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Surfhouse Merewether Wedding
The beautiful Surfhouse Merewether wedding of Louise & Chris would have to be one of my favourite Newcastle wedding to date, and was an amazing Newcastle wedding to be a part of.
Their wedding ceremony was held outdoors at Burwood Rotunda in Whitebridge. After the ceremony we even ventured into the backstreet if Newcastle and created some pretty cool images, before heading over to the wedding reception which was at Merewether Surfhouse.
Enjoy this gorgeous Surfhouse Merewether wedding and feel free to leave a message for the Bride & Groom or us :)
2020 wedding photography wise was one of the craziest years of my career because of the impact of Covid-19.
I photographed 15 weddings and then in April, right in the middle of a busy wedding season, the pandemic hit and everything just stopped overnight. We lost all our work and income in an instant. We paused our home loan, our car repayments, started homeschooling our kids. We had no business for over 2 months. It was a crazy time.
Then elopements started. Couples still wanted to get married and therefore had to change the way they went about it. For the rest of the year, I photographed another 50 elopements and just a handful of weddings.
My heart goes out to all of the couples who planned or a planning a wedding during these times. So many couples got married without their parents, grandparents, siblings and friends with them. Most were stuck overseas or across state borders. I’ve seen many couples change their wedding date numerous times and we had a lot of couples just cancel their wedding altogether. It must be such a stressful time for everyone planning a wedding.
To all the couples who I did photograph in 2020… I hope your elopement/wedding was still an amazing experience for you, and I hope my photos have given you some joy.
To start off with… here are some images that you would only see during a world-wide pandemic, and images I never thought I would take.
Here are a few of my favourite images from 2020 :)
The Ben Ean wedding in the Hunter valley of Cathy & Zisheng was simply stunning with a couple of the nicest people you could ever meet.
I met these guys at least a year before their wedding at one of their friend’s weddings. They had already booked me, so I was totally shocked and happy to see them. They both booked me without telling the other, so it’s nice to know that they both had the same taste in wedding photography.
Their wedding day started at two separate private houses around the Hunter Valley region
Ben Ean was the location for the ceremony and reception and is an absolutely stunning Hunter Valley wedding venue. It is 200 acres of rolling hills and vineyards and it is definitely one of the most picturesque wedding venues in Pokolbin.
Ben Ean used to be known as Lindeman’s Estate and I have photographed many weddings under the former name.
The Petersons and McGuigan families have joined forces and taken over Lindemans and have done quite a lot of renovations, particularly around the wedding and events side. Everything looks much more modern yet it still keeps its rustic country feel.
Ben Ean wedding ceremony
There are three potential locations you can have for your wedding ceremony at Ben Ean. The Fig Tree, the Garden Terrace Lawn and the Heritage Courtyard.
The Bride & Groom here chose the beautiful and rustic setting of the Heritage Courtyard. It is located right outside the actual reception venue and is undercover and totally protected from the elements. The Courtyard has a real barn-like feel to it and the transparent roof lets plenty of natural daylight into the area.
The wedding ceremony was personal and heartfelt. They both opened themselves up and let their emotions show. And it was beautiful. There were tears on both sides.
They also incorporated a tradition that I have never seen before. Salting a jar full of kumquats.
At the end of the ceremony, they walked back down the aisle to a sea of bubbles. Which was really awesome! Let me tell you now, that 99% of the time bubbles just don’t work and photograph very well at wedding ceremonies. The two reasons why it worked so well this time was:
The darker background of the wood walls and roof made the bubble really show up nicely. At most outdoor ceremonies, the bubbles tend to blend into the sky and other lighter backgrounds.
There was no wind. It just takes a tiny breeze and the bubbles blow away or just pop. There was absolutely no wind in the courtyard, so the bubbles really hung around beautifully.
Ben Ean Wedding Photos
After the wedding ceremony, we went up to Ben Ean’s most picturesque location. Up to The Fig Tree. This location is seriously one of the most beautiful locations in all of the Hunter Valley. The only way to have photos here is to have a wedding at Ben Ean. And I think it is worth having your wedding at Ben Ean just to get photos here. It is simply stunning!
