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Lisa & Sam's Margaret River wedding was a lovely relaxed day with family and friends. With everything in one place, they could get ready while they watched the ceremony and marquee take shape, and just enjoy the beautiful day.
When your grandad owns a retired racehorse it would be rude to not include him in the celebration too, so Lisa rode in on horseback much to all the guests delight, and we of course took a little time out for some photos with Tommy too.
After they said their I Do's we made our way to the beach for photos with the Kombi Van that the pair had been so excited about, and had a great afternoon with them and their friends before heading back to Pearl River Houses to watch an impressive first dance and listen to some gorgeous speeches, before leaving everyone to party the night away.
It looked like it was going to be a pretty wet day at Alverstoke Homestead for Amos and Janelle's wedding, but Janelle had her heart set on a ceremony on the steps of the old school, so thank goodness for Charmaine at Ferguson Valley Events who was happy to leave the decision to the last minute and risk setting up outside. The gamble paid off as the sun came out just in time for the start of the day and kept the rain away until the drive home.
Janelle arrived in a family friend's old Holden, which was purchased from her great grandparents and restored many years ago, so it was very special for it to be a part of the day,
The day was filled with lots of fun and family love (it was so lovely to hear Janelle's boys telling her they loved her non stop throughout the day). Janelle looked amazing in her custom made dress by Brides By Design and her soft and gorgeous hair and makeup by Jenna at Belle Couture For Hair and Makeup and Pippa Hodgins for Hair. Amos made a very dapper groom in his navy suit and traditional Maori korowai too.
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The Makings of the Day
The Dress: Brides By Design
Makeup: Belle Couture for Hair & Makeup
Hair: Pippa Hodgins for Hair
Styling: Ferguson Valley Events and Love Me Do
Flowers: The Flower House
Music: Hadassah
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If you're planning a wedding and you love the beautiful memories we created for Janelle & Amos, you can find out more about our wedding photography here:
Bonnie & Kim chose the gorgeous Alverstoke Barn in the Ferguson Valley to celebrate their Big Day. Travelling from Kalgoorlie to celebrate, they created a beautiful rustic, fun celebration amongst family and friends. Booking our Party Package and Fusion Film, we were there to capture the whole day from start to finish, and we think you'll agree that this lovely pair will always remember the fun of the day and how they feel about each other when they watch this awesome film and look back at their photos :-)
Ashley and Conor were married at the stunning St Thomas Moore church in Margaret River.We all traveled down to Boranup Forest and Prevelly Beach for photos before heading back to Margaret River. Our lovely new assistant Bianca came with Clare to capture the gorgeous day.
The cocktail reception was held at Watershed Wines in Margaret River, decorated in beautiful simplicity by Chic Rustique, who also created the awesome bouquets. The yummy yummy YUMMY cake was created by Edible Art, which indeed it was!
We had been looking forward to Samantha and Richards wedding for MONTHS!! It was a big lead up...
Sam entered our Fabulous Fusion Love Story competition back at the start of 2013 and won with her gorgeous tale of how the two of them met and fell in love. From there we produced their Fusion Love Story, and they had so much fun they booked us for their wedding too!
Fast Forward a year to 2nd March 2014, and we finally got to share their special day at Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River with their family and friends, and gorgeous bridal party.
The bridal Party portraits were held at Prevelly Beach rivermouth and the Vineyard. We produced our very first wedding fusion film for their special day so we had the whole gang at this wedding - Clare, Jo and John! It may have looked a little like they had paparazzi after them but everyone had a great time, and we promise to show off their awesome film very soon!
At the end of April there's always a slight risk of rain, and on Kylie and Jeremy's Big Day the grey skies loomed, adding some great drama to the event, but the rain never came.
Kylie & Jeremy are such a gorgeous couple, so gentle, kind and loving together, and it was a privilege to be part of their special day. A vintage inspired wedding with strong family ties, beautiful memories of the past and a forward look to a great future together. At the ceremony the two lovebirds spoke some of the loveliest vows we've ever heard and there was hardly a dry eye in the house!
After the main event we dashed off to Gracetown beach to get some cool bridal party photos as the sun went down, and then coasted back to Cowaramup Brewery for a relaxed cocktail reception.
Thanks for the memories guys, congratulations - we just know you will have a beautiful future together!
