Marissa & Josh were married at the magnificent Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo, with a reception held that evening at Quills. Everything about this wedding was lavish and classy, but the thing I remember most about their day is ‘fun’. When this couple explode into spontaneous laughter, everyone in their vicinity has no choice but to join in. At the same time they are deeply in love. Spending a small amount of time in their company leaves you with no ounce of doubt about that.

Just to break with tradition, I’m going to begin with 2 photographs of Marissa that were featured in I Do I Do Creations Magazine. These were both taken after the ceremony, so I’m jumping forward in the timeline of their day here. This first image was shot in View Street in Bendigo, in front of my favourite pink cafe. It’s rather considerate of them to have a mirror hanging there for me…. don’t you think?

This photograph was taken in the stairwell of a gorgeous apartment that Marissa & Josh were staying in on their wedding night. A little more about that later in the post. Anyway, who cares about the stairwell? Just look at this glorious bride! She’s like an angel.

Rewind to the start of the day, with Marissa and her bridesmaids getting ready. The wedding gown by Elizabeth de Varga was stunning, in soft oyster pink. Even before I saw Marissa wearing the gown, I knew I was in for something truly special.

Marissa with her sister and two dear friends. I just love the bridesmaids different coloured dresses.

A few lovely portraits of Marissa, taking advantage of the diffused light coming in through the bedroom window.

I then closed all the curtains to block out the ambient light, and lit Marissa with a video light for some glamour and drama.

Josh with his best man and groomsmen, looking very dapper in their 40′s styled, pinstriped suits.

My favourite portrait of Josh. It’s ALL about those eyes…..

Marissa dashing up the stairs of the Cathedral, arm in arm with her father, eager to marry her childhood sweetheart.

A very special moment between Marissa and her father, moments before walking down the ailse together.

The ceremony was very emotional. Just the way these two people look at each other brings a lump to my throat. It’s a little embarassing when I cry during my client’s ceremony. Wherever possible I hide my reactions behind my camera.

I didn’t actually notice Josh’s brother ‘praising the Lord’ when I took this photograph. When I saw it later on my computer, I nearly fell off my chair laughing. This was just the start of an all day party…. as you can see!

I took Marissa & Josh back inside the Cathedral for some portraits. The light is absolutely heavenly. (no pun intended)

At this point in the proceedings, it started to rain, and showed no signs of stopping for quite some time. As I mentioned at the start of the post, Marissa & Josh had booked a beautiful old apartment up the road from the Cathedral, aptly named Cathedral Heights. Marissa and the girls had got ready there that morning, and it was also booked for the wedding night. Given the dreadful weather, I suggested we all go back there until the rain stopped, or at least slowed down. Having this great location as a back-up was a life saver. The wedding party all had some time to relax, have some drinks and snacks and utilise the bathroom facilities. Meanwhile I had a beautiful warm, dry location to make the most of our time, and take some amazing photographs of the newlyweds. If you’re planning a wedding I think it’s worth keeping this in mind. When choosing accommodation for your wedding night, don’t just think of it as a room to sleep in. Think of it as a potential photography location, especially in the event of rain.

I just love these images of Marissa & Josh. I can’t help thinking the rain was a stroke of luck, because we almost certainly would not have gone back to the apartment if it weren’t for the bad weather! Thank you Huey (the official God of rain… ha ha ha)

These were taken in the lobby of the four block apartment building. A beautiful old timber staircase, timber panelling and a big high window streaming in natural light. I was jumping up and down with excitement. Marissa and Josh were laughing at me! Once again, thank heavens for that downpour.

Aaaahhh. True love. It’s enough to make me giddy!

Eventually we decided to brave the weather and head into town. I love this image of the wedding party. It’s a study in body langauge… an insight into the individual personalities of each member of the group. I also really love the look of the wet pavers in the foreground. After looking at this I’ve honestly considered taking a big vessel of water with me on fine days, to tip on the ground! The only thing that’s stopped me is the fear of being carted away in a stiff white coat!

I wanted to show this image as a great example of the benefits of having a second photographer. My assistant Sue took this beautiful photograph of the girls, while I was shooting them from the front. Because all of their attention is focused on me, the image really has the feeling of being more candid. Many people actually prefer photographs of themselves not looking at the camera, so this is a great way to work, producing great images with the best of both worlds.

I can still hear Marissa’s infectious laughter echoing down the alley. This image makes me smile!

I added some lovely dirty texture to enhance the mood of this image. We are so blessed to have all these gorgeous old buildings in Bendigo.

A couple more images at the pinkest of pink cafes in View Street. I seriously think this cafe was painted like this purely for my benefit. Thank you!

A few more images taken in front of the columns at the Capital Theatre. Once again I count my blessings for the magnificent architecture in Bendigo. As a wedding photographer, Bendigo is a bit like being a kid in a candy store. I desperately NEED my sister Sue to drag me away when we’re out of time. She can be very tough on me as I continually insist… “just a few more! I JUST want to do this, that and the other!” ha ha ha.  Someone has to stop me. Thankfully I have my gorgeous assitant Susie to do so.

So there you go. The magnificent day that was Marissa & Josh’s wedding. It was a long time ago, but is still so fresh in my memory. They are the kind of couple I could never forget! Sweet, funny, down to earth and very much in love. I bumped into them not so long ago, as I was coming out of the theatre after seeing Billy Elliot in Melbourne. We were truly overjoyed to see each other, even though it was a very brief encounter. They were both SO excited with the anticipation of their wedding being featured in the next issue of I Do I Do. I haven’t actually spoken to them since the magazine was released. I think I’ll give them a call soon…. to see how their fabulous modeling careers are going! (joking)

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Right… back to the announcement. Issue 6 of I Do I Do Creations Magazine is out, and it’s absolutely stunning! If you live in Central Victoria and are planning a wedding, or just love beautiful magazines, you simply must get yourself a copy. It is full to the brim with beautiful images from the very best of Central Victoria’s photographers, stories about real weddings, divine gowns, flowers, accessories, suits, bonboniere, invitations, reception venues, hints and advice. If you’re getting married in the next 12 months, this mag will be your best friend. There is no doubt that the magazine has improved with every issue, but the team have really outdone themselves this year. Looking through the pages, I can hardly believe that this magazine is produced locally. It’s definitely something for the people of Bendigo to be very proud of… a credit to our city! I personally want to congratulate everyone involved in producing the magazine. You should all be so proud of what you have achieved!

I am extremely honoured that a wedding I photographed in 2008 is a featured wedding in the magazine. The lovely bride and groom, Marissa & Josh, are one of my favourite couples. They’re both gorgeous, in the truest sense of the word! Their wedding was beautiful, emotional and so much fun, I was thrilled for them when they were selected to feature in I Do I Do Creations. They have advised me that they both intend on quitting their day jobs to launch their modeling careers any day now, and that they won’t forget the ‘little people’ when they’re fabulously rich and successful! Ha ha ha…. did I already mention that I ADORE Marissa and Josh?

Here are a couple of photographs of the magazine, and my featured wedding. The beautiful photograph on the cover was taken by Mel Plambeck of Rubii Design.

I have decided to follow this post up with a full post about Marissa & Josh’s wedding, which was back in March 2008. Even though their wedding took place nearly a year before I started this Photo Journal, I was always keen to display their images. Now they are featured in I Do I Do Creations Magazine, I feel I have the perfect excuse to turn the clock back a little, and re-live their wedding day!

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