Fenix Events wedding photos: Shirley and Darren kiss on the sandstone steps of the Old Treasury Building, her long veil streaming in the wind, Melbourne
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Real waterside wedding · Richmond, Melbourne

Fenix Events Wedding Photos: Shirley & Darren

Fenix Events · Richmond VIC · Melbourne

Urban City Wedding · Waterside Wedding · City: Melbourne · Venues: Fenix Events · Old Treasury Building

A first look on a sunny front deck, a long veil trailing across the lawn under the plane trees, then vows on a deck above the river beneath an arch of pink and white roses. Shirley and Darren’s Richmond wedding at Fenix Events ran as one long, happy lunch by the Yarra, with a first dance on a cloud of fog, and finished with a late afternoon walk through the city, the veil flying past old stone. We were there for every laugh.

The gallery
Watercolour flower invitations, a crystal necklace, pearl drop earrings, two rings and a lilac boutonniere laid out on a stone bench.
Shirley's nude studded heels rest on a white wire garden chair with pink flowers blurred behind.
Shirley, in a lace robe and a crystal hair vine, puts in an earring at the stone bench.
Shirley reaches up to her lace mermaid gown with tiered skirts as it hangs in the tall bedroom window.
A bridesmaid in a blush slip dress fastens Shirley's necklace in front of the hanging gown.
Her mum and dad lift the long veil over Shirley's head as she sits quietly in her off-shoulder gown.
Her mum and dad smile as they lower the veil over Shirley's face, her pink and lilac rose bouquet in her lap.
Through the soft tulle, Shirley lifts one hand to the veil's edge with her rose bouquet resting against her gown.
Shirley sits quietly under the tulle with one hand raised to its edge, kept in black and white.
Shirley and her bridesmaid in blush hug their rose bouquets together, laughing by the bright window.
Shirley turns on the timber floorboards and her long cathedral veil sweeps out in a curve behind her.
Shirley and Darren hold hands on the front deck of a white weatherboard house after their first look.
Darren in a navy dinner suit and bow tie stands with Shirley under an avenue of plane trees on the city fringe.
Shirley and Darren pose on the lawn beneath arching plane trees, city towers glimpsed through the canopy.
Shirley and Darren walk down the long grass avenue of Carlton Gardens, her veil stretching metres behind them towards the city.
Shirley glances back over her shoulder as she and Darren stand hand in hand in the leafy green tunnel, an urban apartment block beyond.
Darren leads Shirley across the leaf-strewn grass near an old street lamp, her veil fanning out behind her.
Shirley and Darren stroll past the broad plane tree trunks of the inner-city gardens, her veil trailing across the lawn.
Darren glances back with a smile as he leads Shirley by the hand across the lawn, city traffic blurred beyond the trees.
Shirley and Darren walk hand in hand towards the camera down the grassy avenue, urban apartment towers rising beyond.
Shirley and Darren kiss before the bronze fountain with the domed Royal Exhibition Building rising behind on the city's edge.
Shirley stands arm in arm with her mum in blush pink and her dad in a blue suit outside the inner-city venue.
At Fenix Events, Darren in a velvet-lapel dinner suit waits with his best man in a pink bow tie above the river.
Older guests in suits and a red brocade jacket fill the front row of the riverside ceremony, more guests standing behind.
Shirley and Darren hold hands under an arch of pink and white roses on the deck at Fenix, gum trees and the river below.
Her dad punches the air with a huge grin beside her mum and the bridesmaid on the waterside deck.
A guest in a striped dress and white scarf smiles beside a man in a grey suit who claps along at Fenix Events in Richmond.
Guests in lilac, lace and stripes fill the front rows on the paved terrace as the riverside vows unfold.
The bridesmaid in a blush slip dress holds a ribboned rose bouquet against the railing at Fenix in Richmond, the river trees behind.
The best man in a pink bow tie stands at the steel railing with hands clasped, the waterfront gums behind him.
A guest in a lilac tulle gown and a man in a navy check suit sit in the front row, smiling.
A guest in blush lace with a rose corsage watches the vows from her seat on the terrace.
Shirley signs at a white-draped table on the Fenix Events deck, her veil falling down her back and river gums beyond the railing.
Shirley's hand rests on Darren's over the marriage certificate, rings and a rose gold pen beside pink roses.
Shirley and Darren sit at the signing table, her mum and dad and two loved ones standing behind them in the urban courtyard.
