Macedon Ranges Farm wedding photos: Sally and Luke sit together in tall golden grass as the sun sets over the paddock in the Macedon Ranges
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Real wedding · Macedon Ranges, Melbourne

Macedon Ranges Farm Wedding Photos: Sally & Luke

Macedon Ranges · Melbourne

Sunset Wedding · City: Melbourne

Timber benches on the grass, cattle grazing behind a triangular timber arch, and a bouquet raised high into a blue summer sky the moment the vows were done. Sally and Luke married on a private farm in the Macedon Ranges, north-west of Melbourne, and never had to leave it: the ceremony, the hugs, the portraits and the party all happened on the one property. We walked them down a dusty farm track, then finished in long golden grass as the sun went down, and we loved every minute.

The gallery
Two wedding rings rest on a sage green invitation beside a timber ring box and a wheat and cream rose buttonhole on a striped cloth
Sally walks down the grassy aisle on her dad's arm towards Luke at the timber arch, cattle grazing in the golden Macedon Ranges paddocks beyond
Four bridesmaids in blush draped dresses hold peach and white bouquets in the summer sun, dry hills and a farm fence behind
Luke's groomsmen in sage suits line up by the dirt track on the Macedon Ranges farm, a black and white dog at their feet
Her dad in a cream jacket smiles on the front bench beside an older woman in dark glasses and another in a straw hat
Her dad in a cream linen jacket and pink shirt watches the ceremony from the front bench, a peach rose buttonhole on his lapel
Friends in wide brimmed hats, sunglasses and a blue bow tie laugh along the back of the outdoor ceremony under festoon bunting
An older woman in red glasses and black lace sits beside a smiling man in a white shirt as guests watch the vows
Sally smiles up at Luke as they hold hands under the triangular timber arch of dried flowers, a clear blue sky over the Macedon Ranges
A man in glasses and a blue floral shirt grins on a timber bench as a little blond boy leans past the guests
Luke kisses Sally beneath the dried flower arch, his hand at her waist, with rolling farmland soft behind them
Sally raises her bouquet high as Luke lifts their joined hands walking back up the aisle while the bridesmaids cheer
Guests raise their phones under the cream shade sail as Sally and Luke laugh together beside the glass pool fence
Sally and Luke stand with family under the shade sail on the Macedon Ranges farm as a fluffy white dog stretches out in front
Sally and Luke with her dad in a cream jacket and three loved ones by the glass pool fence, hours before their sunset portraits
Sally and Luke smile between her dad in a pink shirt and a woman in peach lace under the shade sail
Sally and Luke stand on the lawn with a woman in a black checked dress and a man in a white linen shirt
Sally holds her protea and peach rose bouquet beside a man in glasses and a blue floral shirt, the Macedon Ranges hills behind the glass
Sally stands between an older woman in an orange striped shirt and a grinning older man in a blue shirt and tie
Sally laughs cheek to cheek with a friend in a black halter dress, both holding bouquets of dried flowers and roses
Sally and Luke crouch on the lawn with a grinning fluffy white dog in a red bow tie, her bouquet resting on the grass
Luke strides down a dusty farm track in the Macedon Ranges holding Sally's bouquet high as the bridal party follows between wire fences
Luke kisses Sally's temple in the long dry grass as she smiles, her bouquet of proteas, roses and dried grasses in front
Sally gathers her lace skirt and looks back at Luke as they walk hand in hand through the paddock ahead of the bridal party
The bridal party walks arm in arm through golden grass under a big old gum in the Macedon Ranges hills, a few hours before sunset
Luke and his groomsmen in sage suits hold a laughing Sally across their arms on the dry hillside below a gum tree
Luke and Sally kiss in the middle of her laughing bridesmaids in blush satin under a gum tree on the farm
Sally stands with her back to us as her bridesmaids raise their bouquets high above the long dry grass
Luke sweeps Sally up in his arms in the paddock, her lace train and bouquet trailing as they both grin
Luke carries Sally through the dry grass and leans in to kiss her, fence posts and gum trees on the hill behind
Sally wraps her arms around Luke's neck and kisses him as he carries her through the paddock, long before the sunset session
Sally beams up at Luke as he carries her in his arms across the sloping paddock, her heels kicked up
Sally throws her head back laughing in Luke's arms, a pale bouquet in her outstretched hand and a gum trunk behind
Sally looks down at her bouquet of proteas, roses and dried grasses on the Macedon Ranges farm, an old shed and a lone gum behind
Sally glances back over her shoulder with a smile, holding the lace train of her gown in the dry paddock
Luke walks through the long dry grass with his hands in his pockets under a huge blue sky full of white clouds
Luke grins straight at the camera in his sage suit and pink bow tie on the afternoon of their sunset wedding
Luke wraps his arms around Sally from behind under a gum tree at the edge of the paddock, her bouquet at her waist
Sally and Luke kiss in the long golden grass as the sunset glows through the clouds over a Macedon Ranges paddock
Sally and Luke gaze at each other in golden hour light, the low sun glowing in her hair and the seed heads behind
Sally and Luke face each other knee deep in long grass, the sunset glowing behind them through soft clouds
Luke kisses Sally's forehead as she closes her eyes, the low sun flaring behind them in the Macedon Ranges at golden hour
Luke dips Sally into a kiss in the tall seed heads, her bouquet held out low as the sky glows at sunset
A wide view of Luke dipping Sally into a kiss in the long grass, the sun breaking through the clouds in the last light
Sally and Luke sit together in the long grass, her lace gown spread around them, as he kisses her hair at sunset
Luke rests his lips against Sally's hair as they sit in the grass with her bouquet in her lap, the sky bright with golden hour
Luke hugs Sally from behind in the tall grass, her bouquet resting at their feet in the last light of the day
Sally closes her eyes and smiles as Luke holds her close in the long grass, the sunset flaring across the paddock
Sally and Luke walk away hand in hand through the long grass of a Macedon Ranges paddock towards the golden hour sun
The wedding story

