Blog : Featured Wedding

You have no idea how hard it was to not share photos of this wedding before now (ok we may have sneaked out a few you might have seen on the blog, if you look super close!), we have been waiting for the newest Brides of Adelaide to go on sale! Super big congrats to Paige and Cameron for being featured in BOA!! There was so many beautiful elements to their wedding, from the on trend wedding decorations to little unique wedding touches like polka dot socks for the guys, there was something to love everywhere I looked.

If you’re not sure how to incorporate different colours at your wedding without it looking like a clown threw up, then you need to talk to Paige! Paige, who owns the business Olive You Occasions, she had splashes of red, white, blue, pink and even orange; it was quirky and beautiful, and not a thing looked out of place. They describe their wedding vibe as fun, colourful, relaxed and personal; “Cam’s love of colours and fun (was our inspiration). Nothing too uptight!” Of the wedding planning, Paige said it was “easy, I haven’t taken anything too seriously.”

Paige and Cameron were married at Golding Winery in the Adelaide Hills. I knew that this was going to be a fun and relaxed day, because that’s exactly how their engagement shoot was, where we learnt about their love of their dogs, their mutual sense of humour and their regular date nights.

Looking back at their engagement photos, I can now see why Paige said she was having a ‘different’ hair style, but I had thought she was rocking the exact look I’d pictured her in! With her curly hair smoothed, curled and pinned to the side, red lips with matching nails, a beautiful fitted Liza Emanuele wedding dress and hair piece, Paige was the essence of glamour. The boys in the checked red, white and blue shirts, bowties and brown shoes, with blue suits to match the bridesmaids, who work dark navy dresses in different styles.

Before the ceremony, we did one of my favourite things, a FIRST LOOK! My heart was beating as Paige snuck up on Cameron who was waiting patiently beside the Golding Winery dam. She covered his eyes, and then he turned around to greet his beautiful bride, who did a little twirl and showed off her gorgeous dress. They kissed, cuddled, and of course my camera caught it all discreetly! Paige and Cameron were beaming from ear to ear as they enjoyed their moment together, after which we joined with the rest of the bridal party for some portraits.

After the fun of the first look photos, it was hard to believe that there was still a whole day of love and enjoyment left. Before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony. In front of friends and family, Paige and Cameron exchanged their vows under a shining sky. Their outdoor wedding ceremony in the gardens of Golding Winery was just stunning in its simplicity.

After the ceremony I took off the with the bridal party for some additional portrait shots, but with all the photos we took during the first look before the ceremony, Paige and Cam were able to surprise the guests and join them for the reception celebrations early – a definite advantage to having first look photos.

Fresh flowers in eclectic vases graced every table at the reception and a hanging floral arrangement had a real WOW impact. The flowers were organised by Paige’s mum and the team at Just Wedding Flowers. I loved it. Like I mentioned earlier, their big day was so reflective of their fun personalities and quirky characteristics….they even cut the cake to the song ‘Galumph Went The Little Green Frog’, a Playschool and swimming lesson favourite which apparently Paige sings daily (and I have to admit, at family/kid sessions I pull this one out myself hahah)!

Cameron had also made a heap of custom wedding signs for the wedding ceremony and reception, and of course the PhotoBooth, a super cool photobooth car! The couple used the social media tag #paigeandcamwedo and I loved being able to contribute their sneak peek photos to the stream!

On a personal note, something I love about weddings are the people I meet, and I had a great time getting to know Paige’s lovely Nan.

The last moment I shared with Paige and Cameron was as they swayed around the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife. With a twinkle in his eye Cam dipped Paige and she beamed back up at him. A gorgeous moment for a gorgeous couple, captured for eternity in their wedding photos. Congratulations Paige and Cam, I’ll be gushing about this one for a long time to come!

Wedding Dress: Liza Emanuele
Bridesmaid Dresses: Swish Clothing, Sass and bide, ASOS
Wedding Shoes: Stuart Weizman
Wedding and Engagement Rings: Bell and Brunt, Mazzuchellis, Grahams Jewellers
Suits: Peter Jackson
Wedding Flowers: Just Wedding Flowers
Wedding Decorator: Olive You Occasions
Celebrant: Michaela Von der Bouch – More Than Words Ceremonies
Hair and Make Up: Myst Hair and Make Up
Reception and Ceremony: Golding Wines, Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills Winery Wedding Photographer: Jade Norwood
Entertainment: Paul and Katie Smith

Paige looking absolutely stunning in her custom Liza Emanuele wedding dress

How cool are these guys details!!