We know that one of the most important things for Brides-to-Be is finding that perfect place for your Big Day - one that suits the style of your dream wedding, accommodates your guest list, and is close by to awesome locations where you can capture stunning images and make joyful memories of your Day. Throughout the course of our work we are lucky enough to photograph weddings in beautiful locations and venues throughout South West WA, and we want to help Brides find that perfect place. So over the coming months we will be featuring the venues that we spend time at and enjoy photographing, so that you can get an insight into your options and choose the perfect venue for you.
This month we are featuring very gorgeous Watershed Wines in Margaret River. Over the last few months we have had the pleasure of photographing several weddings at this stunning venue, and it really is just lovely. The stone building is full of character and is surrounded by immaculate lawns and deck overlooking the vines and dam below. The team are super friendly and helpful, the food looks amazing and the vineyard is only a stone's throw from stunning beaches and the Boranup Forest - perfect locations for your Bridal Party Photos (not forgetting the vines themselves of course!)
If you're looking for a winery wedding in the heart of Margaret River give the the winery call. And of course if you want someone experienced to capture your Big Day there, show you all the best photo locations around and let you in on when the vines are at their very best, get in touch with us too!
Sometimes couples just "fit", and Anthony and Shevaun are one of those couples. It was lovely seeing them so comfortable with each other, so in love, and so relaxed about the Big Day ahead. And when you have friendly, happy families to add to the equation you just know it's going to be a great day! We started off with a beautiful ceremony at Christ of the Living Vine and after the "I Do"'s and congratulations were over we whisked ourselves off to Millbridge to capture some fun photos at Shevaun and Anthony's local park. Then it was a quick trip up to Back Beach to capture some memories of the place that they first got together. I love it when we can incorporate special places and memories like that :-)
The reception at the Sanctuary was beautifully decorated by Creations Unlimited and it was really special to see the Ovarian Cancer Awareness ribbons around the tables in place of bonbonieres - a cause very close to Anthony and Shevaun's hearts. They looked really great as buttonholes for the groomsmen too!
Congratulations Anthony and Shevaun - here's to a very long and happy future together!
Well what can we say about Katrina and Shane except what an awesome, down to earth couple! :-)We got to know the two of them in the run up to the wedding trying to fit in as much planning as we could between long stints of them both working away, and had a great engagement session which involved a bit of country style, some romance on the beach, and a very cool Harley Davidson.
With the engagement session and tailormade guest book all done, it was time for the Big Day. This was a big one for us with a full day of both photo and video coverage which called for Clare, Jo and Carly to all be there to capture the magic, and Clare was especially excited by the cadbury purple theme.
Abbey Beach Resort was the perfect spot for the wedding, keeping everything and everyone close together all in one place. The ceremony in the gardens was just lovely, and whenever you have a wedding in Busselton you are always spoilt for choice as far as photo locations go. Katrina and Shane went to the effort of booking the very rustic and gorgeous Wonnerup House for their bridal shoot, which along with some big LOVE letters and a fantastic bridal party made for a very fun afternoon capturing their special memories.
Stay tuned for their very awesome Wedding Fusion Film...still to come!
A beautiful setting, beautiful day, beautiful people, a mishap averted and lots of silly giggles just about sums up Jodie and Matt's Big Day - not to forget a lot of love of course!Clare & Jo spent some time with Matt and the boys at Losari Retreat getting some candid and often silly pre-wedding photos which involved a few beers, some boisterous behaviour and a lot of very strange yet convincing foreign accents, before heading off to see the girls where things were much more civilised but still lots of fun. Jodie's dress was absolutely stunning and we even managed to get some shots with her much beloved dog without getting any slobber on anything ;-)
Down at the beach it took a little while to sort out exactly where the ceremony was going to be, but eventually everything was put in the perfect spot and we did our photographer thing while the lovely couple made their promises to each other in front of family and friends. The bridal party colours looked simply gorgeous by the white sand and azure waters, and we were in our element!
For bridal party photos Matt took us on a bit of an expedition through Boranup Forest (thanks for that Matt!) before we all headed to Watershed Wines for some love in the vines and a very awesome reception featuring a super original, handmade by Matt guest signing surf board!
Congratulations Jodie & Matt - if married life turns out to be anything like your wedding day you certainly have lots of unexpected events and laughs in store - sounds like the perfect way to grow old to us!
We don’t think there is such a thing as a quiet month in the world of CDPD. We get asked “So are you busy?’ OH MY GOD ARE WE BUSY!! (which is great because we LOVE what we do J)Here’s a little look at what we got up to in February at the studio…
February Weddings
We had the privilege of photographing two fabulous weddings this month. A little quieter than past Februarys, but we are grateful for that as March is going to be a dooooooooozy.
