WELCOME TO THE LOVE IS LIGHT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG
Wedding ideas, advice and inspiration for your wedding day.
Chinese Garden of Friendship Wedding at Darling Harbour
The Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour is a beautiful setting for a wedding ceremony and reception. The garden is stunning, with intricate landscaping and architecture. In every corner there’s an opportune for a stunning backdrop for your bridal portraits.
Rosanna & Kevin at the Chinese Garden of Friendship Darling Harbour
Chinese Garden of Friendship Wedding
The Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour is a beautiful setting for a wedding ceremony and reception. The garden is amazing, with intricate traditional Chinese landscaping and architecture. In every corner there’s an opportunity for a stunning backdrop for your bridal portraits.
For both their civil ceremony and their lavish reception, Rosanna and Kevin wanted to shoot their bridal portraits before the main event, so they could go straight into the celebrations and not be away from their guests.
It was really lovely to be a their wedding photographer for both their celebrations and to tell their story.
Rosanna looking stunning in her wedding dress
As for so many couples, Rosanna & Kevin’s plans were affected by the pandemic. They originally planned one big wedding day with family and friends but it just wasn’t possible. So not to be deterred, they held a small intimate civil ceremony with their closest family. Then they came back fully glammed up for a big reception and this time everybody could be there!
We all met up again several months later and this time it was going to be a big party! Rosanna look amazing in a stunning off the shoulder wedding dress. It was really lovely to be their wedding photographer for both their celebrations and to tell their story.
Rosanna and Kevin, entering their wedding reception at the Chinese Garden of Friendship Darling Harbour
Family and friends toasting the couple with eye-watering amounts of Moutai!
“It was a fantastic experience and Brendan made it fun too.”
“Brendan helped capture our wedding reception in Darling Harbour. The pictures are amazing and truly capture the magical day. He was very well prepared for the day. Overall a great Sydney wedding photographer. We highly recommend! Thanks Brendan!”
-Rosanna & Kevin
Best Sydney Wedding Locations Part Four: Lavender Bay
Lavender Bay encapsulates everything that makes Sydney such a beautiful city and I love bringing couples here.
Penelope and Lewis at Lavender Bay. This shot is a great example of my ‘faces first’ philosophy. The location set against the stunning blue of Penelope’s wedding dress is wonderful - but still the most important thing is the faces and capturing a relaxed and natural look.
It might feel like cheating to not include Lavender Bay in my post about Wendy’s Secret Garden, but the harbourside vibe is so different to the garden and so beautiful in it’s own right that I think it deserves a post all to itself. Lavender Bay encapsulates everything that makes Sydney such a beautiful city and I love bringing couples here. For many it’s their first time seeing this view.
The wooden wharf is just the perfect size for couples portraits with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background but not dominating the shot.
The warm orange and brown paintwork of the wharf are a perfect complement to the blue of the sky and water. Even the boats at anchor match the colour palette, which adds to the sense that thisis a scene from a movie.
Two red-brick railway arches sit opposite the wharf and have an antique urban charm not found anywhere else.
As a Sydney wedding photographer Lavender Bay is amongst my favourite locations to take couples for portraits.
Aisling and Darren on the steps leading from Wendy’s Secret Garden to Lavender Bay.
Even the boats moored at Lavender Bay match perfectly with the colours of the harbour.
Rachelle and Ant hanging out at one of the two red-brick railway arches at Lavender Bay
Rachelle and Ant on the wharf at Lavender Bay on a picture-perfect Sydney day.
Madi and Shahin at Lavender Bay with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background.
Best Sydney Wedding Locations Part Three: Wendy’s Secret Garden
Wendys Secret Garden at Sydney’s famous Lavender Bay is a location that I love to visit again and again.
Rachelle and Ant held their ceremony at Milsons Point and then I took them to Wendy’s Secret Garden for their bridal portraits. This is my favourite staircase in all of Sydney. The trees frame the steps beautifully and draw the eye to the couple.
Wendys Secret Garden at Sydney’s famous Lavender Bay is a location that I love to visit again and again.
Wendy Whiteley created the garden, starting in 1992, while grieving for her partner, the painter Brett Whiteley.
Set into the slopes leading down from Clarke Park down to Lavender Bay, the garden is terraced, with paths that lead you down into the lower levels. A wide variety of flowers and trees create a lush feel as sunlight filters down through the canopy.
The lower garden has ornamental tables and chairs which lead to a beautiful stone staircase and the magnificent fig tree that towers overhead.
