Milestone Events wedding photos: Maddy and Monty kiss under a clear umbrella on a rainy lane, her lace train streaming behind, on Sydney's Northern Beaches
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Real wedding · Manly, Northern Beaches

Milestone Events Wedding Photos: Maddy & Monty

Milestone Events · 16 N Fort Rd, Manly NSW · Sydney

Ballroom Wedding · Heritage & Historic Venue Wedding · Region: NSW - Northern Beaches · City: Sydney · Venue: Milestone Events

Two dogs at Monty’s feet, a loved one hiding his eyes at the first sight of the gown, and an aisle through white drapes onto a polished timber floor. Maddy and Monty’s Milestone Events wedding in Manly turned a rainy North Head afternoon into one of our favourite days, with clear umbrellas outside the old art deco barracks and a reception that ended its first dance with Maddy lifted high above the floor. We loved every soggy, happy minute.

The gallery
Monty kneels on the rug in a crisp white shirt with his two dogs, a black and white pup and a brown one
Monty laughs with both dogs on a grey sofa, his light grey blazer hanging on the white wall beside a monstera
Monty in a light grey blazer and pocket square perches on the arm of the sofa beside a potted monstera, grinning
Monty holds a glass and smiles over his shoulder beside the monstera against a plain white wall
A makeup brush touches up Maddy's lips while her blonde hair sits pinned up in soft twists, close up in window light
Maddy laughs softly in a white robe with a glass of champagne, loose curls falling from her low bun
Maddy looks back over her shoulder in a lace gown with thin straps and a low back, beside a tall gold framed mirror
Seen past Maddy's open lace back, her dad in a white shirt gets his first look at the gown in the living room
Her dad covers his face with both hands at his first sight of Maddy in her gown, beside a leadlight door
Maddy and her dad share a long hug on the timber floor while a guest in a sage dress films on her phone
Maddy smiles as she fastens an earring in her lace gown, loose strands of blonde hair framing her face
Maddy sits on a striped white sofa looking down at her lace skirt, a long sheer veil falling over one arm
Maddy smiles down from the striped sofa with her veil drawn across her arm and her bouquet resting beside her
Maddy smiles up from the sofa holding a bouquet of white roses, eucalyptus and soft green sprigs
Maddy stands before the striped sofa with her bouquet, veil sweeping out across the carpet beside her lace train
Close on Maddy's bare shoulder and drop earring as she looks down, her veil and bouquet softly blurred beside her
Maddy sits in her veil on the striped sofa under leadlight windows, holding white roses, blush blooms and silvery leaves
Maddy pins a sprig of greenery to her dad's cream linen jacket, both of them concentrating hard
A loved one in a botanical print dress laughs as she opens a small gift tied with red ribbon, Maddy watching beside her
Her dad pulls a surprised face holding up a bottle of whiskey from his gift while Maddy and a loved one laugh
The loved one in the botanical print dress unfolds a black pouch holding a small gold keepsake as Maddy looks on
The loved one in the botanical print dress beams at Maddy, her dad's linen shoulder and buttonhole just in frame
Maddy grins between her dad in his cream jacket and the loved one in the botanical print dress
Maddy laughs with her dad and the loved one in the botanical print dress, arms around each other by the window
Maddy stands for a family portrait with her dad and the loved one in the botanical print dress in front of the white sofa
Maddy laughs among four bridesmaids in sage green satin, all holding out bouquets of eucalyptus, white roses and berries
Maddy and a bridesmaid with long wavy brown hair pose with their bouquets in front of the striped sofa
A bridesmaid with a short dark curly bob stands arm in arm with Maddy, sage satin beside white lace
Maddy and a blonde bridesmaid in a sage wrap dress hold their eucalyptus and white rose bouquets side by side
A bridesmaid with honey curls and a fine necklace smiles beside Maddy, both bouquets held at the waist
Maddy smiles back over her shoulder with her bouquet, her cathedral veil and lace train trailing across the carpet
Maddy rests a hand on an old sandstone fireplace and glances back, veil flowing past the striped sofa and leadlight window
Maddy walks in on her dad's arm through sheer white drapes onto the polished timber floor of the heritage ballroom at Milestone Events
Monty waits at the front in his light grey blazer, hands clasped, as their Northern Beaches wedding ceremony begins
Four bridesmaids in sage green satin wait by a tall timber window of the historic ballroom with their eucalyptus bouquets
Four groomsmen in light grey jackets grin in a row by the window and a red timber table at Milestone Events, Manly
Her dad sits with a little girl in a floral smocked dress on his knee as guests settle into white chairs in the ballroom
A guest in a soft aqua top smiles up from her white chair during the ceremony on Sydney's Northern Beaches
Guests in a row of white chairs laugh along with the vows in the heritage ballroom, a girl with blue tassel earrings at the end
Maddy and Monty hold hands and laugh with the celebrant before the brick fireplace and olive branches at Milestone Events on North Head
Maddy and Monty kiss by the brick fireplace in the heritage ballroom while a bridesmaid and the celebrant burst out laughing
Guests of every age clap and cheer from their white chairs at Milestone Events on Sydney's Northern Beaches
Her dad and the loved one in the botanical print dress applaud from the front row of the historic ballroom
Maddy and Monty smile at a red timber table with the register by a heritage window, two witnesses behind, at their Northern Beaches ceremony
