St Ignatius wedding photos, Riverview: Dominic and Sanjula share a playful dip on a rain-wet brick courtyard between grand college buildings, Sydney
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Real church wedding · Sydney

St Ignatius Wedding Photos, Riverview: Dominic & Sanjula

St Ignatius · Sydney

Church & Cathedral Wedding · City: Sydney

Ivory silk and an embroidered veil against a teal wall, umbrellas up for a big family photo outside the chapel, and spark fountains for a dance entrance by the harbour. Dominic and Sanjula married at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, ducked into the sandstone arcades for portraits when the rain came, then celebrated at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf. We loved every colourful, joyful minute of it.

The gallery
Sanjula smiles beside a tall black mirror at home, her gold-embroidered veil reflected against the teal wall.
A loved one in emerald and gold settles Sanjula's veil as she holds white roses and eucalyptus by the window.
Sanjula glances over her shoulder by a shuttered window, a sheer veil scattered with tiny gold flowers over her hair.
In black and white, Sanjula smiles down beside the shutters, the embroidered veil falling over her shoulder.
Sanjula tucks her veil behind one ear, pink and gold bangles on her wrist and her white rose bouquet in front.
Sanjula looks down and smiles in front of the black mirror, ivory and gold silk draped over a white blouse.
Sanjula lifts her sheer veil out wide like wings in front of the tall mirror and the deep teal wall.
Sanjula beams in front of the black mirror, her ivory and gold silk falling to the timber floor beside a candle.
Sanjula and a loved one in emerald and gold hug in front of the mirror, a red beaded pouch in Sanjula's hand.
A loved one in emerald and gold cups Sanjula's face and pulls her close, both laughing against the teal wall.
Dominic and his three groomsmen in black wait on the courtyard lawn under the arches of St Ignatius' College, Riverview, before the church wedding.
Dominic smiles to one side in a black high-collared jacket with gold buttons beneath a tree in pink flower.
Dominic grins with a hand in his pocket on the Riverview lawn, pink blossom and white benches behind him.
Dominic leans on a brick pillar with his arms folded, the long covered arcade running away behind him.
Dominic and his groomsmen wait by the altar of the Dalton Memorial Chapel beneath tall stained glass windows.
Sanjula and a bridesmaid in blush pink hold matching white rose bouquets before a gilt mirror and chandelier.
Sanjula stands between bridesmaids in emerald green and blush pink beside a grandfather clock in a red-walled room.
Sanjula and her bridesmaid in an emerald off-shoulder gown smile by a curtained window, bouquets held close.
The flower girl in white tulle and the page boy in a tiny tuxedo pose in front of the bridesmaid in emerald.
The flower girl and page boy walk hand in hand down the chapel aisle at Saint Ignatius' College Riverview, grinning past the timber pews.
Sanjula smiles as she walks into the church arm in arm with a loved one in emerald and gold.
Dominic waits at the altar of the Dalton Memorial Chapel, framed by the edge of Sanjula's veil as she reaches him.
Dominic grins at the front of the church as Sanjula, under a blush embroidered veil, arrives beside him.
Sanjula, her bridesmaids and the groomsmen line the front as guests fill the chapel pews below the organ loft at St Ignatius' College, Riverview.
A loved one in emerald and gold stands at the marble altar with one hand raised, stained glass glowing behind her.
A guest in a red floral dress lights a candle at the marble altar beneath the church's stained glass windows.
Three groomsmen sit with hands folded in the front pew at Riverview as guests fill the church behind them.
A smiling guest in red floral silk sits among loved ones in red and coral in the church pews.
A loved one in emerald and gold holds up her phone from the pew while the guests beside her watch the church ceremony.
Dominic and Sanjula sit side by side at the front of the Dalton Memorial Chapel, her bouquet in her lap, sharing a smile.
The bridesmaids in emerald green and blush pink watch the ceremony beside a stained glass window in the chapel.
Dominic and Sanjula kiss before the marble altar at St Ignatius' College as the bridesmaids smile and a groomsman claps.
Guests in the pews clap and cheer for the kiss, a young boy covering his eyes near the front of the church.
Dominic and Sanjula laugh side by side at the front of the church just after the kiss, stained glass behind them.
Dominic and Sanjula walk back up the aisle of the Dalton Memorial Chapel, grinning under its white vaulted ceiling.
Guests reach out and clap from both sides of the church aisle as Dominic and Sanjula walk out beneath arched stained glass.
Dominic and Sanjula share a kiss halfway up the Riverview chapel aisle as guests in the pews look on.
Dominic and Sanjula greet guests outside the church doors, Sanjula laughing behind her white rose bouquet.
Guests under bright umbrellas crowd the forecourt around Dominic and Sanjula before the red-brick chapel at St Ignatius' College, Riverview.
Arms go up and umbrellas tilt as the whole crowd cheers for the newlyweds outside the red-brick church.
Dominic and Sanjula stand with two loved ones against honey-coloured brick beside a tall green door after their church wedding.
