Marek and Gemma were married last year in the beautiful little chapel of Cedar Creek Winery. Marek surprised his bride in the morning with one of the sweetest and most creative ideas I have seen. As Gemma was getting her makeup done there was a knock at the cabin door from Marek’s friends. They lined up in front of Gemma to formally deliver a message and gift from Marek. They unrolled a scroll and read aloud a poem written by Marek. Then Gemma unwrapped her gift to discover a pair of diamond earrings that Marek had specially made for her. She does not have pierced ears but desperately wanted to wear diamond studs on her wedding day. So Marek had found a jeweler who was able to create  a set of earrings she would be able to wear. It was such a beautiful surprise and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room!

Marek & Gemma celebrated with a reception at Pether’s Rainforest Retreat. It’s a gorgeous little restaurant tucked away in the rainforest of  Mt. Tamborine.  They surprised their guests during their first dance by breaking away from their song, “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You”, and transitioning into Michael Jackson’s Thriller. They kept their secret so tight that even I was surprised! It was a pleasure photographing Marek and Gemma and also wonderful to meet and photograph their little daughter Isabelle.

Also, their wedding was featured in the Summer 2010 Edition of Queensland Bride Magazine.  Their wedding cake is also featured in the 2011 Edition of Discerning Bride Magazine.

On a very rainy Saturday in December, Kelly & Konrad were married at St. Mary’s on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, followed by a beautiful reception at Customs House. I look forward to sharing a full post on this wedding soon!

I first met Natalie & Andrew last year in February at a bridal expo on the Gold Coast. It was my first experience exhibiting in a bridal fair and my stand was last in line as the 56th photography booth from the entrance. Positioned directly across from me were two very flirtacious,muscular, shirtless, and oiled up young men advertising their hen’s party services. Needless to say, competing for attention was more than challenging and as a first-time exhibitor it was very disconcerting. Then, thankfully, Natalie & Andrew stopped at my booth! It was so refreshing to chat with them and they presented me with a very unique idea. Natalie is from Singapore and that is where she and Andrew will be exchanging vows this year in February. In Singapore it is a wedding tradition to do an elaborate photo shoot together before the wedding. However, Natalie & Andrew wanted to put a slight twist on this tradition. Instead of just having themselves photographed in their wedding clothes they wanted to tell their story of courtship to engagement to their wedding. The end result being a beautiful coffee table book of their imagery to take with them as a part of the pre-wedding celebrations in Singapore.

The shoot this past November was a lot of fun. We had Carla McKeever, a very talented hair & makeup artist on set with us and we spent the day shooting on Mount Tamborine. We began the day in a location called The Castle, starting with the wedding dress scenes. I won’t be featuring any of the wedding imagery in this post, though, because Natalie’s dress is still a surprise for both families. I will share some, though, after I photograph their Australian wedding in March. For the courtship imagery, Natalie brought beautiful clothing changes and some really fun props. They wanted their imagery to reflect the depth of their relationship, illustrating the many facets of their romance and friendship. I had a wonderful time photographing Natalie & Andrew and I am so glad they stopped at my expo stand. I can’t wait to see photos from Singapore and I very much look forward to photographing them again in March!

Anna & Gareth were married in Brisbane on April 24, 2010. Their service was held at Corpus Christi Church in Nundah and their reception took place at Fix Restaurant & Wine Bar in the city. Anna is originally from Canberra and her family and many friends traveled to Brisbane to share in this day. Anna and her bridesmaids got ready at the Sofitel Hotel in the city, while Gareth and his groomsmen got ready in their home. The morning met us with light rain showers, but the day cleared up just in time for the ceremony. The service was beautiful and Anna’s display of emotion before she walked down the isle along with her father’s loving words, made me get emotional too and I had to quickly get the tears out of my eyes so that I could see to take photos! After the ceremony we took some portraits with the bridal party at the base of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs and then also quickly in the city outside the Port Office Hotel. The reception at Fix Restaurant was wonderful and I highly recommend the venue!

I also thought I would include an image of my one of my favorite spreads from their 10x14in Magazine Album. Large group photos after the service are so stunning when flower petals are thrown! If your venue doesn’t allow flower petals, bubbles are also a beautiful alternative.

Carlo & Brooke were married at the Stamford Plaza in Brisbane yesterday. The rain kept us indoors so after the ceremony we snuck up to the 19th floor for some champaigne and photos. More photos to be posted at a later date!

Congratulations, Brooke & Carlo!