The Salty Shutter

01/12/2021

Amie & Tom at Woods Farm

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/the-woods-farm-jervis-bay-wedding-photographer-amie-and-tom

Amie and Tom have been dating for almost 9 years when their postponed wedding finally rolled around. They have, proverbially, weathered some storms. They only managed to live together 9 months of that time pre pandemic, the last 3 years of which were long distance, due to their jobs. A life threatening illness relatively early in their relationship. All of this was formative and forced them to really critically think about if this was right. What they wanted. How to communicate. Through all this they decided what they wanted, in a partner, was each other.

These are two people who are self actualised, who know what they want and work their ass off to get it. She is a doctor, he a paramedic. They clearly both have a deep care for other people.

Whilst we were out walking and taking photos together I asked Tom, having picked up on something earlier in the day, what it was about Amie that had such a calming effect on him.

He said that he had simply never imagined someone like her existed out in the world for him, and that after meeting her the idea of living a quote unquote ‘normal’ life , a prospect which once held such actual terror for him, was something he now looked forward to with anticipation. Kids soccer games and BBQs and school runs and the proverbial house in the suburbs with a white picket fence, things he once abhorred the prospect of were now things he relished making a reality. He said that he felt like he could see the long lines of his life playing out before him, the excitement and the drudgery and the highs and the lows and the transcendent and the mundane, and that for the first time he was happy and content with what he saw. As long as she was there with him to partake and bear witness.

If that isn’t the most god damn romantic thing you’ve ever heard, I’ll eat my camera strap. There’s so much more I could say about this day, about these two, but what else needs to be said?

Enjoy

Dane

Amie and Tom have been dating for almost 9 years when their postponed wedding finally rolled around. They have, proverbially, weathered some storms. They only managed to live together 9 months of that time pre pandemic, the last 3 years of which were long distance, due to their jobs. A life threaten...

13/10/2021

Lauren & Alex get hitched 48 hours before lockdown ends

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/bennelong-lawn-wedding-lauren-and-alex

This was a lesson in embracing life, in choosing joy, in making lemonade out of lemons and other assorted overused but apt phrases.

Lauren and Alex were supposed to have a big wedding up the coast. Margherita kegs and tacos and all the people. This was on October 9th, a mere 48 hours before the lockdown restrictions were to lift in NSW. They realised they wouldn’t be able to have their original wedding, but decided to make the most out of the situation, to embrace the chaos, to forge ahead despite what the world threw at them and make it as joyful and meaningful as they possible could.

So after an email to NSW health, a night before trip to Bunnings for an esky and Dan Murphys for a copious amount of V***e, they gathered with who they could on Bennelong Lawn. They made some promises after an already monumental 11 years together, handed out bottles and straws and said, both literally and metaphorically, let’s make the most out of this chaos.

In a moment of perhaps somewhat drunken admission (…most everyone had finished their bottle by the time the rangers decided they actually needed to lock the gates to the park and kick everyone out) Lauren told me that yes, she was sad that their families and a selection of their oldest friends couldn’t be there, but she was married to the man she loved and they had about a wonderful time doing it as she could imagine.

To choosing joy. To embracing chaos. To copious amounts of V***e and generous park rangers. To Lauren and Alex. To choosing to have a lockdown wedding two days before 100 person weddings are allowed because screw waiting and what god damn story this will be to tell in 20 years.

I honestly could not have dreamt up a more glorious few hours for my first wedding back in far too long.

Enjoy

Dane

01/07/2021

Jess & Bryce

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/terrara-house-wedding-jess-and-bryce

hey two met in homeroom high school, back when exam marks and formals and awkward teenage parties were still a thing. They were polar opposites in many ways - he was the sporty jock, she the quieter achiever. It shouldn't have worked. It clearly did, even if it took a couple of years and a literal biology class in Year 11 (…there’s a joke here, I won’t make it) and have now been together for over a decade. They were kids when all this started. Their biggest concerns were exams and footy training and what to make your msn status. They’ve evolved a lot since then. Changed. Grown into themselves as you do between your teens and your late twenties. To do that with someone else from such a young age and hold on to those feelings and grow in the same direction takes a pretty deep connection.

One other thing, among many, was pretty clear. These two (and their people) know how to have a raging good time.

