Hotel Realm wedding photos: Shara and Geveen share a kiss on the forehead on a path carpeted with autumn leaves under golden trees, Canberra
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Real heritage wedding · Barton, Canberra

Hotel Realm Wedding Photos: Shara & Geveen

Hotel Realm · 18 National Circuit, Barton ACT · Canberra

Ballroom Wedding · Cultural & Traditional Wedding · Garden Wedding · Heritage & Historic Venue Wedding · Region: ACT - Canberra CBD · City: Canberra · Venues: Brassey Hotel · Canberra Nara Peace Park · Hotel Realm

Autumn leaves on the lawns of the Brassey Hotel, dancers in red and silver leaping along the garden path and a kiss under the veil beside Lake Burley Griffin. Shara and Geveen’s Canberra wedding began with vows under a draped timber pergola, wandered down the golden avenue of Nara Peace Park, then lit up the night at Hotel Realm in Barton with sparkler fountains and a towering cake. We loved every minute with them.

The gallery
Geveen fastens his watch at a sheer curtained window in his room at the heritage Brassey Hotel, a white rose on his lapel.
In black and white, window light falls across Geveen's grey suit as he checks his watch before his ballroom wedding.
Light through a sheer curtain picks out Geveen's profile, silver patterned tie and white rose as he waits in central Canberra.
In black and white, Geveen gazes out through the curtains, half his face lit, hours before the ballroom reception.
Geveen stands with a hand in his pocket by the window of a heritage hotel room in central Canberra, his grey suit shimmering.
In black and white, Geveen looks away from the window light in his three piece suit, dressed for a ballroom wedding.
Geveen and a loved one in a navy suit pose arm in arm under a red leafed tree at the Brassey Hotel Canberra.
Geveen stands on a lawn scattered with autumn leaves in the hotel gardens, ahead of a ballroom reception in central Canberra.
Geveen and a loved one walk out from the white columned verandah beneath the historic Brassey Hotel sign, autumn leaves underfoot.
Geveen lounges in a timber garden chair on a carpet of fallen leaves, hedges and red brick of the heritage hotel behind.
A loved one in a navy suit leans on Geveen's timber chair under a turning tree at the Brassey Hotel in Barton.
Shara smiles in a white satin robe and sparkling tiara while her hair is set with spray, getting ready for a ballroom wedding.
Two gold wedding bands rest on a cream and gold invitation beside blush roses in Shara's room at a historic Canberra city hotel.
In her white robe and tiara, Shara rests a hand on her lace gown hanging from a teal door at the Brassey Hotel Canberra.
Shara holds her peach and cream bouquet among family in central Canberra, the men in white shirts and a loved one in pink silk.
Shara stands between her dad and a loved one in pink and silver beneath a framed old newspaper in a historic hotel room.
Over Shara's lace shoulder, a loved one in pink silk with silver embroidery smiles warmly at her before the garden ceremony.
Shara stands by a tall window at the Brassey Hotel, lace sleeves, beaded belt and full tulle skirt in soft daylight.
In black and white, Shara's long veil drifts beside her lace gown and beaded belt at the window of her heritage hotel room.
Shara's hand falls beside her tulle skirt and veil, the lace cuff of her sleeve lit by window light on her ballroom wedding day.
In black and white, Shara's fingertips brush her veil below a lace cuff as she dresses for a ballroom evening.
Shara lifts the beaded edge of her veil over her tulle skirt in a historic hotel room in central Canberra.
In black and white, Shara looks down as she arranges her long veil in a heritage room, a writing desk and chair behind her.
Shara looks down at her bouquet of peach, blush and cream roses, her sparkling tiara set high, before a ballroom reception.
In black and white, a close portrait of Shara looking down at her roses beneath a sparkling tiara in a heritage hotel.
From above, Shara smiles down at her roses, lace flowers running the length of her sleeves, ready for a ballroom night.
In black and white, embroidered lace flowers climb Shara's sleeves as she smiles over her bouquet in a historic Canberra CBD hotel.
Shara looks straight into the lens, calm and composed, holding her peach rose bouquet by the window before the evening's ballroom party.
In black and white, Shara meets the camera with a steady gaze, tiara and lace bodice framed by window light in central Canberra.
Shara gathers her sparkling tulle skirt and holds out her roses at a tall window of the heritage Brassey Hotel, Barton.
In black and white, Shara looks out of the window holding her bouquet, skirt spread across a tartan carpet, before the ballroom dinner.
From behind, Shara sits with her veil falling over a lace sleeve, her roses resting beside her in a historic guest room.
In black and white, the lace of Shara's gown shows through her veil, earrings catching the light, ahead of her ballroom wedding.
A loved one in a pink embroidered gown beams with delight on arriving at the heritage hotel, men in suits behind her.
Shara and a loved one in pink sequins laugh with their bouquets in a historic hotel hallway in central Canberra.
Shara and her loved one in pink face each other mid laugh in the corridor, holding peach and white roses, before the ballroom celebration.
Geveen lines up with his family under turning autumn trees in the Brassey Gardens, a loved one in pink silk beside him.
Geveen stands with a loved one in a navy suit and a woman in a white wrap in the gardens of the historic hotel.
Drummers with long barrel drums and dancers in red, white and silver perform outside the Brassey Hotel as guests gather.
Two dancers in white and red with silver beaded tops leap along a garden path, arms flung wide against heritage red brick.
Geveen and his family watch a drummer in orange and white with a red collar at the start of the garden ceremony.
Her dad and a loved one walk Shara, veiled, along the path from the historic Brassey Hotel Canberra in low sun.
Shara, Geveen and their party gather by a heritage red brick wing as drummers play in the hotel gardens.
Geveen waits on the timber deck under a pergola draped in white fabric and flowers, white paper lanterns hanging in the Brassey Gardens.
Drummers and a dancer lead Shara, her dad and a loved one down the paved aisle of the garden ceremony in central Canberra.
At the aisle's end her dad kisses Shara's veiled cheek while Geveen waits with a smile at the heritage hotel.
Her dad shakes Geveen's hand beside veiled Shara as he hands her over in the gardens of the Brassey Hotel in Barton.
