South Australian Museum Wedding Photos: Sarah & Joe

A North Terrace suite

Sarah’s day started in a split-level suite at The Playford Hotel on North Terrace, with her lace gown hanging off the bannister of a little internal staircase and a huge, bold portrait painting staring down at it. That is the kind of detail we live for. Make-up first, then the heels, then her mum doing up the back of the gown, then the moment the long floral lace veil went up and floated out behind her like a sail. The lace on her mermaid gown ran all the way down the train in big appliquéd flowers, so we kept the hem in frame every chance we got.

The lift

The fun shot of the morning happened in the lift. Hotel lifts are usually the least romantic place in the building, but this one had polished steel doors and a round gold mirror on the landing, so we stood back, let the doors frame her and caught Sarah stepping in with her white bouquet. A glance back over her shoulder on the way down and we were off along North Terrace to the museum.

Behind the museum

Most people walk past the South Australian Museum and never see what sits behind it. Tucked in behind the main building is the old Armoury, a sandstone and red-brick building from the 1850s with dormer windows, a slate roof and a twin stone staircase that sweeps up from both sides of a pointed arch. The ceremony was set right in front of it, white chairs on the red-brick path, garlands of white flowers running up the railings and the long red-brick wing of the museum on the other side. Joe waited under the stairs with his groomsmen, looking very calm for a man about to get married.

Golden bounce in the courtyard

The bridesmaids came down the aisle in blush pink, and then Sarah came across the courtyard on her dad’s arm, beaming, bouquet in hand. A four o’clock ceremony in an Adelaide autumn still means strong sun, but this courtyard is a gift: all that warm sandstone, red brick and red paving bounces soft, golden light back into faces, so the hard light turns flattering. We stood on the staircase for a few frames looking straight down on the whole ceremony, which shows you just how tucked away this place is.

A high-five aisle

The kiss got a round of applause from the groomsmen, and the walk back down the aisle turned into a high-five tunnel. Joe was slapping hands with every guest within reach, Sarah threw her bouquet up in the air, and then sixty-odd guests squeezed in front of the Armoury for one big group photo. Weddings in the city can feel rushed; this one felt like a garden party that happened to be in the CBD.

Stairs, arches and sunglasses

Portraits stayed inside the museum grounds, and we never ran out of backdrops. The arch under the twin staircase framed them perfectly, with Sarah’s lace train fanned out across the bricks. The timber doorway gave us a quiet kiss, the old stone walls gave us texture, and the top of the staircase gave us a lookout over the whole courtyard. Joe kept his sunglasses on, which suited the vibe completely.

Champagne, then beers

Then the drinks came out, and this is where Sarah and Joe really showed us who they are. Champagne on the lawn, a glass poured at a high table, and then the two of them grabbing a beer each and swigging from the bottles in front of a leadlight window. Our favourite photos are often the ones nobody planned, and that one had the whole bridal party in stitches.

Through the archway

Behind the courtyard, through a Gothic stone archway with wrought-iron gates, the lawn had been turned into a dining room: a clear marquee with long tables, copper-framed glass centrepieces full of blush roses and white chrysanthemums, linen napkins, menus and rose-gold confetti. Sarah had planned a change after the bridal party photos, and she made her entrance through that archway in a strapless satin high-low gown, bouquet raised, with Joe right beside her. Clear marquees are brilliant for photos: you get the walls and the sky, and later the fairy lights.

Under the fairy lights

The cake was cut on the white dance floor under the verandah, the speeches rolled in, and after them Sarah danced with her dad, the same man who had walked her down the aisle a few hours earlier. Then came the first dance, with Joe wrapped around her and the old stone glowing in warm light, finishing with a proper dip. Glow sticks appeared, Joe punched the air like it was a stadium, and by the time the night fell the marquee was glowing gold under strings of fairy lights. We finished with the two of them in the middle of it all, holding each other while the party carried on.