Sabrina and Peter are having an intimate, boho styled wedding in Mulgoa. We love a relaxed celebration and are very much looking forward to it.

In celebration of their engagement, we met up at the gorgeous Bluff Lookout in Glenbrook to capture the occasion. This lookout has a perfect mix of bushy landscape, stone steps, leafy tracks, long grass and greenery.

It was great to meet up and get a little practice in before their big day.

Nettie and Dave are getting married in their church in the Blue Mountains, followed by a celebration at Ottimo House in Denham Court.

The very sweet couple chose the bushy, Nepean River Lookout for their engagement session. It was a hot, golden afternoon and the Aussie landscape did not fail to show off it’s sun drenched beauty.

It was so lovely to meet up again and I am so looking forward to their big day next week!

Shady is Texan and Dave is Canadian. They met whilst teaching English in Asia and became inseparable. They are a fun, sporty couple that have travelled so much of the world. The two have located in Coogee, on Australia’s gorgeous east coast where they will be tying the knot, beachside style.

Lapping up our beautiful city, they chose to use Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens for their session. It was a lovely evening to meet up again, have a giggle and take some pretty snaps.

 

Jackie and Anthony’s lives have constantly overlapped. From school, to football and even the gym, they were always crossing paths. One day the stars finally aligned, and what was always there was recognised as so much more.

They used a local spot for their session – The Nepean River. The two recently purchased a house nearby and often go on the River Walk, so it was the perfect location. We used a pretty, leafy area there called Memory Walk. It has an old rustic fence, a path way, tall trees, greenery and long grass.

It was great to meet up with this lovely pair again, have a laugh and get in a little practice before their big day.

Peter was the first to notice Lara. Everyday Lara would set off on a walk that passed by his window. As a planner, her walks were set to a certain time each day and Peter caught on to this. He’d keep an eye out for that familiar face and one day he mustered up the courage to greet her and ask if he could accompany her. That’s how it all began!

For Lara and Peter’s engagement session we used a lookout within walking distance to Lara’s home in Mt Riverview. Both of them had grown up in the area, so it was a fitting location and you can’t really go wrong with the Blue Mountains!

The bushland was lush, wildflowers were in bloom and the afternoon was coated in glorious golden light. It was the perfect surroundings for their shoot.

Kyle and Nicole got hitched at the gorgeously scenic Ironbark Hill in the Hunter Valley. It was the perfect location for this lovely, fun couple to say I do. Kyle is my sister-in-law’s brother – (we recently shot her wedding too), so it was so special to be invited into their family again to capture this special day.

During the ceremony, the heavens opened and rain poured down over the chapel, but before the celebrations moved outside into the vineyard and the reception, the rain stopped and the golden sunshine broke through the clouds – It was almost magical. We spent a sun drenched afternoon at a nearby property and in the Ironbark Hill vineyard looking over the magnificent Hunter Valley views in the prettiest, ethereal light.

They had an intimate banquet style reception inspired by a rustic, woodsy theme. They had the most colourful and delicious dessert table I’ve ever seen! The groom’s dad lent a hand in making all the timber rounds for the tea-light candle holders and cake stands as well as hanging the fairy lights and greenery from the ceiling. The clever cookie also made the ring holder! The very creative bride also showed off some DIY in making all the stationery herself as well as some of the desserts!

It was a beautifully and personally styled occasion that continued late into the night with everyone boogie-ing away on the dance floor to some live tracks performed by Jake Folbigg. At the end of the night, I don’t think anyone wanted to leave!

 

Venue – Ironbark Hill | Dress – Louise Alvarez Couture Bridal and Evening | Make-up – Trista | Hair – Fringez Hair | Bridesmaid Dresses – Sheike | Flowers – Valley Fresh Flowers | Stationery – Made by the bride | Cake – Wild Rose Sweets and Styling | Macarons – Fifi La Femme | Mini Cheesecakes – Made by the bride | Musician – Jake Folbigg

Last year Matt and I went on our first overseas trip to the USA. We’ve wanted to go to America forever (to see the bright lights of New York City, Disneyland, the deep south, California, Hollywood…) but it was always a someday thing.

In May/June of 2015 we finally made it happen. Of course, we were beyond excited for this adventure, but I don’t think either of us were prepared for the amount of fun we had and how much we fell in love with the USA.

