Wedding reception venues Articles
Allison & Brandon
12 October 2010
Allison and Brandon were married recently in Sydney after a special proposal on holiday at the Isle of Pines, New Caledonia.
Above hangs Allison’s Essense wedding gown as she prepares for her wedding day. The ivory dress and roses were combined with diamonte detailing that flowed through to the bridesmaids dresses and stationary for the wedding invites.
Allison spent the night before the wedding at the InterContinental Sydney. ‘My family and I stayed in a suite at the Intercontinental hotel the night before – I really enjoyed all of us getting ready together on the day and I’m glad I chose to have my two sisters as my bridesmaids.’
Allison and Brandon chose to get married at St Thomas Anglican Church in North Sydney. ‘We wanted our vows to really mean something so we agreed to commit to a marriage preparation course run by Reverend Richard James. It was great to be married by somebody we respected and who had gotten to know us prior to the wedding.’ said Allison.
We asked Allison her most memorable part of the day, and as many brides feel the overwhelming joy of walking down the isle,
this too was one of Allison’s best memory from her wedding day.
‘For me, walking down the aisle and seeing my husband smiling back at me is something I’ll always remember. ‘
Allison’s bridesmaids wore floor length deep chocolate gowns and matching ivory roses.
The groomsmen wore black suits, with ivory ties to match the girls bouquets.
o finish their night the newly weds celebrated with guests at L’Aqua, Darling Harbour. It was the perfect venue for Allison and Brandon as they ‘wanted a traditional, classy and elegant feel’ to their day. Allison spoke fondly of this celebration and the moments that will stay with her for a long time ‘ Brandon’s speech when he acknowledged me as his wife for the first time. My Dad’s speech was very moving too. It was great to see all our family and friends having such a great time on the dance floor!’
‘We chose Frank Sinatra’s “Fly me to the moon” for our first dance – we took dance classes to put together a routine and I think we pulled it off .’
Thank you to Allison and Brandon for sharing your day with us, and for your kind words about gm photographics
‘After researching competitors we felt that your portfolio was truly outstanding.’
Lauren and Brett, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney
27 September 2010
Lauren and Brett were the lucky winners of the Bride To Be wedding package.
Their winning package included a gm photographics wedding photography package.
We were delighted to be a part of this lovely day and excited to share with you some highlights from their day.
Lauren’s stunning gown was handpicked by her mother at Maggie Soterro. According to Lauren Mums always right!
‘I wasn’t immediately convinced but when Mum eventually talked me into trying it on in the store, I loved it! I guess I should know by now that Mum is always right.’
After a very romantic proposal including a ‘hotel room overlooking the ocean, an amazing diamond ring and a beautiful dinner
at a beachside restaurant’, Lauren and Brett started to plan their big day.
Above Lauren’s ring sits on a coin from her grandmother who was unable to attend the wedding.’ My Grandma lives in Townsville and wasn’t able to travel to Sydney for the wedding due to health issues. We were both so sad about it but she sent me down a coin she had from exactly 100 years ago which I placed in a pouch, pinned to the inside of my dress and had with me the whole day as my “something old”. It was the next best thing to having her there on the day and it meant we both knew one was thinking of the other.’
We just adore the colour palette that wedding stylist and planner, Anthony Del Col, helped Lauren choose for the wedding.
‘Because it was winter, our focus was on creating a really warm and elegant mood. The colours we used were grey, ivory and black with small bursts of dark raspberry pink.’
Flowers for the day were created by Aunty & Me Wedding Flowers
(auntyandmeweddingflowers@gmail.com)
Above Brett waits patiently for his bride at St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney.
‘We live very close to the CBD and both St Mary’s Cathedral and the InterContinental are just so beautiful, elegant and full of character it was an easy choice.’
Below Lauren arrives at the church. Lauren later remembers this moment as one of her most memorable parts of the day. ‘ Hearing the church bells on the way to the cathedral and realising they were for our wedding was a pretty amazing experience.’
