Marram grass and a pear-cut ring
Our first frame of the day was the coast itself: marram grass in the foreground, a curve of pale beach and a dark headland running out into the sea. It set the tone for everything that followed. Then we turned to the details, resting Jenna’s pear-cut engagement ring on a navy invitation lettered in gold, where the dark card made the diamond glow. Inside, Jenna sat in a white robe beside a window hung with sheer curtains, reaching out to touch her gown as it hung in the light.
Sheer curtains and blush pink
Sheer white curtains are a photographer’s best friend: they turn a bright window into one big, soft light, and they make a clean backdrop for every portrait. The bridesmaids stood against them one by one in blush pink halter gowns, holding posies of white and pink roses. Then Jenna stepped into her fitted gown with its long lace train spread across the timber floor and fixed an earring while we stayed wide. Her dad came in wearing a blue bandana, took her hand and kissed it, and she laughed.
An aisle of hydrangeas
The ceremony was set in the garden under a grove of pale-barked trees, with a timber arbour draped in white fabric and red blooms hanging from shepherd’s hooks along the aisle. Zach and his groomsmen waited in blue suits. The bridesmaids walked down between banks of blue and white hydrangeas, petals already on the grass, then Jenna came on her dad’s arm along the long green aisle. We used a longer lens from the far end so the hydrangeas framed both sides of them and the tree trunks stacked up behind.
Happy tears under the arbour
At the arbour her dad handed Jenna over, and Zach could not stop smiling at her. Dappled shade under trees can be tricky, so we moved until both faces sat in an even patch of light. In the seats, an older guest in a dark suit had tears in his eyes and did not try to hide them. Jenna dabbed her own eyes as the ring went onto her finger, then laughed at herself. Her veil trailed across the grass behind her as they stood hand in hand to finish the vows.
Hugs and a cheer from above
The register was signed at a little white table beside a bundle of flowers, and Zach leant across for a kiss before the pen was down. They walked back up the aisle kissing, and the hugs began: an older guest in a cream cardigan, then a loved one in a red shawl who held Jenna tight. For the group photo we got up high and asked everyone to throw their arms in the air, so the whole crowd filled the clearing under the trees. Family groups followed against the hydrangeas, which made a soft blue backdrop for every one.
A swing at the paddock fence
At the edge of the garden, where the trees meet an open paddock and a wire fence, a swing hung from a tall tree, its ropes wound with greenery. Jenna sat on it, Zach gave her a push from behind, and her veil and lace train flew out over the bare ground. We shot it from low and side-on so the paddock and the bright sky opened up behind them. Little props like a swing are wonderful for couples who feel awkward posing, because the movement takes over and the laughter is real.
Lichen rocks at Boat Harbour Beach
Then we drove a couple of minutes down the hill to Boat Harbour Beach. Zach scooped Jenna up in his arms in the coastal scrub while the bridal party cheered, and we lined everyone up along the rocks, splashed with bright orange lichen, with clear turquoise water behind and houses scattered over the green hill across the bay. The wind came off the water and lifted Jenna’s veil straight out sideways while they kissed on the rocks. Orange rock against blue water is a colour pairing you cannot plan, so we made the most of it.
Long shadows on the sand
On the sand the bridesmaids hung back while Zach gave Jenna a piggyback, both of them laughing. Then the two of them walked hand in hand along the wet beach towards us, the lichen-orange headland behind and their shadows stretching long across the sand. Boat Harbour Beach wedding portraits work best when the sun is lower, because the white sand bounces light back up into faces and the water deepens in colour. We kept this stop short and fun, and it gave the day its big coastal frames.
Lanterns, love letters and a hazy dance
Back at the cottages, the last chapter of our Boat Harbour Garden Cottages wedding photos began: long white tables filled the garden, set with lanterns, protea and trailing greenery, and guests settled in beside the white picket fence and the cottage windows. A light-up LOVE sign glowed above a table of favours, and two little girls had a sword fight with a balloon beside the cake. After dark, festoon lights and paper lanterns came on over the lawn, and the cake was cut to a lot of cheering. Jenna and Zach’s first dance drifted through a haze of low fog, and then Zach danced with an older loved one.
