Little Creatures Brewery wedding photos: Lisa and Steve walk hand in hand along a curved white railed pier over the bay under soft cloud, Geelong
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Real garden wedding · Geelong, Melbourne

Little Creatures Brewery Wedding Photos: Lisa & Steve

Little Creatures Brewery · 221 Swanston St, Geelong VIC · Melbourne

Garden Wedding · Heritage & Historic Venue Wedding · City: Melbourne · Venues: Geelong Botanic Gardens · Little Creatures Brewery

A hexagon arch under a spreading old tree, tree ferns glowing in the afternoon light and a bridal party on the swings by the bay. Lisa and Steve married in Geelong Botanic Gardens, took a quick detour to the waterfront, then partied in the red brick halls of Little Creatures Brewery in South Geelong, finishing with a dip on the dance floor and a kiss under the festoon lights. We had the best time with them.

The gallery
Steve's self tie bow tie lies flat on a timber table with silver cufflinks, a black belt and a white rose buttonhole.
Lisa's pearl drop earrings, crystal flower hair clips, a dark perfume bottle and her ring sit among sprigs of baby's breath.
A groomsman ties Steve's black bow tie by the tall apartment window while Steve looks straight into the lens.
Steve straightens his bow tie with a small grin as a groomsman turns down his shirt collar from behind.
Steve and a groomsman stand on the apartment balcony in black suits, hands in pockets, an old red brick building behind them.
Steve and his groomsman turn to each other and laugh by the glass balcony rail, brick walls and rooftops beyond.
Steve grins beside a dark haired groomsman in a slim black tie, both relaxed with hands in pockets on the balcony.
Steve raises an eyebrow at a groomsman in a playful moment beside the glass balustrade.
Steve leans on the balcony rail in his black dinner suit and bow tie, gazing out over brick rooftops.
A portrait of Steve on the balcony in his bow tie and black jacket, hands in pockets against a red brick wall.
Lisa turns around in her lace gown as two bridesmaids in long navy gowns with lace bodices smile in the apartment lounge.
A bridesmaid in navy does up the back of Lisa's gown as Lisa looks over her shoulder, her lace train pooled on the carpet.
Lisa smiles down at her bouquet of dried pampas, pink roses and silvery leaves while sitting on a grey leather couch.
Backlit by the big apartment window, Lisa stands with the lace train of her gown spread across the carpet like a fan.
Lisa and a bridesmaid with her hair swept up hold their pampas and pink rose bouquets side by side in the lounge.
Lisa giggles with a second bridesmaid in navy lace, both holding bouquets of dried flowers and blush roses.
Lisa's dad sees her in her gown for the first time, his face lit up past her blurred shoulder.
Lisa wraps her arms around her dad with her bouquet still in hand as he hugs her back, eyes closed and smiling.
Lisa and her dad stand side by side by the window, her bouquet held low and his dark suit finished with a black tie.
Lisa and her dad turn to smile at each other in front of the apartment's tall glass doors.
Lisa pins a white rose buttonhole on her dad's lapel as he looks down at her with a soft smile.
A bridesmaid in a navy gown smiles on her way down the wide stone steps between clipped round shrubs at Geelong Botanic Gardens.
Guests stand on the lawn beneath tall old trees to watch the bridal party arrive for the heritage garden ceremony.
Lisa and her dad wait atop the old stone steps as a bridesmaid in navy walks down at Geelong Botanic Gardens, East Geelong.
Her dad walks Lisa past clipped shrubs and flowering garden beds towards the lawn, the historic gardens rising behind them.
Steve waits on the lawn with his groomsmen, hands clasped in front, as guests gather behind him for the garden wedding.
Lisa's dad hugs her at the end of the aisle in the historic grounds while Steve waits beside them on the grass.
Steve breaks into a grin as Lisa reaches him with her pampas bouquet, guests smiling behind them at the garden wedding.
Lisa and Steve face each other under the flower dressed hexagon arch beneath a spreading old tree at Geelong Botanic Gardens in Eastern Park.
Seated guests on green chairs watch the vows on the heritage lawn, one couple in the front row holding hands.
Lisa's dad sits in the front row with a white rose buttonhole beside a loved one in pale blue lace at Geelong Botanic Gardens.
Two bridesmaids in navy hold their bouquets close by the signing table as the celebrant speaks during the garden ceremony.
Lisa smiles up at Steve beneath the hexagon arch of white roses, pampas and dried flowers at Geelong Botanic Gardens, East Geelong.
Two guests watch from their chairs in the historic gardens, one in an orange cardigan and sunglasses, one in sea green ruffles.
Two bearded friends in sunglasses and blue shirts sit back in their chairs, looking very relaxed at the garden ceremony.
Friends in bright florals and a pink rose print dress smile as they watch the vows on the lawn in Eastern Park.
Lisa laughs as she holds both of Steve's hands during their heritage garden vows, guests seated behind them under the trees.
Steve slides the ring onto Lisa's finger as rows of guests lean in behind them on the sunny lawn of the historic grounds.