Above the moment shared between Lauren and Brett was by far her favourite of the day.
‘My favourite memory is after we had just walked out of the cathedral after the ceremony – Brett and I had a brief moment all to ourselves at the top of the cathedral steps just before were were joined by our bridal party and all of our loved ones. It was really surreal to look at each other and say “well, we did it, we’re married!” We felt so excited and so relieved at the same time!’
The bride and groom spoke fondly of the gm photographics team on location.
‘We had a lot of fun with our bridal party during our photo shoot in Hyde Park – Angela and Tim were really relaxed and let us all carry on like our usual mental selves – and managed to take great photos while they were at it! We consider ourselves so lucky to have had such incredible photographers to capture our wedding day.’
cake by Sweet Art.
The amazing Anthony Del Col, of Staging Connections, also styled and planned the wedding reception, which was held at the InterContinental, Sydney.
‘Anthony Del Col helped us create a really intimate reception with lots of candles and low, dense floral arrangements on the tables.’
The reception was the perfect ending for their day.
Lauren and Brett relaxed and celebrated with all the special people in their lives, some who had traveled some distance to be there.
‘Brett’s sister and her husband traveled from the UK which we really appreciated considering Tanya is pregnant and Matt runs his own business. One of my best friends, Zankhna, used up a lot of her very precious annual leave to be there from London and one of our groomsmen, David, made the trip from Canberra. We had a lot of other family and friends travel from interstate also. It made the day so much more special to have so many people travel to be there with us.’
Best wishes Lauren and Brett for a wonderful future as husband and wife from the team at gm photographics.
Serge Dansereau- Bathers Pavilion chef and owner
17 September 2010
Serge Dansereau is the head chef and owner of the iconic Bathers’ Pavilion Café and Restaurant at Balmoral Beach Sydney. Serge has been called ‘the father of the fresh food movement’ because of his passion for using local seasonal produce and his championing of Australian growers.
Graham Monro recently did a shoot of Serge and some of his amazing dishes. If you haven’t already eaten at Bathers Pavilion we strongly recommend you do! The food is fresh and fabulous, and the location is second to none.
Serge has a new, soon-to-be launched, cookbook called French Kitchen- classic recipes for home cooks.
In French Kitchen, Serge combines his love of French technique, quality Australian produce and home cooking. In this beautifully photographed and designed book, you will find 230 classic French recipes for the home kitchen, all carefully developed to make French food accessible to the everyday Australian cook — professional chef training not required!
French Kitchen will be available come October 1st and can be pre-ordered here.
The Ultimate Wedding Planning Party- Sydney
14 September 2010
One day to go! See you tomorrow at The Ultimate Wedding Planning Party.
click to website for details here
Kezia & Sean marry at Guillaume
10 September 2010
Today we share with you the story of Kezia & Seans harbourside wedding. After a romantic proposal Kezia and Sean were married 4 months later.
Sean chose the Hilton Hotel to propose the Kezia as it was the place they first met, at the hotels bar, The Zeta Bar.
‘Sean and I went to the theatre and then on the way home he said one of our friends was at Zeta Bar and so we were going to pop by and have a drink. Once we arrived in the hotel lobby Sean pulled out a room key. He had booked the biggest suite in the hotel as a surprise. He had already brought everything to the hotel earlier in the day from clothes to shoes, and even my favourite perfume. In due course Sean asked me to open the safe in the room, then right at the back was a little box. Sean then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.’ and of course she said yes!
Kezia found her perfect dress at Mark Holt Bridal. ‘I wanted something quite simple and elegant.’ she explains.
‘I knew it was the one because I felt myself in the dress and thought it really reflected the look and feel we were going for on the day. The whole process was a breeze.’
