asterisk photography | the wedding blog

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

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

There are not too many places I have had the pleasure of photographing that can fit the bill for the full-range of shots: ceremony, location and reception.

Yet Curzon Hall in Marsfield is the perfect venue for an enchanting wedding experience.

Walking into the grounds takes you back to an era once-upon-a-time.  “The Castle” rises up before you with its grand, sandstone edifice adding a stately sense of occasion.  The undercover balcony with its tiled floor enhances any location shots allowing the light to gently fall on the subjects.  And the magnificent stairway reaffirms that incredible feeling of sophistication.

The grounds are green and lush making an ideal backdrop to your ceremony should you choose to take full-advantage of the venue’s facilities.   They even have a quaint, vine-covered archway that makes for beautifully romantic shots of the bride & groom.

Between the ceremony and reception the bridal party often have the use of a private room where they may be served canapés.  This too has a rich, opulent feel to it.

A reception at Curzon Hall gives you a number of large function rooms to choose from.  And of course, the food and wine (always an important factor when considering a reception venue) has never disappointed me or my clients the many times I’ve been there.

So if you’re looking for a wedding venue that will provide you with it all (ceremony, location and reception) then you would do well to consider Curzon Hall.

Now the last time I was there they were finishing up some renovations.  I can’t wait to see the results…

Kim*

Curzon Hall at Marsfield