Hawthorn Wedding Photographer – Documenting the big day

Sophan and Adam chose the impressive “Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Hawthorn” for their ceremony. A wonderful church in the middle of Hawthorn. It was not far from their reception venue “Leonda by the Yarra”. The ceremony in Hawthorn was planned fairly late in the day – so we knew we had not too much sunlight left in the day. This is unfortunately very typical for winter weddings – so make sure you know your sunset times.

But how lucky were we? Have a look at the wedding photos below and you will see that we definitely made the most out of the short photoshoot we had.

Creative and Photojournalistic Wedding Documentation in Hawthorn

Melbourne put on the most beautiful winter day with lots of sunshine for us. We chose a nearby park location in Hawthorn for the wedding photos. We made sure to capture the last sunlight and make the most out of the short time we had. The wedding function at Leonda by the Yarra was held in the Garden Room. Leonda is a great wedding venue close to the Melbourne CBD with plenty of parking and lots of different photo opportunities directly at the venue.

Enjoy the photographs of this fantastic wedding in Hawthorn.

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Surprise Wedding & Engagement Photography

The plan was to leisurely walk down on St Kilda pier at sunset, enjoy the sunset over the Melbourne city skyline, spot some penguins and then find the right moment to propose …

The couple long planned to visit St Kilda pier to view the sunset – now with the twist of a surprise engagement. We packed our long 300mm zoom lens to be able to capture the couple from far away. Lots of tourists made it easier to hide in the crowd but it was still a challenge to not get spotted.

The couple had the most beautiful sunset – the perfect day for a surprise engagement. The view to the Melbourne city was magnificent even if it was a bit cold and windy.

She said yes!

Upon the rocks of the St Kilda breakwater, Jayson took all his courage and with the beautiful sun in the back he went down on his knees showing her the ring! She couldn’t believe it and after a few seconds of tears and emotions, she said yes!!!

Congratulations Steffi & Jayson! Enjoy the images and always keep the memories of this beautiful moment!

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We took Emily and John out to Mount Lofty just on the outskirts of the beautiful Yarra Valley for our styled photoshoot as we knew we had a great chance of a beautiful sunset gracing our photos up there. It’s also so pretty and quiet there, giving us the right setting, where the focus is just on our couple. It was a warm winter’s day and Emily and John made creating beautiful images easy as they do what comes naturally – being a couple in love.

Yarra Valley Wedding Photography

Whatever the season, the Yarra Valley is stunning for couples who want a vintage look and feel for their wedding photography. We couldn’t resist bringing in a vintage bike to accessorise our photoshoot. The bouquet of tulips, carnations and other various fauna were all kept in wintery hues which gave us some colour to brighten up our winter photoshoot.

The day was warmer than usual for winter, which kept our stunning bride warm for most of our photoshoot. The ground was dry and the sunset burst through the clouds to give us some beautiful sun-drenched photos at the end of the day.

We separated the photos of Emily and John into two parts as there were so many we wanted to showcase (patience – there will be more soon). Most are shot with an 85mm 1.2 lens and our new Petzval 85mm art lens which produces some amazing portraits!

Love is like the wind, you can’t see it but you can feel it.

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Bohemian Wedding Photography – Styled Photo Shoot

Crystal and Tom are a Melbourne real-life couple who star in our ‘Bohemian Dream’ photoshoot. On this shoot, we used an art lens (Petzval 85mm 2.2) to create lots of lens flare and dreaminess. A large dreamcatcher dancing in the wind was all we needed to help us create a bohemian scene. Crystal wore a whimsical dress, with a floral crown of Baby’s Breath and native flowers. The bouquet is comprised of the same flowers. Baby’s Breath (also known as Gypsophila) is a simple, yet very stylish flower which has always been a favourite of brides. For a Bohemian style outfit, flat shoes were called for and Crystals shell-encrusted sandals were just perfect.

The day was beautiful and the sun shone in the right places for us that day. Sunshine is always preferable when making beautiful photos as it helps us create some dreaminess. When the sun doesn’t want to shine, don’t worry as we have secret ways off making a photoshoot dreamlike. Our photography isn’t just about taking the photos, we work through each one with editing tools to make them special.