Front row guests beam during the garden wedding, a loved one in pink silk and a man in a grey suit holding a program.
Her dad and a loved one in pink laugh from their white chairs as two drummers in white headwraps stand behind them in central Canberra.
Geveen and Shara hold hands and face each other, her veil down, by a timber fence and autumn trees in the Brassey Gardens.
A man in a grey suit grins beside a loved one in pink silk and front row guests at the historic hotel's garden ceremony.
Guests laugh together in rows of white chairs, a guest in a black cardigan beaming, the heritage building's brick wall behind.
Shara and Geveen hold up their certificate with four loved ones at the signing table, candles and roses beside them at the Brassey Hotel.
Standing guests line the back under a frame of autumn leaves while seated guests watch the garden wedding in central Canberra.
A wide view of Shara and Geveen on the timber deck beneath the draped white pergola in the Brassey Gardens.
Guests read their programs on white chairs beneath white paper lanterns, waiting for the garden ceremony to begin.
An older guest laughs out loud among smiling guests at the heritage hotel, a small boy in a waistcoat beside them.
On the timber deck Geveen fastens a gold necklace for Shara as she holds out her veil at the Brassey Hotel, Barton.
A loved one in pink and silver hands Shara and Geveen a pink gift box while her dad watches during the garden ceremony.
Shara and Geveen bow with palms pressed together to a loved one in pink silk holding a leaf topped gift box at the historic hotel.
The couple bow deeply, hands pressed together, before a man in a grey suit offering a white gift box at the heritage hotel.
Shara and Geveen bow to her dad as he holds out a gift box with leaves on the deck in the Brassey Gardens.
Her dad and a man in a grey suit each hold one of the couple's hands under the draped pergola of the garden ceremony.
Shara and Geveen walk up the aisle between guests and posts wrapped in white flowers after their garden wedding at the Brassey Hotel Canberra.
Shara and Geveen look back over their shoulders by an ivy wall in the gardens, her veil spread behind, before the ballroom party.
Family gather with Shara and Geveen on the stone steps below the Brassey Hotel sign and its heritage columned verandah, gold trees overhead.
Shara and Geveen stand with her dad and a loved one in pink and silver before the white columns of the historic verandah.
Shara and Geveen with five loved ones on the forecourt steps under gold autumn trees at the Brassey Hotel in Barton.
Closer in, the same family group stands before the heritage verandah of a central Canberra hotel, young men in navy suits at each end.
Shara and Geveen with his family in the forecourt of the Brassey Hotel, Barton, gold trees overhead.
Shara and Geveen with four loved ones by the historic verandah, gold leaves overhead, as the garden wedding family photos finish.
Shara and Geveen pose beside a white vintage car with a chrome grille at the edge of the park, ahead of their ballroom reception.
Geveen wraps an arm around Shara's waist as she looks up at him under backlit autumn trees at Canberra Nara Peace Park.
Geveen kisses Shara's forehead on a red gravel avenue buried in fallen leaves, golden trees overhead, for their garden portraits in central Canberra.
Shara looks down with Geveen's arm around her, tiara and lace sleeve warm in low autumn light before the ballroom reception.
Shara and Geveen smile at the camera on a leaf covered path as the sun breaks through golden trees at Nara Peace Park in Yarralumla.
Geveen twirls Shara under his raised hand on a path carpeted with autumn leaves in the lakeside gardens of central Canberra.
Shara rests a hand on Geveen's chest as they gaze at each other under a golden canopy, the ballroom reception still to come.
Shara throws her arms around Geveen's neck, laughing, her roses behind his shoulder, on the leafy avenue of Nara Peace Park.
With the sun behind them, Geveen leans close as Shara drapes an arm over his shoulder beneath glowing autumn leaves in the gardens.
Geveen dips in for a kiss as Shara's arm curls around his neck, her bouquet in hand, on the leafy path before the ballroom party.
Hand in hand, Shara and Geveen stroll under a golden tree in Lennox Gardens, Yarralumla, an ornate red and gold gateway behind them.
Shara and Geveen hold hands and grin at the camera beneath yellow leaves on their garden wedding day in central Canberra.
Shara swings her tulle skirt out over the fallen leaves, lake water shining behind her through the park gardens, before the ballroom dancing.
Laughing, Geveen leads Shara by the hand along the garden avenue under golden trees, on their way to a ballroom celebration.
Seen from behind, Shara walks down the leaf strewn avenue of Canberra Nara Peace Park, her open lace back and long veil trailing.
Shara glances over her shoulder as she lifts her skirt, her lace back lit on an avenue through the gardens in Canberra city.
Shara and Geveen hold each other close as her veil spreads across the leaves in the foreground at Nara Peace Park.
Geveen carries Shara in his arms down the leaf covered avenue, her veil trailing to the ground, for their garden portraits in Canberra city.
Shara and Geveen walk hand in hand along the shore of Lake Burley Griffin in low sun, Black Mountain and its tower across the water.
Under Shara's sunlit veil the couple lean in nose to nose by the lake, peach roses between them, before the ballroom evening.
In black and white, Shara and Geveen share a quiet moment beneath her veil by Lake Burley Griffin at Yarralumla.
Shara gazes up at Geveen as the sun flares behind them, her gold necklace and lace bodice glowing beside the water.
In black and white, sunlight flares over Geveen's hair as Shara gazes up at him by the lake in central Canberra.
Shara and Geveen line up with drummers and dancers in silver beaded collars outside the ballroom at Hotel Realm in Barton.
The couple, two young men in suits and a loved one in a pink beaded gown pose between drummers and dancers in the ballroom foyer.
Shara and Geveen stand with family between drummers and dancers in silver headdresses outside the National Ballroom.
Shara and Geveen make their ballroom entrance between fountains of sparklers as family stand and watch in central Canberra.
Families gather with Shara and Geveen in front of a starry curtain backdrop on the ballroom dance floor at Hotel Realm in the Canberra CBD.
Shara smiles as she and Geveen cut a tall white cake dressed in peach roses, sparklers fizzing beside them in the ballroom.
Geveen kisses Shara's cheek as they cut the cake, sparks rising behind a garland of roses at Hotel Realm, Barton, in central Canberra.
The wedding story