Maddy and Monty walk back up the aisle under fairy lights as guests clap in the ballroom at Milestone Events in the Barracks Precinct
Confetti flies as Maddy and Monty grin their way out of their Northern Beaches ceremony, a little girl in navy watching
Monty kisses Maddy as they step out through the sheer white drapes at Milestone Events, Manly, a staff member smiling beside them
Monty throws an arm up and laughs with Maddy just after the ceremony, the historic ballroom's old timber doors behind them
Maddy and Monty pose arm in arm with a white haired guest in a blue dress and beaded necklace after their Northern Beaches ceremony
Maddy and Monty with her dad and three loved ones against sheer white drapes in the ballroom at Milestone Events on North Head
Maddy and Monty with a loved one in a pale yellow dress and a man in a dark suit on the ballroom's old timber floor
Maddy and Monty pose with her dad and the loved one in the botanical print dress on the historic ballroom's timber floor
A family group of ten gathers around Maddy and Monty against the fairy lit drapes at Milestone Events on the Northern Beaches
A bigger family group lines up beside Maddy and Monty in the heritage ballroom, from a toddler in pink to a guest in mustard knit
Maddy and Monty in the middle of a family group with babies on hips and little ones in tulle at their Northern Beaches wedding
The whole family crowds into one big group around Maddy and Monty in the heritage ballroom at Milestone Events, Manly
Monty stands with a guest in a long floral dress, her hand on his chest, in the historic ballroom on the Northern Beaches
Maddy hugs a guest in a teal top in the ballroom, her bouquet of white roses and eucalyptus held to one side
Maddy and Monty with four loved ones, from a white haired guest in blue to a man in a dark suit, in the historic ballroom
Maddy stands between a man in a navy floral shirt and a man in a dark blazer against the drapes at their Northern Beaches wedding
Maddy beams in the ballroom as two men kiss her on both cheeks, one in a navy floral shirt, one in a dark blazer
Maddy lines up with bridesmaids in sage satin and friends in teal, black and floral dresses at Milestone Events in the Barracks Precinct
Maddy and her friends lean in laughing, a few kicking up a heel on the ballroom floor at their Northern Beaches wedding
A big group of friends gathers around Maddy and Monty, the women kneeling in front, at Milestone Events on North Head
Monty and seven mates in grey and navy jackets raise their drinks in a row in front of the white drapes in the historic ballroom
Maddy and Monty with a row of friends holding drinks, a guest in a burgundy dress beside them, at their Northern Beaches wedding
Maddy and Monty in a line of friends, one man holding a baby in pink, against the white curtain of the heritage ballroom
Everyone squeezes into one big group around Maddy and Monty under the fairy lights of the ballroom at Milestone Events
Maddy and Monty kiss in the middle of the everyone shot, the wedding party lined up beside them on the historic ballroom floor
The wedding party raises clear umbrellas on a wet path in the rain outside Milestone Events, Manly, an old brick building behind
The wedding party lines up under clear umbrellas before a heritage art deco building with a columned porch on Sydney's Northern Beaches
Maddy and Monty sneak a kiss in the umbrella line outside the historic columned porch of Milestone Events on North Head
Maddy and Monty grin under one clear umbrella on a wet road, raindrops on the dome, during their rainy Northern Beaches wedding
Monty holds Maddy close beneath a clear umbrella beaded with rain, the heritage barracks around Milestone Events behind them
Maddy looks back over her shoulder, skirt gathered up, as she and Monty walk off under one umbrella past the historic barracks
Maddy, Monty and the bridesmaids laugh under clear umbrellas by historic brick steps on Sydney's Northern Beaches
The wedding party walks a wet road between a long brick building and clipped hedges at Milestone Events in the Barracks Precinct
Maddy and Monty kiss around an old lamp post, each under a clear umbrella, a two storey heritage barracks verandah behind
Five groomsmen in light grey jackets walk arm in arm holding clear umbrellas high on a wet Northern Beaches afternoon
Maddy and her four bridesmaids stand on a wet road under clear umbrellas among the historic buildings of Milestone Events, Manly
Maddy and her bridesmaids laugh under clear umbrellas before the ballroom reception on Sydney's Northern Beaches, bouquets filling the frame
Maddy lifts her skirt and laughs up at Monty as they lead the wedding party along a wet road at Milestone Events on North Head
Maddy's long veil streams in the wind as she and Monty share a clear umbrella by a vintage Volkswagen van at the heritage barracks
Maddy and Monty share an umbrella before a cream and navy vintage van at Milestone Events on the Northern Beaches
Monty holds the umbrella and smiles at Maddy on a wet road through the historic barracks, the cream and navy van parked behind
Seen from behind, Monty wraps an arm around Maddy under a clear umbrella, her lace train trailing at Milestone Events in the Barracks Precinct
Monty kisses Maddy's hair as they walk away under a clear umbrella, wind lifting her veil, in the heritage precinct on Sydney's Northern Beaches
Monty kisses Maddy's cheek under a rain speckled umbrella as she grins back at us at Milestone Events, Manly
Maddy smiles up at Monty under a clear umbrella on the wet road before the historic ballroom reception, his arm around her lace back
Monty scoops Maddy up into his arms during their first dance in the ballroom at their Northern Beaches wedding, guests clapping behind
Monty lifts Maddy high in their first dance in the heritage ballroom at Milestone Events while guests cheer and film
The wedding story