Couples photoshoot – Engagement Photography

These styled wedding photoshoots are not just for brides and grooms or engaged couples, they’re for anyone who thinks that their love for each other is worth eternalising in pictures. These photoshoots are also for those who simply want editorial style photos for themselves. We’re open to locations and styling ideas but will assist you to achieve the best look for you.

Don’t forget to have a look at part 1 of this photoshoot.

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Wedding editorial – Bohemian wedding – Styled photography Melbourne

For this styled photo shoot, we’ve used a real couple – Crystal and Tom. We’ve photographed a wedding at the Studley Park Boathouse previously and wanted to use the location again. It’s so romantic to watch a man row his lady up the river! There are no rowing skills required here as most guys will get the hang of it easily as our model did. The day was beautiful and bright, creating a glistening surface on the river as our couple drifted along with it. It was a Sunday afternoon and the weather was just perfect. There were so many rowboats out and about but we managed to find some quiet spots to make it look like the river belonged to our couple.

Photographer at the Studley Park Boathouse

There are so many spots for great photography around the Studley Park Boathouse, including Kane’s Bridge from where we were able to get an overhead shot of our couple down below. These photos are all edited to look like they’re from the pages of a magazine. As photographers, our job is also to edit your photos in a way which will have you and all those who look at them in awe. We can transform ordinary-looking photos into fine works of art for you to enjoy.

Boho-style wedding photography

For this photoshoot, we went a little bohemian. Not wanting our beautiful model to struggle with walking around in heels, we went with her gorgeous shell-encrusted sandals. We created a simple bouquet of Baby’s Breath and native white flowers with a matching floral crown to complete the look. Crystal wore a short, whimsical dress from Lover the label.

Location: Studley Park Boathouse: Waterfront Wedding Venue

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Greek Orthodox Church – St Catherine in Malvern

We have seen a few churches in Melbourne. St Catherine in Malvern has to be one of the most beautiful Greek Orthodox churches for a wedding in Melbourne. Massive chandeliers and lots of breathtaking decorations in gold make it a breathtaking scene. Plenty of space for lots of wedding guests. An impressive Greek church in Malvern, Melbourne.

The ceremony did not last too long and everyone lined up to quickly congratulate the newlywed couple.

Wedding Photography at the Prahran Hotel

After the family wedding photos in a park close to St Catherine church in Malvern, the bridal party ventured to the Prahran Hotel. Three black vintage cars made for a stylish transport option and lots of space for the whole bridal team.

After the wedding ceremony, the couple deserved a little break and the modern space in the Prahran Hotel was just stunning. The hotel just got recently renovated and the architecture with the stacked concrete pipes and central courtyard is bold and modern. An ideal venue for small and big parties. There are lots of private spaces and room for bigger groups.

A few cocktails, beers and some great food was served. Of course, we couldn’t resits using the space for a few wedding photos. The modern architecture just asks for some beautiful wedding photos. The vintage wedding cars parked directly in front of the Prahran Hotel and the couple had not far to walk before we all drove off to the big function.

A wedding at Leonda by the Yarra, Hawthorn

Plain white space, a glowing oversized LOVE sign, hundreds of guests, a perfectly decked out event space, a stylish bar, a fun photo shoot and a wonderful wedding couple. The ingredients for the perfect wedding party at this Hawthorn wedding venue.

The event space in Hawthorn at Leonda by the Yarra looked amazing. You have direct access to the Yarra river and Leonda by the Yarra is one of the biggest stylish event and wedding venues in Melbourne. The elegant venue has even a private jetty. Unfortunately, we did not have much of a sunset on this wedding day and we decided not to use the riverbanks for a photoshoot. But the modern entrance area is plain white and leaves plenty of space for wonderful simple shots. Just ideal for wedding photography and much suited for our couple.

After a quick freshen up in the bridal suite the couple made a big entrance and was warmly welcomed by all their guests (some travelled quite far to attend). Leonda by the Yarra created a delicious menu (yum). Emotional wedding speeches, cake cutting, the first dance,  … but then the party started. As soon as the greek music played the dancefloor was packed and old and young was having fun. Crazy times.

A wonderful wedding … congratulations Katherine & Nick.Thanks for having us as your wedding photographers.

