The Inquiry.

I received an inquiry from Loreta late November who was aiming for a small elopement to occur on the 22nd of December - it’s close, but doable.

I meet with both Loreta and Varol via video chat to discuss their vision and plan for their wedding day. They are to be married at Tanglewood Estate in Dromana which has a lot of photogenic areas and both Loreta and Varol wanted to utilise. From Tanglewood, they wanted to go to The Pines in Shoreham for some gorgeous nature shots. In hindsight, I think what drew Loreta to The Pines is that it looks very Canadian, which is where she was raised.

Ultimately, the only prerequisite for their wedding was for nice photos at the specified locations and for the rest we’d ‘go with the flow’.

The Plan.

'Going with the flow is a double-edged sword.’ It favours the prepared and punishes the unprepared.

Just know, if you ever decide to ‘go with the flow’ and it works out smoothly it isn’t due to luck, it’s because of the work behind the scenes. I formulated a plan for the day to cover all the bases and ensure that we maximise our time at the venue, and have enough buffer incase things take longer than expected (as they sometimes do).

I create the plan so my clients can ‘go with the flow.’

The Cowboy.

After our meeting, I send through my plan for the day, and ask the couple to confirm they’d like to book my services - radio silence.

Getting ghosted by potential clients is nothing new, it’s part of how the industry works unfortunately. I assume they’ve found another photographer to capture their day, which is okay - all part of the game!

With four days until the wedding, I have a little hunch to just follow up with the couple, so I send through a message to make sure they have a photographer for the day and aren’t left without one on their wedding day.

I get a response, “Oh yeah, we thought after our first meeting it was already set in stone.”

Almost always, I get a deposit paid and a contract signed to confirm my work. In this rare instance, I didn’t get either one..

So now I guess I’m going with the flow.

The Journey.

I have a nice drive up to Dromana taking my car out for a spin through the twisty roads leading up to Tanglewood.

Google Maps tells me to turn right down a dirt road. Uh oh, my car’s a bit too low for an off-road adventure, but I guess the only way to Tanglewood is through.

A drive that would take normal cars about 5 mins, took me 15mins as I had to go super slow through the dirt track.

I arrive at Tanglewood half-an-hour early and the gates are closed. I ring the intercom… “you do not have enough credit to make this call.” Great I’m stuck out front with no contact. I had no way to get in touch with the venue as their was no listed phone number on their website.

A few minutes later one of the staff came to open the gate and we’re in!

Tanglewood Estate.

Tanglewood Estate is a gorgeous venue that’s very open, photogenic and has lots of interesting areas for photo opportunities.

The charm of Tanglewood is the 200 year old chapel which is still used today to marry Victorians!

It’s a very rustic, with strong Earthy tones. A beautiful venue for those looking to get married!

As I had arrived earlier than the couple, I used the time to explore areas of Tanglewood for photos.

The Wedding.

The guests arrive along with the bride and groom to be. We’ve got a small, intimate wedding today with a total of six people: Varol’s mum and sister and Loreta’s brother and sister from Canada.

I was lucky enough to be guest number seven. and the celebrant Katie Breheny (@katiebcelebrant) being number eight. As weddings go, you become a part of the day and get to enjoy their love story as an honoured guest.

Loreta and I start with some getting-ready shots and then I move to the Chapel to shoot Varol and the guests.

The wedding consisted of some deeply personal vowels, a declaration of love and an exchange of rings.

The Newly Weds.

Couple_Chapel Door - Loreta & Varol 8.jpg

Couple_Chapel Outside - Loreta & Varol 29.jpg

Following the ceremony, I put the plan I had made to use. We started with photos of the couple at the chapel, then walking along the path.

Varol (not Marol), who I had originally thought to be a stern fellow, ended up being the star of the show! Throwing out ideas, trying new poses he thought was funny, and ultimately just being himself.

As a photographer, I love this. It makes my job easier, you get more authentic moments and it feels like we’re working in tandem.

Getting people out of their shells, and having them be comfortable enough for me to shoot them in one of my favourite parts of a wedding shoot.

Also, Loreta is pregnant so we killed two-birds with one stone and did a maternity/wedding shoot.

The Traditions.

Follow the photoshoot, which Loreta’s brother became my impromptu assistant for the day, we headed into the dining area of Tanglewood estate to cut the cake, drink champagne and eat some delicious food.

Loreta’s Canadian siblings were dying to see some Kanagroos and their wish was granted as we had a few furry friends pop their heads by to say hello.

After cutting the cake, the family members made a toast and then served some food, which I was invited to join.

Varol’s mother who’s Turkish made the best borek I’ve ever had. It was at this moment I felt like I was a part of the family, even if it was for twenty minutes.