So exciting, First looks!! AMAZE

Paige made her own wedding cake… How awesome!

I just love love love this wine barrel topper!

The gorgeous Golding Wines at night!

Chrystal and James literally had everything thrown at them on their wedding day. Things that should have happened, didn’t, things that shouldn’t have happened, did, and basically anything that could go wrong, did go wrong, when they were married in James’ home town of Ceduna. And yet – it was the cruisiest wedding I have ever been at – the most relaxed day with beautiful people who made my job so easy.

After a week of intense storms here in SA, it was a sunny 36 degree day in Ceduna with close to zero breeze when Chrystal and James were set to say their ‘I dos’ in front of family and friends on the lawns near the foreshore. Chrystal looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress – she knew it was hers right from the start. “A wonderful friend of mine from my workplace and I went to look at dresses on our lunch break. The first dress I tried was the one, I knew as it was when it was only half way on! It was everything I had imagined in my mind! I planned to retry it again with my sisters and mother and they fell in love with it too. I love that the dress is ‘me’ from the colour, the details and the fitting.” It had stunning beaded detail on the shoulders and she wore a beaded headpiece to match. Her bridesmaids wore simple ivory dresses from Bardot while the guys looked super smart and relaxed in their beige shorts and white shirts. “James and I wanted everyone to feel comfortable and confident in their attire so we opted for the look of simplicity with a dash of sophistication.”

I take my hat off to Chrystal, she had to deal with so many things that didn’t happen the way she would have liked in the lead up to the wedding, but she didn’t let it get to her, and she was relaxed on her wedding day and focussed on the most important points – the man she was about to marry, and the beautiful kids they share (who were also totally adorable as flowergirl and pageboy!). “Our caterer and cake maker all cancelled on us at the last minute so we had to find replacements all within the last 4 weeks. Let’s just say tears flowed! From that we learnt that the most important part of the day wasn’t about the cake or food or anything like that, we realised it was about our marriage and the celebration of our love. We would’ve still gotten married without the materialistic things.”

After the ceremony the bridal party and I headed off for some photos, and headed towards some scrub. The guys were more worried about the heat, the/then “potential snakes” (thankfully there were none!!) and standing in prickles! We also headed to the beach for more wedding photos before the bridal party went back to their rooms to cool off in the air conditioning and I visited the reception at the Ceduna Memorial Hall to take some detailed photos of the décor before anyone arrived.

James – or Bruno as his mates call him – and Chrystal created their own centrepieces for the reception, and they had extra special help when it came to the decoration of the bridal table. “Bruno’s Nana is doing our Bridal table decorations. She loves to do things like that and was excited when we allowed her to.” It is such a nice way to honour family who like to be involved, but don’t have a traditional part in the wedding ceremony. Chrystal had also done her make up for the day and she seriously was such a spectacular bride!

I enjoyed the beautiful speeches, I may have passed it off as sweat at the time but I definitely did have a tear rolling down my cheek! What I loved most was this message from Chrystal to everyone after the wedding. “Thanks again everyone for all of your well wishes and congratulations. These last few weeks have been hard and for our family to come together meant the world to us. The wedding didn’t go to plan it wasn’t ‘the perfect day’, everything went wrong that possibly could have and things weren’t organised that we were told were. BUT we embraced every moment, and in saying that it imperfectly worked out perfectly, it was like a dream… We went with the flow it looked beautiful, everyone had so much fun and we came and did the one thing we came to do and that was to exchange our vowels and legally become one. Love our family and friends”

Imperfectly worked out perfectly. I love it. I absolutely wish you both and your family only the very best for your wonderful future ahead. 

Bridesmaid Dresses: Bardot
Shoes: Foot Jewellery from Lovisa
Suits: Connor        
Decorator: Fairytale Weddings and Events
Wedding Officiator: Pastor Max Wright
Hair: Elle Beattie
Wedding Photography: Jade Norwood
Wedding Ceremony: Ceduna Foreshore
Wedding Reception: Ceduna Soldiers Memorial Hall

Loved this moment… James was super eager to kiss his bride… Just a little before the pastor was ready for it… lol..