Our first was the stunning wedding of Tabitha and Lance down in Pemberton on the 2nd of February. We love Pemberton and Clare would move there in a heartbeat if she was a closet millionaire and didn’t need to be in Margaret River or Busselton every weekend. The green lushness of the forests just makes her heart sing, as they did Tabitha and Lance and their wedding guests. Lance had great fun driving his antique red truck as the wedding car, and it made for pretty awesome wedding photos with the background of trees and ancient train tracks.
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On the 8th of February we joined Laura and David at the fabulous Watershed Winery in Margaret River. It was a heartfelt late afternoon ceremony followed by a fun and joyful reception with family and friends in the restaurant. The surrounds of the winery are just beautiful and made the perfect backdrop for the bridal party images.
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February Portraits
This month we celebrated three engagements with our fabulous E-Sessions.
Diona and Ryan started a VERY windy session with Clare and Jo at Back Beach before finishing up finding shelter at Maidens Reserve (it’s always great to have a backup plan!) Clare took Sophie and Jesse, along with their adorable puppies, to a special loved up Valentines session on the Australind Foreshore, and Josh and Sarah got up nice and early to hang out in Dalyellup with Clare one Saturday morning!
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It’s fabulous to get to know our clients so well leading up to their wedding days, it makes The Big Event even more exciting and enjoyable, our couples (especially the boys) get to find out it’s not as scary as it seems – and we get to make awesome things like Guest Books and Save the Dates!! We created amazing Save the Date cards for Larissa and Byron this month for their wedding in Tassie. Fully custom designed, printed on gorgeous textured art paper. We are currently designing some for Sophie and Jesse too!
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But it’s not all just about our couples, we love hanging out with families here at the studio too. We got to hang out with two extended families this month, the Godsell’s and the Bonser families. That special occasion is the perfect reason to drag all those family members back home for a weekend and get all the kids together - all the cousins get to say HI, and Mum finally achieves that special family portrait she has been wanting for years.
Good planning is essential with larger groups, enabling excellent colour combinations and the perfect location to complement nicely. We always have planning sessions without portrait clients and with larger groups it’s even more essential so that everyone co-ordinates nicely to achieve that perfectly designed portrait image.
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We also got to spend time with baby Annie and her family for a studio session to complete a set of wall art that mum and dad wanted to create for each of their kids.
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BIG EVENTS!
While Clare was out frolicking at Tabitha and Lance’s wedding Jo stayed closer to home to show face at the annual Lord Forrest Wedding Expo. It was a super busy day that was put together well by the team at the Lord Forrest, and Jo had lots of fun chatting to different people, from couples who had their Big Day all planned out to those just starting out and even some ladies who were so super organized their other halves hadn’t even popped the question yet – they just wanted to be prepared for when the special day came!!!
February Behind the Scenes
Behind the scenes we've been BUSY BUSY BUSY!! After our favourite camera and lens combo went swimming last month, it visited the Canon hospital for a few weeks and is now back in rotation along with our fabulous new equipment, two new cameras, four new lenses, a snazzy new tripod with video head, and various other bits and bobs.
We have met with many new wedding clients and have booked lots of new weddings for the coming year, and met with many of our up and coming wedding couples to plan their Big Day.
We have also been busy bees researching new products and are gearing up to launch some very exciting new wedding albums very soon. Our GORGEOUS new line of albums by New Zealand company Queensberry are benchmark AWESOME in the world of Wedding Albums, and we are looking forward to receiving our first sample album in the coming weeks.
We are introducing a new service this month too…Fusion Wedding Videos!! Our first ones will be shot in March and we are super excited to create some fabulous moving art for our very lucky clients.
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Both Clare and Jo celebrated their BIRTHDAYS this month - Jo’s on the 17th and Clare’s on the 18th! More proof that we are really carbon copies of each other (although Clare is actually about 20 years older than Jo... well maybe only 5). We celebrated with a few glasses of bubbles at the Bull and Bush Tavern with our families and friends.
In our own families…. Clare’s hubby John has started his Dip Ed in Maths and Media Education up in Perth, so travels up and back every week to go to ECU in Joondalup, leaving Clare and Sam to be awesome at home. This will be one very busy and full on year for him and Clare, but will mean excellent future prospects for everyone. Sam the Man is 16 months old (OMG), running everywhere, full of beans and a total joy. His current favorite word is MUM (YAY!!!!)
