Windmill Gardens wedding photos: Kaitlyn and Matt rest forehead to forehead by the lake in soft backlight, long grass and weeping willows around them, Melbourne
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Real wedding · Bonnie Brook, Melbourne

Windmill Gardens Wedding Photos: Kaitlyn & Matt

Windmill Gardens · 533-539 Leakes Rd, Bonnie Brook VIC · Melbourne

Garden Wedding · City: Melbourne · Venue: Windmill Gardens

Raindrops on a black umbrella, a burgundy velvet jacket and a bouquet that trailed almost to the floor. Kaitlyn and Matt’s wedding at Windmill Gardens in Bonnie Brook started under grey skies and finished in gold, with vows in the little white chapel, three classic cars lined up beneath the old windmill and a last kiss at the chapel door as the sun dropped. Then everyone headed inside for the reception, and we loved every minute.

The gallery
Matt in a black shirt stands by the window at home as a loved one in a navy beaded gown straightens his shoulders
A loved one in navy smiles as she adjusts the back of Matt's burgundy velvet jacket before the wedding
Matt in burgundy velvet stands beside a bearded groomsman in black against a fern-covered living wall on the deck
A smiling groomsman in black stands close beside Matt under the pergola, a vertical garden of ferns behind them
A groomsman in glasses slips a hand in his pocket beside Matt in his burgundy velvet jacket on the back deck
Matt and a grinning groomsman laugh side by side, arms around each other, in front of the green living wall
A groomsman pulls Matt into a big bear hug on the back deck, both of them laughing beside the fern wall
Matt in burgundy velvet stands at the centre of his four groomsmen in black suits on the covered deck
Matt poses arm in arm with a smiling loved one in a navy beaded gown before a wall of ferns and trailing plants
Matt and a loved one in navy beaded tulle smile at each other on the deck before the ceremony
An older man in a black suit shakes Matt's hand while a loved one in navy holds his arm on the deck
Matt looks down as he fastens a shirt cuff against a deep blue weatherboard wall, a dark flower on his lapel
Matt leans against a grey timber planter in his burgundy velvet jacket, glancing sideways past trailing ivy
Kaitlyn closes her eyes for the final brush of makeup, her dark hair swept into a high sculpted bun
Kaitlyn smiles down by the bedroom window as a loved one in navy sequins does up the back of her beaded gown
Close view of hands fastening the buttons down the back of Kaitlyn's beaded lace gown by the curtains
Bridesmaids in black gowns and a man in a white shirt wait smiling by the bedroom door for their first look
Kaitlyn beams as loved ones finish fastening her beaded gown behind her in the bedroom
A bridesmaid in black kneels to buckle Kaitlyn's silver heeled sandals as she sits on the edge of the bed
Kaitlyn sits on the bed in her beaded gown and veil, holding a burgundy and blush bouquet trailing deep red strands
Kaitlyn looks back over her shoulder at the tall bedroom window, her long veil and dark trailing bouquet backlit
In black and white, Kaitlyn glances over her shoulder against the bright window, her trailing bouquet in silhouette
Kaitlyn stands in profile at the sheer curtains, her long veil falling behind her and a dark bouquet in hand
In black and white, Kaitlyn gazes out the window in profile, her high bun and long veil softly backlit
Kaitlyn turns towards the camera at the curtained window, her veil pooling across the floor and bouquet trailing deep red
In black and white, Kaitlyn stands in the bright window under a patterned pelmet, her long veil spread behind her
Bridesmaids in black gowns spread out Kaitlyn's long train and veil across the bedroom floor as she holds her bouquet
In black and white, a bridesmaid bends to smooth the train of Kaitlyn's gown while the others look on
Kaitlyn stands among four smiling bridesmaids in black gowns, each holding a smaller burgundy and blush bouquet on the patio
Kaitlyn and a loved one in a navy sequinned dress pose arm in arm on the covered patio beside potted plants
Kaitlyn shares a cheek-to-cheek hug with a loved one in navy sequins among the potted plants
Kaitlyn and a loved one in a navy chevron sequinned dress smile at each other, arms around each other, in the courtyard
Kaitlyn stands smiling between a loved one in navy sequins and a man in a dark suit and glasses on the timber deck
Kaitlyn ties a blush flower corsage onto the wrist of a smiling loved one in navy sequins
