The whole day lived inside InterContinental Sanctuary Cove, and for a photographer that is a gift. Lane got ready first and looked every bit the leading man: jacket on, a celebratory cigar on the balcony, then a slow stride through the tropical gardens with his groomsmen. Over in the bridal suite, Ashley and her bridesmaids spilled out onto the lawn in their robes and threw in a few high kicks for good measure. Gold Coast summer light is fierce by late morning, so we kept people in the open shade of the verandahs and let the white walls of the suite do the soft lighting indoors.
Then came the gown: an off-the-shoulder satin ball gown with a full skirt, a sparkling tiara, a veil that went on and on, and a bouquet of dried flowers and pampas plumes. We set up the reveal so her bridesmaids waited in the doorway while Ashley turned, and their faces said everything. A quiet, head-bowed moment with her dad followed, the kind of frame that reminds us why we love black and white. Our tip for getting ready: turn the bride towards the biggest window, clear the clutter behind her and let the satin glow.
Ashley arrived at the chapel in style, perched in the back of a white vintage-style buggy with her train piled up beside her. The Wedding Chapel is walled in floor-to-ceiling glass above the Coomera River, and at two in the afternoon it fills with light. Lane waited at the front between tall white florals with the river behind him, and Ashley walked in on her dad’s arm. Glass chapels are gorgeous and bright, so we expose for faces rather than windows and save the wide shot for when the couple sits right under those soaring arches.
The vows were full of grins. Just before the kiss, Ashley and Lane leaned in nose to nose, laughing, and the whole chapel laughed with them. Then came the kiss, the bridal party cheering from both sides, and a walk back up the aisle that turned into a victory lap. We caught them pausing in the chapel doorway, her train pooled across the white tiles, taking one deep breath before the celebrations began.
Portraits felt like a slow, happy stroll. We wandered the waterfront path beside the chapel, found dappled shade under the trees and let the breeze play with that veil. The bridesmaids in navy and the groomsmen lounging on the sandstone steps of the main house brought the fun, and we saved the best for last: the formal reflection pool, framed by tall palms and stone urns. Lane dipped Ashley for a kiss and the water gave us two of them. Afterwards Ashley slipped into her second look for the reception, and the party rolled on into the night.
If these InterContinental Sanctuary Cove wedding photos have you picturing your own Gold Coast chapel wedding, explore more of our Brisbane and Gold Coast weddings.