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True to form Jo took advantage of her birthday and stretched out celebrations for most of the month, so she’s looking pretty tired but she had a great time and still has a permanent smile on her face J
March is already shaping up to be the busiest one ever, so we look forward to sharing the joy with you all and we’ll let you know what we got up to when it’s all over!
Summer in the South West is a beautiful time of year. Long days, blue skies and beautiful beaches...it's no wonder it's such a popular time to get married. But we all know that the summer heat can bring with it some challenges, and having been photographing weddings for over ten years we have learned a good few tricks to beat the heat and make sure couples can enjoy the Big Day they've always dreamed of, with the perfect pictures to boot.So here, for all you lucky Summer brides, we have put together our top ten tips for surviving summer weddings and ensuring you have your perfect day.
Beach wedding
1. Find the Shade
We all love an outdoor ceremony, but standing in the full sun for up to an hour while you say your "I Do's" and greet your guests can be a recipe for disaster. Guests will be too busy melting to really focus on the special moments, and brides with lily white complexions (like us) could quickly change from snow white beauty to Larry lobster, which is never a good look! A simple fix is to simply find some shade. For garden ceremonies trees provide beautiful natural shade and a great backdrop, so make the most of them. If you're having a beach ceremony then consider hiring a marquee or some pretty market umbrellas to protect everyone from the sun - you can even jazz them up with lots of white flowing fabric to create a gorgeous romantic setting for your Big Day. Whatever you do just make sure you're all fully in the shade and not half in and half out - trust us, your guests will thank you for it and your photos will look much better too!
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2. Look after your Guests
So you have invited all your closest friends and family to come and share your special day with you, and they of course are excited to be there. Look after your guests so that everyone enjoys the day and looks back on your wedding as the awesome celebration it is. Choose bonbonnieres that help your guests stay cool and give them out at the start of the day. Personalised water bottles look super cute and pretty fans, parasols or beach shoes can also be a great idea.
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3. Slip, Slap, Slop!
It seems like a no-brainer, but in all the excitement of getting ready and becoming a Princess for your Big Day it's easy to forget the sunscreen. You'll be in and out of the sun all day, so before you get your hair and make up done remember to apply a liberal layer of high sun protection. As talented as we are at Photoshopping, editing the skin colour of a bright red bride is not the easiest task!
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4. Don't let things Slide
Summer heat is not the greatest friend of carefully tousled hair and gorgeous makeup. Of course you want to look perfect all day for your Wedding, so keep plenty of tools on hand to stop everything from sliding. Spray mist is a great way to keep yourself cool without wiping off your make up, and blotting paper and powder are also helpful. Choose a talented, experienced hair and makeup artist who can help you choose the right style and look for the time of year, and put your Maid of Honour in charge of looking after an emergency touch up kit for you on the day, so that you can stay looking perfect all day.
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5. Dress For the Occasion
We all love the idea of being a Princess for the Day, but that doesn't necessarily mean we need to wrap ourselves in layers and layers of heavy satin and taffeta. When it's hot, you need to dress to stay cool. Flowing fabrics and lace look beautiful in Summer, and you could even consider going short and cute. Don't force your fella into wearing a waistcoat or even a jacket. Make sure you choose outfits that you will be comfortable wearing all day in the heat, and don't be afraid to think outside the box!
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6. Choose Summer Flowers
We all want the perfect flowers for our Big Day, but if you've always dreamed of a big bouquet of fresh Calla Lilies or Frangipani you might want to consider getting married at a cooler time of year, or even faking it (but make sure you find a quality substitute for the real thing - nothing looks worse than a cheap bunch of fake flowers). While some flowers thrive in the heat, others wilt like us girls at the sight of a topless Brad Pitt (here he is, just for you girls...;-) )
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Baby's breath is a hot current trend and copes great in warm weather, and there are lots of other great choices too. You could even forego the veil and choose a summer inspired floral headdress to complete your summer look. Ask your florist and really listen to them - they are the experts after all!
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7. Don't forget to Hydrate!
Ok it might sound obvious but you wouldn't believe the number of wedding parties who pack Eskies full of beer and champers and forget all about the basics - water! We wouldn't want you to give up the booze, just leave some room for good old H2O - we promise you'll last the day much better if you stay hydrated!