Both of us will agree that this trip was the best experience of our lives. It opened our eyes to the world and we felt such a freedom as we hopped around seeing new sites and cultures. As Australians, we were welcomed warmly (they seem to love Aussies!) and it made me (I’m not too sure about Matt) feel a sense of pride for my country. Missing home after a month of travel seemed like a no-brainer, but neither of us were ready to return. We could have stayed on our adventure much, much longer and left with a certainty that we had to go back soon. Both of us felt a pull towards the USA – Maybe it was just the excitement and novelty to be in a different place? Whatever it was, a dream to return and perhaps shoot a wedding or two was born whilst we were there.

We started in New York, travelled south to Orlando, Florida, then further south to New Orleans, Louisiana. We ventured on to the west coast to California where we stopped at San Francisco, Anaheim, Los Angeles and then we drove ourselves to our last stop, San Diego.

Since our trip we have definitely caught the travel bug and it has been buzzing away madly. We can’t wait to jet off somewhere again soon. This trip was so much for me. It was inspiring, rejuvenating, eye opening, fascinating and so much fun. It introduced us to a world full of wonder and possibilities, taught us a thing or two and it changed us in a really good way.

I have finally compiled a whole bunch of photos – Most from the DSLR and a few from Instagram, Facebook and our phones. We started off happy snapping away madly and slowed down as the trip went on as we got tired (or lazy!). We didn’t take a whole lot of pics at Disney – We were too busy going on the rides! And unfortunately we lost a stack of photos due to an iPhone mishap (It’s a long story). I think that this lot paints a pretty good picture nevertheless and I’m sure you’ll love to follow us on the journey that changed our lives. (Please note that I have done my best to keep them in order, but some images had to be grouped for quality reasons).

Starting out fresh and starry eyed, we were absolutely smashed by the time we arrived to LAX. It didn’t help that we had to wait about 5 hours for our connecting flight. We propped our legs up on our luggage and fell asleep.

We arrived at our first stop, New York, at about 9pm. By the time we got to our hotel in Times Square it was really late. The top left snap was probably the first photo taken on our trip. Look at those bright lights!

A shot of the infamous “Naked Cowboy” that wanders around the city.

We had to stop by the Toys “R” Us with the giant ferris wheel. Ah, we’re big kids.

Matt’s mum loves Applebee’s and highly recommended that we go. These were for you, Deb.

If you watch Cake Boss, yes this is the NYC based Carlo’s Bakery (the original is in New Jersey.) These goodies were absolutely delicious. You should’ve seen the line into the shop!

On our second night we couldn’t sleep a wink. After a night watching Catfish, we decided to make an early start in Central Park. We arrived a little after 7am and were welcomed by the sound of music and a large crowd. It just so happened that Good Morning America were shooting a Summer Concert special that day and Ed Sheeran was performing live! It was open to the public and it was the BEST DAY EVER!

Like us, this little guy was having way too much fun. His owner was chasing after him.

We loved walking around Central Park. We walked the perimeter – Probably around 15km or more within 7 hours.

Ground Zero was so moving. You have to see it with your own eyes.

The bottom left image above was taken from our seats when we saw Matilda on Broadway. Yeah, we didn’t have the best view – That’s why our tickets weren’t too pricey. LOL

It was amazing to see Lady Liberty. Matt bought a Statue of Liberty Barbie to commemorate our visit. Okay, that was me.

Grand Central Terminal was so grand and beautiful. Oh, the history. Funny story – We walked everywhere around NYC. The one time we road the Subway was purposely to visit Grand Central Terminal. During this ride, the train came to a sudden stop. Passengers seemed uneasy, looking from side to side and whispering their concern. Police officers hopped from carriage to carriage and a message played over the speakers informing that someone was sighted on the tracks. After about 10 minutes, we were on our merry way. It was a very interesting first time on the Subway!

For the Australians.

New York City is breathtaking. I get the lyrics – “Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of.” We took these images from the Empire State Building. Matt also rigged up his phone to take a time lapse. During this time, an air conditioner unit was dropped by a crane from a building making it in news headlines. Matt sent his film in and it was used on NBC New York’s website. What are the chances?

Disney World and Disneyland were everything that I had hoped for. This was my happy place.

During our time in Orlando, we also visited Universal Studios. We specifically made this stop to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We walked through Diagon Alley and caught a train to Hogsmeade where I tried some Butterbeer and wandered around Honey Dukes. After some very fast and thrilling rides (that actually made us both nauseous), we were ready to return back to Disney.