Couples love how we can capture a variety of looks and moods as we progress through our bridal portrait session.
It’s peaceful and secluded here, so couples can relax and be themselves in an enchanting atmosphere.
Raquel and Rewi in Wendy’s Secret Garden. It’s such a lovely place to get away from the crowd for a few moments and capture beautiful and natural portraits.
Wendys Secret Garden is the perfect setting for an intimate wedding ceremony.
Che and Kim had their ceremony under the huge fig tree at the top of the garden, next to Wendy Whiteley’s house.
Alex and Sopheany and her stunning dress deep in the heart of the garden.
Best Sydney Wedding Locations Part Two: Centennial Park
To be a wedding photographer based in Sydney is truly a privilege, with so many beautiful locations to bring couples for their portraits. One of my favourite places of all is Centennial Park. Every time I visit the park I find something new and beautiful, whatever the season.
Elaine and Toby at the magnificent Paperbark Grove beside Grand Drive in Centennial Park.
To be a wedding photographer based in Sydney is truly a privilege, with so many beautiful locations to bring couples for their portraits. One of my favourite places of all is Centennial Park. Every time I visit the park I find something new and beautiful, whatever the season.
As well as many lovely spots for portraits Centennial also has some beautiful venues to host your wedding ceremony and reception, such as Centennial Homestead and the Superintendents Residence, each with their own unique vibe.
Each area of the park has a special character, from the grove of paperbark trees to exquisite woodlands, from ponds and bridges, to fig trees (full of bats!) and wild grasslands.
Centennial is a wonderful place to hold your wedding ceremony as the beauty of the park itself really needs no adornment or decoration but for an arbour and chairs.
In this blog post I’ll share some of the weddings I’ve photographed at Centennial Park and some of the beautiful portraits I’ve taken with couples there.
Centennial Park is rich in birdlife, you never know who will stop to pose for the camera.
Tara and AJ held their wedding ceremony and reception at the Superintendent’s Residence in Centennial Park. The couple wanted an easy going garden vibe and you can see how the location suited them perfectly. The space is wonderful for wedding photography, with lots of room to work with and capture different angles, helping to tell a more engaging story.
Tara and her wedding bouquet in Centennial Park.
Jasmine and Chris got ready at the Ranger’s Residence in Centennial Park. Their beautiful ceremony was held at Saint Mary Immaculate Church in Waverley. The couple held their reception at Centennial Homestead so we took an hour to shoot portraits with their awesome bridal party before the party got started.
Ebony and Damien photographed in the Lachlan Reserve of Centennial Park
Best Sydney Wedding Locations Part One: Paddington Reservoir
Paddington Reservoir Gardens is one of my favourite locations for a wedding photoshoot.
Julie & Justin with their awesome tribe at Paddington Reservoir
One of my favourite locations to take couples for their wedding portraits is Paddington Reservoir Gardens.
Just off Oxford Street, on the corner of Oatley Road, the reservoir sits below ground and so most of it is not visible to the street.
Every angle of the garden reveals something new. Victorian red-brick elements combine with distressed concrete walls to create backdrops perfect for wedding photography.
Emma & Andrew held their elopement ceremony at Chippendale Registry. I was a rainy day so I took them to Paddington for their wedding portraits as I knew we’d be sheltered.
The reservoir features red-brick arches, stone paving and is topped with overhead sheltered walkways.
Because of the walkways Paddington Reservoir is the perfect location for bridal portraits when it’s raining, as the overhead walkways keep us dry and we can keep shooting no matter what the weather throws at us.
Aimee & Ben catching the light perfectly. Though it’s below street-level Paddington Reservoir is filled with beautiful, soft natural light
Samantha & Winston. The modern concrete stairs make for a great backdrop for seated portraits.
The arches make perfect frames for your wedding dress or bridal party. One of the best ways to help couples relax for the camera is to give them something to lean against.
Featuring a small pond, grass areas and those beautiful arches, Paddington Reservoir allows us to capture a variety of looks just by turning the camera a few degrees.
Being able to capture several different vibes like this in one location means we can shoot quickly and get you guys on your way to your reception.
How to Create a Perfect and Stress-Free Wedding Ceremony
In this post I’d like to offer some tips and advice regarding your ceremony, so we can be sure to capture the best images for you guys.
Maddi and Shahin held their wedding ceremony at Appin House in a beautiful garden setting.