Our Macedon Ranges farm wedding photos: vows above the paddocks, a dusty farm track and golden grass at sunset

Getting ready on the farm · Ceremony under the timber arch · Family photos by the shade sail · Bridal party on the farm track · Paddock portraits · Golden hour in the long grass

Read the full story

Everything in one place

Sally and Luke’s whole day happened on one private farm in the Macedon Ranges, which meant no cars, no traffic and no watching the clock between locations. Both of them got ready on the property, and we started with the small things: the invitation laid on a striped cloth, their rings resting on top, a timber ring box engraved Mr & Mrs and a buttonhole of wheat, cream roses and dried flowers. A flat lay like this is worth five quiet minutes early in the day. Gather the details in one box before we arrive and they come together beautifully.

A grassy aisle to the arch

The ceremony was outdoors at three o’clock on a high summer afternoon. Guests sat on timber benches either side of a grassy aisle that ran towards a triangular timber arch dressed in dried flowers, and beyond it the paddocks rolled away to the hills, with cattle grazing behind the fence. Luke waited on a timber platform while his groomsmen stood in a row in sage suits, a black and white dog sitting at their feet. Sally walked in on her dad’s arm, and we stood behind them so the whole valley opened up ahead.

Faces in the front rows

Some of our favourite ceremony frames are of the guests. Older guests leaned in from the front bench, a man in a cream jacket smiling beside a woman in dark glasses, while friends in wide hats and sunglasses laughed along further back. In strong afternoon sun, faces under hat brims fall into shadow, so we moved around the edges to catch people side on, where the light skimmed across their smiles. If your ceremony is in full sun, a little shade, some water and a fan for older guests keep everyone comfortable and looking up at you.

Vows, a kiss and a cheer

Sally and Luke held hands under the arch with the paddocks behind them, and we chose a low angle so the sky did the background work and nothing cluttered the frame. Then came the kiss beneath the dried flowers, Luke’s hand at Sally’s waist. Walking back up the aisle, Sally raised her bouquet high above her head, Luke lifted their joined hands and the bridesmaids cheered from the side. With open sky behind them we could keep the exposure bright and airy, which suits a day dressed in peach, blush and sage.