About 165 guests crowd the garden staircase beside Fenix for the full group photo, waving from the very back.
Arms go up across the crowded staircase as the whole wedding party cheers around Shirley and Darren.
Shirley and Darren stand with six loved ones in front of the rose arch at Fenix Events on Victoria Street, the river trees behind.
Shirley and Darren pose with her mum and dad and the bridesmaid by the glass balustrade of the riverside deck.
A loved one in blush lace and a man in a grey suit flank the couple at Fenix Events beside a guest in lilac tulle.
A loved one in a striped dress and white scarf joins Shirley, Darren and the man in grey by the waterside arch.
Shirley and Darren stand beside the arch at Fenix Events in Richmond with four loved ones, the bushland slope dropping to the river.
A guest in a cobalt pleated blouse and a smiling man in a black blazer join the couple at the floral arch.
Shirley and Darren line up at Fenix with four guests in black, champagne satin and a floral print dress, river gums behind.
A family group in mustard, navy florals and lace stands with Shirley and Darren under the blossom arch by the river.
An older couple with rose buttonholes stand either side of Shirley and Darren in front of the arch at Fenix in Richmond.
Seven family members, from the older couple to a young man in pale grey, crowd around the newlyweds on the riverside terrace.
Shirley and Darren pose with three loved ones in navy lace and grey suits on the waterside deck, gum leaves behind them.
More than twenty loved ones gather around the couple at Fenix Events on Victoria Street, an older guest in red at the centre.
The extended family squeezes in again with the bridesmaid at one end and the bushland ridge above the river behind.
Shirley and Darren stand with two women in burgundy and zebra print and two men in blue blazers by the riverside rail.
A wide family group of eighteen fills the deck at Fenix Events in front of the rose arch and tall gum trees.
A loved one in a ruffled burgundy dress and a man in pinstripes stand either side of the couple above the river.
Her mum and dad and the bridesmaid stand with Shirley, Darren and two young guests by the arch at Fenix Events in Richmond.
Shirley and Darren stand between the guest in lilac tulle and a man in a navy check suit, the waterside trees behind.
Her mum and dad join a couple in a cream coat and dark suit beside Shirley and Darren at the riverside arch.
Shirley and Darren line up at Fenix with her parents and five loved ones in red lace, blush and navy.
Ten loved ones in black, florals and blush form a long row with the couple across the deck of the inner-city venue.
The loved ones in blush lace and stripes return for another group with the couple and two younger guests, the river valley behind.
The best man and the bridesmaid flank Shirley and Darren under the rose and white blossom arch at Fenix in Richmond.
Her mum and dad dance into the riverside reception past two white blossom trees, arms out and laughing.
The man in grey and the loved one in blush lace dance into the Fenix Events reception ahead of the guest in lilac.
The best man swings into a big dance move as the bridesmaid laughs, timber panels and tables behind.
Shirley and Darren make their entrance through low fog into the inner-city riverside reception, Darren waving to the room.
Shirley and Darren raise champagne at a head table of pink roses at Fenix Events in Richmond, river trees glowing through the glass.
Darren lifts Shirley's hand for a spin as she dances in a lighter lace gown across the fog-covered floor.
Low sun glows through the veil as Shirley turns towards Darren on a city street, her pearl earring catching the light.
Darren kisses Shirley's cheek beside a splashing bronze fountain, sandstone towers and city glass behind.
The late afternoon breeze lifts Shirley's veil around them both beside the fountain, palms and urban towers behind.
Shirley and Darren walk hand in hand past the Old Treasury Building, her veil stretched across its sandstone steps.
Shirley and Darren stroll along a city footpath, office towers and an old cast iron lamp behind them.
In black and white, Shirley and Darren share a kiss beside the ornate lamp standards of the Old Treasury, city office blocks rising beyond.
The breeze carries metres of tulle across the forecourt as Shirley and Darren kiss before sandstone columns above the street.
Shirley and Darren kiss at the top of the steps of the Old Treasury Building on Spring Street, her veil flying out between ornate lamps.
Shirley and Darren pose on a tree-lined street corner in the city, her veil streaming sideways in the wind.
Shirley and Darren kiss with her veil wrapped around them both, a leafy urban street blurred behind.
The wedding story