A small note, I shoot a lot of weddings, see a lot of ceremonies. The entire ceremony I was struck by how directly into one another’s eyes they looked for the entire duration. It was, to me, as big a sign as any of how right this is.

Enjoy

Dane

23/06/2021

Pauline & Nic

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/the-grounds-wedding-pauline-and-nic

Somewhere between Pauline emerging from getting dressed to show her family as some very loud Armenian music played and her aunts ululated while her dad danced with her and wept; and walking into Nic's family home and being offered coffee, food and beer no less than about 37 times, I knew the story of these families was going to be just as important as the story of these two.

This was as close to a perfect a Sydney autumn day as you get, and a reminder that a wedding is about much more than just two people. It’s a meeting of families, of cultures, of traditions. A space where a whole bunch of relationships and histories are celebrated and thrown into sharp relief.

The first time they met (and in a fantastic reversal of gender roles) Pauline walked Nic home to make sure he got there okay. The boy had got a little excited upon meeting her and downed a few extra beers. It pretty serious pretty quickly after that, and only a couple of short years later they are now married and have bought and renovated a house together.

So, here’s to loud folk music and weeping dads, to both of them vowing to love each other the most, to getting a little too excited (…and consequently boozed) on first dates, to family, to the meeting and merging of cultures, to these two.

Enjoy

Dane

16/06/2021

Kirsty & James

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/bennelong-wedding-sydney-opera-house-kirsty-and-james

Good things come to those who wait. For 6 weeks in this case.

Kirsty and James met on Tinder, before it was cool. Kirsty flicked him a message and James responded straight away. She then made him wait 6 weeks for another response. Not wanting to waste another moment (…or perhaps risk another month and a half break between messages), James crashed Kirsty’s work drinks one Friday night and they have never looked back.

These are two people who know and appreciate the meaning of the word grand and are generous with what they have. Grand gestures, grand landscapes, grand experiences, grand dining. On the day he proposed James hired a private plane to take Kirsty to Mudgee, sample some delicious wine, and fly back with a ring on her finger. They share a love of hiking and beautiful landscapes and jetted off a couple of days after this all happened to hike the Larapinta Trail. They initially bonded over a love of good food (..and pizzas).

And so this happened. 7 years after the initial waiting game. A grand gesture to those most dear to them and a reflection of their love of fine dining and food. An early morning wedding ceremony masterfully conducted by the always incredible Married by Allegra followed by a long lunch at the stupidly beautiful Bennelong at the Sydney Opera House.

This was also a reflection what I love most about weddings - a celebration of not just the two of them but all the relationships that have built and fostered and formed them, and included possibly the most memorable father daughter dance I have seen thus far.

Enjoy

Dane

30/05/2021

Erica & Tom & one of the funnest and most unique weddings I've been lucky enough to document.

You aren't going to want to miss this one.

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/marys-underground-wedding-erica-and-tom

Erica and Tom are both creatives, both love a good party and both wanted to craft something unique and totally reflective of the two of them to celebrate their commitment 5 years after they matched on Tinder, Tom accidentally sent Erica the wrong number and Erica spent a few hours texting a lovely married woman named Stella much to the consternation of Stella’s husband. 6 months later, Tom shoulder danced his way over to Erica after a couple of beers at a friends house party and gallantly asked “so, you’re my girlfriend now right?”, assumedly in a somewhat playful tone that also brooked no rebuttal. Thus was this romance born.

So, they got ready and met up at The Old Clare to soothe some nerves (..Erica’s) and spend some time together, then headed to Mary’s Underground (ex iconic live music venue The Basement) where they were married by Tom’s aunt in front of one of the most enthused and raucous crowds I’ve ever seen, before thanking them for their enthusiasm with a surprise set by legendary brass band Potato Potato and then partying til the wee hours. By the time I left both of them where at that high on life stage where you walk around aggressively hugging and kissing everyone and telling you how much they mean to you. It was heartwarming.

In all seriousness though, this one was a reminder of a lot of things. Of the importance of doing things your own way. Of how buoying and lifting it can be for a whole community to celebrate two of their own joining in such a way (..seriously, the assembled crowd lost their collective mind multiple times throughout the ceremony). Of how weddings can prompt all this beautiful reflection and re-inforce relationships - not just with each other but with all the important people in you life (see speeches). Of how accidentally flirting with a middle aged married woman named Stella over text can actually kick off a beautiful romance.

