St Christopher’s Cathedral Wedding Photos
Spanish Romanesque on Franklin Street, opened 1939 and doubled in 1973, the largest church in the capital
St Christopher’s Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, on Franklin Street at Forrest beside Manuka. Sydney architect Clement Glancy designed it in a Spanish Romanesque style; the foundation stone was laid on 8 May 1938 and the cathedral opened on 4 June 1939. An extension consecrated on 5 February 1973 doubled the seating and added the bell tower, a Blessed Sacrament Chapel and a crypt, keeping the original stained glass. It is the largest church in Canberra.
The long nave and pale walls give a formal, unhurried ceremony, and the forecourt on Franklin Street handles a big crowd for the exit. Veri photographed Helena and Xavier’s ceremony here as part of a Canberra wedding that continued with portraits around the national institutions and a reception across the border in Queanbeyan, 99 frames in all.
Photographing a wedding at St Christopher’s Cathedral
Cathedral weddings run to a set order, so we brief with the parish beforehand and shoot from fixed positions without flash during the rite. The interior is bright by church standards, with clear light down the nave in the early afternoon, and the arches make natural frames for the vows and the walk back. Outside, the bell tower and the rendered facade suit a wide shot from across Franklin Street. Manuka’s streets are a short walk for a portrait stop. The gallery above is Helena and Xavier’s wedding.