Deb & Mike’s day was very special for many reasons. The number one being they are just two of the loveliest people you could ever meet – which makes them one damn fine couple! Another reason is that I got to catch up with not one but FIVE of my previous wedding couples who were there as guests – Gerri & Dennis, Sara & Dave, Nat & Frank, Elif & Michael & Gill & Ian, it was so lovely to see you all! Another reason – there were about 60 kids in attendance, which made for many hilarious and of course gorgeous moments! Plus Deb and Mike had organised some great surprises for their day – one for the adults and one for the kids. It was such a joy to photograph. Deb and Mike, I hope the photos are a joy for you to look at! Thank you both so much for having me capture this day for you.
Deb & Mike’s day started with a “First Look” which is something more of my couples are now opting for. First Look is a term commonly used now for when couples meet pre-ceremony to have some photos together. One of the main benefits is that it leaves more time to spend with their guests after the ceremony but there are many more. A US photographer I love and admire, Jasmine Star, talks about the First Look in detail on her blog here and puts the benefits of it into words much better than I could. It’s not for everyone, but for those that have done it I’m sure they’d agree it was one of the more special parts of their day, and didn’t take anything away from the ceremony later on. As a photographer, capturing moments like these is what it’s all about …
Once we’d finished Deb & Mike’s First Look photos, they took me on a walk to some nearby spots for more. Brunswick has got so many hidden little gems! I lived ‘north of the city’ a long time ago but being ‘south of the river’ now I don’t get there very often. Deb and Mike’s wedding made me wish I did.
After a few more photos, it was time to go back and greet some of their guests. Since it was a morning wedding Deb & Mike had hired a coffee cart to stick around all day which I thought was such a great idea! So did the guests – the only time there wasn’t a queue was during the ceremony.
Some of the guests got a little more into the coffee (or maybe hot chocolate in this instance) than others …
This guest was so cute she kept distracting me and my camera away from the bride and groom. She was working her outfit and the crowd so hard that she fell asleep before the ceremony…
Before they were married I was able to snatch another couple of minutes away with Deb & Mike for some photos. Since the coffee cart was such a fun part of their day, I really wanted to incorporate it into a few of their shots.
And then it was time to get married!
Deb had asked six of her god-daughters to be flowergirls. They were just too cute! I snapped these candid shots while everyone was getting ready at the back of the church, and this first little girl caught my eye. She was completely lost in her own world dancing around all of the adults, it was just beautiful.
One of my former grooms, Ian, who now has two gorgeous women in his life. Gill and Ian, she is just adorable and growing so fast!
After the ceremony, it was time to eat cake and be merry!
One of the nicest things about Deb and Mike is how caring and thoughtful they are. They had a lot of kids at their wedding and they wanted to make sure everyone had a great time, so they organised an activity room for them, but even better, they had some performers come and do a circus show, after which the kids got to do a workshop. How fantastic is that!
For some kids, it was all too much …
But others just kept on going, like this gorgeous little man who spent the afternoon collecting all the balloons he could manage to carry. I thought this was a great shot to finish on, as the smile on his face pretty much says it all about Deb and Mike’s wedding – everyone just had the best day!