So, here’s to dad’s dropping surprisingly in vogue lyrical references during speeches followed by best friend’s inviting themselves into the relationship. To live music and a good party. To drunken declarations of love. To Erica. To Tom. To Erica and Tom. To Stella.

To how god damn beautiful and unique this day was.

Enjoy

Dane

05/05/2021

Kelly & Brent

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/northern-beaches-elopement-photographer-kelly-and-brent

Weddings are (by and large, and not always but mostly) about much more than two people.
They are this tapestry upon which all these relationships and histories are projected, an alter upon which all these intense scenes and emotions and connections play out and are highlighted due to the nature of what’s going on. This is even true of intimate elopements, maybe even particularly true of intimate elopements because of the inner circle nature of being in attendance.

Kelly and Brent met through Kelly’s brother years ago, after both of them had just come out of the other side of long term relationships - both of them emerging with new perspectives but Kelly also with two kids, Xavier and Rufus.

This was a gloriously relaxed few hours. They got ready together at an airbnb in Palm Beach and were planning on wandering over the road to the park whenever the time felt right to conduct the ceremony, but I had a scoped out a - and so we headed up into the hills as the sun set on a beautifully crisp Sydney autumn afternoon.

While they were saying their vows Xavier was watching from a (slightly awkwardly close) vantage point, while Rufus threw sticks into the bush. Then when it as all done everyone threw sticks into the bush because when the hell did we get old enough to decide it was un-cool and un-fun to do so.

Kelly and Brent, Xavier and Rufus, their blended family and a small selection of their closest making it official and embracing their inner kids. Their story isn’t their story without them.

Enjoy

Dane

19/04/2021

Ash & Mick

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/sprout-dining-wedding-newcastle-photography-ash-and-mick

Newcastle you glorious bastard, you always deliver.

Timing is everything.

These two first met when they were babyfaced teenagers - Mick cruising around the streets of Newcastle in his car giving mates (..and girls,) lifts around the place. They fell together quickly, as . Then a little while later they parted ways, Mick had been planning on moving to London for years and do the work and explore and adventure thing, and it seemed the most mature thing to do.

He has an adventure. He grows. Ash does the same in Newcastle. He comes back. They inevitably come back together. However in the intervening years Ash has developed some wanderlust of her own. Once again they part, not because they want to but because they know the risk of resentment and estrangement over a long term, long distance relationship is too great and neither wants to do that to the other, and Ash leaves.

And then a few years later, a few experiences richer they both find themselves back home. After years of circling one another (..and the globe), they are finally in the same place with no plans or desires to explore in that same way. They meet up for a drink thinking they will either have one beer and never see each other again or have one beer and never see anyone else ever again. I think you can tell what happened.

This one was one for the books. Theirs is a relationship that has clearly retained all the passion and sense of adventure and exuberance of their formative years, but has been tempered by age and experience and wisdom. These are two people who clearly know how to have a cracking freaking time together, but have also seen enough of the world to recognise the beauty of what they have right in front of them.

It was beautiful.

Then it quickly became quite raucous.

Enjoy

Dane

Venue - Sprout Dining at Crown & Anchor Hotel

08/04/2021

Sam & Joel

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/the-mint-sydney-wedding-sam-and-joel

Sam and Joel get minted.

He’s a doc, she’s a vet. They are clearly both driven and care.

They challenge one another, complement one another in the ways they are both different and the same. There was talk of them both being at the point in their lives when they were ready to meet, and how in some ways they both strengthened and healed the other.

She joked about him never outwardly displaying any emotion during the morning, until he sobbed through his vows.

And so here it was. An uncommonly warm and crisp Sydney Autumn day. They met up before the ceremony to get some nerves out of the way, made some promises in front of their loved ones, and then kicked off the party with a special guest appearance from one of Sam’s friends.

Enjoy

Dane

31/03/2021

Georgia & James

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/palm-house-wedding-photography-georgia-and-james

This one was a doozy.