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8. Location, Location, Location
We know that beaches are synonymous with summer, but in reality if you are planning a beach wedding you might be better off getting married in the Spring or Autumn months. Summer beaches are full of tourists and beach goers which can make it tricky to find a private spot away from curious eyes and scattered beach towels. Beaches can be very hot and windy in Summer and skies tend to be clear blue which doesn't make the most interesting backdrop, so consider choosing a location where you will enjoy spending time for your location photos, or at least have a back up plan if it really does turn out to be an unbearably hot day. Parks and gardens with plenty of shade are a great option and have beautiful backlight in Summer, and awesome indoor venues with plenty of air con can also save the day. If you're having an indoor reception make sure the venue has good air con or at least good airflow to keep you all cool while you party on down. A quality photographer will help guide you through the options and find locations to achieve the look that's perfect for you. Those of us who have been shooting South West weddings as long as we have will know lots of amazing local spots so that you will enjoy the experience and capture stunning images whatever the weather.
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9. Romantic Sunsets
If you've always dreamed of that perfect image of you kissing your sweetheart in front of a beautiful South West sunset then there are a few things to consider. During Summer Sunset is often not until 7.30pm, which is often long after your reception has started and you are already well on your way to letting your hair down and partying the night away. The last thing you will want to do is put those high heels back on and drag yourselves away from the celebrations for more photos. If you really have your heart set on a sunset shot then consider the timings of your Day and push everything back an hour or two, but be prepared for the fact that there may be no clouds in the sky and the sunset might not be too impressive anyway. Again, chat about this with your photographer. The best of us will use our knowledge and expertise to help you achieve exactly what you want from your Big Day.
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10. Have fun with it!
Ok so summer can be hot and uncomfortable, but Summer weddings can be truly awesome if you just follow our simple tips to stay cool and think outside the square to take advantage of the (almost) guaranteed great weather. Have some fun and really add some Wow Factor to your Big Day with cool stuff. If you're having a beach wedding perhaps you could surprise all your guests and arrive by boat, or if you're further up on shore convertible cars are über cool. Fans, parasols, thongs, Sunnies and the like can make really cute gifts and can really add an element of fun to your photos and help to tell the story of your unique Summer Day.
Bobby-Jo and John - we knew this wedding would be a crackup. The number of emails back and forth from Bobby-Jo about the craziness of the lead up to the Big Day - all the time referring to John as her Groomzilla - left us in stitches many times over the past few months. Her wish for the wedding was to "Stay Calm and dont let her Inner-Bogan Escape" Their engagement session was much fun, and left me wondering if John wished he was marrying his beloved Car instead of Bobby-Jo!The gorgeous, emotion filled ceremony was held on Omodeis Farm, a friends property, on the outskirts of Pemberton. Completely stunning location - and one I had envied for many years driving past it on the way to Pemberton and back for other weddings. The ceremony was officiated by the ever lovely Julie Newton
The reception was held in Manjimup's Town Hall, exquisitely decorated by Wez Enterprises
We might add that "Groomzilla" is now known as "Prince Charming" :)
When we plan an Engagement Session, we find out what makes our couples tick, what makes them special, what makes them THEM!Laura and Josh love to feed the ducks together, and love to hang out in Busselton....so lets go find some ducks in Busselton!! YAY!
Great choice in Bling too. Love a good Engagement Ring shot!
I love it when we get to know a secret...something super special that's just between a few selected awesome people, and us, just for a short time....I got to spend an afternoon with Courtney and Anthony, recording their pregnancy announcement!! YAY! I knew before their family did! (not the grandparents...but the rest of them...)
One Facebook Post later, along with our amazing images, and the world was told...
We also got to have fun with Super Pup Benjamin...their first baby - around the grounds of Thomas Little Hall in Dardanup, and Courtney's family farm a little further south.
Every now and then we get to spend a special day with a couple who have been there before but who have finally found their soul mate. Phyllis & Patrick's wedding at the Abbey Beach Resort couldn't have been nicer, and it was lovely to see all their children there so joyful at the vows they made to each other.The resort gardens looked gorgeous as usual, and the team at Wez Enterprises did an amazing job of transforming the smaller function room into a beautiful intimate event.
Congratulations Phyllis & Patrick - thanks for sharing your day with us!
I first met Angela and Michael waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2006 when i had just moved to Bunbury, and just started this gig full time. I shot a fabulous extended family session with them, Angela's brother and sisters, and about a million cousins (well maybe 8) I still remember it fondly as such a fun evening down on the beach! Lucky for me their prints are still lovingly displayed on the family loungeroom wall! Fast forward to 2013 and they finally tied the knot!! YAY!!!!
