There was so much that was special about Tess and Chris’ wedding day. It was the first sunny weekend in months. The boys went skydiving in the morning. Chris survived, so it’s obviously meant to be! Tess and her girls practised the first dance in their hotel room with sparkling eyes. Tess looked like a vintage doll. The two were married by their very charming longtime family friend, father Gerry, in Chris’ school church. EVERYONE got their best dance moves out for the celebration, even Tess’s 100 year old grandmother. Chris’ dad serenaded us all with a sterling rendition of the Joker. And, having lived “down the road” from Chris and his family my whole life, I felt like part of the family. It was a day I’ll never forget.

Vendors
Ceremony: St. Anthony’s Parish Kingscliff
Reception: Cudgen Leagues Club
Band: Fathom

There’s something extra-special about weddings that bring together two cultures.

Steve is a great Aussie bloke. Lovely Shirley is from Malaysia la. Together they are one seriously adorable couple.
Shirley was determined to stick to tradition as much as possible, but I loved to see the Chinese-Malaysian touches that crept though – thank you gifts for important people in Chinese New Year red packets, LOTS of photos taken by her friends and family at the reception, and a huge emphasis on celebrating with family – not necessarily the people you’re related to, but the people who make life amazing.

They really made me feel like part of the family, which made their wedding particularly special to me, too.

Ceremony: Hinterland Baptist Church Worongary, Gold Coast
Bridal portrait locations: Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens  and the Spit, Southport
Reception: Southport RSL

Tess and Chris are all about fun. I can’t wait to photograph their wedding on Saturday!

Here are a few images from our sweet little engagement session at Cudgen Creek.

There’s nothing more adorable than a groom who cries when he sees his bride. That was Leigh.

There’s nothing more beautiful than an already-stunning woman on her wedding day. That was Amy. Who could blame Leigh for getting teary.

There’s nothing more fun than photographing a friend’s wedding day. That was me. I giggled and chuckled and chortled my way through the day with Amy, Leigh and their hilarious bridal party (hands down, most entertaining speeches I’ve heard yet!) and I may have sneakily wiped away a few tears of my own during their ceremony.

Check out all the smiles and some of the tears below.

Vendors:

Ceremony and reception venue: Pottsville Golf Course
Hair: Erin Strong Hair Artistry
Makeup: Makeup By Lorina (0401 243 663)

I’d like you to meet Mel and Jay, and their adorable fur baby Hurley. These guys are total rockstars – especially the Hurley the uber-fashionable dog. I love when people want to include their pets in their portrait sessions!

We caught up for this super-lovely sunset beachside sweetheart session and even grabbed a few shots for their family Christmas card!

Let me introduce you to some friends of mine. Their names are December and Kiara, and they are IN LOVE. Like, CAPITALS love LOVE. There is nothing in this world that inspires me more than love, and I walked away from this shoot feeling joyous and bright – because December and Kiara are joyous, bright people, and I got to capture their joyous, bright love. Now I want to share it with you!

If you don’t feel warm and fuzzy after you’ve seen these images… I think you’re doing it wrong!

Damian and Helena are adorable. Damian and Helena are in love. Damian and Helena are engaged. Damian and Helena are getting married tomorrow!
Every time I look at their engagement photos from our lovely sun-drenched session at Point Danger and Greenmount headlands I get a warm fuzzy. I hope they give you a warm fuzzy too.

One of my favourite things about family portrait sessions is trying to get stellar smiles out of children. I am the youngest of my generation in my family, so I never grew up around children – I never babysat for young siblings or cousins, and dealing with children is something I’ve learned a lot about very quickly since I first picked up my camera and pointed it at a kid. Yet there’s something about making a child smile that’s incredibly rewarding, and it never wears off! If I can get a smile out of a little one, I feel like I’ve accomplished something with my day.

Having said that, I left this particular shoot with Dayna, Ben, Charlotte and Jacob feeling pretty accomplished – these guys shared a HEAP of smiles with me, and left me feeling super-joyous. If you have little ones of your own, Dayna’s range of kids clothing and accessories might leave you feeling super-joyous too – you should check out her store, Goosebump Clothing and Accessories! You might recognise some of her little models from below, too…