Avalon Castle wedding photos: Chloe and Andrew laugh together on a garden path beside an ivy covered tower and clipped conifers, Dandenong Ranges
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Avalon Castle Wedding Photos: Chloe & Andrew

Avalon Castle · 1 Flora Close, Cockatoo VIC · Melbourne

Garden Wedding · Mountain Wedding · Rainforest Wedding · Region: VIC - Dandenong Ranges · City: Melbourne · Venue: Avalon Castle

A flower girl stealing the show at the arbour, a rain-washed timber deck shining under tall gums, and giant LOVE letters glowing on the lawn after dark. Chloe and Andrew’s Avalon Castle wedding in Cockatoo, up in the Dandenong Ranges, was full of family, laughter and a spring sky that kept everyone guessing. We were with them from weatherboard verandahs in the hills to a shoe game at the reception and a final kiss by the lights, and it was a joy to be there for all of it.

The gallery
A groomsman straightens Andrew's burgundy bow tie by a sunny window as Andrew grins on the morning of the wedding.
Andrew and a groomsman in a red tie burst out laughing together beside a tall sash window in the weatherboard house.
A loved one in navy fusses over Andrew's jacket and white rose buttonhole while he cracks up laughing.
Andrew leans on the white cross-braced balcony railing in his navy suit, big old trees of the Dandenong Ranges behind him.
Andrew and two groomsmen in red ties lean on the balcony rail with a wall of green mountain foliage behind them.
The loved one in navy and silver sequins smiles up at Andrew on the balcony, soft green leaves blurred behind.
A grey-haired man in a striped tie laughs with Andrew on the verandah as the loved one in navy looks on.
Shot from the garden below, Andrew, his groomsmen and family line the white railing of a weatherboard balcony in the Dandenong Ranges.
A card reading To my Beautiful Bride lies on white tulle beside two small jewellery boxes and a bouquet of white and blush roses.
Chloe has her lip liner drawn on in a white satin robe, her chin cupped gently by a woman in a fluffy jumper.
Chloe checks her eyeshadow in a mirrored palette held up like a hand mirror while the woman in the fluffy jumper smiles behind.
Chloe hugs two bridesmaids in blush pink satin robes on the verandah, leafy greenery glowing behind them.
Chloe and a bridesmaid bend over the bed to fasten the flower girl's tiny shoes as she sits in her white tulle dress.
Chloe gazes out a tall window in her lace gown, a pearl clip in her hair and white roses in her hands.
Chloe sits on the end of a white iron bed in her lace gown, hydrangeas on the dresser and mountain greenery at the window.
Chloe spreads her long veil across the white bed with one hand, her rose bouquet resting in her lap.
Chloe and two bridesmaids in burgundy off-shoulder dresses hold white rose bouquets on the verandah, tree ferns crowding behind.
A bridesmaid in a burgundy off-shoulder gown stands with Chloe on the green-railed verandah, tree ferns and greenery all around.
A bridesmaid in burgundy kisses Chloe's cheek mid-photo as they hold their white and blush rose bouquets close.
Chloe poses on the wet red verandah boards in the Dandenong Ranges, her veil trailing and tree ferns rising past the railing.
Chloe smiles beside a man in a dark suit and pale pink tie on the verandah, her white rose bouquet held low.
Chloe stands with a loved one in a navy halter dress beside a welcome chalkboard and roses, tree fern fronds behind.
Framed by leaves, Chloe and two bridesmaids in burgundy chat outside the white cottage door among flowering garden shrubs.
Guests wait on white folding chairs on the rain-washed Rose Terrace, umbrellas ready and a tiered fountain in the rainforest behind.
Chloe walks the wet deck aisle with a loved one in navy, veil trailing, towards a rough timber arbour under towering forest gums.
Andrew holds the flower girl and her little bouquet at the arbour of Avalon Castle as a groomsman watches, rainforest all around.
The loved one in navy carries the flower girl, clutching her white rose bouquet, along the rain-darkened deck in the Dandenong Ranges.
A little boy in a bow tie stands with a man in a grey blazer and a woman in plum by the rainforest railing.
Chloe smiles at Andrew during the garden ceremony on the Rose Terrace as two bridesmaids in burgundy hold white roses beneath a gum.
Andrew bends to kiss the top of the flower girl's head while Chloe laughs beside the arbour at the rainforest ceremony.
Andrew slides the ring onto Chloe's finger as the flower girl watches closely at his knee on the wet mountain deck.
At the signing table, a woman in plum throws up peace signs behind the couple at Avalon Castle in the Dandenong Ranges.
The bridal party gathers round the signing table with the flower girl and two little ring bearers on laps among rainforest trees.
Every guest assembles with Chloe and Andrew on the lawn of Avalon Castle, its ivy and crenellated towers behind, for a garden wedding photo.
Hands fly into the air as the whole crowd cheers in front of the ivy-covered castle and its crenellated mountain towers.
Chloe and Andrew stand on the paved path with two couples, the ivy-clad façade and red doors behind, in the Dandenong Ranges.
