Waistcoats and a quiet glass
Shaun’s morning was all navy three-piece suits and easy grins. A loved one in a grey suit came in close to fuss over his jacket, a loved one in a lilac gown slipped an arm through his, and a little boy in a navy suit and blue bow tie squeezed into the family line-up. Shaun and a mate compared notes with glasses in hand. Then he sat back on the leather couch with his drink while we kept one frame in black and white, because a window and a dark room make that kind of light worth keeping simple.
Three dogs under the olive tree
Shaun wanted the dogs in his photos, so we headed out to the backyard. Under a big silver olive tree, three of them lined up with the boys: a tall, shaggy pale hound, a ginger dog and a sturdy tan one, each on a lead and each with its own ideas. Then the whole crew stood together on the grass, a ball abandoned at their feet. Dogs never hold a pose for long, so we shoot these fast and wide, and we leave a little space in the frame for whichever one decides to wander.
Royal blue and sheer curtains
Across town, Bernadette stood at a window hung with sheer white curtains while two bridesmaids in royal blue worked their way up the back of her gown. That curtain turned the bright midday sun into soft, even light, so we stayed by it. A bridesmaid opened a little jewellery box, Bernadette fastened a fine bracelet, and she twirled once beside a bunch of blue and white balloons. Holding her white bouquet with its flashes of purple, she gave us one calm, straight look. Then we climbed the stairs and shot down as she came up, all tulle and banister.
A kiss on the hand
Downstairs, a loved one in black sequins settled the long veil while Bernadette laughed up at her. Then a loved one in a dark suit took Bernadette’s hand and kissed it, eyes closed, while a loved one in a dark sequinned dress beamed beside them. Moments like that happen in seconds, which is why we never leave the room while family are gathering. A little one in a white dress joined the bridesmaids for a quick photo, and Bernadette had a hug and a frame with each of her girls among the bookshelves and family photos.
Vows beneath Gothic arches
St Mary’s in Williamstown has white Gothic arches, a timber-ribbed ceiling, deep blue carpet and tall lancet windows over the sanctuary. Bernadette’s veil was long enough to cover the steps, so we went wide from the side aisle and let the lace pool across the blue carpet while she and Shaun stood together at the steps. From the back of the church the arches lead your eye straight down to the couple, a gift for a wide lens. Then came the walk back down the aisle together, both of them grinning, with every pew turned towards them.
Every arm in the air
Outside, the whole crowd gathered on the cobbles in front of the bluestone church, its spire sharp against a clear blue sky, and on our count every arm went up. We shot from a raised spot so the spire and every face fitted together. Then we moved the family groups into the arched bluestone doorway. At midday the sun is high and hard, but the dark stone gives a clean, even backdrop and the doorway frames each group neatly, so we worked through loved ones, little ones in waistcoats and the bridesmaids in turn.
The skyline from Gem Pier
Next stop was Gem Pier. The bridal party strode down the timber boards in a line, groomsmen in navy on one side and five bridesmaids in royal blue on the other, with old lamp posts, yacht masts and the Melbourne skyline across the water behind them. Moored alongside was HMAS Castlemaine, the grey wartime minesweeper that is now a museum ship. We put Bernadette and Shaun right under its painted anchor for a kiss, the flag above them and her veil and skirt catching the breeze off the bay.
Sunglasses on the seawall
Along the Williamstown foreshore the wind picked up, and we used it. The groomsmen put on their sunglasses and walked the seawall towards us, the open bay at their backs. The bridesmaids crowded around Bernadette with their bouquets, all laughing. Then the two of them walked the path by the rocks while the breeze lifted the veil and threw her skirt out behind her. Wind is a friend for wedding portraits when you work with it: we turn the couple so it blows the veil away from their faces, not across them.
Spring in the vine rows
Their Russo Estate wedding photos began with the paddocks green and the vines just coming into leaf. The bridal party lined up on red gravel in front of the weathered log arch, and Bernadette and Shaun walked out under the curved trellis with a hill rising behind them. In the vine rows Shaun gave us one easy look over his shoulder, Bernadette swung her skirt between the posts and they kissed with the veil streaming out sideways. We finished with them tiny in the middle of the long rows, and then they went inside to celebrate with their guests.