The Fig Tree is located at the top of a hill and it overlooks rows and rows of vineyards. Ben Ean is basically, pretty epic for wedding photo and photography.
Wedding Reception at Ben Ean
The wedding reception can be held in three different locations at Ben Ean. The Laraghy Room, which is the main reception room. The Garden Terrace, an outdoor area, perfect for summer weddings. And the Heritage Listed Courtyard, which can fit around four hundred people!
These guys had their reception in the Laraghy Room, with is timber roof and wooden pillars.
Once again, there was some high emotion with some really beautiful speeches from family and friends that had the room in tears. They did a highly choreographed ‘first dance’ which was beyond impressive. And then they partied the night away in the dancefloor.
The Hunter Valley is full of awesome wedding venues, but a Ben Ean wedding definitely rates as one of the best around. From a wedding photographers point of view it has such beautiful locations and scenery.
And from my point of view, if you have your wedding at Ben Ean, and you take your photographers advice on when and where to get photos, you will get awesome wedding photos.
It was such a pleasure to photograph Cathy & Zisheng’s Ben Ean wedding in the Hunter Valley. What an amazing experience. They are amazing people and they had such a beautiful wedding.
2017 has been another awesome year for us and there have been so many wedding photography highlights . I have shot weddings in some of the most scenic places, met some beautiful people, and photographed some amazing moments in their lives. It is such an privilege to photograph every wedding and I am reminded just how special it is every time I witness the vows and when I listen to heartfelt speeches from friends and family.
Over the last year I have photographed weddings in temperatures from zero degrees to forty plus degrees. I have been absolutely soaked to the bone from rain and a lot of times from sweat ;) I have seen wedding rings forgotten, had bridesmaids fainting, weddings with cute puppies and an exotic bird, swords at two different weddings, heard Daryl Braithwaite’s ‘Horses’ way too many times and have dodged a lot of kangaroo, cow and sheep poo while walking through paddocks. I have seen a lot of tears and a lot of laughter and some amazing relationships between couples and their family & friends.
On a personal note our two little girls and puppy are keeping us on our toes. We have a “threenager”… yes that is a three year old that acts like a teenager, and a one year old that is determined to put e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g in her mouth. And our “Fur Child” Beau is as cheeky as ever! But they are so awesome and we are so lucky.
We have been so so happy to see the laws in Australia change to give everyone to right to get married. We totally support marriage equally and I can’t wait to photograph weddings from LGBTQI couples. ?
Thanks to the couples who have trusted me to capture your special day, who climbed over or under fences and walked to places where no one should walk in a pair of high heels. Thanks to the couples who have let any insecurities go, forgot I was there and just let themselves be in the moment. Thanks to the families who have been so welcoming and let me in to photograph these amazing weddings. And thank you to all the wedding vendors, photographers and our past couples who have referred weddings us. It means a lot and is one of the best compliments you can give us :)
So here are some of our personal favourite wedding photography highlights from 2017. I hope you enjoy!
The Redleaf Wollombi wedding of Liv & Simon was a beautiful and intimate wedding at one of the most stunning properties in the Hunter Valley.
Redleaf Wollombi is an absolutely stunning Tuscan inspired luxury property and wedding venue.
It sits on one hundred acres of land in the small historic town of Wollombi which is located in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales. It’s private, luxurious and secluded and one of the best wedding venues in Wollombi and the Hunter Valley.
Redleaf can cater to larger weddings and marquee weddings, but this wedding was a small and more intimate wedding which really highlighted the beauty of the venue.
The other thing I really love about this wedding venue is that the entire day from the very beginning to the very end can happen on-site. There is no need to travel anywhere at all. There is accommodation available, you can have the ceremony and the reception there. And of course it perfect for wedding photos and photos in general.