There was a week in 2013 that I said to Beej, “one of my goals is to photograph the wedding of an Australian Netballer” and so we shared that dream with the universe. The next week there was an article in the Advertiser about the engagement of one of my favourite Australian players, Natalie Von Bertouch and her partner Jace Bode. A few weeks later, I was booked to be their wedding photographer; I haven’t stopped tapping my foot with excitement ever since.  Even worse was waiting to share their wedding with you all, but we had to wait for the new edition of Brides of Adelaide to come out as Nat and Jace were featured. But the day is finally here! So here is the story of the day my dream came true, and so did one of Natalie and Jace’s – the day they committed their lives to each other.

The weather forecast was not looking good for their wedding celebrations at Waverley Estate, Port Elliot, but when morning came the sun shone like a blessing on their nuptials, and the remaining wind added a whimsical look to Nat’s veil. The smile Jace wore on his face as Natalie walked down the aisle to him was the biggest I have ever seen. The matching smile on Nat’s face didn’t leave for the entire ceremony either. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself here – so let’s go back to the beginning of the day.

When I got to where the girls were getting ready I was hit with the sweet smell of cupcakes cooling and getting decorated. So many cupcakes… my resolve was being tested so I took Nat’s stunning Alexis George wedding dress and started taking wedding detail photos (anywhere I could away from the cupcakes). It was a custom-made fishtail style dress with glass beading and lace applique and a beautiful long veil completed the bridal look. The bridesmaids wore cream knee length dresses with a little room for the beautiful baby bumps of Nat’s cherished friends.

Jace and the guys were waiting for their roast to be finished so Kim headed off to meet them for their getting ready photos while I stayed with the ladies. Love, love, loved the guys suits. Banjo, Nat and Jace’s dog, was also in on the party and had some photos with Jace.

The bridal party bouquets were baby’s breath blooms, which also decorated the reception and ceremony. Good friend Ryan Herring from Best on Ground Landscaping had made their wedding arch, which was then decorated with tulle and baby’s breath by Kylie from Flowers By Kylie. There were flower garlands everywhere and it was so simple and beautiful, with more fresh flowers decorating the long reception tables in the marquee. A personalised plate held their wedding rings with the words “I love you to the moon and back” and a rustic style wooden sign with a message from Nat and Jace to the guests welcomed them to their wedding. A lot of the little details like the signs, table numbers and the like were sourced from Etsy to meet their rustic wedding theme. “ I love simple and love neutral tones – wood, creams, white, peaches, light pink.”

Both the wedding ceremony and reception were very personalised with the people involved. From stationery to décor, entertainment (Jace played football with the band members) to the celebrant (Natalie’s Aunty). It was important for Jace and Natalie to make the most of the time with their friends and family, some of which who had travelled from interstate, so they decided to hire Waverley Estate for the entire weekend. “This meant that we could have dinner and drinks the night before at the Port Elliot Pub, Saturday was the wedding, then as the venue slept 22 people we then spent the Sunday reminiscing with them plus anyone else who could pop in. Basically it made us feel like our wedding went over 3 days and made us feel like we got to spend quality time with our best friends.”

Wedding Photographer: Jade Norwood Photography
Wedding Venue: Waverley Estate
Wedding Dress: Alexis George
Wedding Stationary: Alex Hutchins
Bridesmaids: Zimmermann
Suits: Ivy League
Wedding shoes: Badgley Mischka
Wedding hair: Smooth Hair – Unley Road
Wedding make up: Katrina Breda
Wedding flowers: Flowers by Kylie
Wedding celebrant: Rev Gayle McClimont
Wedding cake: Friend Lucinda Gregory
Wedding catering: Alison Seedsman
Wedding band: The B Sharps
Wedding planner: Libby Matson

Bridal Party + Reception Photos can be viewed here

Regional South Australia is full of so many beautifully scenic places, so different to anything a lot of people have seen before, and this is why they make fantastic places to hold your wedding reception. Parachilna is no different, and when Nicole and Jon told me this was where their wedding was being held, I was VERY excited.

It was the same place that Jon had planned to propose to Nicole on a weekend trip, but despite his careful planning, they had to call it off for a puppy emergency (which ended well I might add…phew!). So instead, the scene was set for her birthday.

