Panorama House wedding photos: Shontei laughs as she strides ahead of AJ between tall palms, her veil trailing over the grass, south of Sydney
Home/Weddings/Panorama House, Maddens Plains
Real mountain wedding · Maddens Plains, Sydney

Panorama House Wedding Photos: Shontei & AJ

Panorama House · 811 Princes Hwy, Maddens Plains NSW · Sydney

Mountain Wedding · City: Sydney · Venue: Panorama House

A guitar and a round of whisky with the groomsmen, a loved one in plum lace kneeling to fasten Shontei’s shoe, then vows under a gazebo smothered in white flowers with the Pacific spread out below. Shontei and AJ’s Panorama House wedding at Maddens Plains, high on the Illawarra escarpment, rolled from a red-carpet aisle to a white stretch limo at dusk and a first dance on a floor of low cloud between fountains of sparks. We loved every minute.

The gallery
AJ in a charcoal tuxedo and bow tie walks across a sunny lawn beside a pale blue weatherboard house.
AJ in dark sunglasses and a black bow tie sits back against a white table on a timber deck.
AJ in sunglasses holds a bottle and talks with a long haired groomsman in the hallway while getting ready.
AJ and a smiling groomsman with long curly hair clink glasses of whisky in the kitchen.
Groomsmen laugh and sing along over whisky while one plays guitar beneath a ship's wheel on the wall.
AJ and his groomsmen gather around the couch with drinks and a guitar for a lounge room group portrait.
AJ stands front and centre with his groomsmen on a timber deck in front of a sandstone block wall.
AJ in sunglasses sips a drink as his groomsmen gather on the deck below a modern hillside house.
Shontei smiles in a white satin robe and sparkling headpiece as blush is brushed onto her cheek.
Shontei in a white satin robe sits at a mirror ringed with round bulbs while her makeup goes on.
White rose bouquet, drop earrings, an engagement ring and a small photo locket laid out on a timber table.
Shontei laughs with a bridesmaid in champagne satin on the sunny balcony, blue sky behind them.
A woman in a white satin robe laughs skyward beside a bridesmaid in champagne satin under a clear blue sky.
Shontei in her robe and pearl headpiece shares a laugh with a bridesmaid in champagne satin outdoors.
A flower girl in a white tulle dress and white shoes stands by the coffee table while the bride gets ready.
A smiling loved one in a grey top holds a baby in a pale blue shirt on the couch.
Shontei in her satin robe tucks a white pocket square into a young man's black suit jacket.
Bridesmaids in champagne satin and Shontei in her white robe raise pink drinks around the flower girl in the makeup chair.
Bridesmaids laugh as the little flower girl strikes a thoughtful pose in the makeup chair.
A loved one in plum lace smiles as a bridesmaid helps with her hair in the bright getting ready room.
A loved one in plum lace holds a baby beside an older loved one in pale blue with long pearl necklaces.
Shontei in her off shoulder lace gown smiles as loved ones in plum and pale blue watch, one with a hand to her mouth.
Shontei in her lace gown and crystal headpiece stands with a loved one in plum lace by sheer curtains.
A loved one in plum lace kisses Shontei's shoulder as they hold hands and laugh.
Shontei cups the cheek of a teary loved one in plum lace as they share a quiet moment.
Shontei stands with an older loved one in a pale blue dress and long strands of pearls.
Shontei and an older loved one in pale blue and pearls share a tender kiss on the cheek by bright windows.
A young man in a black suit and pearls peers out playfully from under the sheer bridal veil.
Shontei in her lace gown and long train poses with a bridesmaid in champagne satin by the curtains.
Shontei holds a white rose bouquet on the deck in front of a hedge of white flowers and drifting clouds.
Shontei looks down at her bouquet as her long lace train fans out across the timber deck.
Shontei smiles over her shoulder in front of white flowering shrubs with the sea glinting behind.
Shontei holds her bouquet beside a tall young man in a black suit, turtleneck and pearl necklace.
Shontei and a young man in a turtleneck and pearls share a playful look in the light filled room.
Shontei gives a cheeky look up at the young man in a turtleneck, her white rose bouquet in hand.
Shontei poses with a loved one in a polka dot blouse and glasses in front of the deck windows.
Shontei laughs beside a smiling loved one in a black polka dot blouse and glasses.
Shontei stands between an older loved one in pale blue and pearls and an older man in a beige jacket.
Shontei shares a laugh with an older loved one in pale blue and an older man in a patterned tie.
Shontei poses with a loved one in a navy satin gown and a man in a charcoal suit by the windows.
A bridesmaid settles Shontei's veil while two women in white satin crouch to spread her lace train.
A bridesmaid in champagne satin fixes the veil behind Shontei as she holds her white rose bouquet.