Chloe and Andrew with a woman in a navy wrap and a man with a grey moustache by the gardens of Avalon Castle, Cockatoo.
A groomsman in a red tie and an older couple in navy and grey stand with the newlyweds below the ivy at the rainforest venue.
Chloe and Andrew pose with the man in the pink tie on the path through the gardens at Avalon Castle in the Dandenong Ranges.
The loved one in navy and Andrew link arms with Chloe on the stone path beside clipped shrubs and the rainforest lawn.
A larger family group lines up with the couple on the paved path before the crenellated castle front on a grey mountain afternoon.
Chloe and Andrew join a family group in pastel dresses and blue suits in the gardens below the ivy-clad stone of Avalon Castle.
A woman in glasses and a dark cardigan and an older man in a check shirt stand with the couple on the rainforest lawn.
Chloe and Andrew pose arm in arm with a woman in a plum lace gown by the red arched door for Dandenong Ranges garden portraits.
A smiling woman in a black jacket and patterned dress stands beside the couple at their garden wedding at Avalon Castle, Cockatoo.
A family group in florals, sequins and suits gathers with Chloe and Andrew on the paved forecourt under the castle's mountain sky.
Chloe holds the flower girl beside Andrew, a man with a glass and a woman in pink ruffles at Avalon Castle in the Dandenong Ranges.
A man carrying two little boys in bow ties and a woman holding a toddler stand either side of the beaming couple in the rainforest.
Two adults with little ones on their hips and the loved one in navy flank the couple on the lawn in the Dandenong Ranges.
Chloe and Andrew stand close with a blonde woman in a plum satin dress, the gardens and red door of Avalon Castle softly blurred behind.
A big family group with two young boys gathers around the couple on the grass in front of the ivy wall, rainforest trees beyond.
A man in a white open-neck shirt and a woman in black lace pose with the couple by the red door on a mountain afternoon.
With a toddler on a hip and children in front, another family group joins the couple in the gardens of Avalon Castle, Cockatoo.
A little boy in a black coat and the flower girl stand at the front of a family group at the rainforest castle.
A man in a pinstripe suit and a woman in a rose-print dress stand with Chloe and Andrew on the path in the Dandenong Ranges.
An older man in glasses and a woman in a dark coat smile beside the couple by the red arched door and the gardens.
Friends in burgundy, emerald and black line the stone path with Chloe and Andrew at their garden wedding at Avalon Castle in the Dandenong Ranges.
A woman in a black and white print top and a man with a long white beard join the couple outside the mountain castle.
A woman in a navy floral dress and a man in a blue check suit flank Chloe and Andrew at the rainforest venue.
A young man in a dark shirt and a woman cradling a baby join the couple at their Dandenong Ranges garden wedding.
Four friends in cream, pink floral, terracotta and black dresses gather round Chloe and Andrew on the rainforest lawn.
The man in the pink tie, a woman in red florals and a man in a blue blazer join the couple in the mountain air.
The bridal party in burgundy and navy lines up with Chloe and Andrew in the gardens below the stone turrets of Avalon Castle.
Chloe and Andrew kiss behind the giant white V of the LOVE letters as the flower girl poses in front, rainforest gums overhead.
The flower girl peeks through the O of the giant LOVE letters during garden portraits at Avalon Castle, Cockatoo, Chloe and Andrew smiling behind.
Arm in arm, the bridal party walks the drive with Chloe and Andrew under the tall forest gums of their garden wedding.
Andrew pushes the giggling flower girl on a wrought-iron swing seat in the gardens, both laughing, in the Dandenong Ranges.
Chloe and Andrew share a kiss on the lawn, the ivy-covered castle and its red door framed by rainforest leaves behind.
Garden portraits by the round ivy tower of Avalon Castle in the Dandenong Ranges, with stained-glass windows and clipped conifers.
Chloe laughs up at Andrew in front of the ivy tower on a soft mountain afternoon, her white and blush roses held between them.
Holding hands, Chloe and Andrew walk towards us along the drive from the ivy wall and conifers into the rainforest light.
Chloe and Andrew step out hand in hand beside the giant LOVE letters for garden portraits at Avalon Castle, the fountain and forest behind.
Chloe and Andrew pause on the timber staircase under a crystal chandelier, a diamond-paned window glowing red and green above the rainforest venue.
Andrew spins Chloe across the reception floor at Avalon Castle, Cockatoo, one arm up and a huge grin as guests clap.
Chloe and Andrew swing the flower girl between them over the parquet floor of the mountain reception, her tulle skirt flying.
Back to back on chairs for the shoe game, Andrew kicks his leg high while Chloe laughs at their Dandenong Ranges reception.
Night garden portraits at Avalon Castle in the Dandenong Ranges: the LOVE letters glow beside a weeping tree wrapped in fairy lights.
The wedding story

