Grazing Gundaroo Wedding Photos
Two-foot stone walls, five open fires and willows on the lawn, half an hour from Canberra
Grazing is the restaurant inside the old Royal Hotel on Cork Street, Gundaroo, a village in the Yass Valley about thirty minutes north of Canberra. The building is a colonial-era stone inn, classified by the National Trust, with walls two feet thick, five open fireplaces and hand-cut ironbark ceilings and floors. A full renovation opened it as Grazing in 2003. The Stone Room, a stone-walled function hall with a high dark-timber ceiling for up to 150, was added in 2011.
Weddings here run across the old dining rooms, the Stone Room and the grounds: two half-acre blocks with lawns, weeping willows for ceremonies, an orchard and the kitchen garden that feeds the restaurant, with cattle paddocks over the fence. Veri photographed Erika and Jackson’s wedding at Grazing, ceremony, portraits and reception on the one site, which is how most couples use it.
How to prepare for your wedding photos (without overthinking it)
Seven small things that make a real difference on the day — learned across hundreds of weddings. None of them involve practising poses.
In motion, unposed · FR 15A1. Be yourselves — that's where the magic is
You don't need to perform or worry about what you look like. The best photos come from real moments: a glance, a laugh, a shared breath. Let go a little — we'll guide when needed, and the best unfolds naturally.
2. Build buffer time into your timeline
A little breathing room between getting ready, the ceremony and couple portraits makes all the difference. It gives us space for spontaneous shots — and gives you time to soak it all in.
3. Choose locations that feel like you
A quiet lane, an open field, a textured wall — we love meaningful or interesting spots. Trust us to find great light, but if you've got a place you love, let's work it in.
4. Consider an unplugged ceremony
Phones can distract from the emotion (and your photos). Asking guests to be fully present makes for cleaner frames and a more heartfelt atmosphere.
5. Get ready in calm, light-filled spaces
Clutter-free rooms with natural light are a photographer's dream, and calm energy in the morning sets the tone for the day. Keep the space tidy — or assign a friend to do a quick sweep before we arrive.
6. Keep a drink and snacks nearby
Especially during portraits — hydration and a little sugar go a long way in keeping energy and moods high.
7. Trust the process
We've worked at hundreds of weddings and we're here to make you look and feel amazing. Trust us with the light, the angles, the pace — we've got you.
Photographing a wedding at Grazing Gundaroo
The willows and the paddock fence line catch low western light, so a four o’clock ceremony in spring or autumn lands the portraits in the best hour without a drive. Inside, the stone rooms are dim and warm; the fireplaces and the ironbark ceilings photograph best with the ambient light left alone. Cork Street itself, with its old shopfronts, is a two-minute walk for a different backdrop. The gallery below is Erika and Jackson’s Gundaroo wedding.