Wedding Preparation
The Bride & Groom both got ready in the morning at Redleaf. What is awesome about Redleaf is that both Liv & Simon could get ready there on the wedding day and still not see each other.
Liv and the girls got ready in the main area of the house which has the main living area, kitchen and four bedrooms. And Simon and the boys got ready at the opposite end of the house. In an almost separate house that has two bedrooms. So it is really easy not to see each other if that’s what you want to do.
It also made preparation photos really easy and convenient for me as I just easily walked back and forth between both of them.
I must also say the Liv’s wedding dress was absolutely stunning, and I have had people on Instagram already ask me who did the dress. Her dress was by Alison Davis.
Wedding ceremony at Redleaf
The wedding ceremony was held outside in the gardens just in front of the large lavender field. The ceremony was conducted by the always awesome Monty King!
Liv was walked down the aisle, not just by her Dad… but as her Mum put it “All her Dads”. Here three other Dads were men who were very influential in her life in some way. It was really special to watch and I am sure it was even more special for all of them.
It was a touching and very meaningful ceremony. Tears were flowing from everyone as they said their vows. I always recommend that couples write their own vows and say them to each other. It makes it more special and intimate for everyone if you speak from the heart and make your promises to each other.
And Liv & Simon’s vows were just amazing to witness.
Redleaf Wollombi Wedding Photos
After the ceremony, we did a few family photos and then the guests went off to have canapés and drinks in another part of the gardens. We explored the grounds and did some photos.
I have photographed a few weddings at Redleaf and I find that each time it is totally different. This place changes so much, depending on what season you get married in and what the light is like on the day.
I always love doing wedding photos with the couple. I find that after the ceremony they are so much more relaxed than they were in the morning. This is basically the first time they are together as a married couple. And you really get to see who they are and what they are alike around each other.
They both just couldn’t stop smiling and laughing together.
Wollombi wedding venue
The wedding reception at Redleaf was another highlight for me.
It was set outside under the stars and under fairy lights. One long table outside the front of this Tuscan inspired house.
The weather was actually very warm and a little bit overcast and the forecast was for some rain. But the owner of the property, Matthew, knows how the weather works here and confidently said that it won’t rain. And he was totally right. And I am so glad it didn’t because the set up was absolutely magical.
The wedding was fully styled and decorated by the awesome wedding planners ‘Honey Lane’. Lara and her amazing team worked so hard all day and night to ensure everything was perfect. And I think you would have to agree with me that the set up looks absolutely incredible.
And any couple would dream of having a wedding set up like this!
This would have to be one of my favourite wedding venues in the Hunter Valley. Every time I shoot there, it is completely different and just awesome.
Redleaf Wollombi has that European feel to it. Like you are having a wedding somewhere in provincial France or Tuscany in Italy. It is really unique, especially for Australia.
By having a Redleaf Wollombi wedding you can pretty much guarantee that you will get beautiful photos on your wedding day. I highly recommend this wedding venue and can’t wait to go back there to photograph more weddings.
Evelyn & Michael’s Norah Head Lighthouse wedding ?
Norah Head Lighthouse on the Central Coast is a venue I have wanted to shoot a wedding at for a long time. I go to Norah Head at least once a week with the family and our puppy Beau so I couldn’t wait to photograph this wedding. And this wedding didn’t disappoint! It was a beautiful intimate wedding with just a small gathering of family & friends and an amazing couple, with a beautiful, unique style and spirit. Norah Head also turned on an amazing sunset for us!
So enjoy Evelyn & Michael’s beautiful Norah Head Lighthouse wedding.
The stunning Chateau Elan Hunter Valley wedding of Rebecca & Kahn was an absolute honour and privilege to photograph.
Everything happen onsite at one place… the beautiful beautiful Chateau Elan. The wedding ceremony was held at The Carriage House and I got to witness Rebecca’s Mum & Dad walk her down the aisle.
Enjoy this beautiful Chateau Elan Hunter Valley wedding… and feel free to leave a comment for the Bride & Groom or us ;)