An Australian Affair

As many of you know, my first order of business in Australia was to shoot Wendy and Paul's wedding in Sydney. Though it was entirely too sunny for the photographer's taste, everyone else was delighted that it had finally stopped raining!

Wendy, the bride, is from Miami and tragically lost both of her adoptive parents and her sister in the last several years. While there were no family present at the wedding, several good friends came from the States and her best friend, Balaji, performed the typical "fatherly" duties like walking her down the aisle. The wedding was obviously very emotional (as so many weddings are!) and oh-so beautiful! Wendy has married into a huge, boisterous family who is as crazy about her as her new husband. Paul, the groom, has three sisters who were visibly excited to see their brother finally marrying.

The rehearsal dinner took place on a harbor cruise -- breezy and fun. The next day, I was on hand to photograph the bride preparing for her wedding at the Grace Hotel in the Sydney CBD with two of her closest girlfriends. The ceremony itself took place in the rose garden of St. Ignatius College, a private boys' boarding school where Paul has taught math for many years. It was the first time the college has ever allowed a wedding in the school's gardens! What a treat to shoot!

Wendy was a bit surprised to learn that it is not customary for each guest at an Australian wedding to expect a chair (only 30 chairs for 120 guests)! However, the ceremony went off without a hitch and blended Paul's Catholic and Wendy's Jewish backgrounds nicely. The reception was tons of fun, and the next day featured a bus tour in the gorgeous Blue Mountains. Creamy cockatoos and non-plussed kangaroos...wild and exotic for a Colorado girl!

Here are a few favorite images!