A quiet hug in Gandel Hall
Our day at the National Gallery of Australia began in Gandel Hall while the room was still empty, with an arch of peach, gold and blush balloons wrapped around giant light-up letters, S and T, behind the head table. Sanduni, in a long-sleeved white lace dress and a gold headpiece, and Theshan in navy wrapped their arms around each other for one quiet moment. We kept the hall’s name on the dark wall above them in the frame, because a venue’s own lettering tells everyone where you are without a word. Then it was off to the Skyspace.
A bridal party under the oculus
Inside James Turrell’s Skyspace, the domed chamber opens to the sky through a round oculus, and on this soft, overcast morning it worked like one enormous softbox. Theshan and his groomsmen lined up in navy suits along the curved stone bench, then Sanduni joined her four bridesmaids in blush, each holding a pastel bouquet. Together the whole bridal party filled the curve of the wall, then sat along the bench for a relaxed version. We stood back against the far wall with a wide lens, so the clean curve of the dome held everyone in one tidy arc.
Families in an even light
Next came the family photos, small groups and big ones, all inside the same pale dome. Loved ones arrived in flowing silk in sage, gold and champagne, alongside suits in navy and powder blue, and Sanduni stood at the centre with her cascade of white orchids and peach roses. The Skyspace light is so even that nobody squints and nobody disappears into shadow, which is a gift for older guests and long group lists. Our tip: send us your family list ahead, as Sanduni and Theshan did, so each grouping takes a minute rather than five.
A basalt doorway and turquoise water
Outside the chamber, the basalt stupa rises from a pool of turquoise water between walls of soft red ochre, and we used every bit of it. A family group stood framed in the stupa’s pale doorway, then Sanduni and Theshan took their turn, a small pair inside a big stone frame. Along the walkway between the angled pink walls they strolled hand in hand, and when they hugged at the pool’s edge the still water handed us a second couple, upside down. We kept one black and white frame from the walkway too, where the walls became pure graphic shapes.
Dancers lead the way
Back in Gandel Hall, the ceremony opened with a burst of energy. Two male dancers in silver headdresses, beaded chest pieces and white skirts leapt along the red carpet while guests leaned out from their tables, phones raised. Then a line of female dancers in orange and gold, each holding a white offering high, led Sanduni and her loved ones through the doors and down the hall. The timber floor bounced warm light back up at everyone, so we crouched low and close to keep the kicks big and the faces sharp.
Vows beneath a floral canopy
The ceremony took place on a raised platform beneath a gold-framed canopy dripping with white flowers and long hanging strands of blooms, with a tall brass lamp standing to one side. The bridesmaids and groomsmen formed lines either side, and an older gentleman in white guided each step. Loved ones came forward one by one to take part, and we caught an older guest reaching out to the couple’s joined hands from just behind his shoulder. Then came the kiss in front of the canopy, with the bridesmaids beaming beside them and the hall breaking into smiles.
Cake by the gum-tree windows
Floor-to-ceiling windows run along one side of Gandel Hall, and beyond the glass stand pale gum trees, a backdrop nobody could paint better. Sanduni and Theshan stood beside a three-tier semi-naked cake dressed with blush roses, then the bridal party gathered round it in a long happy line. At a small round table they signed the papers, with family and friends standing proudly behind them. Window light like this arrives from the side, so we turned the couple a little towards the glass and let the lace and the cake’s soft icing catch it.
A white gown and a dance
By the reception Sanduni had changed into a sleeveless white ball gown with lace flowers scattered over the tulle. A troupe of dancers in black tops and full coral skirts swirled across the floor in front of the glowing S and T letters, and then Sanduni stepped in among them, arms wide, dancing along with a huge grin. Theshan watched from a teal velvet chair in the front row, which gave us the frame of the afternoon: his back, her twirl and the whole room in between. For performances we stay at the edge of the floor and keep the couple in every shot.
Spins by the Skyspace mound
Our National Gallery of Australia wedding photos finished outside in the Australian Garden, where the grassed pyramid of the Skyspace rises behind a band of tall reeds. Sanduni glanced back over her shoulder as they walked the stone path, then Theshan spun her by the reeds, her tulle flaring wide. Under the gum trees on the lawn they walked hand in hand while she gathered her skirt, and then he swept her off her feet, twice, both of them laughing. The overcast sky kept skin soft and every lace flower on the gown crisp, no harsh shadows anywhere.