We asked Kezia the theme or feel she wanted for her wedding day, ‘Classic and timeless’ she replied, which we think she pulled off perfectly. ‘We wanted to be able to look at our photos in 20 years and not have a “what were we thinking moment!”
The groomsmen wore classic black dinner suits and the bridesmaids wore full length gun metal grey silk strapless dresses, which were contrasted with crisp white bouquets from Susan Avery. Kezia speaks fondly of her florist ‘Susan Avery understood the brief perfectly. We wanted all white and cream flowers, giving a crisp classic winter feel.’ Oh and we love the little shrug she wore as it got cold, very elegant!
Sean and Kezia had both the ceremony and reception at Guillaume at Bennelong, Sydney Opera House. It was an easy choice for them.
‘It is our favourite restaurant in Sydney. The service and food is first class, so we thought why not get married there. We wanted to pick somewhere that was private, but also a bit special for our family and friends.’
The bride and groom said the best part of their day was seeing all their friends and family having such a great time together.
The gm photographics team wish Kezia and Sean wonderful life together, filled with health and happiness.
Thank you for choosing gm photographics to be there to capture your day and for your kind words on your experience with gm photographics.
‘Once we went in and met the team it was an easy decision. Our two photographers on the day were fantastic, they made us feel totally at ease. We could not have been happier with the quality of work.’ Kezia.
Public Dining Room, Balmoral Beach
8 September 2010
Today we share with you an amazing wedding reception venue that gm photographics photographed.
The recently launched Public Dining Room, is located on Balmoral Beach, Sydney. From inside there are spanning waterviews across to Middle Head and Manly.
Described as a ‘relaxed luxe space’, Public Dining Room is the perfect reception venue to follow a beach wedding.
Balmoral Beach is one of our favourite places for photoshoots and wedding location shoots.
We hope you enjoy these images. You can visit the Public Dining Room website here to learn more about
this fabulous new venue.
Jessica & Joel, Hunter Valley wedding by gm photographics
27 August 2010
Today we share with you the wedding of Jessica and Joel.
Jessica and Joel chose to get married in the Australian countryside. They had beautiful outdoor ceremony at LindemansEstate Pokolbin, NSW.
Jessica’s bridemaids wore navy blue one shouldered dresses.
While Jessica herself chose a stunning strapless Carla Zampatti gown, with a black waisted bow, complete with a crystal clasp.
Joel wore a charcoal grey suit by Hugo Boss. Flowers for the day were a mixture of natives and succulents, just divine!
The sun was shining for the outdoor ceremony. As guests took in the stunning scenery of Pokolbin, Joel & Jessica said ‘I do’.
The surrounding vineyards became the perfect backdrop for some candid, yet intimate, wedding
photos of Jessica and Joel. As the sun went down they made their way to join their wedding guests at the reception to celebrate.
Family and friends were treated to a night of food, wine and good company at Lindemans, Hunter Valley.
The venue was styled to create a warm, welcoming place for guests to celebrate the new bride and groom.
Jessica and Joel we wish you all the best in your future together, from all of us at gm photographics.
Jennifer & James, by gm photographics
18 August 2010
We will begin the story of James and Jennifer’s wedding with the special details of the bride on her big day.
Jen’s earings for the day were desgined by James himself ‘James designed earrings for me, using the remaining diamonds from my Gran’s (Dad’s Mum) engagement ring, which matched my engagement ring and my dress beautifully, and made my Dad and Uncle very proud.’
Her dress matched the theme of Vintage glamour perfectly. Jen found her perfect wedding dress at Sarah Devine, in Mosman. She wore a piece of her mothers wedding dress sewn into her dress along with her locket, which sat next to her heart inside the dress.
Jen shares her experience of finding the dress with us. After trying on numerous designs all over Sydney, she said ‘The girls were a combination of teary eyes and excited squealing, and it was the first dress that I liked more that my favourite Vera Wang. I felt like me in it, and the name of the gown also sealed the deal – “Tutu My Love”.’