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Stylish Wedding Photography in Melbourne

Nathan and his groomsmen spent their morning getting ready in a friends apartment in the city. Jacinta and her bridesmaids carried out their wedding preparations in the couple’s stylish Ascot Vale home which they had recently just completed renovating. With their keen eye for detail, this couple’s wedding was picture perfect.

Jacinta was a vision in her figure-hugging Pronovias gown, finished with a pair of gold YSL platform heels. She and her bridesmaids enjoyed champagne and girly moments before facing the heat and heading off to the wedding venue. The bridesmaids looked amazing in their complimenting white dresses which the bride picked out for them.

Wedding Photography at Meadowbank Receptions

An arbour was set up in the gardens of the venue and rose petals lined the wedding aisle. Guests were given dried rose petals to shower the bride and groom with when the ceremony was over. What a stunning set up to photograph. The temperature was down to a bearable level and no-one complained too much about the heat – except for the photographers who were running around everywhere trying to catch all the important moments! The guests then flowed into the reception centre for a night of mingling, great food and dancing to the tunes of the live band until the doors closed.

Meadowbank Receptions was a lovely venue. With a stylish pool area which the guests could mingle around as the temperature stayed warm all night. The food was great and the dance floor was large enough to cater for everyone there.

Enjoy some highlights of this beautiful wedding.

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Location, Location, Location – Melbourne Wedding Photography

Cape Shank was our first choice of a location for Brodie and James. It was not an easy location to shoot at but it is a spectacular place. The light can play havoc, being either too bright or too dark. The rocks are unsteady and don’t allow for easy movement. There were also other photographers there, vying for best position. On this particular day, the weather behaved just as it should and Brodie navigated so elegantly around the rocks in her heels – with me nervous as hell that she’d fall over and hurt herself! As for the other photographers, everyone was so respectful of each other and we managed to blend them out. This enabled us to capture this real couple in images which have some depth and feel to them. We wanted to create images which stir emotions and we think we did a great job here.

Styled wedding photoshoot – Keeping it Real

The waves hit the rocks and catapulted high, creating an exciting backdrop. There was a breeze which gave us some movement with Brodie’s hair and clothing. Movement is something we love when on photo shoots, something which also creates feel. Brodie and James, who have been together for a few years, were just perfect models. Having known them from our countless visits to the races, they were very happy to oblige in modelling for us. Brodie is a fashionista who thinks along the same lines as we did with styling. There were no problems in agreeing about what she’d wear or how her hair and make-up should look. She knows how to look the part as she has won many ‘Fashions on the Field’ competitions, including the major one during the Melbourne Cup Carnival where she walked away with a brand new Lexus! James also dabbles in the fashion comps, and he’s not too bad at them either! Brodie and James are no strangers to our cameras as we’ve photographed them at the races. Because of this, they knew we did great work. We do like to use real couples for our styled shoots because it just looks real. Even our little 6yr old man exclaimed ‘it is a real wedding because they’re kissing!”, when watching the film. Cute.

Creating Moments – Telling stories

We’re not great with shot lists. As photographers, we tend to go into a shoot open-minded and shoot spontaneously whatever unfolds in front of us. Again, this helps to keep things real. Yes, we do give a lot of direction as to what we’re after but that comes from us being inspired by our models and our surroundings. As we walked down towards the beach, we noticed fantastic looking trees which arched over our couple. Further on, some more beautiful trees and branches where light glimmered through. Then, there was the platform which we had to follow to reach the beach. We haven’t been down there in a while and these locations slowed us down a little, actually giving us less time down at the rocks where we had initially intended to shoot! There are no regrets at all as the photos turned out stunning.

Fine Art Wedding Photography in Melbourne

Just recently, we acquired a fantastic new camera lens which creates the most amazing portraits with radial blur in the background. The bokeh (light circles in the background) is very special. It’s the Lomography Petzval 85mm 2.2 art series lens. Some of these portraits were shot with this lens and how amazing do they look! The lens is definitely assisting us in our move into more of an artistic direction with our photography, fine art photography. We’re so hooked on this lens that we’ve ordered more of the series which we’re aiming to blow you all away with! Unfortunately, they will take some time to arrive.