Steve cups Lisa's face for their first kiss as guests cheer from their chairs at Geelong Botanic Gardens in Eastern Park.
Lisa and Steve hold up their certificate at the signing table after the garden ceremony, a bridesmaid and groomsman beaming behind them.
Lisa thrusts her bouquet into the air beside Steve under the spreading tree as their garden wedding ends in Eastern Park.
The whole crowd of guests gathers on the open lawn beneath the heritage gardens' tall trees, Lisa and Steve in the middle.
Arms in the air, the big group of guests cheers around Lisa and Steve on the lawn at Geelong Botanic Gardens.
Lisa and Steve stand with her dad and four loved ones for a family group on the heritage lawn in the gardens.
Lisa and Steve pose with three loved ones in navy and black on the grass, garden beds and tall grasses behind.
A wider family group lines up across the lawn with Lisa and Steve at Geelong Botanic Gardens, East Geelong.
Lisa stands with three little ones in braces, red pleats and a floral party dress for a garden portrait on the lawn.
A loved one in a dark suit stands behind the same three grinning children in the historic grounds, tall grasses behind.
A big extended family group gathers in rows around Lisa and Steve at Geelong Botanic Gardens in Eastern Park.
Lisa's friends in bright florals and a black dress line up with her at the hexagon arch for a garden portrait.
The bridal party throws bouquets and hands in the air beside the rose beds of Geelong Botanic Gardens.
A groomsman breaks ranks with a dance move while Steve kisses Lisa and the bridesmaids laugh in the rose garden.
Bridesmaids in navy and groomsmen in black walk hand in hand across the grass past the rose beds in Eastern Park.
The bridal party lines up with Lisa and Steve for a formal heritage garden portrait, roses blooming either side.
Lisa and Steve stand between two bridesmaids in navy under feathery sunlit leaves at Geelong Botanic Gardens, East Geelong.
Lisa laughs between her two bridesmaids in navy lace, all three holding dried flower bouquets under heritage gardens' feathery leaves.
Lisa stands with Steve and two groomsmen in black suits on a paved path through Geelong Botanic Gardens.
Steve strikes a dance pose as a groomsman points at him and another looks on along the path in the historic gardens.
The bridal party gathers around Lisa and Steve on a bench beneath a twisting old tree at Geelong Botanic Gardens in Eastern Park.
Steve hugs Lisa from behind among the tree ferns, both smiling on a gravel path through the historic gardens.
Lisa and Steve stand close on a winding gravel path among towering tree ferns at Geelong Botanic Gardens, East Geelong.
Steve nuzzles Lisa's hair as she holds her bouquet, soft fronds blurring the light around them in the heritage gardens.
Steve kisses Lisa's cheek on the gravel path as a frond held in front of the lens blurs into soft light for a garden portrait.
Steve kisses Lisa's forehead with her lace train trailing across the gravel path beneath the tree ferns of Geelong Botanic Gardens.
Steve adjusts his buttonhole in soft light filtering through the tree fern fronds of the historic gardens.
Lisa glances back over her shoulder with her bouquet, her open lace back lit by sun through the ferns in a heritage garden portrait.
Lisa and Steve walk hand in hand across the lawn towards us, purple flowering shrubs behind them, at Geelong Botanic Gardens, East Geelong.
Lisa and Steve hold hands beside a tall pine trunk, pale feathery plants blurred in front of them in the heritage gardens.
The bridal party strolls out through the iron gates of Geelong Botanic Gardens, the name arched in metal letters overhead.
The bridal party sits along the edge of a fountain between tall white heron sculptures and palm trees by the bay.
Steve swishes Lisa's lace skirt out on the path above Eastern Beach, palms and the bay behind her.
Steve sweeps Lisa up in his arms by a white railing, palm fronds and the water blurred behind them.
Lisa rests her head on Steve's shoulder beside a weathered white pillar, the water glowing behind them.
Steve swings high with his legs out beside Lisa as the bridal party laughs at the playground swings at Eastern Beach in Geelong.
Lisa looks back over her shoulder as she and Steve walk hand in hand along the boardwalk over the water.
Lisa and Steve stroll along the curved boardwalk with its white railing above Corio Bay under a wide grey sky.
Lisa and Steve walk towards us on the timber boardwalk, the white railing leading back along the water.
Lisa and Steve make a big entrance with arms in the air under the glass roof of historic Little Creatures Brewery as guests cheer.
Lisa laughs as Steve leads her in past guests on benches along the old red brick wall of the historic mill.
Steve sweeps Lisa into a dip with one foot kicked high for their first dance in front of the band at Little Creatures Geelong.
Lisa throws one arm up mid twirl on the timber floor as the band plays on in the heritage brick hall.
Lisa and Steve hold each other close on the dance floor under pendant lights at Little Creatures Brewery, South Geelong.
After dark, Lisa and Steve rest their foreheads together under festoon lights and a glowing vintage beer sign on the historic brick wall.
Lisa and Steve kiss in a laneway strung with festoon lights beside the red brick heritage buildings of the old Valley Worsted Mills.
The wedding story