A bridesmaid sets the long veil into Shontei's hair as she stands with her bouquet by the window.
Shontei stands still with her bouquet while a bridesmaid and a woman in white satin arrange her veil and train.
A loved one in plum lace kneels on the rug to fasten Shontei's white strappy heel.
Shontei smiles under her veil and crystal headpiece among leafy greenery with a tree covered slope behind.
Four flower girls in white dresses and fluffy white wraps wait with lace baskets on the path at Panorama House, Maddens Plains.
Shontei walks arm in arm with an older loved one in blue and a lavender flower crown towards the mountain top ceremony.
Shontei reaches the white flower gazebo at Panorama House, where AJ waits with his groomsmen on the escarpment ridge above the ocean.
An older man in a checked shirt and a red garland watches the ceremony from the lawn high on the escarpment.
A loved one in plum lace cries behind her hand as a toddler reaches for her face at Panorama House at Bulli Tops.
Guests in white chairs fill the lawn for the mountain ceremony under a bright blue sky.
Shontei smiles through her veil beside the white flower gazebo at Panorama House on the Illawarra escarpment as guests look on.
Shontei and AJ kiss on the red carpet beneath the white flower gazebo, the ocean far below the mountain ridge.
Shontei and AJ walk back down the red carpet at Panorama House, AJ punching the air, the coast spread below the mountain.
Shontei and AJ hug in the aisle as guests cheer, the coastline stretching out below the escarpment.
Shontei and AJ stand at the gazebo on the escarpment ridge with loved ones in plum lace and pale blue at Panorama House, Maddens Plains.
Shontei and AJ pose with an older man in a pale grey suit and orange garland at the mountain top gazebo.
Family gathers around Shontei and AJ on the red carpet at Panorama House at Bulli Tops, the coast below the hills of the escarpment.
The bridal party in champagne satin and dark suits lines the red carpet at the mountain gazebo under a big blue sky.
Shontei and AJ with four men in suits at the flower gazebo at Panorama House, the coastline curving away below the mountain ridge.
Shontei and AJ hold hands and swap smiles as they stroll along a garden path past a pond.
Shontei laughs out loud as she walks hand in hand with AJ along the leafy path.
Shontei and AJ kiss on the lawn as his groomsmen bow and gesture towards them beside a tall hedge.
Shontei and AJ smile with his groomsmen on the lawn, a white rose buttonhole on every lapel.
Shontei stands with her bridesmaids in champagne satin on the lawn in front of a tall hedge and palms.
A bridesmaid throws her bouquet high in the air behind Shontei and AJ as the bridal party clowns around.
The bridal party pulls on sunglasses for a crouching, cheeky group pose with Shontei on the lawn.
AJ dips Shontei into a kiss beneath a white timber rotunda, her veil and train sweeping the floor.
Shontei laughs as she strides ahead of AJ between tall palms, her veil trailing across the grass.
Shontei and AJ touch noses and smile under her sheer veil, white roses held between them.
In black and white, Shontei and AJ rest nose to nose under the veil, both smiling.
Shontei wraps her arms around AJ's shoulders from behind as he holds her bouquet under the gum trees.
Shontei and AJ kiss beside a white stretch limo as dusk turns the mountain sky purple at Panorama House on the Illawarra escarpment.
A groomsman in sunglasses and a bridesmaid in champagne satin dance into the mountain top reception through a white flower arch.
A groomsman and a bridesmaid in sunglasses stride through the flower arch at Panorama House at Bulli Tops, her bouquet held high.
A groomsman in sunglasses waves to the room as he and a bridesmaid dance into the reception high on the escarpment ridge.
Shontei and AJ make a grand entrance through the flower arch at Panorama House, sparks firing below the chandelier at their mountain reception.
AJ in sunglasses and Shontei cheer as they dance into their escarpment reception past guests holding up phones.
Shontei and AJ smile beside a tall white cake wrapped in roses in the mountain top reception room at Panorama House, Maddens Plains.
Shontei wraps her arms around AJ for their first dance under chandeliers and fairy lights, high in the mountains.
Shontei and AJ hold each other close as low fog spills across the dance floor at Panorama House on the Illawarra escarpment.
AJ hides his face in his hands laughing as Shontei holds him close during their mountain wedding first dance.
Shontei and AJ laugh hand in hand through drifting fog on the dance floor at Panorama House at Bulli Tops, up in the hills.
Shontei sings with her arms around AJ's neck as fog swirls across the dance floor high on the mountain ridge.
AJ grins at Shontei as she drapes her arms over his shoulders, fairy lights glowing across the mountain reception room.
Shontei and AJ dance on a cloud of fog between fountains of sparks as guests watch at Panorama House, high on the mountain.
The wedding story

