding!

Talking of true Melbourne style, check out the bride and groom!

Melissa Jacob from the ceremony store conducted Ben and Jessamy’s relaxed and quite amusing ceremony at the St Kilda botanic gardens which was followed by croquet in the gardens.

Ben and Jessamy have fond connections with St Kilda and liked the idea of including the urban landscape in their wedding photos.  So we wandered from the ceremony to the reception and snapped some great shots on the way.  Ben even became a part of the city landscape when a pigeon resting on an eve above decided to drop his business on Ben’s shirt!  Ben and Jessamy weren’t phased at all, we had a good laugh and continued on! See photo of Jessamy tenderly wiping off said poop from Ben… 

Ben and Jessamy I wish you all the best of luck (not that you’ll need it, thanks to that pigeon!)

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