Video games and a vintage car
Our day started with Brayden and his groomsmen at home, where one of the boys was still locked into a video game at the desk, headset on, while the others stood behind him in pale grey suits and laughed. Then the four of them sank into the couch for a relaxed group frame. Out the front, a vintage car with white ribbons waited at the kerb, and Brayden leaned against it grinning while the groomsmen gathered round on the lawn. Early afternoon sun is high and hard, so we kept it behind them and let the clear blue sky do the work.
Her dad’s first look
Samantha got ready at home in a bright room of white walls and shutters. Once she was in her gown, she turned to face her dad for the first time, and his grin said everything. Samantha’s dad wrapped her in a long hug, then took her hand and kissed it like a gentleman from an old film. In the kitchen, her bridesmaids in champagne satin were dabbing at their eyes. For a reveal like this we stand behind the bride and shoot over her shoulder, so the camera catches the face that is seeing her, not the back of her veil.
Bubbles and a lace train
Then the bubbles came out. Samantha and her bridesmaids raised their glasses and clinked them together, all laughing at once, and a loved one in navy lace pulled her in for a cheek to cheek hug that turned into a proper squeeze. We moved Samantha to the window for a full-length portrait next: a fitted lace gown with a deep V neckline and a long train spread across the white tiles. Glossy tiled floors bounce window light back up onto a dress, which lifts all that beading. We asked her to glance back over her shoulder, and the train did the rest.
Through the veil, then the dog
Samantha’s veil became our favourite prop of the afternoon. She held it up and out with both hands, and we shot through the sheer tulle so it softened the frame like a mist, catching her smile right through it. A close portrait showed off the jewelled comb tucked into her waves. Then a black and white dog bounded in, jumping up for a cuddle and a little dance while Samantha laughed in her gown. Our tip: if you have a pet, bring them into the getting-ready room for ten minutes. Some of the happiest frames of the day come from it.
Down the clubhouse steps
The bridesmaids lined up with bouquets of blush roses, white blooms and eucalyptus, and then it was time. At the club, Samantha stepped out through the clubhouse doors on her dad’s arm and paused at the top of the steps, her train pouring down behind her. The ceremony was set on the lawn beside the clubhouse, with white folding chairs, a white aisle runner and a draped arbour. Brayden waited at the front with his groomsmen, and we turned to him as she came up the aisle. With a half past four start, we kept the sun behind us so faces stayed clear.
A beer held high
Guests in the front rows were laughing and grinning through the vows. Then came the walk back up the aisle, and it was pure celebration: Samantha threw both arms in the air with her bouquet, and Brayden raised their joined hands high, a beer held low in his other hand. They stopped for another kiss halfway along, surrounded by cheering guests. Straight afterwards we climbed up high and called everyone in for a full guest photo, arms in the air. Do the whole-crowd frame right after the ceremony, while everyone is still in one place and still has their energy.
Family groups and a golf cart
Family photos came next, in front of the clubhouse, where a low hedge and the wide windows made a tidy backdrop. We seated the oldest generation front and centre so everyone could gather around them, then worked through the bigger groups quickly. Then Samantha and Brayden climbed into a golf cart and headed out onto the course. On the fairway, the bridesmaids in champagne satin and the groomsmen in pale grey lined up in the open, then strode towards us laughing. A golf cart is a gift at a venue this size: no long walks in heels, and more time for portraits.
Twirls on the fairway
Our Woodlands Golf Club wedding photos really opened up on the fairways. Samantha and Brayden walked hand in hand across the grass, then Brayden spun her under his arm and her train swung out in a wide white arc. A breeze lifted the long veil, so we let it blow across both of them and shot through it for a soft, misty kiss. It even caught Brayden full in the face, which had him in stitches. With the course this open, we stepped well back with a longer lens, so the trees and the fairway framed them and nobody felt watched.
Old gums and raised arms
As the light turned warm, we walked them under the big old gums at the edge of the course, where Brayden lifted Samantha off her feet and dipped her with the train streaming. Out in the long dry grass beyond the fairway, they threw their arms in the air with the sun low behind the trees. Then the reception got going at the clubhouse. Later, the groomsmen and friends, jackets off and drinks in hand, hoisted Brayden high in front of the building, and on the lawn the guests lifted Samantha up too. A night full of their favourite people followed.