Our Milestone Events wedding photos: an aisle through white drapes, clear umbrellas in the rain and a lift on the dance floor

Getting ready with two dogs · A teary first look · Aisle through white drapes at Milestone Events · Family groups in the ballroom · Clear umbrellas around the North Head barracks · First dance on the timber floor

Read the full story

Two dogs and a monstera

Our day with Monty started on the floor of a bright living room, crouched beside two very good dogs who were far more interested in him than in us. Once the jacket went on, a light grey blazer with a pocket square, he perched on the arm of the sofa with a drink in hand beside a big potted monstera. A plain white wall and one green plant is all a groom portrait needs. We shot it wide and simple, so his grin did all the work and nothing in the room competed with it.

Champagne in a white robe

Meanwhile, Maddy sat for the last touches of her makeup with her hair already swept up, then stood laughing in a white robe with a glass of champagne. We kept her close to the window, because soft daylight from one side is kinder to skin than any overhead light. Then the gown went on: a lace dress with a low back and thin straps. She turned to the long mirror and looked back over her shoulder at us, the train spreading across the carpet behind her.

Hands over his face

The first look happened in the living room. A loved one in a white shirt saw Maddy in her gown and both hands went straight over his face. We stood behind her for that frame, so her open back and his reaction share the picture. Hugs followed in the doorway. Then Maddy settled onto a striped white sofa, smoothing the lace and looking down at the bouquet beside her, and we came in close on the veil falling over one shoulder as she turned towards the window.

A buttonhole for her dad

Maddy pinned a sprig of greenery onto her dad’s cream jacket herself, both of them concentrating hard. A loved one in a botanical print dress opened a small gift beside her and could not stop smiling, and the three of them stood together for a portrait. The bridesmaids arrived in sage green with big eucalyptus and white rose bouquets, and each one had a moment with Maddy in front of the sofa. Our last frame before the ceremony was Maddy by an old fireplace, veil trailing, bouquet in hand.

