asterisk photography | the wedding blog

There are a number of traditions that typically take place during the wedding reception.  Generally speaking, the bridal party make a grand entrance into the reception venue to rousing applause from their guests.  Chances are the guests have already enjoyed drinks and canapes and so it doesn’t take much to get them clapping & cheering.

Speeches are then interspersed between courses.  And then just before the first dance, often called the bridal waltz, comes the cutting of the cake.

Now the cake cutting doesn’t have to take place at this point but it does tend to be the most popular time.  Mind you, some couples cut their cake straight after their entrance when their photographer is not staying long into the reception or if the cake is being used for dessert and it needs to be distributed to guests sooner rather than later.

Of course, not everyone has a cake these days.  It’s becoming quite common to have individual cup-cakes which can work equally as well.  Although it probably makes it a little tricky to cut the cake when it’s so small therefore many are adding a separate cake.

So who do you turn to for advice and talent when you need a cake tailor-made to suit your requirements?

Thinking back to a wedding we photographed recently, I was very impressed with the cake that was not simply made but wonderfully created by Chris from Cake Occasions.

These guys were inspired by the theme originally created by Form Over Function for the same wedding.  With the intricately detailed icing and the perfect matching of colours, they clearly went to a lot of trouble to ensure the cake made a statement.

And in order to keep everything unified, the cake’s appearance tied in perfectly with all the decorations and other elements throughout the wedding reception.  Not an easy thing to do but they made it happen beautifully!

What’s more, the cake tasted a treat.  Now how good is that?

Kim*

Cake Occasions inspired by Form Over Function

It always feels a little like a home-coming when I photograph a wedding in Mosman.  Having grown up in the suburb I can still remember as a young & adventurous teenager playing in the disused catacombs around Georges Heights near the Gunners’ Barracks, looking for what little treasures we could find.

Fortunately, what was once owned by the Army has now been opened to the public.  And what a treasure it is!

The old building overlooking the harbour is now home to The Tea Room, Gunners’ Barracks, sister restaurant to The Tea Room, QVB.

The courtyard area, often used for ceremonies, twinkles at night with an abundance of fairy lights.  And the dark, mottled old sandstone walls provide a wonderfully rustic feel that contrasts with the formal attire of a wedding party.

Climbing the steps to the plateau overlooking the courtyard and the birds-eye view allows all the guests to be clearly visible in a group photograph, so long as the photographer doesn’t suffer from vertigo.

On the other side of the building the covered verandah provides panoramic views across Sydney Harbour giving the bride & groom a stress-free alternative should the weather turn bad.  Mind you, watching a storm roll in from the south can be quite a spectacular sight!

Below the verandah, down the steps, is a large grassed area ideal for group & family photographs as the afternoon sun will be behind them all.  And the rich colours and textures on this other sandstone wall is perfect for bridal party location shots.  There is even a nice little alcove that can be utilised.

A short walk up the driveway to the lookout for more location photographs and the view gets even better.  The relatively recently built walkway and lookout has expansive views from the heads to the city skyline.  You’ll feel like you’re on top of the world!

Back down to the restaurant for the reception and you’ll be treated to some magnificent food.  I was fortunate enough to receive a complete meal the last time I photographed a wedding at The Tea Room, Gunners’ Barracks and all I can say is that it was mouth-watering.

To call the place a tea room simply doesn’t do it justice.

Kim*

The Tea Room, Gunners' Barracks

It’s especially nice to be granted the privilege of photographing a bride & groom and their bridal party in posh surroundings.  There aren’t too many places that can equal the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) for that feeling of rich opulence.

Like The Strand Arcade, also located in George St, Sydney, the QVB was built at the end of the 19th Century, quite a different era compared to that of today.  Back then a horse & cart was the equivelent of a limousine and photography was done using equipment so large and cumbersome that the very idea of photojournalistic & candid or spontaneous & natural was unheard of.

What’s great about the QVB is that it has a wide variety of areas, little nooks & crannies really, that can be used for photographs all within the one building.

