Floral shirts on the deck
Our Lorne day began up the hill with Rob and the groomsmen on a timber deck, the ocean a pale stripe behind the gum trees. Four groomsmen in matching floral shirts, navy bow ties and tan chinos, and Rob in a light grey jacket: we walked them down a gravel lane under the gums and lined them up, arms around shoulders. A soft, overcast morning is kind to groom photos because the light stays even and nobody squints. Then came the handshakes and back slaps, one groomsman grabbing Rob by both arms with a grin that said everything.
A buttonhole by the window
A loved one in a white jacket pinned a white rose buttonhole to Rob’s lapel while he watched her hands, and an older man in a maroon check jacket threw an arm around him out on the lane. We took the three of them onto the deck with the sea behind. Then Rob sat by the window for a few minutes to himself. We stood close and let the side light from the glass do the work, catching an easy grin and then a long look outside, his mind clearly already on the clifftop.
Pearl clips and white pyjamas
Sarah’s morning had a sea view of its own. We set up the details first: the invitation printed with eucalyptus leaves and tied with twine, her perfume and a pair of pearl hair clips. Then the clips went in one at a time while Sarah sat in white piped pyjamas, soft curls falling over one shoulder. She laughed constantly, which makes our job easy. A loved one came in, took both of her hands, and the two of them dissolved into laughter while a bridesmaid in lilac waited in the background.
Veil against the glass
The gown was lace with a sweetheart neckline and a long fitted train, and the veil reached well past it. Sarah sat on the edge of the bed with her bouquet of white roses and soft greenery, then stood at the sliding door to the balcony. We put her in front of the glass and let the ocean go bright behind her, exposing for her face so the lace kept every detail. One glance down at the train, one turn back to us, and she was ready. She stepped out of a white car beside the green slope of the reserve, smiling before both feet were on the gravel.
Happy tears on the clifftop
The ceremony sat on the grassy edge of Shelly Beach Reserve, white chairs facing the water and the rocks of the shore just below. Sarah’s dad walked her to the front, then took off his glasses to wipe his eyes, and Sarah pressed a hand to her chest. Rob just beamed. A clifftop like this does half our work: we kept the horizon level behind them and shot from a touch lower, so the sky and the sea did the framing. Rob read his vows into a microphone from a printed page, and Sarah laughed out loud when the rings came out.
Signing above the rocks
They signed the register at a small round table with a white cloth, the curve of the coast running away behind them. We moved down the slope for that frame so the beach and the far headland sat over their shoulders, the kind of detail that tells you exactly where you were. Then they walked back up the aisle between the guests with huge smiles. For the group photo we put everyone on the grass in front of a steep green bank, and on the second frame every arm went up with a cheer.
Family, a kiss and a dog
Family photos went fast and stayed happy, with the sea filling every background. Two of the men squeezed in to kiss Sarah on both cheeks at once, and she could not stop laughing. Then we took Sarah and Rob to the edge of the grass for a cuddle with the veil spread out across the lawn, and walked them hand in hand along the top. The wedding party lined up in lilac, floral and tan in front of the grassy hill, and a very happy dog joined Sarah and Rob for a cuddle on a gravel path.
The swing bridge and the sand
Lorne’s white swing bridge over the Erskine River was on Sarah and Rob’s wish list, and it delivered. The breeze caught Sarah’s veil and threw it right across the railings while Rob kissed her, and we stayed on the bridge deck so the tower and the white lines led the eye straight to them. Then down to the beach: the groomsmen strode along the waterline in step, and the bridesmaids crowded around Sarah with their bouquets, laughing as they sank into the sand. Our Lorne Beach wedding photos always look best on the firm wet sand near the water.
Gum trees at the golf course
Our last stop was up the hill at Lorne Country Club, where the reception at The Peak was waiting. The gum trees along the golf course threw long shadows across the fairway, and we turned Sarah and Rob so the sun came from behind and lit up the veil. Sarah and a bridesmaid struck a few silly poses, and the whole wedding party ended up in a laughing pile on the grass. Then it was just the two of them: a forehead kiss under the trees, a dip kiss with the train spread across the lawn, and a slow walk off towards the party.