Our Panorama House wedding photos: a guitar with the groomsmen, vows above the Pacific and a first dance on a cloud

Getting ready with the groomsmen · Satin robes and hugs · Red-carpet aisle to the flower gazebo · Family groups above the coast · Limo kiss at dusk · Sparks and a first dance in the fog

Read the full story

Whisky and a guitar

AJ started his day on a sunny lawn in a black tuxedo and bow tie, then settled onto a timber deck in sunglasses looking every bit the groom. Inside, the groomsmen raised glasses of whisky, and one picked up a guitar beneath a ship’s wheel on the wall while the rest sang and laughed along from the couch. Then the whole crew lined up on the deck in front of a sandstone wall. With a group this big we stand well back and go wide, so every face gets daylight and nobody hides behind a shoulder.

Satin robes and blue sky

At another house, Shontei sat at a mirror ringed with round bulbs while her makeup went on, her white rose bouquet, earrings and rings laid out on the timber table with a little photo locket. She and her bridesmaids wore white and champagne satin robes, and out on the balcony they laughed with nothing but blue sky behind them. A flower girl in a white tulle dress perched in the makeup chair with the bridesmaids gathered around her. Big windows and bright floors are a gift for getting ready: the whole room becomes one soft light.

Kisses before the veil

Once the gown was on, the hugs began. A loved one in plum lace pressed a kiss to Shontei’s shoulder, and an older loved one in blue with a string of pearls kissed her on the cheek. Family came through one by one for portraits in the light-filled room, then we took Shontei out onto the deck, where a white flowering hedge and drifting clouds made a fresh frame for her lace. Before she left, the loved one in plum lace knelt on the floor to fasten her shoe, a small moment we never want to miss.

Through the gate

At Panorama House a white stretch limo pulled up beside the gate. Shontei came through it arm in arm with the older loved one in blue, her veil lifting in the breeze off the escarpment. A red carpet ran between low clipped hedges to a white gazebo covered in white flowers, where AJ waited with his groomsmen in black, a few still in sunglasses. We stood behind Shontei for one frame as she reached the gazebo, because seeing the groom over the bride’s shoulder tells you exactly what the moment felt like.

