Sts Michael and Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church wedding photos: Anycie and Ronny smile on a garden lawn as her veil floats behind in Sydney
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Sts Michael and Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church Wedding Photos: Anycie & Ronny

Sts Michael and Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church · Ryde NSW · Sydney

Church & Cathedral Wedding · Cultural & Traditional Wedding · City: Sydney · Venue: Sts Michael and Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church

Petals thrown over a brick front fence, a bridesmaid in rust red stepping through an arched iron gate, and a dad who could not stop smiling all the way down the aisle. Anycie and Ronny’s wedding at Sts Michael and Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church in Ryde was a bright morning ceremony, then portraits in a late winter garden and a party in a clear marquee that ended with Ronny up on his guests’ shoulders and a first dance under a ceiling of fairy lights. We loved every minute.

The gallery
A smiling couple in casual clothes hug at a lakeside railing, with a white gazebo on the far shore
Ronny fastens his white shirt cuff beside a bright window on the wedding morning
A groomsman in a white shirt straightens Ronny's black bow tie by the window
Ronny, now in his black tuxedo jacket, laughs as he hugs a groomsman by the window
Ronny buttons his black tuxedo and looks out the window, a timber dresser and candles behind him
Ronny grins in his tuxedo and bow tie while two groomsmen in white shirts smile behind him
Close up of three pairs of hands adjusting white shirt cuffs and cufflinks under black jacket sleeves
Ronny and his two groomsmen in black tuxedos laugh as they tug at their cuffs by the windows
Ronny throws his arms around his two groomsmen, all three laughing in matching black tuxedos
Ronny, his two groomsmen and a woman in an emerald green satin dress smile together by the window
Ronny stands between a woman in burgundy lace and a man in grey before the drive to church at Sts Michael and Gabriel in Ryde
The woman in burgundy lace and the man in grey hug Ronny close before he leaves for the church
A white wedding gown hangs under the front porch between a red brick column wrapped in white flowers and hanging ferns
A woman in a bronze satin dress hugs Anycie from behind as she sits in her white tracksuit for makeup
Anycie's dad grins with a glass of champagne, a white rose pinned to his black tuxedo lapel
Anycie, in her veil and gown, rests her head against a woman in bronze satin, her orange bouquet in hand
Friends with phones raised cheer as they see Anycie in her gown and long veil for the first time
Anycie laughs in the middle of her cheering friends as one lifts a white bouquet in the air
Anycie looks down under her long veil by the sheer curtains as a hand settles her train, in black and white
Anycie smiles down at her textured white gown, the veil falling over one shoulder by the wardrobe
Anycie laughs on a white sofa in her gown and strappy sandals, a vase of pale blooms by the window
Anycie beams by the white wardrobe holding her bouquet of orange, peach and burnt red flowers
Anycie looks down at her orange and peach bouquet beside a framed painting of pink poppies
Two boys in tuxedos and a little girl in a white lace dress hold hands in the clear marquee
A family of five smiles in the clear marquee, the mum in white lace holding a toddler in a white dress
Anycie stands with two bridesmaids in rust red and a young flower girl in white lace, all holding bouquets
Anycie and her dad stand arm in arm in the living room, both smiling broadly
Anycie and her dad smile with three older loved ones in front of the framed wall plaques
Friends shower Anycie in white petals as she walks past the red brick fence, bound for her church wedding at Sts Michael and Gabriel, Ryde
Anycie peeks out of the white car window on her way to the church, her orange bouquet on her lap
A flower girl and page boy lead the smallest flower girl through the arched iron gates at Sts Michael and Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church
A bridesmaid in rust red steps through the arched iron gates of the church onto the red patterned runner
A guest in a dark suit guides the smallest flower girl by the hand into the church at Sts Michael and Gabriel, Ryde
A bridesmaid in a rust red dress smiles down the aisle of the church holding white flowers and feathery fronds
Ronny waits at the front of Sts Michael and Gabriel Orthodox Church with a quiet smile and a white rose on his lapel
Anycie walks into the church on her dad's arm, beaming under her veil with her orange and peach bouquet
Anycie laughs under her veil as her dad smiles down at her in church at Sts Michael and Gabriel in Ryde
At the front of the church, Anycie's dad reaches out to embrace Ronny as she smiles behind them
The wedding party stands beside a table of gold crowns under the painted arched windows of Sts Michael and Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church
Anycie smiles across at Ronny under her veil inside the bright white church, the groomsmen in black beside him
A woman in bronze satin holds Anycie's orange bouquet at the end of a timber church pew at Sts Michael and Gabriel, Ryde
An older man in a grey suit with a red rose on his lapel watches the church ceremony closely from the front
A bearded man in white and gold robes raises two gold crowns above Ronny and Anycie in church at Sts Michael and Gabriel in Ryde
Ronny stands in a gold crown while the man in white robes reads aloud and a guest in burgundy smiles in the church
Ronny smiles sideways in his gold crown beside Anycie at Sts Michael and Gabriel Orthodox Church
Anycie laughs as Ronny slides the ring onto her finger in front of the painted panels of the church
Anycie and Ronny share a church wedding kiss at the front of Sts Michael and Gabriel, Ryde, her veil falling down her back
Anycie laughs and pinches Ronny's cheek as he grins beside her at the front of the church
Anycie and Ronny laugh cheek to cheek beside a painted church panel at Sts Michael and Gabriel in Ryde
Anycie laughs over her shoulder while Ronny smiles out at the church guests, her bouquet held low
The wedding party gathers under the painted arches of Sts Michael and Gabriel Orthodox Church as Ronny holds up a certificate
Anycie and Ronny walk hand in hand up the aisle after their church wedding as guests clap from the pews
Halfway up the aisle Anycie and Ronny stop for a kiss as guests raise their phones from the church pews
The whole crowd cheers with arms raised around Anycie and Ronny in front of the white portico of Sts Michael and Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church