For example, the central circular opening is great for tiered shots taken from different angles, both looking up and down.  However, be aware that come Christmas time their enormous tree will go up sadly removing this option.

Then there are the staircases, the larger ones both centrally located.  Of course, you may need to pause every now and again for the odd shopper, tourist or sticky-beaker.  But there are smaller and less used staircases at either end of the building.

The boldly painted walls are another great backdrop for wedding photographs.  One wall is almost the colour of fire-engine red and the other a serene mid-blue.  Either way they will help give a vibrant punch to your location images.

Finally, the shops themselves make a terrific background.  Selecting an up-market brand like Versace or Vivian Chan Shaw provides you with instant sophistication!

Keep in mind, you will need to have permission from the QVB management to use the space for photography, especially wedding & commercial photography.  If the wedding reception is not being held at The Tea Room, QVB then you will need to pay a nominal fee of $50 that is donated to The Guide Dogs.  I suggest you organise it at least a few weeks in advance because they will also want to see proof of Public Liability Insurance.

A magnificent location perfectly suited to night photography and when it’s raining.

Kim*

Queen Victoria Building

There is always something incredibly alluring & calming about a waterfront location.  I’ve heard it said that it’s the clean, fresh air of the sea that helps to clear the mind and induce relaxation.  I know that whenever I photograph a wedding by the water I find it partcularly easy to get into “the zone”.

So it’s especially enjoyable when the ceremony, location and reception photographs happen all pretty much within the same vicinity.

Sanders Waterfront Restaurant in Cabarita is an unusual mix of an intimate venue surrounded by the sophistication of motor cruisers & yachts as if you’re in some millionaires’ paradise.  It brings back memories of Shores Restaurant which was a larger restaurant also located at a marina, namely MHYC, but sadly it closed recently yet has re-opened as The Upper Deck.

So the wedding I photographed the other day at d’Albora Marina in Cabarita just outside the restaurant was situated in what I would consider an ideal location.  The deck area with it’s weathered timber boards looking out towards all the boats really set the scene.  Inside the restaurant there was room for a band to set-up and a dance floor allowing the bride & groom to perform a well choreographed bridal waltz followed by the guests boogie-ing the afternoon away.  Fortunately, the number of guests was less than 40 as they would have been hard-pushed to squeeze in more than an extra dozen or so.

It should come as no surprise that the food was impeccable.  I think the bride, having worked at the restaurant in the past, had an inside running on how good the place was.

But the one aspect of the day that was truly convenient was the fact that we could simply utilise the beautiful sandstone and seashore literally next door to take photos of the bridal party.  This meant no wasted travelling time or the unnecessary use of hire cars as we were a stone’s throw away.

Ahh…if only all my weddings were this simple!

Kim*

Sanders Waterfront Restaurant

Palm Beach is one of Sydney’s best known and loved northern beaches and is a remarkable and convenient venue for an outdoor wedding ceremony as it lends itself to a delicious blend of beautiful ocean views and scrumptious fine dining, both in close proximity to one another.  One of our wedding couples took advantage of this recently, exchanging their vows only metres away from the beach and their reception venue, Dunes Restaurant.

An approaching storm created a spectacular backdrop for their outdoor ceremony.  The various hues in the sky made certain that Palm Beach lived up to its world renowned beauty.

Overcast weather is, in fact, an ideal situation for wedding photography with each cloud gathering to create a blanket of soft diffused light, not to mention the dramatic setting storm clouds offer and the display of an optimistic rainbow for the grand finale.  To be honest, rain on your wedding day isn’t an entirely bad thing.  Seriously!

Located on Barrenjoey Rd, Dunes Restaurant offers a comfortable and very relaxed dining experience.  I noticed they displayed an honest willingness to accommodate and provide a flawless experience to their guests, generating in me a desire to return as a customer very, very soon.

The staff were well directed and carried out an exceptional job.  Their dishes were of an outstanding quality, from their well married flavours (forgive the pun) right down to the creative presentation, and were served with minimal delay.  As for the dessert… if ony I had room for seconds!

In a nutshell: great food, great service, great location!

Frank*

Dunes Restaurant Palm Beach