Dominic and Sanjula line up with family in red, emerald and navy along the arcade at St Ignatius' College on the Lane Cove River.
Dominic and Sanjula stand with four loved ones in red florals, emerald and black under the brick arches near the chapel.
Friends in emerald, black and a red scarf join Dominic and Sanjula on the wet paving of the arcade beside the church.
Sanjula and Dominic stand with a smiling loved one in a coral dress and lace wrap in the covered walkway at St Ignatius' College.
Dominic and Sanjula pose with two loved ones, one in a red bow tie and one in red floral silk, by the arches.
The whole extended family packs the long arcade at Saint Ignatius' College Riverview for one big church wedding group shot.
The bridesmaid in emerald green smiles with two guests in navy and rose pink in the empty arcade.
Dominic and Sanjula stand with a loved one in emerald and gold before a timber door set in honey brick near the church.
Sanjula rests her head on Dominic's shoulder beneath a tree in pink flower on the Riverview lawn.
Dominic kisses Sanjula's forehead as she closes her eyes, white roses held close, beside the brick arches of the church grounds.
In black and white, Dominic presses a kiss to Sanjula's forehead in front of the arched brick walls.
Sanjula and Dominic walk arm in arm past the Dalton Memorial Chapel and its orange flowers on the paved path.
Dominic leads Sanjula by the hand across the paving, both laughing, past a sandstone corner of the church.
Sanjula holds Dominic's arm and smiles up at him below the stone cross on the red-brick chapel at St Ignatius' College, Riverview.
Sanjula twirls under Dominic's raised hand on the wet paving, the old sandstone buildings rising behind them.
Dominic dips Sanjula low on the rain-darkened paving at St Ignatius' College on the Lane Cove River, her pink heels kicking up.
Sanjula laughs as Dominic turns her by the hand on the brick path near the church, a white building and arches behind.
Dominic and Sanjula touch foreheads, white roses between them, beside the long Riverview arcade.
In black and white, Dominic and Sanjula rest forehead to forehead in front of the arched building near the chapel.
Dominic leads Sanjula down worn sandstone steps at Saint Ignatius' College Riverview as she lifts her ivory and gold silk.
Dominic and Sanjula grin from the red leather back seat of a vintage car, her bouquet resting on her lap.
A loved one in red florals poses with the flower girl and page boy before red and white roses at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf.
The flower girl and page boy stand with two loved ones beside the couple's monogram, roses and rows of candles.
The flower girl and page boy pose with a woman in red florals and a man in a green suit before the rose-framed monogram.
The page boy and flower girl stand with a guest in grey and a guest in silver sequins by the candles on the dance floor.
A bridesmaid in blush pink and a groomsman dance into the reception across the black and white patterned floor.
Two groomsmen dance through the glass doors into the reception, pointing and grinning as guests clap.
A loved one in emerald and gold dances in with both arms raised, the gold border of her silk swinging.
Dominic and Sanjula, now in bright orange and gold, dance in between two spark fountains at Doltone House.
Dominic points skyward and Sanjula raises a hand as the spark fountains blaze on either side of them.
Sanjula strikes a pose in orange and gold beside Dominic as guests hold their phones up to the sparks.
Dominic and Sanjula dance face to face between the sparks, her orange silk swirling as she turns.
Dominic and Sanjula dance across the floor laughing while guests in lilac and pink clap behind them.
Dominic and Sanjula stand arm in arm before the rose-framed monogram and glowing candles at Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont.
Dominic and Sanjula lean in close and smile, red and white roses and candlelight all around them.
Three guests in coral silk, red florals and a blue plaid scarf smile together between the reception tables.
Two guests, one in a bright pink wrap, smile beside the Doltone House sign and candles at the reception.
The bridesmaid in emerald green and a guest in red floral silk smile between candlelit tables.
Four women in emerald, green and gold, red florals and blush pink smile together beside the candles.
Sanjula dances in orange silk as a guest bows low in front of her on the dance floor at Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont.
Sanjula laughs and dances low in orange silk while friends behind her clap and sing along.
Sanjula dances on her own, fists together, her red beaded pouch swinging at her hip.
Friends link arms and sing on the dance floor under the timber trusses and fairy lights of Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont.
One dancer drops to the floor in a big move as Sanjula and the guests around them cheer him on.
Dominic and Sanjula dance in the middle of a circle of clapping guests on the shiny black floor.
Sanjula twirls her orange silk as Dominic dances beside her, guests filming from the edge of the floor at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf.
Dominic and Sanjula dance close in front of the rose-framed monogram, guests in black and mustard behind them.
The wedding story

