Gardens House wedding photos: Annabel and Sam walk hand in hand across the forecourt of the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens, Melbourne
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Real heritage wedding · Melbourne

Gardens House Wedding Photos: Annabel & Sam

Gardens House · Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Birdwood Ave, Melbourne VIC

Garden Wedding · Heritage & Historic Venue Wedding · Urban City Wedding · Region: VIC - Melbourne CBD · City: Melbourne · Venues: Carlton Gardens · Fitzroy Gardens · Gardens House

Their little white dog in Annabel’s arms, a veil streaming across the lawn in front of the Royal Exhibition Building, and vows under a long avenue of trees in Fitzroy Gardens. Annabel and Sam’s summer wedding crossed three of Melbourne’s great gardens and finished under festoon lights at Gardens House in the Royal Botanic Gardens, South Yarra, with a lift on the dance floor to close the night. We were with them for every step, and we loved it.

The gallery
Groomsmen crowd around Sam to straighten his navy bow tie, laughing, as a loved one checks a phone by the window
A groomsman mimes binoculars at a man and a blonde woman hugging by tall windows high above Melbourne city
Sam fastens his shirt cuff beside the urban apartment window, navy bow tie and white pocket square ready for the day
Sam stands side-on to the city apartment window in a navy suit, grey check waistcoat and blue bow tie
A blonde loved one in a black slip dress laughs up at the groom as he grins back by the window
The groom poses with three loved ones in front of tall windows, the Melbourne CBD skyline pale behind them
The groom and four groomsmen in navy suits line up on the balcony, high-rises behind, on a city wedding morning
Sam stands smiling in the middle of his four groomsmen, hands clasped, in front of wide city apartment windows
The groom and a groomsman strike a hands-on-hips pose with arms linked in front of two teal armchairs
A bearded groomsman in glasses throws an arm around the groom for a big grin by the window, city towers beyond
A groomsman presents the laughing groom with a theatrical flourish as he touches his bow tie in the urban apartment
The groom and a fair-haired groomsman smile shoulder to shoulder beside a floor lamp and the city high-rise view
A white rose bouquet, a ring resting on the wedding invitation and a white rose buttonhole laid out on soft fabric
Annabel smiles in a lace-trimmed white robe with the couple's fluffy white dog sitting in her lap
Annabel reaches for her lace wedding gown hanging in the city apartment window while the little white dog wanders at her feet
A bridesmaid in dusty blue silk and a loved one in champagne lace button Annabel's gown as the dog looks on
Close-up of hands in champagne lace sleeves fastening the row of buttons down the back of the lace gown
A bridesmaid crouches to straighten the lace hem while holding Annabel's hand, the dog peeking out from behind the train
A loved one in champagne lace arranges Annabel's long tulle veil as she looks down, smiling softly
In black and white, the long veil is smoothed out across the carpet while Annabel waits beside the wall
Annabel looks back over her shoulder with a wide smile, bouquet in hand and veil falling across the lace train
Annabel glances down over her shoulder in soft light from the city window, the white bouquet held against her veil
Seated with her white rose bouquet, Annabel looks down as a loved one in champagne lace smiles beside her
Annabel sits under her veil holding a white rose bouquet, gazing towards the window light
Annabel stands by sheer curtains in her lace gown and veil, bouquet held low, glancing back over her shoulder
A side profile of Annabel by the high city window, eyes lowered, a jewelled hairpiece and veil falling down her back
Four bridesmaids in dusty blue silk laugh and squeal as Annabel appears at the top of the stairs in her veil
Annabel's veil streams across the lawn as Sam kisses her cheek in a long historic tree avenue in inner Melbourne
Annabel and Sam pose arm in arm for garden portraits under the long avenue of trees in Melbourne's Carlton Gardens
Laughing, Annabel and Sam walk hand in hand down the historic tree avenue, her veil lifting behind
Sam leads Annabel by the hand across the lawn beneath tall heritage trees, a city tower beyond
Foreheads touching, the couple embrace on the lawn at Carlton Gardens with the fountain and Royal Exhibition Building arch behind
Annabel and Sam hold each other close against the silver riveted wall of the museum, a sleek urban wedding backdrop
Sam kisses Annabel's cheek as her veil spills across the urban pavement in front of the panelled wall of Melbourne Museum
Annabel and Sam stroll hand in hand across the forecourt of the heritage exhibition building in central Melbourne
Annabel walks arm in arm with her dad across the city forecourt towards the great arched doorway of the historic Royal Exhibition Building
Annabel and her dad smile together on the historic forecourt in inner Melbourne, a folded page in his hand