Tears above the coast

Guests filled the white chairs on the lawn, and the emotion arrived early. A loved one in plum lace pressed a hand to her mouth as tears came, while a toddler held by a loved one beside her reached up to touch her face. Under the flowers Shontei glowed behind her veil. When they kissed and walked back down the red carpet together, AJ punched the air and the guests cheered from both sides. Panorama House wedding photos have a secret weapon here: shoot from the end of the aisle and the whole coastline sits behind the couple.

Family at the flower gazebo

The flower gazebo became our backdrop for family groups, with the ocean horizon running behind every frame. Elders stood beside the couple, aunts and cousins squeezed in, and the groomsmen lined up in their dark suits with a mix of serious faces and grins. With a horizon in the background we keep the camera level and step back far enough to fit the whole floral arch, so the groups look calm and balanced. Bright afternoon light lit the white flowers and the faces evenly, and the sky stayed a deep blue over the water.

Antics in the garden

Out in the gardens the bridal party let loose. The groomsmen bowed to Shontei like courtiers, the bridesmaids in champagne satin threw a bouquet high in the air, and everyone pulled on sunglasses for a crouching group pose that took several attempts and a lot of laughing. Then we walked Shontei and AJ past the palms on their own. Under her veil we brought them close, foreheads together and smiling, one frame we kept in black and white because the veil and lace looked best in tone alone.

Limo kiss and a grand entrance

As the sky turned purple over the coast, we took Shontei and AJ back to the white stretch limo for a kiss beside it, the cabin lights glowing behind them. Dusk only lasts a few minutes up here, so we had the frame planned before we walked out. Inside, the reception room was all white, with chandeliers, fairy lights and an arch of white flowers at the entrance. The bridal party danced through the arch between fountains of sparks, AJ in sunglasses, and then the two of them posed beside a tall white cake covered in roses.

Dancing on a cloud

For their first dance, low fog rolled across the floor and fountains of sparks fired up on either side. Shontei and AJ swayed through the haze, AJ hid his face in his hands laughing at one point, and Shontei wrapped her arms around his neck. We shot the moment close for their faces and then wide from the back of the room, with the chandeliers, the guests at their tables and the little ones watching. Fog like this looks best photographed low and from the side, where the light skims across it.

Photographer's venue notes

Panorama House, Maddens Plains: vows above the Pacific and a dusk limo kiss on the escarpment

Read the venue notes

From the gate to the gazebo and inside

Shontei arrived by white stretch limo at the gate and walked in arm in arm with an older loved one, straight onto a red carpet between low clipped hedges. The white flower gazebo held the vows, and afterwards it became our backdrop for every family and bridal party group. From there we wandered the gardens with the couple, past the pond, the palms and the white timber rotunda, came back to the limo at dusk, then followed everyone inside through the flower arch for the reception.

Blue sky, bright flowers and a purple dusk

The afternoon was clear and bright, with a deep blue sky over the water for the whole ceremony. That kind of light is strong up on the ridge, but the white flowers on the gazebo bounced it back and kept faces even, which made the groups easy. A steady breeze played with Shontei's veil from the moment she reached the gate. Later the sky over the coast went purple, and that short window gave us the limo kiss with its cabin lights glowing.

The frames that worked for Shontei and AJ

Standing at the end of the red carpet, with the hedges leading in, put the couple under the flowers with the coastline far below them. For the bridal party antics we moved onto the lawn by a tall hedge, a plain green wall that let the champagne satin and dark suits stand out. The quieter moments came under the gum trees and inside the rotunda, where AJ dipped Shontei into a kiss and her veil and train swept the floor.

Planning a similar clifftop day

Pin your veil firmly, then relax and let it move: the veil lifting as Shontei came through the gate was one of our favourite moments of the day. Keep the limo on hand after the ceremony if you can, because a parked car at dusk makes an easy, glamorous portrait without leaving the venue. And if you are planning sparks and low fog for your first dance, tell us which side they will fire from, so we can stand where the light skims across the haze.

Keep exploring

Panorama House weddings

Every Veri wedding at this venue

Sydney weddings

More real weddings across the city