Through the white drapes

With rain settling over North Head, the aisle ran indoors, through a doorway hung with sheer white drapes and down a polished timber floor lined with guests. Maddy walked in on her dad’s arm while a staff member held the curtain back. We stood behind them, because a long veil and train seen from behind, leading into a room full of faces, tells you exactly where you are. Up front, the bridesmaids in sage and the groomsmen in light grey jackets waited by the windows, and the guests in white chairs were already grinning.

A kiss by the fireplace

The vows were said in front of a brick fireplace dressed with tall olive branches and a basket of feathery grasses. When the kiss came, a bridesmaid laughed out loud, the celebrant beamed and the room burst into applause, kids included. We like a slightly longer lens here, so we can stay back and still fill the frame with reactions. Maddy and Monty signed the register at a red timber table with two witnesses leaning in, then walked back down the aisle through a tunnel of clapping hands.

Everyone against the drapes

Our Milestone Events wedding photos then moved into family groups, and the rain made the choice easy: the sheer white drapes became our backdrop. Fairy lights glowed through the fabric, and the timber floor kept the base of every frame warm. We built each group from the couple outwards, parents first, then siblings, grandparents and cousins, until the whole room squeezed in for one big shot. Indoor groups like this run quickly when someone keeps a list, so nobody wanders off to the bar halfway through.

Clear umbrellas outside the barracks

Then we went out into the drizzle. Clear umbrellas are our favourite rain trick, because they keep everyone dry without hiding a single face. The wedding party lined up in front of an art deco brick building with a columned porch, umbrellas held high, then walked a wet road between the old barracks with the bridesmaids lifting their bouquets. The groomsmen got their own frame, umbrellas up and very pleased with themselves. Wet asphalt reflects the sky, which brightens a grey day far more than you would expect.

One umbrella and a first dance

For Maddy and Monty we cut it back to one umbrella. A cream and navy vintage van sat parked further down the road while the wind caught her veil, and under the trees they stood close together beneath the clear dome while rain beaded on the plastic. Back inside, the reception had its own big moment: in the middle of their first dance Monty scooped Maddy up and lifted her high above the timber floor, while the guests circled around them cheering, laughing and holding their phones up.

Photographer's venue notes

Milestone Events, Manly: a rainy day ceremony in the ballroom and clear umbrellas around the barracks

Read the venue notes

Plan B became the plan

Maddy and Monty had hoped to marry outdoors, but the rain settled in over North Head and the ballroom took the ceremony instead. It worked beautifully. Guests sat in white chairs on the timber floor, Maddy came in through the sheer drapes on her dad’s arm, and the vows happened in front of the brick fireplace with its olive branches. Later the same room was reset for dinner and the first dance, so the guests stayed warm and dry while the wedding party braved the weather with us.

Grey light, indoors and out

The rain gave us flat, gentle light from start to finish. Inside, the tall timber windows let soft daylight fall across the bridesmaids and groomsmen waiting at the front, and the fairy lights behind the drapes added a warm glow that bright sun would have washed out. Outside, the cloud meant no harsh shadows anywhere, and the clear umbrellas let that light straight through onto faces. Raindrops beading on the plastic domes became a detail we went looking for in the closer frames.

The spots we used for Maddy and Monty

Family groups went against the sheer white drapes, where the fabric gave a clean, bright background and the old timber floor kept everything warm underfoot. Out in the drizzle, we took the wedding party to the columned brick porch of an art deco building nearby, then along the wet road between long brick walls and clipped hedges. The cream and navy vintage van parked down the road made a lovely surprise prop for the two of them, and an old lamp post gave us a playful kiss under two umbrellas.

Tips for a wet day on North Head

Keep a bundle of clear umbrellas on hand for any day with a doubtful forecast; for Maddy and Monty they turned a soggy afternoon into some of our favourite frames. Brides, be ready to gather your skirt and walk with purpose, as Maddy did, so the lace stays out of the puddles and the walking shots stay joyful. And if rain moves your ceremony inside, let us run the family groups against the drapes straight after, while everyone is still in the room.

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