Our Hotel Realm wedding photos: drums in the Brassey Gardens, a twirl through autumn leaves and sparklers in the ballroom

Getting ready at the Brassey Hotel · Drummers and dancers down the aisle · Vows under a draped pergola · Family groups by the white verandah · Nara Peace Park in autumn · Sparklers at Hotel Realm

Read the full story

Window light for Geveen

We started with Geveen at a tall window hung with sheer curtains, fastening his cuff while the light wrapped around one side of his face. One window and a dark room is all we need for a portrait like that, so we turned off the lamps and let the curtains do the work. Then we took him outside, where the Brassey Hotel lawn was carpeted in fallen leaves. He strolled out under the white columns of the old building, then sat back in a timber garden chair while a loved one leaned on the back of it, grinning.

Rings on the invitation

Shara’s room was full of the same soft daylight. We set the rings on the invitation beside a few blush roses, a detail we always shoot early before the day sweeps everyone along. Then her family gathered around her by the window, a loved one in a pink and silver dress holding her hand, the men in crisp white shirts. Shara stood up and let the tulle skirt fall, and we moved in close on the lace sleeves and the beaded belt at her waist, letting the window light pick out every flower in the embroidery.

Tiara and peach roses

Her tiara caught the light every time she turned her head, so we kept her near the glass and worked around her. She looked down at her bouquet of peach and cream roses, then straight into our lens, completely calm. With the veil on, we stepped behind her and photographed the lace through the tulle, one frame we kept in black and white because the texture read so clearly. A loved one in pink sequins squeezed in for a hug and the two of them laughed until we had to wait for the mascara check.