Anycie and Ronny stand with family at the front of the church, a young boy in a tuxedo beside them
Anycie and Ronny pose with the man in grey and the woman in burgundy lace on the church runner at Sts Michael and Gabriel, Ryde
Anycie's dad and a woman in bronze satin stand either side of the couple under the tall gold arch in the church
Anycie and Ronny line up with two groomsmen, a woman in green and two loved ones at Sts Michael and Gabriel in Ryde
Anycie and Ronny smile with two friends in blazers and chinos in front of the painted panels of the church
Anycie and Ronny stand with the man in grey and the woman in burgundy lace in a leafy garden
Anycie and Ronny line up on the lawn with family and groomsmen, a woman in green beside the bride
Ronny kisses Anycie under a huge spreading tree as her long veil streams out on the breeze
Anycie and Ronny pull faces and make peace signs with two page boys and a flower girl on the lawn
Anycie and Ronny stand on the lawn with her dad, the woman in bronze satin and three children
Anycie's dad and the woman in bronze satin flank the couple against camellia bushes in the garden
Anycie's dad leans in to kiss Anycie as Ronny laughs with the woman in bronze satin
Anycie and Ronny pose under the big tree with a woman in a white cardigan, a man in navy and two boys
A larger family group gathers around Anycie and Ronny on the garden lawn, children in tuxedos at the front
Anycie and Ronny stand with a bridesmaid in rust red, a flower girl in a white fur wrap and a man in blue
Anycie and Ronny smile with four friends in pinstripes, florals and black lace in front of the camellias
Anycie and Ronny stand on the grass with two guests in casual knits under the bare spreading branches
Anycie and Ronny laugh beside a sandstone verandah with a man holding a toddler and a woman in navy
A giggling toddler in white lace joins Anycie and Ronny for a close, laughing family photo by the verandah
Anycie and Ronny stand on the lawn between two bridesmaids in rust red and two groomsmen in black
The bridal party in rust red and black tuxedos poses under the big tree with Anycie and Ronny at the centre
Ronny kisses Anycie as the bridesmaids and groomsmen smile on either side of them in the garden
The bridal party walks arm in arm across the grass, laughing, under bare winter branches
Anycie walks a brick path alone, her long veil trailing behind her as she looks back over her shoulder
Framed through a dark window, Anycie and Ronny kiss on the garden path beneath bare winter trees
Anycie and Ronny hold hands and smile at each other, framed by soft green leaves in the garden
Through blurred leaves, Ronny and Anycie walk hand in hand and laugh at each other past red azaleas
Anycie gazes up at Ronny with her bouquet held to his chest, camellias in flower behind her
Anycie and Ronny hug and smile cheek to cheek in front of an old sandstone house with a verandah
Anycie and Ronny rest forehead to forehead, eyes closed, her ring hand on his shoulder
Anycie's veil billows out behind her as she and Ronny face each other beside the sandstone house
Anycie and Ronny stand side by side on the sunlit lawn, her veil lifting high on the breeze
A white three tier cake with papercut houses, white orchids and two little figurines sits on a wine barrel
A tall gold stand of orange blooms, pampas and roses rises above a white reception table set with glasses
Anycie laughs and waves one hand in the air, lifted high on a guest's shoulders as phones film her
Ronny grins and spreads his arms wide, carried on a groomsman's shoulders as the guests cheer
Anycie and Ronny are both lifted onto guests' shoulders and reach for each other's hands as everyone cheers
Anycie spins her full textured skirt out in a wide circle as her friends laugh around her
Anycie's dad dances with the woman in bronze satin beside the cake on its wine barrel in the marquee
The man in grey dances cheek close with the woman in burgundy lace as a young girl spins past
The man in the grey suit speaks into a microphone beside the cake and a tall spray of pink blooms
The woman in the burgundy lace gown laughs at her table in the bright marquee
A bridesmaid in rust red reads her speech into a microphone beside the cake on its wine barrel
A young girl in a white lace dress sings into a microphone at the reception, smiling
A guest in a pale blue shirt and patterned tie laughs mid speech with a microphone and his phone
A groomsman in a black tuxedo raises his glass with a microphone in his other hand
A smiling guest in a navy wrap top speaks into a microphone beside the flower-decked cake
A man in a navy suit grins as he gives a speech beside the cake under the clear marquee roof
Anycie and Ronny smile at the speeches from the bridal table, framed by tall gold flower stands
Anycie's dad wipes away a tear as he holds the microphone during his speech in the marquee
Anycie rests her head on Ronny's shoulder and smiles as they listen from the bridal table
Guests at a side table double over laughing as Anycie's dad tells a story into the microphone
Ronny grins as he gives his speech, microphone in one hand and his phone in the other
Anycie smiles in profile, hands clasped at her collarbone as she listens to the speeches
The woman in bronze satin laughs with her knee hugged to her chest as guests at the tables smile along
Anycie throws her arms around Ronny's neck in a tight hug beside the cake in the marquee
Anycie laughs into a microphone while holding Ronny's hand under the flower arch in the marquee
Anycie and Ronny laugh together behind their cake on its wine barrel, flowers spilling around it
Anycie and Ronny begin their first dance on the timber floor of the clear marquee
Anycie smiles over Ronny's shoulder as they sway hand in hand, framed by soft blurred blooms
Anycie wraps her arms around Ronny's neck as they dance and guests watch from their chairs
Anycie hugs her dad tightly over his shoulder on the dance floor, smiling as guests look on
Anycie holds both hands of an older man in a pinstripe suit as they dance among smiling guests
Anycie and Ronny smile with an older couple in front of a white lattice wall and a large clock
Anycie and Ronny stand in a long row of loved ones on the brick paved patio, one guest waving
A big group of guests in coats, furs and satin lines up for a photo on the brick paved patio
Anycie and Ronny stand with a woman in a patterned cream jacket and a man in a dark suit in the evening marquee
Ronny dips Anycie low on the dance floor under the fairy light ceiling as guests clap from their tables
Anycie and Ronny kiss from their white chairs beneath a glittering canopy of fairy lights
The wedding story