Our Avalon Castle wedding photos: a flower girl at the arbour, giant LOVE letters and a shoe game on the parquet

Getting ready in two weatherboard houses in the hills · Ceremony on the wet deck under the gums · Family groups at the castle · Ivy tower and staircase portraits · Reception and shoe game · Night portrait by the LOVE letters

Read the full story

Bow ties on the balcony

Andrew’s getting ready was all laughter. In a white weatherboard house among the trees, a groomsman straightened his burgundy bow tie by the window, and a loved one in navy fussed over his jacket while he cracked up. We moved out to the balcony, where white cross-braced railings and tall greenery make an easy frame for a groom and his groomsmen leaning on the rail. Then we went down into the garden and shot back up at the house, with everyone lined along the railing. Shooting from below turns a busy balcony into a tidy row of faces.

A card for the bride

Chloe got ready in a white cottage with a green-railed verandah and tree ferns crowding its edges. We started with the details laid out on white tulle: a card reading “To my Beautiful Bride”, two small jewellery boxes and a bouquet of white and blush roses. Then came lip liner, an eyeshadow palette held up like a mirror and a hug with the bridesmaids in pink satin robes. Our favourite frame here was Chloe and a bridesmaid bent over the bed, fastening the flower girl’s tiny shoes while she sat in her tulle dress and watched their hands.

Lace by the window

With the gown on, Chloe stood by a tall window with the curtain pulled back, and the light picked out every lace flower on her bodice. We sat her on the white bed with her veil spread around her, then took everyone out to the verandah. The bridesmaids wore burgundy off-shoulder dresses with white rose bouquets, and one leaned in to kiss Chloe’s cheek mid-photo. The ferns behind that verandah are why we went outside: a green background, a roof for shade and the soft light of a grey hills afternoon.

Wet boards, white chairs

At Avalon Castle the ceremony was set on a timber deck under tall gums, with white folding chairs and an arbour of rough timber posts at the far end. The boards were wet and shining and a few guests had umbrellas ready, but nobody moved inside. Chloe walked the aisle with a loved one in a navy dress, her veil trailing behind. Wet decks are a gift to us: they reflect the sky and pick up the colour of every dress. Andrew waited with his groomsmen, and before long he had the flower girl in his arms, clutching her little bouquet.