“Jon had banned me from going in the pantry the night before, so I thought he had got me a ladder to reach the top shelf of the pantry!” Instead, it held Jon’s secrets. Early on her birthday morning, Jon got up to bring out the flowers and make her favourite breakfast, ‘I was so nervous I couldn’t eat most of my breakfast….Nicole helped me out with it, she’s good like that!’. He then presented her with 2 gifts, the first a bottle of Dom Perignon, the second, a small wooden box which revealed a beautiful engagement ring.

“While I had been hoping for a proposal, it was definitely not what I was expecting, and it couldn’t have been more perfect!” Said Nicole.
“When the ring came out she became inconsolable, I think she eventually said yes!”

The couple, who love to travel, eat good food, cook, and enjoy playing and listening to music, combined all of these loves for a beautiful outdoor wedding in Outback South Australia. They held their ceremony in Parachilna Gorge, followed by a reception at the Prairie Hotel. Guests were treated to roaming entrees in the courtyard until they were joined by the bridal party for the reception and were entertained by band members before and after the ceremony. “We love great places, good food and good wine. That has been the basis for pretty much all of our planning.”

Nicole wore a beautiful strapless Alexis George wedding dress and her bridesmaids wore navy dresses from Review. The jewellery was from ‘Miss Martini’ and the wedding rings from our dear friends at Bell and Brunt. With the gorge cliff faces in the background, the bridal party walked down a red carpet wedding aisle for the gorgeous ceremony. The outback surrounds made a perfect place for the wedding photos.

We also got to make use of the hotel for some photos, which really added a rustic element to their entire album of the reception. I really liked the long tables for the dinner; it’s not something I get to see often but is definitely on trend! Jon had told us that the only thing Nicole loved more than him was cheese, so it was little surprise that I found a cheese wheel wedding cake from the Smelly Cheese stall in the Adelaide Central Markets at their reception!

It was so fantastic to have another outdoor wedding reception to photograph. Not only do they add an element of challenge to my wedding photography, but I think that they are absolutely beautiful – you can do so much with just a few lights! Nicole and Jon definitely pulled this off, and I really enjoyed their gorgeous and unique outback outdoor wedding. I wish you both all the very best for the future (including the best food, wine and music!!)

Wedding Dress – Alexis George
Bridesmaid Dress – Review
Shoes – Coach
Jewellery – Miss Martini
Suits – Gary Anderson , Saville Row, London. Groomsmen – Peter Jackson
Florist – Louise Woodhouse Flowers
Rings – Bell and Brunt
Wedding Cake – Smelly Cheese, Adelaide Central Markets
Wedding Celebrant – Bob Sloan
Make up – Isobel John
Hair – Tamara Parker
Venues – Prairie Hotel, Parachilna
Wedding Photographer – Jade Norwood Photography

 

In November I was lucky enough to photograph an Australian Chinese wedding. I hadn’t had any experience with Asian wedding photography before, but I couldn’t wait to experience all of their traditions. Anna and Peters wedding was held over 2 days, and it’s was an early start to a long couple of days, but each event and tradition at an Asian wedding is so beautiful and special. The red double happiness symbol was displayed, on the walls, in more than one location, there was also a giant foam red double happiness symbol and it was also featured on Peters cuff links.

On the first day, before the ceremony Anna and Peter decided to do a first look which I just LOVED.  ‘First look’ photos are where the bride and groom have a moment to themselves before the big moment (caught on camera of course!).  I love the extra emotion that I get from first look wedding photos, where both the bride and the groom can really let their guard down (and let tears flow!) because they aren’t in front of a big audience.

We then headed off to some wineries in Mclaren Vale, Port Willunga beach and then to Veale Gardens on south tce for bridal party photos. Late afternoon Anna and Peter had a typical wedding ceremony in a gorgeous park. The bride wore a strapless silk wedding dress and her bridesmaid wore a brilliant royal blue dress. The same blue was in the groomsmen ties as well as the bridal bouquet. There was lots of laughter, tears and happiness from the bride and groom and their family, it was so special!

Click here to view Part 2 and here to view part 3 of Anna and Peters Australian Chinese wedding…

The first look… LOVE…

Then off we headed to wineries in McLaren Vale…