Kaitlyn pins a dark flower onto the lapel of a smiling man in glasses on the patio
Kaitlyn holds her trailing burgundy bouquet between two smiling loved ones on the timber deck before leaving
Kaitlyn poses with her bouquet between a loved one in rust orange satin and another in deep green on the deck
Kaitlyn smiles between a woman in a black dress and a man in a striped shirt and dark suit on the patio
Kaitlyn smiles in her beaded gown among potted plants and a green hedge, holding her burgundy, blush and black bouquet
Kaitlyn stands under the patio's clear roof with her long train swept around her feet and her bouquet at her side
Close view of Kaitlyn's hands resting on her beaded neckline, showing her ring, bracelet and pendant
Kaitlyn and her dad huddle under a black umbrella beside a white classic car as they arrive for the garden wedding at Windmill Gardens
Kaitlyn straightens her dad's buttonhole under a rain-speckled umbrella beside the white classic car in the gardens
Raindrops bead on the black umbrella as Kaitlyn adjusts the dark flower on her dad's lapel
Her stepdad walks Kaitlyn to her garden wedding along the brick path past tall cypress pines and the lake at Windmill Gardens, Bonnie Brook
Kaitlyn and her dad pause in the chapel doorway as guests line the entrance behind them
Matt grins at the front of the white chapel in the gardens with two groomsmen in black beside an arched window
Her dad walks Kaitlyn down the aisle under a crystal chandelier as guests turn in the pews of the Windmill Gardens chapel
Her dad smiles as he brings Kaitlyn up the aisle past the pews, her face veiled and her trailing bouquet in hand
Matt looks down with a shy smile as he waits at the front of the chapel beside a groomsman and white flowers
Matt reaches out to shake her dad's hand at the end of the aisle as guests watch from the pews
Wide view of the white gabled chapel at Windmill Gardens in Plumpton, guests in the pews as Kaitlyn and Matt stand at the front
Guests in the front pew watch the garden wedding vows, a loved one in navy beaded tulle with her hands clasped
Rows of guests smile towards the front during the ceremony, the pew ends dressed with greenery and white flowers
Kaitlyn and Matt stand smiling at the front of the chapel at Windmill Gardens, her long train spread across the green carpet
Seated guests in the pews smile towards the front during the garden wedding ceremony, a camera on a tripod to one side
Guests fill the pews and stand by the open door of the chapel at Windmill Gardens in the City of Melton
A small boy in a hat and red tie puts a finger to his lips beside laughing guests in the pew
Four bridesmaids in black off-shoulder gowns laugh at the front of the chapel at Windmill Gardens, Bonnie Brook
Four groomsmen in black suits stand in a row smiling beside an arched leadlight window in the chapel in the gardens
Matt reads his vows into a microphone from a small folder as Kaitlyn listens, white flowers behind them
A guest in the front pew wipes his eyes during the vows while the woman beside him in navy smiles
A groomsman leans in to collect the little red ring box from a smiling older guest in the pew
An older guest presses the red ring box into a grinning groomsman's hands as bridesmaids look on
Matt kisses Kaitlyn at the front of the Windmill Gardens chapel, his hand on her arm and her veil pooling on the carpet
Kaitlyn laughs up at Matt as they hold hands against the plain white wall at the front of the chapel
A grey-haired man in a bow tie sits arm in arm with a woman in pale blue lace in the front pew
Kaitlyn and Matt sit at a round table to sign the register at their garden wedding, a groomsman and a bridesmaid smiling beside them
Kaitlyn and Matt kiss in the arched doorway beneath the grey spire of the white chapel at Windmill Gardens
A big group of guests gathers with the wedding party on the brick garden path in front of the white chapel
Guests throw their arms in the air around Kaitlyn and Matt in front of the chapel spire at Windmill Gardens in Plumpton
Kaitlyn and Matt stand with an older couple for garden portraits on the lawn in front of tall feathery grasses and dark cypress
Six family members line up with Kaitlyn and Matt on the lawn at Windmill Gardens, Bonnie Brook, with tall grasses behind
A large family group gathers around Kaitlyn and Matt on the grass for garden wedding portraits beneath dark cypress
Kaitlyn and Matt with a woman in navy sequins and a man in glasses in the gardens before a wall of feathery grasses
