A hug by the window
Anna’s gown hung in the bedroom window beside a rattan chair holding her bouquet, and she stood in a floral robe, reaching up to touch it. Once it was on, a loved one in black lace did up the last of it, and the two of them shared a long, tight hug in the window light. That kind of moment needs no direction from us, only patience. We finished with Anna alone by the glass, lifting her veil, one frame of it kept in black and white so the light on the satin could carry it.
A silver car and a garage door
Outside, Stephen pulled up in a silver sports car with racing stripes and stepped out in a navy suit and red tie, grinning at a couple of mates. Then we made use of the plainest backdrop on the street: a big pale grey garage door. It sounds odd, but a clean wall like that works like a studio backdrop, so every family group reads clearly and the autumn bouquet of rust, cream and burgundy jumps right out. Anna posed there with the flower girl in navy tulle and then with loved ones, one small group at a time.
Braces, bow ties and steel tanks
At the brewery, three little ring bearers in white shirts, braces and navy bow ties lined up against a timber slat wall and could not keep still. Stephen waited at the front of the aisle, a black runner laid between the stainless steel tanks and stacked oak barrels, with the smallest ring bearer at his side. The flower girl came in first, then Anna, walked in by her dad and a loved one in black lace. Industrial spaces like this have mixed light, so we stood where the daylight from the big windows fell across faces.
Waves from the front row
Future Mountain Brewing and Blending wedding photos have a lot of character in the background, but the ceremony was all about the guests. Two older guests in the front row waved at Anna as she passed, and a row of friends in green, floral and teal dresses beamed at her. Anna and Stephen faced each other in front of the tanks and a big painted artwork, and the kiss got a roar. They signed the register at a timber table tucked against the barrels, with two loved ones in bright florals standing beside them.
Everyone between the barrels
We climbed up high for the big group, and every guest squeezed in between the tanks and the barrels, arms in the air on the count of three. Family groups came next, in front of a wall of oak barrels stacked four high. Barrels are wonderful behind people: warm, round and repetitive, they add texture without stealing attention. One frame with an older guest in teal standing proudly between Anna and Stephen is a favourite, and so is the one with the flower girl and all three ring bearers finally standing still for about two seconds.
Under the tap room sign
For portraits we started inside among the barrels, Stephen leaning in for a kiss beside casks with stencilled numbers on their ends. Then we stepped outside under the brewery’s tap room sign, where Anna’s long veil spread across the footpath against the dark brick. A short walk took us into a quiet laneway, and Stephen gathered up her train so she could walk without dragging it through the gravel. We always scout the streets around a city venue before the day: within a few minutes’ walk there is nearly always a better wall than you expect.
A red door down the lane
The laneway delivered. An old red timber door set into red brick became the backdrop for the next frames: Anna and Stephen hand in hand, Anna alone with her veil fanned out across the concrete, and Stephen with his hands in his pockets, looking delighted with himself. Around the corner a green timber door gave a cooler colour and a cheeky cuddle. A colourful food truck parked nearby made a fun frame too, and we finished in front of a red brick house with a clipped hedge, the veil floating over both of them.
Cake on a barrel
Back inside, the reception was relaxed and full of chat. Friends gathered in groups between the brewing equipment, and a table of older guests raised their glasses and laughed for us. One of the little ring bearers wrapped his arms around Anna’s waist for a photo of his own. The cake, white with autumn flowers, sat on top of an upturned barrel, and Anna and Stephen cut it together with the barrel wall behind them. The speeches followed in the middle of the afternoon, with the whole room turned towards the couple.
An afternoon first dance
Their first dance happened in the middle of the brewery floor in the afternoon, with guests seated along the edges watching and phones up. Stephen twirled Anna, she threw her head back laughing, and then they settled into a slow sway. We placed a light behind them for the last frames, so it flared softly between them while the tanks and barrels stayed in shadow. A daytime first dance is a lovely idea for a lunch wedding: everyone is still fresh, the light is easy, and nobody is waiting until late at night.