Our St Ignatius wedding photos: umbrellas outside the chapel, twirls in the sandstone arcades and sparks on the dance floor

Getting ready at home · Groomsmen in the Riverview cloisters · Ceremony in the Dalton Memorial Chapel · Umbrella group photo · Arcade portraits in the rain · Reception at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf

Read the full story

Ivory silk against a teal wall

Sanjula’s morning was full of colour. She got ready at home in ivory and gold silk, a sheer veil embroidered with tiny gold flowers draped over her hair, and a deep teal wall behind her that made every frame glow. A loved one in emerald and gold stepped in to settle the veil while Sanjula held her bouquet of white roses and eucalyptus. Then we stood her in front of a tall black mirror, and she lifted the veil out wide like wings. A strong wall colour is a gift at home: it gives skin warmth and turns a simple portrait into something rich.

A hug and a red room

Just before it was time to go, the same loved one cupped Sanjula’s face in her hands and pulled her close, and we caught it from a few steps away so the moment stayed private. Then the bridesmaids joined her in a room with deep red walls, a gilt mirror, a chandelier and an old grandfather clock: one in blush pink, one in emerald green, with bouquets to match Sanjula’s. A flower girl in white tulle and a page boy in a tiny tuxedo posed in front of them, very serious, for about three seconds.

Groomsmen in the cloisters

Over at Riverview, Dominic and his groomsmen waited on the lawn of a sandstone courtyard, framed by long arches and a tree in pink flower. Dominic wore a black high-collared jacket with gold buttons, and his friends were in classic black tuxedos. We walked him into the arcade next and sat him on the sill between two sandstone columns, the long line of arches running away behind him. Covered walkways like these are our favourite groom spot on a grey day: the light comes in from one side only, which shapes a face beautifully.

Down the aisle at Riverview

Inside the Dalton Memorial Chapel, white walls, timber pews and stained glass made a bright, gentle room even under cloud. The flower girl and page boy led the way down the aisle, earning smiles from every row. Dominic waited at the front with his groomsmen, and Sanjula arrived beside him, her embroidered veil catching the light from the windows. We worked from a low angle behind her as she reached him, so his face is the first thing you see, framed by the edge of her veil. That reaction is the frame couples come back to most.