Hugs under the shade sail

Straight after, everyone crowded in for hugs under a big cream shade sail beside the glass pool fence, phones raised to catch Sally and Luke laughing together. That sail was a gift: it turned harsh afternoon light into soft, even light, so we photographed the family and friends groups right there on the lawn. A dog stretched out in front of one big group and stole the frame. Then a fluffy white dog in a red bow tie sat between Sally and Luke for a portrait of its own, grinning as widely as they were.

Down the farm track

The bridal party walked down a dusty farm track between wire fences and gum trees, Luke out in front with Sally’s bouquet raised high, the bridesmaids in blush draped dresses and the groomsmen in sage. Under a big old gum on the hillside, Luke and his groomsmen scooped Sally up and held her across their arms while she laughed, and the bridesmaids raised their bouquets high around her. Dry summer grass glows in afternoon light, and the gum gave us just enough shade to keep faces clean while the hills stayed bright behind them.

Carried through the paddock

Then it was just the two of them. Luke kissed Sally’s temple in the long grass, they walked hand in hand with her lace skirt gathered in her fingers, and before long he swept her up and carried her through the paddock while she kicked her heels and laughed. We hung back with a longer lens so they could be silly without us in their faces, which is when the real laughs come. Our Macedon Ranges farm wedding photos owe a lot to that paddock: open sky, golden grass and nothing modern in sight.

A shed, a sky and solo time

We also took a few minutes with each of them alone. Sally turned in the paddock with an old farm shed and a single gum behind her, her lace train spread across the grass, and looked down at her bouquet of proteas, roses and dried grasses. Luke walked out under a huge blue sky full of white clouds, hands in his pockets, then gave us a grin straight down the lens. Solo portraits take five minutes and give you frames you will want on the wall. Back under a gum tree, they finished the set wrapped together.

Golden hour in the long grass

Sally and Luke asked for sunset portraits, so we slipped away from the reception as the sun dropped low over the paddock. We put the sun behind them, so it lit Sally’s hair and the seed heads of the long grass, and kept them close: a kiss on the forehead, a dip and a kiss, then sitting in the grass with her gown spread around them. Late December sunsets out here come well after eight o’clock, so plan a short escape from the party. Then they walked off hand in hand, back towards their guests.

Photographer's venue notes

A private farm in the Macedon Ranges: vows above the paddocks and a sunset escape into the long grass

Read the venue notes

One property, several settings

Sally and Luke never left the farm, and each part of the day had its own corner. The ceremony lawn looked out over the paddocks, with the timber arch at the end of a grassy aisle and cattle grazing beyond the fence. The cream shade sail beside the glass pool fence took the hugs and the family groups. A dusty track between wire fences and gums led the wedding party out into the dry grass for portraits, and later, while the reception carried on, we slipped back out to the paddock for the sunset.

High sun, then gold

The vows happened under a high summer sun and a clear blue sky, which looks wonderful on a hillside but is hard on faces under hat brims. For the couple we kept the horizon low and let the open sky sit behind them, and for the guests we moved to the sides of the benches. By the portrait walk the dry grass had started to glow, and the gums gave just enough cover for clean faces. The real reward came at the very end, when the sun sank behind soft cloud and lit Sally’s hair and the seed heads from behind.

Spots that earned their place

The shade sail was the hero of the afternoon: even light for every group, and enough lawn for the dogs to join in. Under the big old gum on the hillside, the wedding party had room to spread out and lift Sally across their arms. For her solo portrait, the old farm shed and a lone gum gave the paddock a sense of place without anything modern creeping in. At sunset, standing with the sun behind the couple and shooting into it turned the long grass into a glowing curtain around them.

Planning your own farm day

Build two portrait sessions into your plan, as Sally and Luke did: a longer walk after the ceremony with the wedding party, then a short escape for just the two of you as the sun goes down. Walk the property in the weeks before and notice where the afternoon shade falls; a sail, a big gum or a verandah will rescue your family photos. And if there are dogs in the family, put them in the groups, because here they stole every frame they joined.

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