Our Little Creatures Brewery wedding photos: a hexagon arch in the Botanic Gardens, tree ferns and a dip on the dance floor

Getting ready in the city · Ceremony at Geelong Botanic Gardens · Rose garden and tree fern portraits · Eastern Beach swings and boardwalk · Reception at Little Creatures Brewery · Festoon lights at night

Read the full story

Bow ties and pearl drops

We started with the small things. Steve’s self-tie bow tie lay flat on a timber table beside his cufflinks, belt and a white rose buttonhole, and across town Lisa’s pearl drop earrings, a dark perfume bottle and her ring sat among sprigs of baby’s breath. Shooting details from straight above on a plain timber surface keeps them clean and graphic. Then a groomsman tackled the bow tie for Steve by the window, and the boys lined up on an apartment balcony with an old red brick building behind them, hands in pockets and grinning.

Navy lace and a long train

Lisa’s bridesmaids were in long navy gowns with lace bodices, and they stood watching as she turned around in her dress for the first time. One of them did up the back while Lisa looked over her shoulder. Then we stood her in front of the big apartment window and stepped back, so the light came from behind and the lace train spread across the carpet like a fan. Backlight through lace shows every flower in the pattern. Lisa and a bridesmaid ended up giggling with their bouquets of dried pampas and pink roses.

A buttonhole for her dad

Then Lisa’s dad arrived. She wrapped her arms around him, bouquet still in hand, and he hugged her back with the biggest smile. Then she pinned his buttonhole herself, standing close and concentrating while he looked down at her with a soft smile. We stayed back and let it happen, with a longer lens so nobody felt watched. These few minutes before you leave for the ceremony are often the most honest of the day, and they are worth keeping a little time free for in the plan.

Down the stone steps

The ceremony was in Geelong Botanic Gardens, and the walk in was our favourite part of the setting: a wide flight of old stone steps running down between clipped round shrubs and garden beds. The bridesmaids came down first, one at a time, smiling at the guests. Then Lisa appeared at the top on her dad’s arm, and we used the length of the steps to frame them small against the garden before they reached the lawn. Steve was waiting with his groomsmen beside a spreading old tree, and his face when he turned said everything.

