The bridesmaids dresses were a gorgeous orange-red tone vibrant colour and along with the flowers, soft pink, creams and orange, added that extra element to the photographs.

David and Vanessa married under the fig tree in an outdoor setting overlooking Watson’s Bay at the lovely Dunbar House.

While guest mingled we took the couple and bridal party around the bay and captured their fun and playful characters.

After the speeches and cutting of the cake the crowd took to the dance floor and let their hair down.

Arriving at the Blue Hotel in Woolloomooloo, Nikou and her bridesmaids and sisters filled the room with excitement. Once Nikou put on her Jenny Packham gown she looked flawless. The long length, beaded gown was very elegant and the bridesmaids looked lovely in unique designed dresses.

The ceremony took place on the balcony of Manly Pavilion dinning room and bar, as guests crowded around the couple while they said their nuptials, boats sailed in the background on the glorious sunny day.

We photographed the couple around the reception location and later guests were entertained by the lighthearted speeches given.

In all a beautiful wedding and we wish Ben and Nikou a long and happy life together.

Here is our winner’s story below and we look forward to posting photo’s of their photo shoot with Thomas.

Rebecca & Daniel’s Proposal story

Daniel and I have been together ever since we were 15 years old. Being high school sweethearts, we have grown together and our love is as passionate and intense as it was 7 years ago. Daniel and I had our very first date at the movies, like many other couples. But unlike other couples, our movie of choice throughout the years has always been horror and action thrillers. Last year Daniel and I had discussed getting married quite a bit but i was never sure when he was going to pop the question. Early July he organised a movie date and that day i woke up incredibly ill and said i simply couldnt go. Daniel managed to convince me although i complained the entire way,When we got to the cinemas we werent allowed in straight away and i was getting frustrated. When we finally got in and the movie started…daniel said he had to go to the bathroom. I yelled at him and said “bring me mnms”. when he returned without the mnms i was furious. As we got to the end of the movie and i stood to leave, Daniel said “wait, sit down…i heard there was an extra scene…” i replied ” your a fool…there is not! ” but i sat down staring at the credits when all of a sudden a huge picture of Daniel and I, just 15 years old when we first started dating popped on the screen with the words “Rebecca Bombaci, love of my life…. WILL YOU MARRY ME?”
i obviously screamed..turned to daniel who was next to me down on one knee, holding a gorgeous diamond ring…i was in so much shock i cried and cried while the cinema full of people stood and clapped…he asked me quietly again…i slid off my chair onto the ground, hugged him and said “yes”.

8 months on…and were in the middle of organising our fairy tale wedding…and i still cannot believe just how poetic he was….proposing to me where it all started…in the same cinema…and the very same row of seats we sat as 15 year olds on our first date.

Most people who own a digital SRL camera don’t always know how to use it to its full potential, so here are some helpful tips on using your digital camera.

Photography is about light and apart from taking a photography course to help you learn how to use your camera, there are three main settings on your camera you need to understand, they are; aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

APERTURE refers to the widening/opening (the round circle on the camera) that allows light through the lense.
On the manual settings, the lower the number of aperture, the more light that is let through the lense.

Therefore the higher the number the less light let through, creating a smaller opening through the lens, so in low light conditions you would use a lower aperture to help expose correctly.

Once you master your settings you can then practice to create a desired effect eg, a low aperture can also create a blurred background effect for a portrait or to isolate something from the background.

SHUTTER SPEED relates to the speed the photo is taken, a higher number would be used to capture an action or movement photograph in order to freeze it. A lower shutter speed would let in more light as well as create movement in an action shot eg when panning.

ISO relates to the cameras sensitivity to light, its the cameras film speed. On a very bright sunny day you would use a lower ISO (100-400).

However during a cloudy day or in the evening you can apply a higher ISO setting on your camera to help you expose correctly.

The aim is to use all three settings manually to suit your lighting conditions and get your desired technique and exposure.

Here are some examples below as to what you can achieve.

1. panning- using shutter speed to create movement, 2. long exposures, 3.4. exposing for light differently, 5. lower aperture blurring background, 6. light effects

Followed by photo’s at places that told their story of their lives together, Thomas took the couple to Newtown Pastizzi cafe and the marble bar in the Sydney Hilton, where we captured the bridal party having a great time.

The Tea Rooms was set up lovely and PJ’s attention to detail was amazing, from the tea light candles and flowers at the entrance of the venue to the paper crafted menu’s and decorations.

The couple took a horse and chart to Mrs Macquarie’s chair for some night shots and here are the lovely images below.

complete wedding photo shoot- http://www.completewedding.com.au/innersubgallery/the-great-escape/gal_192

and also another shoot with complete weddings- http://www.completewedding.com.au/innersubgallery/come-to-the-party/gal_155

Katie and Izhar’s wedding- http://www.gloria-weddings.com/law-of-love/

Fletcher & Grace photo shoot- in real weddings - http://www.realweddings.com.au/blog/2010/10/introducing-ms-grace/  and also polkadot bride - http://www.polkadotbride.com/2010/09/fletcher-and-grace-inspired-shoot/

The location was at the fabulous Cheeky Chocolate store.

Here are the behind the scenes shots with the talented team.

Our lovely gowns were supplied by Karen Willis Holmes and jewellery and accessories were by Fletcher & Grace.

Here’s some inspiration of different locations for wedding photography around Sydney,Central Coast and the Hunter Valley, of the wonderfully diverse couples we were fortunate enough to have photographed.

Check out some of our favourites below

Here are some tips and ideas to helping you get better wedding photographs;

Go for a colour scheme throughout the day that is fresh and modern

Keep details simple and clean

Add a hint of colour in your dressing, maybe through the shoes

Look at images you may have seen online or in a magazine that you like

Go though a list of locations with your photographer, focus on quality rather than quantity of locations if you have a short time

Don’t be afraid to go for bold colour with the flowers or bridesmaid dresses

Ambience of a room and table settings are important to set the mood

If you can, have a wedding planner to assist you with the arrangements and styling of the day, that way you can look at options you may have never thought about

Make sure you feel at ease with your photographer and feel comfortable with the way he or she works

Have the little details out on the day, the things that you will overlook are the things a great photographer will see and will make up the story of your wedding day.

Finding a wedding venue in Sydney, the Central Coast or Hunter Valley, can be a very overwhelming experience and sometimes couples ask our opinion on which venues look good for photo’s.

There are so many great places to choose from, some things you can consider are; how does the venue look of an evening and does it have great locations nearby or within the surroundings for photo’s with friends and family.

Here are a few wedding venues we have personally photographed at, that we would happily recommend for a wedding photographs.