Her dad walks Annabel down the natural fibre aisle runner towards Sam, waiting under the tall historic trees of Fitzroy Gardens
Four bridesmaids in dusty blue silk hold white bouquets beneath the broad trunk of a heritage tree at the garden ceremony
Four groomsmen with white rose buttonholes wait beneath a huge tree in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens, a cellist behind them
A guest in a white flower-trimmed hat beams from the front row of the garden ceremony among seated loved ones
Sam reads his vows from a page as Annabel and the guests laugh along at heritage-listed Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne
The guest in the flower-trimmed hat covers a laugh during the vows, among smiling guests in central Melbourne
Annabel and Sam hold hands at the end of a tree-lined aisle for their garden wedding ceremony in Fitzroy Gardens
Guests on white folding chairs listen with soft smiles in the dappled shade of the heritage gardens
A row of guests on white chairs bursts into laughter during the ceremony in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens
Annabel throws her arms around Sam's neck in a joyful hug under the historic avenue of tall trees in central Melbourne
Sam places the wedding ring on Annabel's finger as she smiles down at it, leafy green behind them at Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne
Annabel and Sam sit at a white iron signing table on the heritage-listed lawn near the Melbourne CBD, two loved ones behind
The wedding party gathers around the signing table with the couple's little white dog on Sam's lap at Fitzroy Gardens
Sam kisses Annabel at the signing table as the wedding party smiles around them at their garden wedding in inner Melbourne
Guests cheer and clap as Annabel and Sam walk back up the aisle after their garden wedding in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens
Annabel and Sam share a kiss halfway up the aisle beneath the historic tree canopy of the gardens
Sam holds the couple's white dog in his arms beside Annabel on the sunny lawn of Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne
Close-up of Sam grinning with the fluffy white dog in his arms as Annabel smiles beside him on the heritage lawn
Annabel and Sam stand with two loved ones, one in champagne lace, for family photos on the historic lawn at Fitzroy Gardens
The couple pose with a loved one in a black ruffled dress while their dog trots past on the grass, city streets beyond
A family group of six smiles in bright sunshine under tall heritage trees in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens, the white bouquet at the centre
Annabel and Sam with four young loved ones, one in white satin, for garden portraits on the sunlit lawn in central Melbourne
The couple and five loved ones line up, a woman in grey silk at the end, under the trees of Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne
Annabel and Sam with a loved one in pale sage and a man in a navy blazer in the historic city gardens
A large family group gathers around Annabel and Sam beneath tall trees at Fitzroy Gardens, on the edge of the Melbourne CBD
Annabel and Sam with the four bridesmaids in dusty blue silk and white bouquets for garden portraits on the heritage-listed lawn
A wide family group of more than twenty stands in sunlight with the couple at their city wedding in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens
The couple pose with a smiling loved one in a black dress and white hat and a man in a blue blazer in inner Melbourne
Annabel and Sam with a loved one in a navy diamond print dress and a man in a grey suit at Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne
The wedding party walks arm in arm towards the camera across the sunny lawn of their garden wedding, laughing
The groomsmen stride across the grass in a line, buttonholes on their navy suits, at Fitzroy Gardens near the Melbourne CBD
All the guests gather around Annabel and Sam for one big group photo under tall heritage trees in central Melbourne
The whole crowd throws their arms in the air and cheers with the couple at their city celebration in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens
Annabel swishes her veil and bouquet on the sunlit grass of the historic park in inner Melbourne, smiling down
Annabel glances back over her shoulder, veil trailing on the lawn, with city high-rises above the trees at Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne
Under the veil in the historic gardens, Annabel and Sam rest their foreheads together, eyes closed, soft light glowing through the tulle
A black and white garden portrait of the couple forehead to forehead beneath the sheer veil, smiling quietly
Sam dips Annabel on the lawn dance floor under festoon lights as guests cheer at Gardens House, Royal Botanic Gardens
Sam lifts Annabel high in her short sparkly dress under festoon lights at their garden wedding reception in inner Melbourne
Long tables glow under festoon lights and white umbrellas on the lawn beside the heritage façade of Gardens House at night
The wedding story