A little helper at the vows

The flower girl was not leaving the action. She stood between them during the vows, and at one point Andrew bent right down to kiss the top of her head while Chloe laughed. When he slid the ring on, she was at his knee, watching closely. A longer lens lets us stay back at the edge of a deck like this and still fill the frame with faces. At the signing table a friend standing behind them threw up peace signs, then the bridal party gathered round with the flower girl and the two little ring bearers on laps.

Hands up for the castle

Then the whole crowd came out onto the lawn in front of the castle and threw their hands in the air, the ivy façade and its red arched doors filling the background. These are the Avalon Castle wedding photos families frame first, so we went through the groups one after another on the paved path, babies on hips and small children at the front. Overcast skies make this part easy. Nobody squints, the ivy stays a deep, even green and there are no hard shadows across faces, so we kept a steady rhythm and got everyone back to the drinks quickly.

LOVE letters and a swing

Giant white LOVE letters stood on the lawn, and the flower girl decided they were hers. She peeked through the O, then posed in front of the V while Chloe and Andrew kissed behind it. The bridal party walked arm in arm along the drive, and Andrew pushed the little one on a wrought-iron swing seat until she was laughing as hard as he was. With children we follow their lead, because a game gives better expressions than any instruction. Back on the lawn, Chloe and Andrew shared a kiss with the castle behind them.

The ivy tower and the staircase

For their portraits we walked to the side of the castle, where a round tower is wrapped completely in ivy, with stained-glass windows set into the leaves and a row of clipped conifers at its base. We had them walk towards us holding hands, then stop for a close, laughing frame. By the LOVE letters they stepped out again with the fountain behind them. Inside, we finished on the timber staircase, Andrew a step above Chloe, a crystal chandelier hanging beside them and a diamond-paned window glowing red and green over their heads.

Shoe game and night lights

In the reception room Andrew danced Chloe across the floor, one arm up and a grin from ear to ear. They swung the flower girl between them over the parquet, her tulle skirt flying. Then came the shoe game, the two of them back to back on chairs, each holding up a shoe, and Andrew got so into one answer that his leg went straight up in the air. After dark we stepped outside for the garden night shoot they had asked for, where the LOVE letters glowed white beside a weeping tree wrapped in fairy lights.

Photographer's venue notes

Avalon Castle, Cockatoo: a rain-washed deck ceremony and ivy tower portraits under a soft spring sky

Read the venue notes

A day split between the hills and the castle

Chloe and Andrew each got ready in a weatherboard house in the hills, so the castle came into their day with the ceremony. That kept the afternoon easy to follow. The vows happened on the timber deck under the gums, the crowd and the family groups moved onto the lawn and paved path in front of the castle, and the bridal party fun happened by the LOVE letters and the swing. Portraits then wrapped around the side of the building to the ivy tower before everyone headed in for the reception.

Making the most of a damp spring sky

The sky kept everyone guessing, and the deck was still wet when guests took their seats with umbrellas close by. We were glad of it. Damp timber throws back a soft sheen of sky light, so the aisle had a glow that dry boards never give. The cloud also stopped any patchy shade forming under the gums, which meant we could work around Chloe, Andrew and the flower girl at the arbour from almost any angle without blotchy light crossing their faces.

Where we photographed Chloe and Andrew

The round tower at the side of the castle was the star of their couple portraits. Grey light made the ivy an even, saturated green and let the coloured glass in its windows read clearly, while the clipped conifers at its base gave us strong upright lines to walk them along. The red arched doors anchored the family groups. Indoors, the staircase gave us height and warmth on a day when outdoor light was fading early, with the chandelier and the leadlight glass behind them.

Tips for a day with little ones and changeable weather

With a flower girl who wanted to be part of everything, we built time into the plan for her rather than around her, and that paid off in the LOVE letters and swing frames. If rain is possible on your day, keep the deck ceremony and simply have umbrellas ready; the guests here stayed put and the photos are better for it. If you would like a night portrait, pick the spot together in daylight, so slipping out from the reception later takes only a few minutes.

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