Kaitlyn and Matt with a woman in blue sequins and a man in a bow tie on the garden lawn at Windmill Gardens
Kaitlyn and Matt pose with a woman in pale blue and a man in a bow tie, a white garden arch in the grasses behind
Seven family members line up with Kaitlyn and Matt in front of dark cypress trees at Windmill Gardens in the City of Melton
Kaitlyn and Matt with a man in a navy check suit, a woman in a white fur wrap and a bridesmaid in black
A man in a navy check suit and a woman in a white fur wrap flank Kaitlyn and Matt on the lawn in the gardens
A garden portrait of Kaitlyn and Matt with a woman in a navy beaded gown and a white-haired man in black, a white arch behind
Kaitlyn and Matt stand with a bridesmaid in black, a woman in navy beading and a man in a dark suit on the lawn
Kaitlyn and Matt hold hands on the sunny timber jetty by the lake at Windmill Gardens
Kaitlyn and Matt embrace at the end of the jetty with the sun behind them, the water glowing and long grass in front
A backlit lakeside garden wedding portrait of Kaitlyn and Matt among long grass and willows at Windmill Gardens in Plumpton
Kaitlyn and Matt rest forehead to forehead by the water in the gardens, long grass in front and weeping willows behind
Matt carries Kaitlyn's trailing bouquet as they walk hand in hand along the jetty at Windmill Gardens, Bonnie Brook
Kaitlyn and her four bridesmaids in black line up on the timber jetty with the garden lake and willows behind
Kaitlyn and Matt stand before the white windmill and three ribboned classic cars, two white and one orange, at Windmill Gardens
Kaitlyn swishes her train as Matt holds her hand on the drive between garden beds in front of the windmill and the three classic cars
Matt holds Kaitlyn close for a garden portrait in front of the white and orange classic cars, both smiling in the late sun
The whole wedding party walks across the lawn past the base of the windmill at Windmill Gardens in the City of Melton
Kaitlyn and Matt walk hand in hand across the lawn past a small green windmill, a garden wedding portrait in the sun
A breeze sends Kaitlyn's long veil across the frame as she and Matt touch noses on the lawn at Windmill Gardens in Plumpton
In black and white, the wind lifts Kaitlyn's veil in a long arc as she and Matt lean in nose to nose in the gardens
Matt stands behind Kaitlyn on the lawn as cypress pines and the white windmill rise behind them at Windmill Gardens
Kaitlyn looks down at her dark bouquet as Matt turns away behind her on the path through the gardens by the lake and reeds
In a black and white garden portrait, Kaitlyn glances down over her shoulder with Matt behind her near the boardwalk and reeds
Matt hugs Kaitlyn from behind on the reed-lined boardwalk at Windmill Gardens, Bonnie Brook, the windmill sails beyond
In black and white, Kaitlyn and Matt pose on the boardwalk through the gardens among tall reeds, her train spread across the timber
Kaitlyn's veil streams sideways in the wind as Matt holds her on the boardwalk at Windmill Gardens in the City of Melton
In black and white, Kaitlyn's veil billows out in the breeze while Matt wraps her in his arms beside the reeds, a garden wedding portrait
Late sun turns Matt's velvet jacket bright red as Kaitlyn looks up at him by the door of the Windmill Gardens chapel
In black and white, Kaitlyn gazes up at Matt beside the white panelled chapel door, their shadows on the timber
Kaitlyn beams up at Matt in the golden light by the arched doorway at Windmill Gardens, her dark bouquet between them
In black and white, Matt smiles down as Kaitlyn laughs up at him at their garden wedding, sunlight catching her beaded neckline
Kaitlyn and Matt rest forehead to forehead against the sunlit chapel door at Windmill Gardens in Plumpton, a cherub statue beside them
In black and white, the couple lean forehead to forehead in the chapel doorway in the gardens as soft light falls across them
Matt rests his forehead against Kaitlyn's in a garden portrait, eyes closed and smiling, warm low sun across his velvet lapel
In black and white, Matt and Kaitlyn touch foreheads in a close, quiet moment, his eyes closed
Kaitlyn and Matt walk hand in hand down the brick steps from the arched door of the Windmill Gardens chapel
Matt grins as he leads Kaitlyn away from the white chapel's arched door, her veil drifting behind her at their garden wedding
Kaitlyn and Matt share a last kiss in front of the white chapel and its spire at Windmill Gardens, Bonnie Brook, in the setting sun
The wedding story