Georgia and James met at Hart’s pub at the rocks one night when James was slinging beers and Georgia was drinking ‘em. There was a lot of banter and they traded numbers. He then proceeded to simply send her a Simpsons quote every day for the next 40 or so days. Highly risky and outside the box courting behaviour that worked a god damn treat.

They have been together for over a decade. Ten years and unbelievable amounts of change and growth and discovery and experience. When their relationship was in it’s infancy ipads didn’t exist and s**t the Simpsons was still good.

These two clearly love and desire and care for one another, but the biggest thing that struck me was simply the fact that after so much and so many years these two are quite simply the best of mates. It’s as simple and complex as that. They share this unrestrained joy of being and seem to find fun and laughter everywhere they look. Wether this is something inherent to them both or is something that is magnified and highlighted by their relationship I don’t know. Does it matter?

And so this happened. They had a ceremony on the lawn in the Botanic Gardens where James cried and Georgia laughed at him, their mates did a flashmob to Fat Boy Slim whilst they signed the papers so “the crowd wouldn’t get bored”, and then things kicked into a pretty raucous party at Palm House where James’ mum started inviting random passers by to the wedding.

Also, during the portraits and after spending 25 straight minutes laughing my ass off (..at them, I did nothing), I then asked them to share some slightly more romantic things with one another. They did. It was beautiful. They then made out for a somewhat uncomfortable amount of time completely unprompted. 10 years people.

It was fu***ng joyous. And inspiring.

I hope this all comes through. How could it not.

Thank you for the joy. Thank you for the inspiration.

Enjoy

Dane

Venue - Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens

Wedding Co-ordinator - WISP Events

Celebrant - Oliver Thompson

Catering - Radish Events

24/02/2021

Joce & Dan

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/joce-and-dan

In the ripe old ages of their late 20s, Joce and Dan have already been together for 11 years. Eleven. Ten and another one thrown in. They’ve endured countless bouts of long distance - to study and work and live - both of them are clearly fiercely independent and driven and have their own things they want to accomplish. They haven’t always agreed on politics. They have their own quirks - as we all do. None of that matters. Through all this they have never wavered. Never second guessed. In her first email to me Joce said “It’s only ever been us. Always.”

The level of commitment and depth and maturity of love and simple belief, in themselves and in one another, that all of the above suggests is simply astonishing. Particularly in two people so relatively young, and over such a span of time.

Almost to the second Joce started walking down the aisle, on Dan’s family’s farm, it felt like the heavens literally erupted. Luckily, so did the crowd.

It was, to me, a bit of a lesson. Of making magic out of whatever the hell life throws at you. Of taking something a lot of people would find a bit of a negative and running with it and making it something beautiful and memorable and yours.

Joce and Dan making it theirs. Always.

Enjoy

Dane

21/01/2021

Phoebe & Michael & one hell of a cracking start to 2021

https://www.thesaltyshutter.com/melross-farm-kangaroo-valley-wedding-phoebe-and-michael

This was, in essence, so much of what I love about a wedding. They can be this platform to show and express gratitude for and emphasise a whole bunch of histories and relationships as well as the one at the centre of it all - Phoebe and her sister, both of them and their respective parents, a whole bunch of histories and communities were celebrated and lifted up throughout the day.

Michael and Phoebe met back in their burgeoning days at law school and both went on to absolutely kill their respect fields, studying and accepting jobs all over the globe. These are two people who’s fierce independence and drive is matched only by the ferocity of their commitment to one another. Even through numerous extended periods of long distance they have thrived.

All this being said these are two people that just also know have to have a cracking bloody time. For a couple of kids who are so switched on and accomplished, you’d think their relationship could be solely intensely cerebral. Instead, much of their relationship (from an outsiders perspective) seems to be based on a shared and overwhelming joy of existence which is clearly only increased in each other’s company. Case in point - a wander of the obscenely beautiful grounds of Melross with their mates turned into an impromptu dance party on a hill.

There are so many more things and scenes I would love to draw attention to here - how close knit Phoebe her sister and Michael all are, the phenomenal relationship both of their set’s of parents seem to still have and how well that has set the stage for then in so many ways, how Michael completely broke down during his vows, but in this case I think I’ll let the photos tell the rest of the story.

Enjoy

Dane