A wedding story from Margaret River

This is a different kind of a story. It’s a wedding story, yes, and it’s also a street story. And because it was such a wonderful experience, I am including it in both parts of our website.

You will find the street story – how I got to Australia, how I helped a friend with a wedding in Perth and how a new friendship grew deeper – here. What follows is only the wedding story.

My friend Giuseppe Marano and I traveled to Perth, Australia to explore the area and, ultimately, to photograph the wedding of Hannah + Alex. This was Giuseppe’s job, not mine, and I was there as a friend. But, being a wedding photographer, I jumped in and helped, too.

After a few days’ travel (see Street Project), Giuseppe and I traveled to the Margaret River – wine country — where the wedding would be taking place. The area reminded us both of Tuscany. So beautiful. And such great wine!

The next evening, we met Hannah + Alex, the bride and groom. They so kindly invited us to attend the rehearsal dinner at The Common restaurant. I instantly liked them both – such easy-going people and so obviously in love.

I took some pictures that evening, mingling with the very small group of about 30 guests. Hannah asked me if this was my first time in Australia and when I said, yes, it was, she asked about my impressions so far. I spoke mainly about the natural beauty and the deep respect the Australians seem to have for their magnificent land.

“It’s true,” I told Hannah. “I have fallen a little in love with your country.”

Beauty. That is what I remember most about Australia. And ease.

The next day was the wedding. I remember feeling so relaxed and so free. I didn’t take too many photos, to be honest, but I helped Giuseppe by capturing a few special moments: Alex with his groomsmen, getting ready and sharing an easy camaraderie. Then Hannah, the bride, as she made her final preparations.

It was a beautiful wedding – and a warm and fun one. Giuseppe and I worked to capture the easy feeling, the laughter, the obvious love and the beautiful scenery surrounding us, giving us a backdrop of natural elegance and slightly rugged individualism.

Really, everything was so tender and so easy. Hannah + Alex are not the types to value material things; their concerns were mostly about their guests and about each other. It was a celebration of love and friendship, and I was happy to work alongside and support Giuseppe as he captured this unique Australian experience.

After the ceremony, Giuseppe and I took a 4×4 Jeep and brought Hannah + Alex down to the beach for some photos. We did some beach shots and then moved to a field with a large tree and some canguros. After that we come back to the venue and had dinner.

It was very windy and quite cold (for an Italian!), so they had a tent and everyone dined inside.

I loved every minute of this experience. And look forward to more trips and more weddings in Australia.