John & Luisa - November 7th, 2009

On a beautiful day, at a beautiful location, a beautiful couple tied the knot in front of their closest friends and family. A love story that was 8 years in the making, Luisa looking stunning in a 'Hollywood glamour' kind of way, as she married John at Gardens House in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Cool Details: As one who has seen many couples in love over the years, and a way of looking at each other to convey that emotion, I have never seen a groom so smitten with his bride as John was with Luisa. Even when he thought no-one was looking (including her) his eyes were alight with a combination of love and happiness and pride at his new wife. Even for a seasoned professional like myself, it was a very touching sight!

Lorraine & Dan - October 31st, 2009

This was the day when everyone in Melbourne went "Yeah, Summer's here!", the Spring Racing Carnival was in full swing, the sun was shining, and late in the afternoon, on Mother's Beach in Mornington, Lorraine & Dan swapped wedding vows with a perfect backdrop of calm blue waters, cloudless blue skies, and long afternoon shadows creating gorgeous effects on the sand.

Cool Details: When introducing each speaker during the speeches, the MC would read an excerpt from a little book published in 1913 called "Don'ts for Husbands" - written by a very dry humoured British woman, Blanche Ebbutt. Some of her pearls of wisdom include "Don't give up cricket, or football...or whatever sport you have been accustomed to just because you are married. Athletics will stop you from becoming flabby." and "Don't insist on having the last word. If you know when to drop an argument, you are a wise man." Smart woman that Blanche!

Prue & Jesse - August 29th 2009

Sometimes I get a little nervous shooting weddings where one or both of the couple have a Mediterranean background, as there is often an expectation, not necessarily from the couple themselves, but from the family, that the wedding photos should be quite formal and traditional which isn't really what I do. So I do my best to walk that fine line between staying true to what I do, and also taking some shots to keep the family happy. With Jesse's Maltese heritage, I must say I did feel just a tiny bit apprehensive going into this wedding, but it was completely unnecessary - a gorgeous couple with a great family who were such a delight to work with. And the good news is that everyone, Mum and Dad included, were thrilled with the finished results. Yippee!

Cool Details: Jesse, who had spent many years studying at Melbourne Uni had organised for a permit to allow us to take photos on the campus grounds, full of beautiful limestone buildings seeped in history... and while we utilized the University's above-ground beauty, for me one of the biggest revelations was the 70's futuristic underground car park - such great atmosphere and shadowy lighting, and I was wrapped that Prue & Jesse could appreciate it's artistic merit too!

Coming Around Again

Sometimes, as great as our intentions may be, love doesn't always work out the way it's meant to. The good news is, that we all get more than one shot at it, and appropriately for Spring, the season of new starts, I recently photographed three couples, three weekends in a row - Jan & John, Jennifer & Iggy, and Rita & Benny - who were all finding love all over again and making that commitment of marriage anew - all with their adult children in attendance.

Cool details: For Rita & Benny, their wedding was a second for both of them, but with a little twist - their first marriage, ending in divorce 18 years ago, was also to each other! When I asked Julie, one of Benny & Rita's two daughters who were acting as their bridesmaids, if she ever thought she would be a bridesmaid to her mother, she laughed and replied "NO WAY! And especially not for a marriage to my DAD!"

Here Comes the Sun

OK, so it's been a while since my last post, and as the 'Season' cranks into gear again, here's what you missed over the last few months. On a personal level, and for those who read my "Hibernating for Winter' post, yes, I did get to the gym a little more, which is just as well considering I did also add a couple more dishes to my culinary repertiore (and died for Matt's seafood marinara with angel hair pasta). We enjoyed some great family time, going back to our old routine of a trip to the Sth Melbourne Market every Saturday morning, introducing our beautiful daughter to the delights of purchasing fresh produce (and doing our best to stop her little fingers touching all the fruit and veg)! Little Finlay has turned One, and is running around the house like the very funny little crazy person that she is. Such a huge personality in a cute little body!

Professionally, I did fill my time with some very interesting non-wedding work, and as predicted met with some gorgeous couples who will be taking that leap together in the coming months. I did also have the priviledge of shooting a few great weddings, which I shall share in posts to come.

It's nice to be back!

Janet & Sant-Rayn - June 11th & 12th 2009

Over the Queens Birthday weekend in June I had a great time shooting not one but two weddings for the same couple - how cool is that?! Janet and 'Santa' started their celebrations on the Saturday morning with a traditional Sikh ceremony, and followed up with an official Anglican ceremony on the Sunday afternoon, and a reception at the fabulous Melbourne Museum - a great contemporary space where guests mingle and enjoy their drinks and canapes amongst the dinosaurs!