Our Windmill Gardens wedding photos: rain on the umbrella, a handshake at the end of the aisle and gold light at the chapel door

Getting ready at home · Arrival in the rain · Vows in the white chapel · Family groups by the tall grasses · Classic cars and the windmill · Golden hour at the chapel door

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Velvet and a living wall

Matt’s morning had a colour scheme before anyone said a word: a burgundy velvet jacket with black lapels, and groomsmen dressed all in black. A loved one straightened his collar inside, then we took everyone out to the back deck, where a vertical garden of ferns and trailing plants covered the dark fence. A living wall like that is a gift for groom photos, all texture and green with no clutter. The groomsmen took turns beside Matt, one pulling him into a big bear hug, and we finished with his cufflinks against a deep blue weatherboard wall.

Window light and a dark bouquet

Over at Kaitlyn’s, she was in the chair for the final brush of makeup, her hair already swept into a high, sculpted bun. A loved one in navy sequins did up the back of her beaded gown, a bridesmaid knelt to buckle her shoes, and the room went quiet for a second. Then we turned Kaitlyn to the tall bedroom window and let it backlight her veil. Her bouquet was deep burgundy, blush and almost black, with long strands trailing past her knees. Against a bright window those dark flowers hold their shape in silhouette, so we kept a few frames in black and white.

Black gowns on the patio

The bridesmaids lined up by the dresser with a loved one for their first look, and the grins said everything. Out on the covered patio we gathered them in their black gowns, each holding a smaller cousin of Kaitlyn’s bouquet. Then came the quieter moments: the loved one in navy sequins holding Kaitlyn’s hands and beaming, a cheek-to-cheek hug among the potted plants, and Kaitlyn pinning a dark flower onto a lapel. A covered patio is perfect for this part of the day. It gives soft, even light, and it keeps hair and gowns out of the weather.

Rain on the umbrella

By the time we reached Windmill Gardens a light rain was falling. A white classic car pulled up on the drive, and Kaitlyn’s dad held a big black umbrella over them both while she straightened his boutonniere, raindrops beading on the canopy above. We love a little rain at an arrival: it slows everyone down and gives the photos a quiet, private feel. Then her stepdad took her arm for the first stretch, along the brick path past the lake and a row of tall cypress pines, exactly the way Kaitlyn had planned it.

A handshake at the aisle

At the chapel door her dad took over. Inside, the white gabled ceiling, arched windows and crystal chandelier bounced light everywhere, and Matt waited at the front in burgundy velvet with his groomsmen beside him. We photographed the entrance from the front of the aisle on a wider lens, so the timber pews and their white flowers and greenery framed the walk. Every pew was full and every head turned. At the front, Matt stepped forward and shook her dad’s hand with a huge smile, then took Kaitlyn’s.