I have always had a fascination for the Titanic since seeing the film when I was a kid. So naturally, I had to go to the Titanic Experience whilst we were in Orlando. It was an amazing tour. On entry you are given a boarding pass belonging to a real passenger of the Titanic. A tour guide (in character from the period), takes you about to view some artefacts, the replicated famous stairwell (which Matt took a sneaky prohibited snap of) and other emulated areas of the ship to get a feel for the environment and the freezing conditions. We actually felt an iceberg! At the end of the tour, you find out if your passenger survived. Both mine and Matt’s did.

New Orleans was fascinating. I loved the French influence in the architecture, the live jazz music played on the streets and in the bars and its colourful, festive culture. Unfortunately there were no mardi gras during our stay, but we definitely got a feel for the true NOLA spirit looking through all the masquerade stores.

Matt brought this crazy mask home as a souvenir.

We visited Laura Plantation and Oak Alley Plantation. I was really in my element (Matt not so much), looking at the giant, old oak trees, the lavish mansions and absorbing all the creole history including the very sad reality of slavery.

The slave houses contained two small bedrooms and occupied a dozen or so workers. Really puts it into perspective when those mansions housed a family of about 5.

These Oaks are 300 years old and have lived half of their lives. Apparently they were planted long before the Oak Alley mansion was built. I wonder who planted them? It is said that the theory behind planting an alley of trees was to draw the cool air up to the house from the Mississippi River.

One of the only gyms we used on our trip was in New Orleans. It really was such an experience to hear the live jazz music blasting from the streets whilst training.

This building caught our eye. Perhaps one half was destroyed from hurricane Katrina? Maybe not. Either way, it’s so interesting to see the stairways and floors.

With that hill you could guess that the next stop was San Francisco. We arrived here in mid June (Summer time) and it was ridiculously cold and a thick mist covered the Golden Gate Bridge. In the below image you can see the bridge in the distance. Though we had planned to travel across it, it was just too cold for our liking. We weren’t prepared for the drop in temperature, but apparently San Fran is renown for this due to its coastal location and the cool mist that travels across the Pacific Ocean.

Of course we had to visit Pier 39 and visit the sea lions.

Riding the cable cars was so much fun, though very cold! I loved the hilly landscape and victorian style rowhouses in their varying shades.

We watched a Giants game and we loved it! If we lived in the US, we’d be die hard baseball fans. I loved that AT&T Park in San Fran is located right on the water – It was really nice watching the ships sail by.

We spent a day in LA where we visited WB Studios and Hollywood Boulevard. Above on the left is me standing beside the gazebo from Gilmore Girls. We had actually gone to WB’s for me to specifically see the Gilmore Girls set, but unfortunately it was not available on the day. We saw a lot from Batman and Harry Potter, but I was a little disappointed.

It was really cool to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the foot and handprints. I learnt that I have the same hand size as Sandra Bullock! We had taken so many more pics from this day, but unfortunately we lost the images.

Okay, so Matt braved it and drove from Anaheim to San Diego! We hired a car for the trip – It was suppose to be some kind of SUV, but when we went to collect it they upgraded us to a brand, spanking new Mustang convertible. It was unbelievable! Man, we experienced a lot of Mustang envy for those couple of days.

In San Diego we stayed at the marina not too far from the Gaslamp Quarter. Here we spent our last two days in the golden sunshine – shopping, bike riding and watching the boats sail by. We did not want to leave. Giving the car back was hard enough! We had the time of our LIVES! (And we were pretty stoked to ditch a month of winter in Australia).

Matt created an Instagram account dedicated to our travels. There’s a couple of films on there. Feel free to take a look!  – mattandtayintheusa

Daniella from Cruiseabout deserves a massive shout out for planning our trip and making our dream become a reality. She was absolutely amazing to work with – Thanks Daniella!

One thing is certain, we WILL return to the USA, hopefully sooner than later. So if you’re an engaged couple living in the US and you like our style, please don’t let our locations get between us! Your wedding could be the reason we set off on our next adventure.

Jackie and Ant are a very sweet couple and they compliment each other so well. They are each other’s rock and cheerleader. They are passionate Panthers supporters. And they look at one another with the most adoring eyes.

