gabbinbar homestead styled shoot ; blog to come

The title says it all really - it’s ok to just want beautiful, clean, bright and romantic photographs for your wedding day. IT’S OK!! More than ok! It’s flipping awesome!

When we booked in our photos for our own engagement shoot in Paris, I knew exactly what I wanted.. bright and pastel tones all shot on film. Somehow even as a photographer myself though I felt the pressure to do the “cool thing” and go dark and moody but it’s just not me, or us, as a couple.

We aren’t those people.

I’m not that bride to be.

And I’m ok with that.

I wasn’t for the longest time but I came to realise over the last twelve months or so that the Australian wedding market seems to be beating the shit out of the minimalistic, dark and mostly unattainable high gloss vibes. I meet so many brides who honestly seem like they’re doing it because they think it’s what has to be done to look good. It’s ok to be a normal girl in this highly curated and terrifyingly pressurised world.

You don’t!

I have always been a Pinterest maniac. I’ve been pinning since the platform first started and even as the styles changed in the industry over the years, one thing remained the same, my love of the finer details and feminine styling. It’s like it’s become a crime to admit that you like beautiful imagery just because it’s not art or doesn’t tell a long-winded story.. (Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate it but again, it just ain’t me!)

Isn’t the point of having a wedding to continue to tell your love story anyway? To seal the deal. You are mine and I am yours. All that jazz. That is the fairytale, right? Far out.. there is so much pressure!

I’m saying this as a bride to be but I’d give up anything to have just one really beautiful photo of Steve and I on our wedding day. Our one token image where we are both smiling, the editing won’t date and we look like we’re having fun and are as in love as we actually are.

One of the nicest comments we have received for our shoot was that you can see ‘the love’ in our gallery which in my mind is the highest compliments we could have gotten. I don’t need it to be hung in a gallery to be considered a piece of art because we are the piece of art. The world is shit at the moment quite frankly and I often look back at the photos of us in France and they make me smile every time. My phone background is a constant carousel of photos from our shoot and they are the most pretty in pink - I’m quite literally wearing a blush sequined gown - photos ever and both Steve and I adore them!

Weddings to me are beautiful. They’re bright, full of emotion and happiness.

I just want to create and share imagery that represents all that was, and freely admit that the best part of my job is creating stunning, light-hearted and feminine images that have no deeper meaning than to make me and my couples happy!

Don’t let what’s going on around you, or on Instagram especially, knock that out of you if it’s what you really want! One more time for the peeps in the back.. it’s ok to want “pretty” photos!!

team behind the photos
Concept + Bridal // white lily couture
Photography // lauren olivia
Venue // gabbinbarhomestead
Videography // wander and follow images
Stylist/Hire // ivy and bleu events
Florals // gwen floral co
Hair // sarah neill hair
MUA //. stephanie g mua
Suits // the cloak room
Cake // pepperberry cakes
Stationery // theoberry stationery
Limo // waratah limos
Model // dana paige coles
Model // hayden mccrystal