Vows, rings and a register

Matt read his vows into a microphone from a small folder, and Kaitlyn could not stop smiling. In the front pew a guest wiped his eyes while the woman beside him smiled. When it was time for the rings, a groomsman crossed to an older guest in the pew, who handed over the little red box with a proud grin. Moments like that happen off to the side, which is why we always keep one eye on the front pews as well as the couple. A kiss, a laugh, and then the register, signed with two of the wedding party standing by.

Groups by the tall grasses

Out through the arched door, the clouds were starting to lift. Guests crowded the brick forecourt, and we fitted everyone into one big, cheering group in front of the chapel and its grey spire. Family groups came next, on the lawn in front of a wall of tall, feathery grasses and dark cypress. That backdrop is ideal for groups: it is even in tone, nothing behind it competes with faces, and the grasses add a little movement. We worked through grandparents, parents and siblings quickly, so Kaitlyn and Matt could get to the fun part.

Classic cars beneath the windmill

Then the sun came out properly. Three classic cars waited on the drive in front of the white windmill, two white and one orange, ribbons across their bonnets, and Kaitlyn swished her train while Matt held her hand. Down at the lake the bridesmaids lined up on the timber jetty, and we placed the couple among the willows and long grass with the sun behind them for soft, glowing edges. Shooting into the light like that, we expose for faces and let the water go bright. These are the Windmill Gardens wedding photos that make the place unmistakable.

Gold light at the chapel door

The last hour was all gold. A breeze caught Kaitlyn’s long veil on the lawn and along the reed-lined boardwalk, and we let it fly across the frame with the windmill sails behind. As the sun dropped it turned the chapel’s white walls the colour of honey, so we brought them back to the arched doorway for forehead-to-forehead portraits and a slow walk down the front steps. In April the light goes early, so this is the hour to protect in any autumn timeline. After that, it was inside for the reception.

Photographer's venue notes

Windmill Gardens, Bonnie Brook: a rainy arrival, chapel vows and golden light by the windmill and lake

Read the venue notes

Around the gardens on the day

Kaitlyn arrived in a white classic car under light rain, and her stepdad walked her along the brick path by the lake and the cypress row before her dad took over at the chapel door. Vows, rings and the register all happened inside the white chapel. Out through the arched door, we used the brick forecourt for the big crowd photo and the lawn beside it for families, then looped down to the windmill, the jetty and the boardwalk before finishing back at the chapel.

From grey skies to gold

This was a day that changed its mind. Rain was falling as the car pulled up, so the arrival frames were all umbrella and soft grey light. By the time guests streamed out of the chapel the cloud was lifting, and when we reached the windmill the sun was out properly. A steady breeze kept the long veil moving all afternoon. The final stretch before sunset was the warmest light of the whole day, turning the chapel walls golden and Matt's velvet jacket a vivid red.

The spots that worked

Inside the chapel, a wider lens from the front of the aisle let the dressed pews frame the walk. Outside, the wall of feathery grasses and dark cypress gave the family groups a calm, even backdrop. At the lake we put the sun behind Kaitlyn and Matt among the willows and long grass for glowing edges, lined the bridesmaids up on the jetty, and let the breeze carry the veil along the reed-lined boardwalk. The chapel door, warm and bright at the very end, was the perfect last stop.

Tips from Kaitlyn and Matt's day

A plain black umbrella looked wonderful in the rain, so keep one in the car even if the forecast is kind. If you love classic cars, ask the drivers to stay a little after the ceremony; three cars lined up beneath the windmill gave us a frame nobody else will have. And save your last portraits for the chapel itself, because once the sun drops low its white walls glow and give you a calm, warm finish before everyone heads inside.

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