I will say it at the start so we can move on - it rained a bucket load on saturday up in the foothills of Mt Warning. The sheer beauty & raw sprituality was not diminished one little bit by the wet…….Crystal & Jon had been planning this day for a long time.

There was lots of symbolism – the night Jon proposed to Crystal it rained also & forced his plans indoors. Jon’s father Jon conducted a traditional Scottish knot tying, during the ceremony. It was a nod to the Nichol family’s Scottish roots. The Laiphroig came later ………..

And I heard it said by a guest ” It’s harder to undo a wet knot ” which is true & a pretty good anecdote for our part of the world………& for these two I suspect.

Mavis’ Kitchen never fails to impress, partly because of the location & the awes inspiring surrounds but mostly, I suspect because of the team & their warmth & hard work. You can have stunning surrounds that are not particularly welcoming……..but never is that the case here. I will always look forward to coming here.

Enjoy the day & I hope you feel as though you were there – or watching from a warm room with a fireplace overlooking the mountains.

Thanks for the fun & the beautiful details…….enjoy your lives together all the future holds, love Ben & Jodie

How do you abbreviate cuteamazingspecialadorableIwishyouallthehappinessintheworldcouple ………..Rhian & Andy !!! Of course.

I love all our weddings & I have never shot one that didn’t feel right. We find the guests & families fascinating in equal measures to the bride & groom & love to see how their joy as the day unfolds…………so it would be fair to say that Rhi & Andy’s wedding was a tremendous joy to witness & photograph. Tears at a wedding are not unusual but there was not dry eye in the entire Windsor Rd Baptist church as Rhi strode down the aisle with her father glowing like a thousand suns & beaming at her handsome man as he waited.

The city of Brisbane & Kangaroo Point provided the backdrop to the afternoon but as ever it was the people of this wedding & the great beauty of the human spirit that we photographed, laughed with & loved. Andy’s pastor spoke at length during the ceremony but it was what he said about the look on Andy’s face as Rhi came down the aisle that struck home with me.

“I will do whatever it takes to ensure that this works & that she is my wife until the end of time”

Yes indeed…………….

When I first met them & I asked Rhian what she liked about Andy the first thing she said was his smile……….who in their right mind is going to wonder why ?

Any excuse you guys can think of for us to photograph you again – just say the word & we are there. Thank you again for sharing your lives & your community with us.

Love Ben, Jodie & Elsie xoxo.

Toya & Jason married at Invercauld House on a typical North Coast autumn day, where anything is possible. Searing heat, pouring rain & gorgeous light, the sort you could bathe in…if you were quick. It was a wedding of contrasting tastes where Spain met Casino, but always highly personal, intimate & beautiful.

Jason wrote & recorded the song that played as Toya entered the ceremony. But the song the bridal party entered the reception to was Master of Puppet’s ( the Trivium version) & the Bridal waltz was Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters ! The tables were designated by bands AC/DC, Trivium …..you get the picture ? The bridal party saved Slipknot for their table !

The vows were exchanged with tears in an intimate ceremony, before their daughter beautiful Mali  who stole the show in many ways) had her footprint recorded to certify her presence on the day.

The northern rivers is a magical place to be a photographer of people & of the natural world. If you can combine the two you can create wonders – but if the weather is not on your side life can get tough. We are not blessed with the best indoor spaces though & when I found Peter & his daughter Luca’s second hand treasure trove warehouse I knew things would be just fine. A treasure trove of articles & items that almost deifies belief & description, put on display with a trained eye for eclectic design.

Jason wore a fobwatch he bought in Dublin many years ago, knowing that one day he would meet the woman Toya is & he would marry her & wear it at his wedding- that is certainty for you.

A big thank you to the Kenny & to the Ayala & Spare families for having us & of course thanks to Toya & Jase for sharing your lives with us. Special mention goes to Tim & Dave – the two funniest brothers/groomsmen around. You should be available for hire !

Love Ben & Jodie xoxo

The beautiful, enchanting, adorable & totally in love Lauren & Paul…….

So I love Easter, it’s always my favourite holiday time but the weather leaves a bit to be desired right ? Well Easter 2012 will live long in the memory & the weather could not have been better. Being asked to photograph Janice & Scott’s wedding at the Sheraton Mirage in Southport meant the weekend was as good as it could be. I always love to hear Jodie’s impressions of our weddings & the couple’s they involve. She got to spend time with the boys before the ceremony & it was obvious Scott made an impression with his down to earth charm & honesty. Janice & her beautiful tight knit girls were a pleasure to be around for the day ……..even right to the end & a wet dress thanks to a rogue wave as the twilight faded……!

He got to marry his beautiful girl Janice with her piercing gaze & enchanting dimply smile, after a decade together & it was beautiful to be there. The Sheraton Mirage was busy as could be but the hustle & bustle felt like a world away. Everything seemed to be put on for them.

Below is a slice of the day …………..enjoy !