In this post I’d like to offer some tips and advice regarding your ceremony, so we can be sure to capture the best images for you guys.
The first question is “What time should we have our ceremony?”
In summer I recommend holding your ceremony no later than 4.00PM. In autumn and winter you should be at the arbour no later than 3.00PM as it’s getting dark by 5.00PM and we want to allow enough time for your family shots and bridal portraits.
Tip No.1: Avoid red carpets!
If you are having your ceremony outdoors on a sunny day, I recommend having a white carpet for the aisle. This is because the sun reflecting off a red carpet will create dark shadows around your eyes and turn your white wedding dress a shade of pink. A white carpet will reflect soft light into your faces and be more flattering to your skin tones.
Zuzana being walked down the aisle by her Dad. It’s a bright sunny day and the white carpet is reflecting light upwards, brightening their faces without adding unwanted colours and keeping Zuzana’s dress pure white.
Terry & Kate held their ceremony at The Public Dining Room at Balmoral Beach. Terry is watching as Kate arrives at the jetty, a lovely moment.
Tip No 2: Grooms, empty your pockets!
Phones, wallets and keys ruin the sharp lines of your suit. Give them to your Mum to mind. Absolutely though, have a handkerchief. Because you’re most likely the one who’s gonna need it. I’ve photographed hundreds of wedding ceremonies and I always keep an open mind as to what’s going to happen.
Sometimes ceremonies are all light and laughter, other times they can be very emotional. A handkerchief is just too handy to not have in this situation.
Tip No.3 Proceeding In
Take your time walking into your ceremony, make the moment last! Look around at your guests, at your fiancé, and take it all in. If you are walking down steps to enter your ceremony, you’ll have to look down. I’ll have prepared for this by asking you to pause and look up for a beat at the halfway point before proceeding in.
Stephanie is accompanied down the aisle by her two boys to marry Ray. This is a good example of pausing a beat to look up and take the whole scene in.
Karen and Kyle had their vows printed on cards marked His and Hers.
Tip No 4: Have Practiced Thy Vows!
Have your vows on index cards or a vows card. A sheet of Reflex paper out of the photocopier is not the right look. It’s so important to be familiar with your vows. A wedding is like a piece of theatre and no one wants to go onstage in front of everyone without a good working knowledge of their lines.
If someone were to ask you what you are going to say, you should be able to give them a fair idea of what it’ll be. If you know your vows well and you know what you want to say, then it’s so much easier to look up and make contact with your beloved in this special moment. With your gaze fixed on each other we can capture wedding photographs you will treasure forever.
Readings and poems are great. They add some extra beats to a wedding ceremony and allow me time to gather more angles. They are also a lovely way to integrate your parents and siblings into your ceremony.
Tip No 5: Close your eyes for the kiss, weirdos!
Your First Kiss: Everyone has shown up and come all this way and they deserve to see a good pash. If your kiss isn’t long enough for a cheer to go up, it must have been a peck, so kiss again, longer this time!
Liz and James’ first kiss.
Stephanie & Andrew nailed their exit.
Tip No.6: Proceeding Out
Grooms, wait for your bride! She’s in a long dress and heels so give her time and don’t drag her! When stepping out for the first time, take your time and look at your guests as they go wild. Again, take the moment in, it’s such a special memory.
Sean and Amy’s guests throwing the confetti over the newlyweds.
Tip No.7: Tell everyone to throw the confetti above you, not at you!
We want the confetti to rain down, we don’t want the guests throwing it straight at you. That leads to closed eyes and outright grimacing, when we most want your faces to be full of joy.
Tip No.8: Get ready for the hugs!
Immediately after your ceremony I’ll do some of my best work for you. Allow for five or ten minutes and mingle amongst your family and friends. Everyone will have a hug and a big beaming smile for you and I’ll be taking photographs all the way through. Some of my favourite moments happen here.
Soak up all that love!
After this it’s time for your family portraits, which I’ll offer some ideas and tips on in a future post.
-Brendan
Thoughtful Wedding Gift Ideas For Your Guests
Nguyet and Robbie held their ceremony and reception at the wonderful Dunbar House in Sydney’s Vaucluse. I’d love to share some photographs of their thoughtful, elegant and original table gifts.
Nguyet and Robbie thoughtfully personalised their gifts to their guests with little notes and cards.
Nguyet and Robbie held their ceremony and reception at the wonderful Dunbar House in Sydney’s Vaucluse.