Cool Details: Other than the fact that there were two weddings, which is pretty cool in it's own right, the table cloths, decorations, and guest gifts, were purchased in Bangalore where Janet and Santa spent a year working in 2008.

Hibernating for Winter

As the days grow shorter, the weather colder, and the skies greyer, and my 'wedding season' comes to the end for a little while, I look back over these weddings that I have done this year, and how they sum up everything I love about my job - the power of family and tradition, of celebration and friends, and of course the visual gorgeousness that all weddings offer - large or small, extravagant or on a budget. I consider myself incredibly lucky and honoured to be invited to be a small but vital part of a couple's day, and even more blessed that by a combination of luck and clever marketing I seem to bypass the 'Bridezillas' that are out there (and trust me - they're out there!). Through good fortune and 'serendipity' I tend to have couples finding me who realise that while it's great to have a gorgeous dress, and all the trimmings that make a wedding 'beautiful', the most beautiful thing that I see through my lens transcends all of that superfluous stuff - it's about the love and joy, things that are personal touches to give the day 'heart', and realising that although it's an important day, it is only one day out of many more to come... and there's a whole life together ahead of them.

So for now, I'll be taking a few months to relax a little, fill my camera with images of interiors, corporate types, babies, families, food and lifestyle, and focus on that other inspiration, my gorgeous hubby Matt, and my beautiful little Finlay. (She got her first tooth the other day... they grow up so fast!) I shall endeavour to get to the gym a little more, catch up on some sleep, and add some new dishes to my culinary repertoire. I also look forward to meeting many newly engaged couples who will hopefully be appearing on this blog in the next twelve months or so, updating my proper website, and becoming part of a 'collective' of boutique Melbourne based wedding businesses being founded by my friend and colleague Kim, to be called "Portobello Bride" - a group of small to medium wedding suppliers breaking away from the 'Wedding Factory' to offer a one-stop shop for couples who don't want all the hoopla, sales pitches, and big price tags, but still want a great, gorgeous wedding experience... keep an eye out for that one, there will be a website and mini expo coming around soon!

So, until next time, stay warm, take care, and here's just a couple of my favourite images from years past (pre-blog) to savour with your mug of hot soup. See you in Spring! Lisa xx

Fiona & Dean - 18th April 2009

It started in the 1930s with six pieces of lace purchased by Fiona's great grandmother. From those 6 pieces, one was made into a wedding dress which, in the past 70+ years, has been worn by 8 women, (and has even been worn to a meeting with the Queen), including Fiona's Grandma, Mum, Cousin, and of course, Fiona herself as she married Dean in the Royal Botanic Gardens on a perfect Autumn afternoon. Talk about 'something borrowed'! See the image above for the four beautiful women present at the wedding who have made the dress their own.

After a simple beautiful ceremony, and of course sufficient time to mingle with friends and family, we all traipsed up to my favourite part of the Gardens - the Temple of the Winds pavillion high up on hill overlooking Alexandra Ave, with views to the city and MCG, and then down to the bridge at the bottom of the Anderson St hill, in perfect time to watch the sun go down and watch the golden light bathe the Nylex sign. We could have looked the other way to the city skyline, but that's a little too predictable, and those silos with the clock and temperature readings say 'Melbourne' more than rows of tall glass buildings ever could.

Cool details: In wanting to preserve Grandma's dress for future generations (daughters of her own one day perhaps?) to enjoy and carry on the tradition, Fiona made the smart move to change into a 'reception dress', a divine ivory cocktail length 'art deco' style gown she found in... wait for it... a second hand store!

Rachel & Rick - 10th April 2009

I have been so lucky this year to have been a part of many genuinely warm, joyous celebrations, and this was definitely one of them. Such a happy, relaxed, fun couple, Rachel and Rick just exuded joy and it rubbed off on everyone around them. The ceremony took place in the beautiful bluestone surrounds of Melbourne Grammar School (Ricks alma mater), at the school's Chapel, and after a brief stop at the Observatory at the Botanic Gardens for a few pics, the party kicked on at historic Quat Quatta (which underwent a fantastically funky renovation a couple of years ago - keeping to its traditions but with a gorgeous, quirky twist)... unfortunately my night ended not long after the bridal pary were announced in, but I have no doubt this happy bunch kicked on till the wee small hours! COOL DETAILS: Would you believe that for the first time I can remember during a wedding ceremony (and let me tell you, I've been to a few...) the question was asked "If anyone can show reason why this man and this woman should not be bound in matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace". Now maybe I've been watching too much Bold and the Beautiful, but I couldn't help but have a little glance over my shoulder, just to make sure Ridge Forrester wasn't bursting through the door!