The night before the wedding the moon rose over the Pacific Ocean like a massive glowing orb & literally stopped you in your tracks. Obviously the little voice in my head rejoiced because that meant it would happen again the next night – right ? Yep !

Happy days & cheers to you both, thank you for having us. Best wishes for your lives together ……….see you soon xo.

“If I was a flower growing wild & free all I’d want is you to be my sweet honey bee”

Bob Dylan

Nothing truer could be said of Peter & Eliza’s swift, certain courtship & beautiful,ecstatic marriage & wedding day. Lucky for me I was there to be a part of it & to have a front row seat for all the best bits.

The second part of our two weddings/two states/one weekend odyssey involved travelling to the glorious south eastern Melbourne hamlet of Brighton to photograph the official union of the Beck & the St Clair families………

On an afternoon that passed way too quickly for me & I am sure for Eliza & Pete also, it was a dazzling blur. It was marvellous to be welcomed into Julie & Jon’s family home & to be treated like family as they married their only daughter. Eliza, with her stunning natural beauty & gentle, serene nature truly goes hand in glove with Peter gregarious charm that makes you feel like as though you have been friends for years when you have just met for the first time.

Beginning with the grandeur of St Stephen’s church in the centre of Brighton through & onto some of the best beachfronts of Port Phillip Bay via Kamesburgh Gardens & Billila Mansion & then finally to the Royal Brighton Yacht Club & splendid Middle Brighton Baths. Here the day wound down for me but began to wind right up for the wedding party as we soaked up the last warmth of a beautiful autumn sunday & as the sun disappeared over the bay.

Special mention must go to Jon & his magnificent Mark 2 Jag which was surely in the best condition of a car of that era any where in the world. The previous owner purchased it in 1964 when she was 70 & sold it to Jon when she was 90, in 1984, after which it was lovingly restored & to this day runs like a dream. Even a car illiterate boy like me couldn’t fail to be impressed……..

With a bridal party featuring three current &/or former members of the Australian Ballet I had to get a shot or two of their skills…….or maybe just the sense of humour.

Considering I only had 24 hours in your beautiful city, gee I had a blast.I would do this every sunday if I could ………!

Thanks so much, I nearly laughed my head off (literally!) more than once ( thanks boys!) & was just so glad to be a part of the lives of two amazingly beautiful people. I slept well & left smiling & will always remember your day.

I am looking forward to presenting these to you. Happy Easter xoxo

Him-tall, tattooed & handsome. Her- blonde, straight talking & drop dead gorgeous. The city – searing heat, bustling charm & quaint, quiet pockets of beauty. A chapel in Woolloongabba with no need for a denomination, only a desire to spread love & welcome family. In breaking with tradition the Howard & Green families sat on opposite sides of the chapel than is the norm. This was done so the Greens could see their daughter Jess’ face as she wed Chris & his face could be clearly in view for the Howards. I don’t know why this doesn’t happen more often.

It is pretty plain for all to see that nothing is going to come between these two …………you don’t need me to tell you that. All you need to do is scroll down……..

A great day.

I forget who it was that said “the taller the groomsman, the louder the laugh” ………but he was spot on !

I love this mini essay on Jess’s Dad, from the outset he was busting for the day to begin properly. Marrying off your only daughter must fill your heart with many different emotions. Don’t be fooled by the first image – he is reading the paper to pass the time.

We got to spend the afternoon, dodging the heat, at Roma st Parklands. The last time I was there it was at a 4ZZZ Market Day & the wrong side of 21. Now it is like an oasis in this modern city. Lush, green & calm. Perfect way to wind up for an evening celebration, or to wind down after a hectic day.

We are in BrisVegas right ?

To the Green family & the Howards, thanks for having us in your fair city. Love to you all xo.

And just to prove once again that rain on your wedding day is far from bad luck, Elise & Jimmy’s beautiful day glistened like a raindrop in the sunlight. All that matter is that you & him are standing there with your whole world around you & have said, loud enough for all to hear, that this is it- no if’s but’s or maybe’s we are going to love each other til the earth stops turning & it’s as though no one else is there with you, even though everyone you love & cherish is right there with you all the way, laughing & crying along ………

In fact I would actually request rain on your wedding day if this was anything to go by…….it surely means you will have a blast as Elise & Jimmy did & nothing will bother you. And that rain will bounce off you as though you have armour plating….

Beautiful Elise with the startlingly deep hazel eyes & a smile that could derail a freight train & cheeky Jimmy who never shuts up, can improv a whole song about assembling for a group photo ( see image below) & reminds me of Russell Brand more & more every time I hang out with him, both have a beautiful future.

Thanks for the soaking, the props(!!), the jumping off (& on) the bed & of course the laughter. And thanks for being yourselves.

This was  my idea …… but I really like it !!!!

Nixon, hanging with the boys ………..

You become much more than wedding photographers when on the job, although it depends on your level of commitment ……..chaffeur ????

Well done Mr & Mrs Corcoran, you have a beautiful life ahead. Thanks for having us & we’ll see you soon xo.