Our Sts Michael and Gabriel wedding photos: an arched iron gate, a veil in the garden breeze and a lift under fairy lights

Getting ready at home · Morning ceremony at Sts Michael and Gabriel, Ryde · Groups on the church forecourt · Garden portraits across the road · Speeches in a clear marquee · First dance under fairy lights

Read the full story

Cufflinks by the window

Our morning started with Ronny at a bright window, head down, fastening his cufflinks while his groomsmen buttoned up their own white shirts behind him. One of them stepped in to straighten his bow tie, then pulled him into a hug. We kept Ronny side-on to the glass so the light ran along his jaw and the folds of his shirt, which is the simplest way to make a groom look calm and sharp at once. Jackets went on, the three of them laughed shoulder to shoulder, and two loved ones joined Ronny for a photo before he left for the church.

A gown on the front porch

At Anycie’s, the gown was already hanging under the front porch, between a red brick column wrapped in white flowers and a row of ferns in hanging pots. Outdoor shade like that is perfect for a dress photo: soft light, real texture and nothing to clean up in the background. Inside, the house was full. Anycie stood by a white window in her veil, settled onto a white sofa for a quiet minute, and then her friends saw her for the first time and threw their arms in the air, cheering so loudly we could barely hear ourselves.

Champagne and rust red

Anycie’s dad was in a great mood all morning, glass of champagne in hand, a white rose on his lapel and the widest grin in the house. The two bridesmaids arrived in rust red with white bouquets, a perfect contrast to Anycie’s armful of orange, peach and burnt red flowers. Three little ones in tuxedos and a white party dress posed for us in the marquee at home, and a row of older loved ones gathered around the bride in the living room. Then petals flew as she walked out past the brick fence, and she peeked out of the car window at us, beaming.

