Harvest Moon. Heidi and Jaben’s Wedding Story.

Heidi and I met, as a couple of nervous youngsters with big bellies, in a birthing class, pregnant with our first-born sons.  We were living in Bondi and were about to embark on the steep learning curve that is motherhood. She was a pretty cool chick, and we bonded over our funny little inner city lives, spending time musing about the future with these kids we were having. I worked as a real estate photographer at the time, but never in my wildest thoughts did I think I would be photographing her wedding in Tasmania, 20 years, and 3 kids apiece, in the future.

“You’ll be able to get some classic Turner doco style photography”, is what she told me of the Harvest Moon, Garden Wedding Weekend plans. “Lots of rustic trestle tables, lanterns in the trees, fairy lights, old baths filled with ice/beers, local champagne, local produce, very casual and low key. There’ll also be a band, the peach trees will be in full fruit…” you get the gist. On the phone she tells me after chatting with Jaben about the photography, that they wanted nothing posed. Like, nothing at all. They weren’t the type to disappear for an hour of couple portraits on location, and they weren’t the type to gather for family group photos either. Now, most of my work is candid, documentary style, and even when it isn’t, it’s just with light direction. Weddings, though, always have that element of the posed, and I had never been given the freedom to solely shoot what I see. I was excited for the challenge. I love to have a 2nd shooter at weddings and took my Belle and India with me as extra photographers*.

The Saturday afternoon was a relaxed BBQ/catch-up for all the travelling family and friends.

 

Sunday was warm with, despite a nearby bushfire, the kind of bright, clear skies that Tassie does so well. Jaben and Heidi’s home was open and welcoming, and friends, family and neighbours were all pitching in. Plastic chairs borrowed from the local school were set up for guests, glassware borrowed from the local op shop was polished and set on a couple of vintage sideboards behind the makeshift bar. Bunting was hung, the cake was decorated (Olivia, Tropically Baked, had cooked it onsite the day before), flowers were arranged, platters were prepared and the bride and groom chatted with friends and readied themselves.

 

And then they wed.

 

 

This final shot of the moon was taken as I headed back to my accommodation on the coast. It made for the perfect back side of the Harvest Moon album cover I (with the help of my fantastic print lab) made. With Neil Young’s double LP inside, I couldn’t think of a better memento of Heidi and Jaben’s weekend wedding. A different kind of ‘wedding album’ for the rock star couple.

 

 

*Having Belle and India photograph with me was a surprisingly great decision, and I would love to take my girls to shoot on weddings in the future. Obviously I knew the girls took beautiful photos (see their photography social media here), but neither had ever photographed a wedding, or even been to one! I loved the three different angles we captured, particularly in the ceremony, but at other times as well, and Belle and India know my style and shoot very similarly to me – so many photos that I thought I had taken, were actually theirs, and I have shared them here with mine. We went on to have a really fun Tassie holiday afterwards.

 

 

Thanks to Jessica at wiltliving for this great drone shot. That’s me, bottom right of the image in the white top, looking like I am running (but probably more of a light skip), as guests gathered before the ceremony.

 

For information about my wedding and elopement packages, both in Australia and overseas, head to this page. View my current travel dates here. Or get in touch, here.

Makes me smile.

Country Wedding Photographer. Wedding Photographer Tasmania. Adventure Elopement Photographer. NSW Elopement Photographer.