Drums in the garden

Out in the courtyard, Geveen lined up with his family under the turning trees, the red brick wings of the Brassey Hotel behind them. Then the drums started. Dancers in red, white and silver leapt along the garden path, arms flung wide, and we dropped low so they would fly against the brick and the autumn colour. They led the procession down a paved aisle between white chairs, with Shara behind them under her veil. At the end, her dad shook Geveen’s hand and gave her over with a proud smile.

Vows under the draped pergola

The ceremony stood on a timber deck under a pergola draped with white fabric and white flowers, with small clay pots set out before the couple. The guests were in great form: an older guest beamed from the front row, others laughed and leaned in, and the back rows stood to see. A loved one in pink handed over a gift box, and Shara and Geveen bowed low to their elders with palms pressed together. We kept a longer lens on those moments so we never had to step in front of anyone’s view.

Families by the white verandah

They came back up the aisle together with huge smiles, and on the path Shara turned so her long veil spread across the paving behind her. For the family groups we moved into the forecourt in front of the Brassey Hotel’s white columned verandah, where the autumn trees made a gold canopy overhead. Old buildings like this are generous for groups: a symmetrical facade keeps a line of people looking tidy, and the shade under the trees means nobody squints. We worked quickly through each side of the family while the light was still high.

Nara Peace Park in autumn

A white vintage car carried them to Yarralumla, and we photographed them beside it at the edge of the park. Then we walked into the avenue at Canberra Nara Peace Park, where the red gravel path was buried in fallen leaves and the trees glowed overhead. Shara spun under Geveen’s arm, the skirt swinging out across the leaves, and then he swept her up into his arms with the veil trailing to the ground. We shot into the low sun so the leaves above them lit up like a lampshade.

Under the veil by the lake

Down by Lake Burley Griffin the sun was dropping behind them, so we lifted the veil over both of their heads and let it fill with light. Inside that little tent of tulle Shara and Geveen leant in for a kiss, with the water bright behind them and her roses tucked between them. Backlight through a veil is one of our favourite tricks on a clear autumn afternoon: the fabric softens the flare and makes the whole frame glow. One version went into black and white, and it is just as warm.

Sparklers at Hotel Realm

At Hotel Realm in Barton the drummers and dancers were waiting again, and we lined them up with Shara, Geveen and the bridal party for one bright, noisy group photo before the doors opened. The couple made their entrance into the ballroom between two fountains of sparklers, and the room was on its feet. Families gathered in front of a starry backdrop for one more group, then Shara and Geveen cut a tall white cake dressed in peach roses while sparks rose beside them. It was a joyful finish to a golden autumn day.

Photographer's venue notes

Hotel Realm, Barton: a garden ceremony in autumn leaves, a lakeside avenue and sparklers in the ballroom

Read the venue notes

From the Brassey rooms to the ballroom

Shara and Geveen kept most of their day within a short walk. Both got ready in rooms at the Brassey Hotel, so we could step from Geveen’s window straight out onto the leaf covered lawn without losing any time. The ceremony sat on a timber deck in the Brassey Gardens, the family groups moved to the columned forecourt, and a white vintage car carried them across to Canberra Nara Peace Park in Yarralumla for portraits. The evening then came back to Barton and the ballroom at Hotel Realm.

Autumn light, high and low

This was autumn in every sense: gold canopies, red leaves underfoot and a sun that sat low by mid afternoon. During the ceremony and the groups the light was still fairly high, so the tree cover over the forecourt did a lot of work, keeping faces even and eyes open. By the time we reached the park the sun had slipped behind the trees, which let us backlight the leaves overhead. Down at the lake it sank further, right behind the couple, and turned the veil into a soft glowing screen.

The spots that worked for Shara and Geveen

Inside, one tall window with sheer curtains gave us everything for the getting ready portraits, and the writing desk and framed old newspaper in Shara’s room added a little character. Outdoors, the red brick wings behind the garden gave colour to the procession frames, while the steps below the white verandah let each family group stand in tidy tiers. At the park, the red gravel avenue thick with fallen leaves was the star: long, straight and wide enough for a twirl, a carry and a veil spread over the ground.

Tips from this day

Getting ready where you marry saves a drive, and for Shara and Geveen it meant their first outdoor portraits happened on the very lawn where they would say their vows. If performers are joining your celebration, ask them to wait outside the ballroom doors for a moment before your entrance, as these drummers and dancers did; it gave us a lively group with the whole party in one frame. And for a lakeside stop late in the day, keep your bouquet low between you so it never hides your faces against the bright water.

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