This wedding was such a beautiful one; it was set right on the beach in Mount Eliza. Maree and Jake are such a lovely couple, which made this day all the more special. This was a wedding I had been looking forward to shooting all season, so I am so excited to share this now.

I met the beautiful bride and groom nine months ago. After receiving an enquiry from Jake and chatting with him, I knew I wanted to work with them straight away; he was already proving to be such a lovely guy.

Shortly after, we arranged a time to meet and have a coffee. As we sat and I watched them flick through some of my fine art books, I observed how beautiful they were together. From the way they looked at each other and interacted with each other, they seemed to just make perfect sense.

They decided to book me for their wedding then and there. Things started falling into place moving forwards. Maree and Jake booked the Ranelegh Club in stunning Mount Eliza. I had not yet seen the venue in the early stages, but I could tell from the description it was going to be beautiful.

A few weeks before the wedding, I met Maree and Jake, both were clam but very excited for the day! It was nice to scout out the location and get the final details in place.

The day finally arrived and I set off on my way to Mount Eliza, along with my assistant Amanda, for a little road trip! As soon as we saw the ocean in the distance, the excitement truly set in. Amanda commented on how lucky I am to enjoy my job so much; I was smiling ear to ear on my way to work, which I am grateful for.

First we joined the boys as they got ready at Jake and Maree’s home. They were all very calm when we arrived and Jake waited patiently to give the groomsmen their presents. We got some fun shots of the groomsmen opening their boxes; each of them got a personalised pair of jocks to wear to the wedding! Everyone laughed and they ran off to put them on and get dressed.

I knew Maree had been busy with all of the details for the wedding, so I eagerly asked Jake to show them to me. I began laying them out to get some great shots of the ring, shoes, bow tie and botton-hole. From here, I returned everything and moved on to the getting ready shots.

A friend of their works at Peter Jackson and had come to help them with ties and the presentation of the suits. He did a great job at making the boys look very dapper in their suits. They lined up one by one and awaited their turn as I snapped away with my camera.

Along with shots of the groom’s party, I also got some shots of Jake with his dad and also Maree’s dad. And of course, we can’t forget their gorgeous dog Charlie! He even got his own bow tie and he ran around in the backyard. He is clearly a dear part of the family and would be joining us at the wedding. Right on time, we were able to head off to get shots of the girls.

The bridal party arranged an Air BnB house down the road, which was so gorgeous. The main area had floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. To everyone’s delight, the clouds had parted and sunshine was pouring in. The entire place had a beach vibe and it felt like a little oasis.

The girls had just finished their hair and makeup and were waiting in their matching dressing gowns for us to arrive. They all looked fabulous with side-swept hair styles by Jemma Talbot and stunning make up by Rachel Tassone. They were so welcoming as we walked inside and were clearly so excited about the day ahead.

Whilst the girls relaxed and sipped on bubbles, I got stuck into the detail shots. Maree has a wonderful sense of style and eye for detail; unsurprisingly, everything looked gorgeous. I was so impressed when the girls said she had arranged the flowers herself. I carefully placed her shoes, rings, bouquet on the textured flooring and snapped away.

I then got some lovely candid shots of Maree interacting with her bridesmaids, which look lovely. They all clearly have a beautiful bond. Once this was done, it was finally time for everyone to get into their dresses. Last, but definitely not least, Maree walked through the door in her gorgeous dress by Made with Love. Everyone gasped in admiration – she looked amazing.

Maree’s mum looked so pleased as she helped her daughter with the final touches of her dress and jewelry. She wore a stunning set of pearls that belonged to her grandmother. We then got some beautiful shots of Maree with her mum and dad, as well as with her sister, who was part of the bridal party.

The group shots with the entire bridal party were a lot of fun. I knew we had more than enough shots, but the girls were so lovely and the place was gorgeous – I could not stop snapping! Laughter filled the entire room and it was a lovely session. Before we knew it, the time had come to head to the ceremony.

We arrived at the venue, which was right on the beach, and the décor looked magnificent! The table placements and small details came together beautifully. There were giant letters by Your Love is Art that spelled out “LOVE” and were on display outside. As we walked out onto the beach, we were greeted by wooden signs that were planted in the sand. The first one invited guests to remove their shoes and head to where vows would take place: shoes here, vows there, love everywhere.

The setting for the ceremony was lovely. White wooden chairs were set atop the sand on either side of a white carpet along the aisle. A stunning arbour was at the front and center, which was adorned with gorgeous flowers. The beach vibes were complete with two lovely musicians, Mill O’Sullivan and Rachel Zbukvic, playing soft acoustic music.

The boys were lined up on one side of the arbour as they eagerly waited for the girls to arrive. Maree arrived at the venue in style, standing at the back of a convertible four wheel drive. It was such a classic sight to see; her hair blew in the wind and she had a relaxed smile on her face. The other girls followed in gorgeous cars as well.

The time had finally come for the ceremony to begin. Beautiful bridesmaids walked barefoot down the aisle and lined up to wait for Maree. The guests stood up and gasped as Maree turned the corner and walked arm-in-arm with her father. It was a very special moment for both of them.

Once everyone was standing in front of the arbour, the ceremony was led by Robyn Meikle. She did a great job at telling the guests the story of how the couple had met and fallen in love. Maree and Jake had written their own vows, which were heartfelt and personal. Charlie stood alongside them, loving the sun and soaking in attention from the crowd.

Once they were announced husband and wife, they signed the papers and the atmosphere filled with joy. We did a quick group shot of everyone, with the beautiful ocean as the backdrop. Once these were complete, we rallied up the family for some family photos in front of the arbour. Maree and Jake’s siblings were a part of the wedding party and we got some beautiful shots of everyone together.

All of the guests were then encouraged to head into the venue for drinks and canapés, while the wedding party stayed behind for a photography session on the beach. This was so much fun, as everyone was laughing and getting along so well. So much laughter and goofing around took place; It is clear they are a close-knit group of friends, and this is portrayed in the images.

Before long it was time to head into the reception; they were introduced one by one as they went to sit at the wedding table. They went straight into the first dance, which was set to I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You. Parents and siblings joined in towards the end of the song, which was very special. Everyone was clearly enjoying themselves; the music, the food and the atmosphere was great. Once Jake and Maree finished their meal, we went back outside so we could get some photos as the sun set.

We headed towards a private spot atop some rocks for some beautiful photos. The sun was setting along the horizon; it looked as though it was sinking into the ocean. This was a gorgeous backdrop for our session. Before it became too dark, we continued on to a little sand dune. Jake and Maree climbed atop this for some candid shots of two of them.

On our way back, we took a detour so we could get some stunning images of them walking amongst gorgeous greenery. All of the different shades of green made for a gorgeous setting. Jake and Maree shared kisses as they walked along the path and I captured some beautiful moments.

Thanks so much letting me be a part of your lovely beach wedding, Jake and Maree! It was truly a lovely day that I’ll remember fondly.

Lots of love,

Mads xxx