asterisk photography | the wedding blog

As much as we love to photograph weddings in Sydney, it’s nice to have a change of scenery and travel somewhere outside of the metropolitan area that’s not too far away.  One such place is Killcare on the NSW Central Coast.  And it may just be the perfect alternative for your wedding guests to enjoy.

Only a short drive from Sydney’s north, about an hour or so up the F3, you’ll find Bells at Killcare.  They describe themselves as a boutique hotel, restaurant and bar as well as a world-class destination and quite frankly we believe they more than live up to that reputation.

Drive up the gravel driveway and you could be mistaken for thinking you’re holidaying in the European countryside.  Set amongst extensive grounds is the big & beautiful main house where guests can dine and relax.  Yet the decor and furniture has a decidely coastal feel to it with clean whites and striking blues dominating.

The accommodation is made up villas and suites that are well-appointed and tastefully decorated to ensure you relax the minute you walk through the door.  Combine that with the warm & friendly welcome you’ll receive from the staff and you will not want to leave!

The dining room is well-suited to smaller wedding groups seating up to 70 people but the wide open space of the lush, green, manicured lawns permits about 200 guests to enjoy a cocktail wedding ceremony and reception.

There are also a number of spots for the bridal party to slip away for some location photographs including a garden near the cabins with a small pond.  You’ll just have to mind the mosquitos if your photographs are at dusk.  Of course, choose the right time of year and there are magnificent flowering trees to add a vibrant splash of colour.  And the well maintained hedges near the fountain add yet another back-drop.

The house itself boasts yet more places to take photographs inside and out.  One in particular is the balcony with round pillars bordered by a hedge.

And you’re only a stones throw away from Putty Beach, Pretty Beach, Killcare Beach and the jetty at Hardys Bay.  But who wants any of those locations when all you need is at Bells at Killcare.

After all, they are blessed with the incredible talents of Stefano Manfredi in the kitchen, the well-renowned chef who used to be at the amazing bel mondo in Sydney once upon a time.  And with two SMH Good Food Guide chef’s hats they must be doing something right.

Quite simply, this place is your home-away-from-home!

Kim*

Bells at Killcare

Enter Killara Golf Club and immediately you feel like you’ve gone back in time to that 19th Century era of charm and sophistication.  Established in 1899, a couple of years before Federation, it’s architecture oozes the sort of character that many venues lack due to modern blandness.  However, this is a wedding venue with history and a heritage that makes any function a grand event.

Step out onto their balcony and enjoy the views of the wide open expanses of the groomed fairways that are incredibly well looked after.  Enjoy cocktails & canapés as you watch the sun set in a blaze of glory beyond the tall trees as the attentive wait-staff look after the needs of you and your guests.

Nestled amongst the old stately homes of Killara in Sydney’s leafy upper north shore yet sprawling as far as the eye can see, this is a golf course that warrants a closer look when planning your wedding.  Not only is it a terrific wedding reception venue but it is also an ideal spot for your wedding ceremony and location photographs.

Interestingly, despite being an older and very well established golf club, they are incredibly up-to-date in their thinking.  For example, one particular wedding we photographed at Killara Golf Club was a little unusual as the bride’s arrival was upstaged by the big entrance of the groom and his groomsmen.

Having gained permission from the club, they arrived by helicopter touching down in sight of all the guests.  The brilliant, bold red colour of this ultra-modern piece of machinery was quite a contrast to the lush, green fairway where it landed.  Mind you, the poor pilot had to negotiate a hail storm that threated to put a dampener on proceedings.  Fortunately, Killara Golf Club has the option of an indoor space should the weather take a turn for the worst.

As it turned out, the rain held off and the bridal party were able to enjoy their time on the golf buggies as we shuttled from one great location to the next.  The course boasts tall eucalypts that catch the late afternoon sun, devilish sand bunkers on the edge of putting greens, and vibrant flowering trees all of which enable the bridal party to relax and enjoy their time away from the formal proceedings amongst stunning back-drops.

Back at the club house the family groups can be photographed on the first tee with some tall trees in the background.  And a large group shot with all the guests’ faces seen clearly is achieved by having them all stand around the practice green and shooting down from the balcony.  This area is also nicely maintained with a bed of brilliant, colourful flowers.

But it’s not all about the photographs.   The service is excellent and the food delicious – always an important consideration at any wedding.

Kim*

Killara Golf Club

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

Of all the places you may want to be on a hot & humid summer’s day, the beach has to be number one.  Especially when you’re the groom wearing a three-piece suit!

That’s why when we’re asked to shoot a wedding in summer, we’re relieved that the bride & groom have selected a venue like Mobys’ Whale Beach.

Now you probably don’t need me to tell you that it’s located at Whale Beach, one of Sydney’s stunning northern beaches, but I can tell you that the magnificent panoramic view out to sea is, well, magnificent.  And if you keep your eyes peeled from June to November you may even catch a glimpse of the whales making their annual migration.

But a good reception venue needs more than just spectacular views.  And in the case of Mobys’ Whale Beach they really come up with the goods.  From my experience, their food is consistently a cut-above the norm which is pretty important in my books.

What’s more, the venue has a nice relaxed yet stylish feel to it with a separate area set aside for the band and dancing.

So if you’re planning a summer wedding you can’t really go past the beach – actually, it’s pretty damn good any time of the year!

Kim*

Moby's Whale 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

Having photographed weddings now for over 8 years I can safely say that not all reception venues are alike.

When we were married 15 years ago my wife and I chose a restaurant that would not only provide our guests with wonderful food & wine but also a location that was both spectacular and yet relaxing.  We wanted a place that would be memorable, for all the right reasons.  Fortunately for our guests and us it was.  The venue I am referring to is Balmoral Bathers’ Pavilion in Mosman.

So it’s with this ancient experience in the back of my mind that I rocked-up to another seaside venue, Catalina in Rose Bay.

They too have a reputation for fine food and amazing views.  But would the end-result match all the hype?

I have found many restaurants as reception venues to be great with the food but sadly lacking when it comes to the service.  Getting the food onto plates and out to the guests regardless of how the reception is proceeding is often their overwhelming priority.  And perhaps they are justified to some extent as they will be judged by many on the quality of their meals.

What a pleasant surprise to find that Catalina far exceeds their reputation.

Not only did they serve a superb meal on the night but their attentive maître d’ and wait-staff saw to it that the proceedings flowed very smoothly.  I was thoroughly impressed.

Despite the less than ideal weather conditions their covered balcony provided more than adequate protection from the elements.  And of course the panoramic view across the bay is beautiful and relaxing.

I highly recommend this restaurant as a wedding reception venue and look forward to returning in the not too distant future.

Kim*

Catalina at Rose Bay