Smiles from every row

The ceremony was full of happy faces. Loved ones in bright pink, red and green silk leaned forward in the pews, phones up, and an older guest beamed through the whole thing. Dominic and Sanjula sat side by side at the front for part of the ceremony, hands folded, her bouquet resting in her lap. Then came the kiss, the bridesmaids clapping on one side and a groomsman cheering on the other, while the guests applauded from the pews. In a chapel this size we move quietly along the side aisle, which keeps us out of the way and close to the faces.

Umbrellas on the forecourt

Dominic and Sanjula walked back up the aisle grinning, guests reaching out from both sides, and the congratulations started the moment they stepped outside. Then the rain arrived. Nobody minded: umbrellas went up in every colour and everyone crowded onto the forecourt in front of the red-brick chapel for one big group photo. We climbed up high and shot down over the crowd, which is the best way to see every face in a group that size, and the umbrellas ended up being the best part of the frame. The flower girl and page boy stood right at the front.

Family under the arches

To keep everyone dry, we moved the family photos into the long sandstone arcade. It made a perfect studio: a covered walkway with honey-coloured brick, a timber door at one end and soft daylight from the open side. Dominic and Sanjula stood with loved ones in deep red, emerald, coral and navy, one group after another, then the whole extended family packed in for a big frame that ran the length of the arches. For a crowd in a narrow space we shoot along the walkway rather than across it, so everyone fits and the arches lead the eye.

Twirls on the wet paving

When the rain eased, we took Dominic and Sanjula out for portraits. Under a tree in pink flower, she rested her head on his shoulder, and he leant in to kiss her forehead. They walked hand in hand through the quad, laughing, then Sanjula twirled on the wet paving with the old sandstone buildings rising behind her, and Dominic dipped her low. Wet ground after rain is underrated: it adds a soft sheen and reflections that dry paving never gives. We finished with them coming down a set of sandstone steps, Sanjula holding up her silk with a smile.

Sparks at Jones Bay Wharf

By night the party had moved to Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf, where a wall of red and white roses and dozens of candles framed the couple’s monogram. Sanjula changed into a bright orange and gold outfit, and their dance entrance came with two spark fountains blazing on either side of a black and white patterned floor. Loved ones of every age joined in, one dancer hit the floor in a memorable move, and the dancing never really stopped. Our St Ignatius wedding photos started in silk and sandstone and finished in sparks, and we loved all of it.

Photographer's venue notes

St Ignatius’ College, Riverview: a rainy chapel day with family groups under the sandstone arcades

Read the venue notes

Chapel, forecourt and arcades

Dominic and his groomsmen were already on the courtyard lawn before the ceremony, so we made their portraits under the arches and beside the tree in pink flower while guests arrived. The vows took place inside the Dalton Memorial Chapel, and afterwards everyone spilled out onto the forecourt in front of its red brick face. From there the family groups moved only a few steps into the covered arcade, and the couple portraits followed across the quad and down the sandstone steps before a vintage car carried them off to Doltone House in Pyrmont.

Working with the rain

Rain arrived just as the newlyweds came outside, and it shaped everything that followed. Instead of sending people indoors, we kept them on the forecourt under their umbrellas and climbed above the crowd for one big frame, letting all those colours do the decorating. The cloud cover kept the chapel light soft too, with the stained glass glowing rather than burning out. When the showers eased, the paving stayed dark and shiny, which gave the later portraits a lovely gloss underfoot.

Where we stood them

The arcade was the workhorse of the afternoon. With an open side letting in daylight and honey brick behind, it handled small family groups first and then the whole extended family in one long line. For Dominic’s solo frames we used the brick pillars, with the run of arches receding behind him. Out in the open, the blossom tree gave a softer corner for forehead kisses, the wet quad held the twirl and the dip, and the worn sandstone steps made a natural finish as Sanjula lifted her silk.

Tips for a showery campus day

Pack a few bright umbrellas and hand them out rather than hiding from the rain; here they became the best part of the big group shot. Keep the list of family groups short and ready to call, because shifting everyone under cover takes a little while and nobody wants to stand around in the wet. Choose shoes that grip on damp stone. Then leave some slack after the groups, so that if the clouds break you can step straight back out for portraits the moment the rain stops.

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