Before uniting, Jackie and Ant grew up in the same town and their lives constantly overlapped. Isn’t it funny how sometimes what you’re looking for is right under your nose?! They were always aware of each other though they lead different lives. Finally the stars aligned and what was always there was realised as something so much more. The two began dating and shortly became engaged – I think they had waited long enough, so why delay?

They had planned a gorgeous garden ceremony under the shade of a big, old tree at Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort in the lovely Blue Mountains. An assortment of lawn games were to follow with the celebrations continuing on into a fairy lit marquee with the most amazing display of sweets that you could ever see.

It was a Spring, vintage Garden wedding through and through, but the weather had other plans. Leura is known for it’s British-like weather – Perhaps that’s why the gardens are so lush and green? Well, it didn’t just rain, it misted all day. It was a thick, wet, rainy mist. But Jackie and Ant soldiered on and didn’t let a little rain (okay, a lot of rain) put a damper on their plans. (Mind the pun. LOL.) The ceremony remained under the canopy of a tree in a gorgeous garden, a sea of colourful umbrellas were opened and the show went on.

Some incredible vendors were used to create a very gorgeous reception space. Love at First Slice, Vanilla B Baking, Blooming Brilliant, Grain & Co, Props to You and Mon Soiree, certainly made an incredibly delicious looking dessert table! The marquee was glowing with fairy lights and the company wined, dined and danced the night away.

Venue – Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort | Bridal Gown – Penrith Bridal Centre | Brides Birdcage Veil and Jewellery – Tinkz Penrith | Brides Shoes – Panache Bridal Shoes | Penrith Panthers Garter – Jazzy Rose Creations | Bridesmaid Dresses – Windsor and Lux | Suits – Ferrari Formalwear and Bridal | Celebrant – Melissa Bedwell | Hair – Anywhere Wedding Hair | Makeup – Glamorous by Amanda | Stationery – The Print Fairy | Hire & Decor – Props to You, Covered Creations by Kylie Wade-Ferrell and Pink Swann | Chocolate Bar Bombonieres – Mon Soiree | Cake – Love at First Slice | Cake Topper – Grain & Co. | Flowers – Blooming Brilliant | DJ and MC – TJ Productions

Occasionally I get to work on some personal projects for one of my favourites – Jess from a mothers niche. She is one very talented florist and stylist (and the best mummy to her little boys). I could just marvel at the beauty that she creates all day. Last year we shot some styled dessert spreads, a variety of greenery and blooms and some bouquet making. I have compiled them into one post and I’m excited to reflect on all the beauty and colour.

For florals and styling check out a mothers niche.

 

Last year we jumped onboard with Wedshed. For those of you who haven’t heard of this incredible business, it is an online platform that brings together a collection of unique Australian venues for hire and a vast directory of vendors to help you plan your perfect wedding. It is aimed at the bridechilla looking for a unique space to get hitched, share some food and drink and have a good old boogie.

Wedshed held their first annual Christmas bash last year to celebrate their launch and all of the vendors/venues that had jumped onboard and showed their support. Bless was asked to be the official photographers for the event – This was such a compliment to us!  We have felt so welcomed by the Wedshed team and are so excited to be working with them. Not only was it an honour, it was an opportunity to photograph a really gorgeous party put on by some of the industry’s best.

Held at The Bangarra Room in Walsh Bay, this industrial space looks right over the Harbour Bridge and Luna Park. The exposed beams, copper piping and ample natural light create the perfect bones for a killer event. With a bush Christmas as the inspiration, there were lots of hanging eucalypts, native flora and a giant native wreath. Stylists – George & Smee and florist – Flowers on the Mill, did the most amazing job of bringing the rustic theme alive. The banquet table was laid with the most visually delicious Christmas spread. With a gold flecked cake, plenty of drink and their very own Veggie Patch Van on the pier, Wedshed hosted the Christmas Bash of the year.

You can see more of Wedshed’s Bush Christmas Party here on Wedshed and here on Hooray.

Hosts – Wedshed | Styling – George & Smee | Florist – Flowers on the Mill | Beats – XJDJ | Photo Booth – Cliqbooth | Cake and cookies – Gracious Honey | Food Truck – Veggie Patch Van | Wine – Cake Wines | Beer – 4 Pines Brewing Company | Cider – Willie Smiths Cider | Festoon Lights – Bespoke Audiovisual