Jen & Aaron | Halcyon Bay, Dunsborough, WA

OK, before I start I have a confession to make – I may be a little biased about these photos and this event in general. Main reason being this is my lovely sister Jen getting married and I was given the honour of photographing her amazing day :)

Being that I am based in Sydney and only normally visit WA once a year, I was eager to get there and scout locations and had all my fingers crossed for the weather.
Most family and friends needed to travel some distance to get to Dunsborough (map), so all guests were invited to stay at the same place of the Wedding Ceremony, Halcyon Bay. Bring so close to the bride and groom as well as the ceremony location has its advantages. I had great access around the area, and it also meant I got to sleep in on the day! A walk down the driveway is a lot better than flying 5 hours!

Arriving at Jen’s house, she was already upstairs getting her hair and makeup done. The flowers had arrived, dress was hanging up and coffee was being made! After snapping a few details shots of the dress and other accessories (including Jen’s jewellery she made herself!), I took some candid’s of the bride then walked up the road to where Aaron was getting ready. These guys don’t waste any time! By the time I got there they were almost out the door and taking a casual stroll towards the beach for the ceremony.

The entire wedding was a very intimate event. The ceremony was very low key, with one of the main features being a sand ceremony in place of the traditional candle ceremony. Being so close to the beach, it worked perfectly!
I keep going on about the location of the wedding – it was that good! Everything so close, and picture perfect (excuse the pun).
After the ceremony, we walked 25 meters up the parklands and found some great shots with the lush greenery and trees. Then it was only another 15 meters and it was time to take off the shoes and get on the beach! Not a cloud in sight, the new couple looked amazing walking on the beach.

After the ceremony, we made our way to Busselton Jetty for the lunch time reception at The Goose Restaurant. After some great speeches from both sides of the family, it was time to finish the day and head back to Halcyon Bay. Before leaving, we got a great group photo in front of the restaurant and I asked Jen & Aaron if they’d like some shots down near the water. Not only did we get onto the sand, but we got into the water!
With the sun slowly setting, we drove to what is now one of my favourite spots I’ve ever photographed – Geographe Bay. This place is amazing. Crystal clear blue water, some great rock formations and white sand. The water was so blue it looked like it was painted there, and the setting sun cast a great light over the rocks. Jen & Aaron weren’t scared of getting on top of the rocks either – “We’re only getting married once!”
After spending around 30 minutes taking photos, the shadows were chasing us and we made our way back to the guest house at Halcyon Bay for a well earned glass of Moet and a home cooked BBQ.

Looking back on this now, I can see I was incredibly fortunate to be able to capture this amazing day for Jen & Aaron. I hope they get as much enjoyment out of these photos in the years to come, as I do now.

As always, I’ve posted some of my own favourite photos from the day below, and added a few of them to my portfolio at www.ap-photography.com.au

Jen & Aaron at Geographe Bay

Jen’s shoes and jewllerary, which was handmade by her!

Bride preparation

The dress in detail

Groom & Groomsmen, just taking it easy…

Perfect wedding location, moments from the beach.

The sand ceremony, taken part by both sides of the family.

The first kiss as husband and wife!

Everyone had a handful of paper hearts to throw in the air after the ceremony – very sweet.

Such a great area to photograph, so natural and vibrant.

One of my favourite shots of the day, very candid and so happy!

Tme to play on the beach!

All the table decorations were arranged by family and friends

The Goose Restaurant is located right on the waters edge, at Busselton Jetty.

Groom and his groomsmen walking along the beach. Love this shot!

A great candid of the bridal party walking back from photos on the wharf

This is Geographe Bay. So much to photograph here! This tree had obviously fallen a long time ago, but was a great photo op.

Aaron wasn’t afraid of picking Jen up while they were on top of the rocks!

Jen & Aaron had a Wedding Tree, instead of a traditional singing book. Each guest was invited to leave a fingerprint against their name. A great idea for kids!

Sunset. Beach. Champagne. The end to an amazing day.