We wanted an indie, vintage look for both the photos and film. With some time-consuming editing work, we are proud of what we’ve come up with. This will appeal to those stylish bride and grooms who are after something a bit more edgy and super special to remember their day with. It’s more than just photography, it’s an artistic production where you are the stars.

Have a look at these photos and make sure to scroll to the end to find the wedding film we did. 

• Dress: Self Portrait
• Shoes: Scanlan and Theodore
• Bouquet: Wild native bouquet by Souri Sengdara
• Headpiece: Lady of Leisure Millinery
• Make Up & Hair: Katie Winkler and Ashlee Jayde
• Photography and Videography by freshphotography Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne Wedding Film – A love story – Brodie & James

Make sure you have a look at the stunning wedding video we produced on the day. A cinematic  wedding movie telling a love story.

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Studley Park Boathouse Wedding Photography

Studley Park Boathouse is a unique and personal wedding venue in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. The leafy suburb has lots of parks and is very close to the CBD. You feel like you are outside of Melbourne in the country but yet you are so close to the bustling Melbourne CBD.

Melbourne CBD Wedding Photography

The day started off with a little coffee (and champagne) session before we made our way to the Melbourne CBD. The registration office in the Melbourne CBD is a great choice for your wedding when you don’t have too many guests attending the ceremony (we got ourselves married there by the way … ). A smaller wedding party of up to 50/60 people is no problem there and there is also an option for  smaller room which fits maybe only 10 people. The old building has definitely atmosphere and is very centrally located.

Studley Park Boathouse Wedding Photography

The sun was shining down and backlit the couple beautifully. They were just so in love that they totally forgot about the camera. Wandering around on the grounds of Studley Park close to the boathouse. Did I say boathouse? Yes … a boathouse. And what do you do there? You rent a rowing boat and take your bride on the water. A scene out of a romantic movie.

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Of course, you get the beach and the pier. Alternatively, you can have a walk at Fitzroy Street or catch a tram. Visit Luna park or have a coffee in one of the trendy places there.

The beaches of Albert Park and Port Melbourne are close and offer plenty of options. There are iconic locations as the princess pier or just the plan trees along Beaconsfield parade which provide a perfect backdrop for your St Kilda Beach Wedding photography.

Luxury Weddings in Melbourne – MLC Kew

The bride and groom decided to get ready at the families private homes. We always like this as it adds a bit of a personal touch. An emotional and touching ceremony was held at the MLC college in Kew. We did a few wedding family photos there and opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate with the bridal team. The cork nearly hit the camera and we had lots of fun at the stunning location. The old buildings combined with the luxury cars – Rolls Royce and Jaguar gave us a luxury classic wedding backdrop.

St Kilda Beach Wedding Photography

Change of scene! We made our way to St Kilda were the wedding function was held at Encore, St Kilda. The wedding venue is directly at the beachfront and makes a perfect location for a stunning beach wedding. After the classic and luxury of the leafy suburb of Kew, it was a welcoming contrast to photograph the couple at the beach.

St Kilda Beach Wedding photography is not easy. St Kilda Pier is usually busy at sunset but there is always some empty spot to find to take beautiful beach wedding photos. As wedding photographers, we just love the beauty and simplicity of the beach. Perfect for our wonderful couple.

Encore is a stylish and modern wedding venue at the beach in St Kilda. Great food and perfect service make it one of the first choices for beach weddings.

Melbourne Suburbs for Beach Wedding Photography

There are plenty of other Melbourne suburbs which would be ideal for beach wedding photography. Close to the CBD are Port Melbourne, Albert Park and St Kilda. Than you have the luxurious locations of Elwood, Brighton (Point green and the Beach boxes are well known wedding photography locations close to the beach), Hampton down to Sandringham.

Black Rock is a wonderful beach wedding location. When you go even further south east you get more secluded beaches and have lots of space – Chelsea, Carrum Downs or Seaford are some examples.

But don’t forget the other side of the town – Williamstown and Altona are perfect for beach wedding photography. Melbourne has definitely more to offer than just St Kilda beach wedding photography. So many beautiful beaches to chose from. Enjoy your beach wedding.

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