Our Gardens House wedding photos: a dog at the signing table, vows under the trees and a lift beneath the festoons

Getting ready above the city · Carlton Gardens and the Royal Exhibition Building · Ceremony in Fitzroy Gardens · Family groups on the lawn · Dinner and dancing at Gardens House

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Bow ties above the city

Sam’s morning was all glass and skyline. He got ready in an apartment high above the city, where the groomsmen crowded in to sort out his collar while one of them checked a phone over his shoulder. Floor-to-ceiling windows are the best friend a groom ever had: we turned Sam side-on to the glass and let the daylight shape his face and his navy suit. Then the laughs started. A friend pulled a mock bow, another got a bear hug, and the groomsmen lined up against the balcony glass with the whole city spread out behind them.

A little white dog in the robe

Across town, Annabel’s details were waiting by the window: a white bouquet with a ribbon-wrapped stem, the invitation with the ring resting on it and a single white rose for Sam’s lapel. We photograph those pieces first, on a plain surface in soft light, before the room gets busy. Then the star arrived. Annabel sat in a lace robe with the couple’s fluffy white dog in her lap, both of them looking ready for the day, and the dress hung in the window behind her while the little one padded around her feet.

Buttons, hem and veil

The gown went on in front of the tall curtains. Two loved ones worked on the buttons down the back while the dog sat watching, then a bridesmaid crouched to settle the lace hem and Annabel lifted her skirt with a grin. A loved one in champagne lace arranged the long veil so it fell straight from her hair to the carpet. We kept Annabel by the window, bouquet low in her hands, because sheer curtains turn hard summer light into a soft wash that suits lace perfectly. The bridesmaids in sage silk peeked in from the hallway, and the squeals said everything.

Veil across the lawn

Our first stop for portraits was Carlton Gardens. We walked Annabel and Sam onto the grass in a long avenue of trees, and the breeze picked up her veil and sent it streaming across the lawn while he kissed her cheek. Tree avenues are our favourite place for a summer portrait session in the middle of the day: the canopy blocks the overhead sun, and the trunks lead the eye straight to the couple. Sam led Annabel along by the hand, and we finished the set with the dome of the Royal Exhibition Building rising behind them.

A silver wall and a walk with Dad

Then something completely different. Next door, the silver panelled wall of the museum gave us a clean, modern backdrop, its long diagonal seams running behind Annabel and Sam as they held each other close. A plain wall like that bounces light back into faces and makes white lace glow. Then came a moment just for Annabel and her dad. He walked with her across the forecourt towards the great arched doorway of the Exhibition Building, and stopped for a photo together, a folded page in his hand and a proud smile on his face.

Vows down the tree walk

The ceremony sat at the end of a tree-lined walk in Fitzroy Gardens, with white folding chairs on either side of a natural aisle runner. The groomsmen waited under a huge trunk, and Annabel came down the aisle with her veil trailing on the runner. We shot the walk from behind as well as from the front, because the long line of trees makes the aisle look endless. Sam read his vows from a page, the guests laughed through every line, and a loved one in a wide hat beamed from the front row. Then the kiss, right under the canopy.

A ring bearer with four paws

The signing happened at a white iron table on the grass, with Annabel and Sam side by side and loved ones standing behind them. Then the wedding party crowded around, bridesmaids in sage silk with white bouquets, groomsmen in navy, and the couple’s dog was right in the middle of it, the official ring bearer for the day. Annabel and Sam walked back up the aisle with a kiss halfway, and on the lawn Sam scooped the dog up for a portrait of their own. Sometimes the guest who will not sit still makes the best frame.

Groups on the lawn

Family photos happened straight after, on the open lawn under tall trees. We worked through the groups quickly: Annabel’s dad and the loved one in champagne lace, loved ones in wide hats, friends, then the whole crowd for a big group shot with everyone close enough to see every face. The wedding party marched towards us arm in arm, then the groomsmen did their own walk. We finished with Annabel alone, swishing her veil on the grass, and an intimate close-up of the two of them under the veil, the summer light glowing through the tulle.

Festoons over the lawn

By night the party had moved to the Royal Botanic Gardens, where long tables sat on the lawn beside Gardens House under white umbrellas and a canopy of festoon lights. It is one of our favourite settings for a summer dinner, because the old house glows at the edge of the frame and the lights do the rest after dark. Annabel changed into a short sparkly dress for dancing, and on the floor under the bulbs Sam lifted her up with a laugh. It was the perfect close to our Gardens House wedding photos, and a lovely night.

Photographer's venue notes

Gardens House, South Yarra: a festoon-lit dinner on the lawn after vows down a Fitzroy Gardens tree walk

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Three gardens and a long table on the grass

Annabel and Sam built their summer day around gardens. We started with portraits in Carlton Gardens in the middle of the day, moved to Fitzroy Gardens for a ceremony at the end of a tree walk and family groups straight after, then crossed to the Royal Botanic Gardens for dinner at Gardens House. There, everything happened outdoors: long tables set on the lawn beside the house under white umbrellas, festoon lights strung overhead and a dance floor laid right on the grass. It felt like one long garden party.

When the festoons take over

The magic moment at Gardens House is the handover from daylight to bulbs. Annabel and Sam had their first dance as dusk settled, when the sky still held a little colour and the festoons were just starting to glow. We shot wide from the edge of the tables then, keeping the pale façade of the house at the side of the frame. Later, after dark, the bulbs carried the scene, so we crouched low at the edge of the floor for Sam’s dip and that final lift, with the lights filling the space above them.

Shade, silver and bright sunshine

Summer sun in the middle of the day can be harsh, so we leaned on shade. At Carlton Gardens the avenue of trees covered the couple while the breeze lifted the veil, and the silver panelled museum wall next door bounced soft light back onto Annabel’s lace. The forecourt gave her dad open space for their walk together. At Fitzroy Gardens the sun came through bright for family groups, so we turned each line so faces stayed even, and used the tall trunks to frame the wedding party as they marched towards us arm in arm.

Tips for an outdoor summer day

Annabel changed into a short sparkly dress for dancing, and on a lawn floor that is a great call: no train to drag across the grass and a lot more freedom for lifts. If your dog is part of the ceremony, as theirs was at the signing table, plan who looks after the little one once the rings are done, then take a quick portrait together on the grass. And ask for your reception tables close to the house, so its glowing façade sits behind your guests once night falls.

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