Sheridan & Ross - 3rd April 2009

A self-confessed bag and shoe addict, Sheridan had very specific location ideas for her wedding photos... Chanel & Miss Louise! So despite a blustery, cold, stormy Melbourne Friday, we headed into the city to photograph Sheridan with her three passions...shoes, bags, and Ross of course! I must say the security guard on the door at Chanel did seem a little bemused, but was a good sport and let us stay to get some shots. And as for the credit card she was waving around? It was for prop purposes only - it was mine!

Cool Details: A details girl through and through, Sheridan had planned the black & white theme (Chanel influenced of course!) which included designing her own dress, a perfectly form fitting white satin gown with black details and black lining, a black & white wrist corsage as an alternative to a traditional bouquet, and black Manolo Blahnik (!) heels. (And let's not forget those sparkly little entwined 'c's on her ears...)

Alisa & Ben - 21st March 2009

This wedding marked for me the second time this 'season' I have photographed the sister of a favourite 'past bride'... this time it was Alisa, whose sister Sarah tied the knot with Cameron a few years back in St Vincents Gardens. Sarah and Cam's wedding was a beautiful, happy occasion, and so I looked forward to Alisa and Ben's as being equally as gorgeous in it's own way and was absolutely not disappointed.

Working with people who you've worked with before has the bonus of already having established a deeper level of rapport and understanding and familiarity of family dynamics etc, so it makes my job that little bit easier.

The other thing that makes my job more than just a little easier, is when a wedding is this stunning, and I have to say everything about it (especially the couple involved!) was just beautiful. I have now discovered a new 'favourite 'photogenic' church... St Thomas Aquinas in South Yarra, an unassuming little church tucked into a back street with a facade that looks more Mediterranean Europe than Melbourne.

The reception was held at another favourite Melbourne landmark, one which I had also forgotten how impressive it was having not been there for a couple of years...Persimmon restaurant at the National Gallery of Victoria. Having parts of the NGV space to ourselves (with lots of security of course!)after the doors had closed and the crowds had departed just helped to give an extra appreciation of how iconic this beautiful building is to our city.

Cool Details: Sarah and Alisa switched bride / bridesmaid roles this time around, and as an extra update on the story, Sarah's beautiful little 20 month old daughter, Izzy played flowergirl... I love a good happy ending!

Mrs Jane & Mr Michael - 4th March 2009

My dear colleague and friend Ms Jane, is now a Mrs! And after putting her through the torture of photographing my wedding, she thought it only fair that I return the favour. So the day after the authorities warned of the wildest weather conditions, including hurricane winds, I was pleased to wake on the morning of her wedding to clear blue skies. As long as they lasted until lunchtime we'd be fine!

As a fellow "warrior against cheesy wedding photography" it seemed like a good idea to make her partake in one of my pet hates - the "Princess walking down the tram tracks" shot. I mean, really, I just don't get it! Despite not wearing a 'meringue' (Akira, thank you very much), and the fact that we were in North Melbourne instead of the top Collins Street gave this cliched shot the Ms Jane twist. And of course she had her Prince Michael by her side...

Cool details: Always the wedding photographer, Jane insisted on taking at least one of her own - with a compact digital camera in the middle of the ceremony... see my shot above and the results her shot on her blog!

Kate & Anthony - February 28th 2009

I love low-key garden weddings, and on what I am sure was one of the busiest days of the year for weddings in the city (everywhere you looked was another wedding party having photos taken), Kate and Anthony were married in the Fitzroy Gardens. In a city struggling with drought, the Fitzroy gardens still have some patches of green, and again, we were lucky to have a lovely sunny day. In breaking with tradition, the bride (in gorgeous green), and her groom, walked 'down the garden path' together, to reach their 'alter' - met by flowergirls dropping petals along their path.

The reception was held in a very cool wine bar off Flinders Lane - The Deanery - as a laid back cocktail-style affair.

Cool details: In showing their alliance to respective AFL teams two garden gnomes, decked out in team colours, stood watch over the proceedings... (And later in the evening after a few drinks were had I'm sure Mr Geelong and Mr North Melbourne were well photographed kicking up their heels at the reception!)