I want to share some photographs of their thoughtful, elegant and original table gifts. They used ice-lolly sticks to create a seating plan and grew chilli plants and herbs for their guests to take home. They gifted loved ones with their favourite coffee, chocolate and tea. The couple showed their sincere appreciation to family and friends in a unique way.
Their table settings and gifts really added to the atmosphere and the intimacy of their wedding celebration.
As this blog develops I hope to bring you more ideas for how you can make your Sydney wedding day special and unique to you.
-Brendan
Love Wearing Your Wedding Dress all Day on Your Special Day
This post is not about fashion or labels. I just want to offer some advice on the practical side of wearing your wedding dress and so you’ll really enjoy the experience.
Angela’s bridesmaid lacing up her dress. They’d practiced and it showed!
Over the course of photographing hundreds of Sydney weddings I’ve seen every type and style of wedding dress. This post is not about fashion or labels. I just want to offer some advice on the practical side of wearing your wedding dress and so you’ll really enjoy the experience.
Your choice of dress is important as it’s such an essential element to your wedding photos.
It’s also a very practical matter, as your style of wedding dress will influence how easily you can move around so choose a dress that you’ll feel comfortable in all day.
There are no wrong choices when it comes to choosing a wedding dress. Every style, from the frothiest Ultimate Princess number to a simple short cocktail style dress will work.
Go with what you love is always my advice. This is your special day and it’s a chance to express yourself with your dress and live out your dream day.
Tip No. 1: If your wedding dress is heavy, consider a lighter dress for the evening.
If your heart is set on rocking a big dress with lots of layers, consider having a lighter dress to change into before hitting the dance floor. A big dress can be exhausting to wear for a full twelve-hour day and if you have a long train and veil you’re going to need the help of your bridesmaids and your brand new husband to get around.
Often grooms don’t realise how much of an encumbrance a big dress can be and indeed brides don’t either. It’s a learning curve for you as a bride, as this is the first time you’ve really worn the dress for an extended period. You need to get used to the confines of how your dress might limit your movement.
Tip No.2: Spend some time in your dress before your big day.
I recommend spending a couple of hours at least wearing you dress at home, so you can get to know the feel of it.
If your wedding dress has a complicated lace-up bodice or button arrangement, it’s important to practice with the person who’s going to lace you in ahead of of your wedding day. I’ve seen brides and bridesmaids (and mums) getting stressed out as the clock ticks by and they are trying to work out the complications of securing your dress comfortably.
Being able to keep on schedule and not getting into a time-crunch will make your wedding so much more relaxing and enjoyable. In may ways a wedding ceremony is a little like a stage production and no one wants to go on stage without a rehearsal.
Julia and her girls adjusting the fine lace of her dress.
Tip No. 3: Pay particular attention to the front hem of your dress.
Sometimes if a dress has been fitted without your shoes, the dress may be slightly too long. A hem that’s even an extra inch too long can cause you to trip and make walking in your dress needlessly complicated. Make sure to wear your wedding shoes during your final fitting, especially if you are planning to wear heels, so your dressmaker can judge your height correctly and tailor the hem accordingly. With this attention to detail in advance of your wedding day, you will enjoy rocking your dress so much more.
Sophie & Michael flew down the aisle after their ceremony. Sophie could move confidently as the hem of her dress was the perfect length.
Tip No.4: Your secret weapon for walking on grass.
While on the subject of shoes, and high heels in particular, an absolute must-have is a pair of heel stoppers (also known as stiletto stoppers). These are small clear discs that attach to the heel of your shoe. These make such a difference if we are shooting portraits on grass or sand. Heel stoppers will spread the weight of sharp heels and stop you sinking into the ground, making it so much easier to move around.
Tip No.5: Your veil and the weather forecast.
Now a note regarding one of the trickiest guests attending your wedding: The Veil. Sydney couples love to get married close to the harbour or the beach. A ceremony location near the water is likely to have at least a fair coastal breeze and often it can actually be very windy close to shore. I’ve seen veils turn into cartoon characters in the course of a ceremony, whirling around and being a real nuisance and distraction if the wind is strong. If it’s windy, I recommend leaving the veil off for your ceremony. We can then reattach it for your portraits when we get into a more sheltered area.
I hope these ideas are of help. Over fifteen years of photographing weddings I’ve learned a lot about how to make your wedding day as fun and enjoyable as possible. I’m always available if you would like to talk about your plans for your Sydney wedding.
-Brendan