Our Fenix Events wedding photos: a first look on the deck, vows above the Yarra and a veil flying on Spring Street

Getting ready at home · First look on the front deck · Carlton Gardens and the Royal Exhibition Building · Riverside ceremony at Fenix Events · Lunch reception upstairs · Old Treasury Building portraits

Read the full story

Watercolour paper and studs

Our morning with Shirley started with the details laid out on a stone bench: watercolour-flower invitations, a fine necklace, drop earrings, the rings in their boxes, a bottle of perfume and Darren’s lilac boutonniere. Her nude studded heels went onto a white wire chair in the garden, with pink flowers blurred in front. We always gather the small things while the house is still calm, because once the dress goes on nobody has time to think about where the earrings are.

The gown in the window

Inside, Shirley stood in a sheer robe looking up at her gown hanging in the window, a fitted lace bodice and tiers of white flaring towards the floor. A bridesmaid in blush fastened her necklace, and then two loved ones lifted the long veil and lowered it gently over her face while she sat holding her bouquet of pink and lilac roses. We stayed low and close for that one, so the veil sat between us and her face like a soft filter, with the window light glowing through the tulle.

Light, lace and a twirl

We kept one quiet frame in black and white: Shirley by the window with her hand raised to the edge of her veil and her bouquet in her lap. Then the laughter started again, with Shirley and her bridesmaid hugging, bouquets pressed together. The room had one tall window and warm timber floors, which gave us gentle side light from one direction and a warm bounce from below. Shirley turned on the spot and the cathedral veil swept out across the boards behind her, the perfect last frame before she went out to meet Darren.

A first look on the deck

Darren was waiting on the front deck of the weatherboard house in a navy dinner suit. Shirley stepped out behind him, and when he turned around his face said everything. First looks give couples a private moment before the busy part of the day, and for us they mean real reactions in good light rather than at the end of an aisle. Afterwards Shirley fixed his boutonniere, and the pair of them stood laughing together on the deck before heading into the city for portraits while the morning light was still soft.

Plane trees and an old fountain

At Carlton Gardens we walked them down the long avenue of plane trees, where the canopy meets overhead like a green tunnel. On an overcast morning that canopy keeps the light even, so we could shoot in any direction. Shirley’s veil stretched metres behind her on the grass, and from the far end of the avenue the couple looked tiny under the trees, which is exactly the scale we wanted. Our wide frame of the morning has them kissing in front of the Exhibition Fountain, with the Royal Exhibition Building’s dome rising behind.

Vows above the river

Back at Fenix Events, the ceremony was set up on the outdoor deck, with gum trees and the Yarra below the glass balustrade and an arch of pink and white roses at the front. Darren waited in navy with his best man while older guests filled the front row in their finest. Shirley walked in, the celebrant began, and the couple held hands under the arch. When it was done, a loved one at the front threw a fist in the air with the biggest grin, and the bridesmaid in blush could not stop laughing.

Signing and a staircase crowd

Shirley signed with her veil spilling over the white table, and we moved in tight on their joined hands, rings and the certificate, pink roses soft in the foreground. Family gathered around the table for the formal signing frame. Then everyone came out for the full group photo on the garden staircase beside the venue. We shot from high up the steps so every face could be seen, from the grandparents in the front row to the friends waving at the very back. With about 165 guests, height is the only way to fit everyone in.

Groups, fog and a first dance

Next came a long run of family and friend groups in front of the rose arch, one after another, each with the river trees behind. Then lunch began upstairs. The bridal party danced in past two white blossom trees, the best man high-kicking his way through the door, and the couple toasted with champagne at a table of pink roses in front of the glass. For the first dance, Shirley changed into a lighter lace gown, and Darren spun her across a floor covered in low fog while the guests watched from their tables.

Veils and old stone

In the late afternoon we took Shirley and Darren up to Spring Street. The sun was low and behind them, so we turned them towards it at a fountain near Parliament and let it light the edges of the veil while Darren kissed her cheek. At the Old Treasury Building the breeze took the veil and stretched it right across the forecourt, and we caught them kissing with metres of tulle floating beside them. A black and white frame among the old cast iron lamps, then one last kiss on the street with the veil wrapped around them both.

Photographer's venue notes

Fenix Events, Richmond: vows on the river deck, a long lunch upstairs and a breezy Spring Street finish

Read the venue notes

How the day moved around Fenix

Shirley and Darren used Fenix for the middle of their day and the city for both ends. After the morning at home and in Carlton Gardens, everyone came together on the outdoor deck for the vows under the rose arch, signed at a white table right there, then crowded onto the garden staircase beside the building for the big group. Family groups ran straight on in front of the arch before guests headed upstairs for lunch. Late in the afternoon we slipped away with the couple for portraits around Spring Street and the Old Treasury Building.

Grey morning, glowing afternoon

The light changed in our favour as the day went on. Carlton Gardens was soft and grey in the morning, so we could shoot that long veil from any side without losing detail in the tulle. On the deck, the gums on the slope below the balustrade kept the background green, and during lunch the river trees glowed through the glass behind the head table. By late afternoon the sun was low and bright, perfect for turning the couple into it and letting the edges of the veil light up.

Where we stood for this couple

For the vows we stood square to the rose arch, so the couple and the gum trees falling away to the river sat in one clean frame. For the full group we went high up the garden staircase, which is the only way every face reads, from the front row to the friends waving at the back. Upstairs, the fog on the dance floor did half the work as Darren spun Shirley in her lighter lace gown. In the city, the Old Treasury forecourt let the breeze carry the veil sideways while we stood off to one side to catch its full length.

Tips from a lunch wedding

A late morning ceremony and a lunch reception leave the sweetest light free once the party winds down, so consider saving your city stop for the end rather than squeezing it in before the vows. Choose a long veil only if you are happy for it to have a mind of its own on a breezy afternoon; Shirley’s gave us some of our favourite frames. And with a big crowd, have your list of family groups written up before the day, so the rotation in front of the arch keeps moving while lunch waits upstairs.

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