Rings under the hexagon arch

The arch was a slim hexagon frame dressed with white roses, dried flowers and pampas, set on the grass beneath the low branches of a big old tree. Guests sat on white chairs on the lawn, a couple of friends in sunglasses and beards looking very relaxed, and the bridesmaids watched with their bouquets held close. Steve slid the ring on with the guests all leaning in behind them, then came the kiss and a cheer. They signed at a small table with the bridal party behind them and held the certificate up for us, both beaming.

Everyone on the lawn

We set up the big group on the open lawn under the trees, with everyone tight together so the faces stay large. Then we ran through family groups quickly: parents and siblings, then cousins, aunts and uncles, then a sweet frame of Lisa with three little ones in their best shirts and dresses. Lisa’s friends gathered at the arch in a row of bright florals. In the rose garden, the bridal party lined up in navy and black, and one groomsman broke ranks for a dance move that set off everyone else.

Light through the tree ferns

Then we took Lisa and Steve into the shady paths among the tree ferns. It is our favourite pocket of the gardens. The afternoon sun filters through the fronds, so we held a frond just in front of the lens and let it blur into soft light around them. Steve kissed Lisa’s cheek, she leaned back into him, and her train trailed across the gravel path. We finished with them walking out across the lawn, and the whole bridal party strolling out through the gates of Geelong Botanic Gardens.

Swings at Eastern Beach

A few minutes away at the waterfront, the bridal party sat along the edge of a fountain with tall white heron sculptures and palm trees above them. Steve swished Lisa’s skirt out on the path with the bay behind her. Then everyone found the playground swings, and Steve swung high with his legs out while the bridesmaids laughed. We finished on the curved boardwalk with its white railing, the two of them walking towards us with the water and a wide grey sky behind them. Soft cloud over the bay is even light, perfect for a walking frame.

Brick, a band and a dip

Their Little Creatures Brewery wedding photos took on a whole new mood once we stepped inside: brick walls, steel trusses and pendant lights. Lisa and Steve made a big entrance under the glass roof, arms in the air while the guests cheered. Their first dance was on the timber floor in front of the band, and Steve swept Lisa into a dip, one foot kicked high. After dark we took them outside, under a vintage Furphy sign glowing on the brick wall, then into a laneway strung with festoon lights for one last kiss.

Photographer's venue notes

Little Creatures Brewery, South Geelong: garden vows, bayside swings and a festoon-lit kiss after dark

Read the venue notes

Three stops across Geelong

Lisa and Steve’s day ran in three clear stops. Vows happened under the hexagon arch on the lawn at Geelong Botanic Gardens, with groups in the rose garden and portraits along the fern paths, then a short drive took the bridal party to Eastern Beach, and the night finished inside the brick halls of Little Creatures Brewery. Both of them got ready in apartments in town, so the route stayed compact. Moving between three looks in one afternoon works when every stop has its own job, and theirs did.

Sun in the gardens, cloud on the bay

In the gardens the afternoon sun was bright, so the arch sitting under the big tree’s canopy kept faces in even shade through the vows. Deeper in, the tree ferns broke that same sun into soft, dappled light for the couple portraits. By the time we reached the water, cloud had rolled over the bay and flattened the light beautifully for walking frames on the boardwalk. Inside the brewery, daylight through the glass roof lit their entrance, and the pendant lights took over once the band started.

The spots that worked for Lisa and Steve

The wide stone steps down to the lawn gave us a long, framed walk for the bridesmaids and for Lisa on her dad’s arm. The open lawn under the trees held the big group, and the rose beds put colour on both sides of the bridal party. At Eastern Beach, the fountain edge with its heron sculptures seated everyone at once, and the curved white railing made a natural leading line. Back at the brewery after dark, a laneway hung with festoon lights gave us a quick, glowing night portrait.

Planning a similar Geelong day

If you want a beach stop between ceremony and reception, keep it short and build it around the whole bridal party rather than the two of you alone; the swings gave Lisa and Steve’s friends their biggest laughs of the day. Have a bridesmaid ready to lift a long lace train on the gravel paths among the ferns. And if a band is playing your reception, ask for the first dance right in front of the stage so the musicians fill the background.

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