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!
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!
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!"
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.
I am a wedding (and other things...) photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. When not snapping away, I love hanging out with my family - hubby Matt, and my gorgeous little girl Finlay, eating, relaxing, travelling, and doing a good intense spin class or stretching out with Body Balance.
This blog shows some of my favourite weddings and the inspiration and back-story of the images and the day itself. To view some of my non-wedding work, please check out my website www.clevergirl.com.au.
Enjoy!!