Through the arched iron gates

At the church the wedding party came in through an arched doorway with ornate wrought-iron gates, onto a red patterned runner laid across the marble floor. We set up near the front, so each person stepped out of that bright arch towards us: two flower girls and a page boy, a guest guiding the smallest flower girl by the hand, then the bridesmaids. Ronny waited with a quiet smile. Then Anycie walked in on her dad’s arm, both of them glowing, and at the front her dad threw his arms around Ronny before handing her over.

Rings under painted arches

Inside, Sts Michael and Gabriel is bright and white, with timber pews and a row of arched, painted panels across the front. All that white bounces the morning light around the room, so we could keep the flash off and work quietly from the side with a longer lens. Anycie could not stop smiling at Ronny. An older guest watched closely from the front row, and family stood shoulder to shoulder around them. We moved in tight as they swapped rings, then caught a kiss, Anycie’s hand on Ronny’s cheek and the two of them leaning in, forehead to temple, laughing.

Big hugs and the front steps

Walking back up the aisle, they stopped halfway for a kiss between the pews, and every phone in the room went up. We gathered family groups at the front under the painted arches, a few at a time, so nobody waited long. Then everyone spilled outside, and we lined the whole crowd up in front of the arched portico and the white façade for the big group, the photo every family wants in their Sts Michael and Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church wedding photos. Our tip: do the large group straight after the service, while everyone is still close by.

A garden across the road

Portraits were a short hop away, in a leafy garden across the road from Anycie’s family home, under a huge spreading tree with camellias in flower. It was late winter, so the light was soft and low even near noon, and the bare branches overhead gave the frames a lovely open feel. We started with family, then the little ones, then the bridal party in rust red and black, who walked towards us arm in arm, laughing. When a breeze picked up, we let Anycie’s long veil stream out behind her while Ronny stole a kiss.

Sandstone and a frame within a frame

For the couple portraits we went looking for texture. Anycie walked a brick path through the garden on her own while we hung back for a full-length frame of the dress and veil. We shot through a dark window across the garden for a frame within a frame, then through leaves for a soft green edge. Ronny and Anycie stood in front of an old sandstone house with a verandah, and the warm stone sat beautifully behind the black suit and white lace. Our favourite: the two of them forehead to forehead, eyes closed, her ring hand on his shoulder.

Shoulders, tears and fairy lights

The reception was at home in a clear marquee, with tall centrepieces of orange blooms and pampas on gold stands and a cake set on a wine barrel. Before long Ronny was lifted onto his guests’ shoulders, then Anycie went up too, before spinning her skirt in a circle of friends. A bridesmaid gave a speech, a young guest sang to the room, and a groomsman raised his glass. Anycie’s dad wiped away a tear halfway through his own words. After dark the marquee ceiling turned into a canopy of fairy lights for the first dance, Ronny dipping Anycie low.

Photographer's venue notes

Sts Michael and Gabriel, Ryde: a bright morning ceremony, an arched iron gate and late winter garden portraits

Read the venue notes

Church, garden and marquee

The church held one part of Anycie and Ronny’s day, so we planned that hour tightly. The wedding party came in through the arched porch and its iron gates, the vows and rings happened up the front beneath the painted panels, and the family groups followed right there before everyone stepped out onto the forecourt for the big crowd frame. From the church we moved to a leafy garden for the portraits, then on to the clear marquee at home for the speeches, the shoulder lifts and the first dance after dark.

Morning light in a white room

A morning ceremony in a church this pale is a real gift. Daylight came in high and bounced off the white walls and ceiling, so faces at the front stayed soft and even, and the red runner gave every aisle frame a warm line of colour. The doorway was the one tricky spot: the bright porch behind the arch is far brighter than the people walking through it, so we exposed for skin and let the iron gates glow. Outside, the late winter sun stayed kind well into the middle of the day.

The spots that worked

Those arched gates gave every entrance its own frame, from the littlest flower girl to Anycie on her dad’s arm. Working from the side of the aisle kept us close to the rings and the kiss without blocking anyone’s view of the front. The white portico made a clean wall for the whole crowd with their arms in the air. In the garden, the huge spreading tree, the camellias in flower and the warm sandstone verandah gave the portraits three quite different backgrounds within an easy stroll.

Planning a morning church wedding

Send the youngest members of the wedding party through the doors first, each with a grown-up holding a hand, so they set off calmly and the bridesmaids follow at an easy pace. A morning service also hands you a long, unhurried day: groups at the church, portraits in soft garden light, and still plenty of daylight left for the marquee. Choose a garden with shade and texture close by, so the move from church to portraits feels like a short breather rather than a long trip across town.

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