The location of their wedding, Illoura Reserve, Balmain was perfect for James and Jen.
Jen said ‘We fell in love with this particular park because of its privacy, beautiful big fig tree and views to both the Harbour Bridge and Anzac Bridge. James and I wanted to get married outside, in a natural, informal ceremony.’
When asked about their favourite memory from their wedding day both had similar standout moments.
James ‘It is very cliché, however seeing Jen walking down the aisle really took my breath away. I am not an emotional guy, however I definitely had to fight back the tears. That memory will stay with me for a long time.’
Jen spoke of her entrance too ‘my awareness of everyone else disappeared as soon as I saw James when I was walking down the aisle. James held my hands the entire time and we could not take our eyes off each other, I have never felt closer to him. While the rest of the day flew by, the ceremony seemed to be in slow motion,it was wonderful, very happy and heartfelt and special.’
The day was styled by Raymond Ware, The Styling Company, who called the theme ‘Vintage Glamour’. ‘We kept things pretty simple given the amazing views we had to work with.’ They used hanging floral birdcages, rose petal aisle and rustic french provincial seating at the ceremony.
‘The bridesmaids chose the colour of their dresses, Nutmeg, which designerJenet Zaiter, used to tailor dresses to suit each of the girls, and make ties for the boys who wore suits from Peppers Double Bay.
James’ suit was also important as he wears one every day at work. He wanted something more unique for the wedding so went searching for a high quality bespoke suit.
He ended up working with J.H.Cutler who delivered the most beautiful suit we have seen.’
The reception at Aqua Dining was a beautiful end to their day with close friends and family.
‘James and I both always wanted to have our reception in a restaurant. We both love great food and wine and we wanted an Australian restaurant on the harbour as we had a lot of guests visiting from outside of Sydney, and because Sydney Harbour is one of our favourite places. ‘
Thank you James and Jennifer for having gm photographics as part of your day and for your kind words.
‘gm photographics had the most natural, striking wedding images we saw. We wanted natural shots, so we could see later how our day flowed, and how everyone enjoyed themselves – experience was much more important to us than posing, and gm seemed (and ultimately were) very skilled at this. gm’s package pricing was also very competitive.’
Sydney Harbour wedding- Katie and Kevin
12 August 2010
Newly weds Katie and Kevin were a great couple and were lots of fun on their wedding day.
The photos captured so wonderfully by gm photographics really portray that element of fun.
Katie chose a beautiful full gown from Soma Design, a Sydney based designer.
Katie and her bridesmaid spent their morning preparing for the big day at The Westin Sydney Hotel.
The Westin is one of our favourite hotels to photograph the bride on her big day, it is full of beautiful staircases, grand entrances and lots of light.
The ceremony took place at this gorgeous sandstone church, St Michael’s Anglican Church, in Vaucluse.
Below Kevin waits anxiously for his bride.
The isle was lined with these pastel rose spheres which matched the pale pink of the bridesmaid’s dress perfectly.
And below a couple obviously full of glee as they are announced as husband and wife for the first time.
After the ceremony Katie and Kevin went for a lovely walk through nearby Neilson Park, at Vaucluse with our photographers.
Afternoon speckled light was the perfect opportunity for the gm photographers to capture
some beautiful black and white images, as Katie and Kevin enjoyed a quiet moment together.
As the bridal party made their way to the reception, they strolled through Luna Park, Sydney for some more location photos.
As the sun went down they made their way to The Crystal Palace, where they finished their day with a reception overlooking Sydney Harbour.
Katie and Kevin we wish you a lifetime together full of the happiness and fun that filled your wedding day,
from all of us at gm photographics.
We love winter portrait shoots
30 July 2010
Winter is one of our favourite times for portrait shoots.
Big warm wooly jumpers, bright colours and a little chill in the air that makes you want to snuggle up together.
A beautiful time to capture the love of your family. For more family portrait shoots visit our website here.
