You know its been a great wedding when your feet are killing you from standing/running/walking, and your cheeks hurt from smiling!

This beautiful Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens wedding of Jo & Michelle was just that!

We started in the beautiful South Australian country town of Balhanna, where ‘the boys’ were getting ready … when we arrived Jo had on not one, but TWO ties … ! … (don’t ask why), but soon Jo’s wonderful mum Michelle (yes, that’s right Jo’s mum’s name is Michelle too!) arrived to save the day !

‘the boys’ looking, in their words, ‘dapper’ – all suited up …

the great men who stood by Jo’s side …

We left the boys to their beer and antics, and headed off to Woodside to photograph the girls … and WOW. Stunning.

and not forgetting Michelle’s totally gorgeous mum, Helen.

some little details before we headed off to the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens …

As you can see, I’m already going totally overboard with this so called ’sneak peek’ … but hay … I’m allowed to get excited!

During the ceremony, the breeze caught Michelle’s hair, and Jo gently tucked it behind her ear …. *shucks* too sweet …

they are just seem so totally relaxed in each others arms ….

and finally … just as we were getting kicked out of the gardens at 6pm … we captured a couple more …

You can see Jo & Michelle’s Engagement Session also at the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens here.

{Thank you so much for a great afternoon full of fun, laughs, gorgeous people and fabulous locations! We’ll have your full gallery up soon! Enjoy your honeymoon }

Kate (& Merryn) xx

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I am like a falling star who has finally found her place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever.

~ Amy Tan

Do you know what I love about Grown Up children? Particularly children who do not all get together very often…..? I LOVE that they do this….. they turn into little kids again… playing and mucking around like nothing has changed….

… and when I look at this image I can hear Suzie (the youngest and the only girl of 4 children) saying to 2 of her brothers ‘Nah, it has to be all in or nothing’ just before they attacked their 3rd brother!

The whole family flew in from around Australia and New Zealand to got together in the gorgeous country town of Mount Compass on the Fleurieu Peninsula for some family portraits to celebrate a very special birthday.  It was the first time the whole family had been together in four years and you could see Pets and Grae (mum and dad) just oozing with joy to have not only all of their children but also their grandchildren filling their house with chatting, giggles and the sounds of childrens tv shows!  It made me so sad to think that within a week they would all be gone again.  Here are a few favourites from the shoot, which I have to add, was so much fun! (And Auntie Suzie was GREAT at entertaining my subjects!)

The image I am about to show you was not set up. It was a matter of being in the right place at that exact moment.  This image reaches into my soul and pulls on all strings possible.  It makes my heart burst with love and with sadness.  This very special woman has experienced the worst loss anybody can experience and from that she see’s her children in a way that we should all try to. Love this.

xx Merryn

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‘A grown up is a child with layers on’

- Woody Harrelson

John and Michelle won our competition to win their complete wedding package.

I can not think of a couple more deserving or more grateful for this prize.  These two have been known to hang around a certain Adelaide western suburbs jetty and it seems that the photographer for the social pages of a certain Adelaide newspaper likes the look of them!  So it seemed fitting that we get some shots around their favourite beach…

These two crazy cats are fun all over, inside and out. I see their wedding as being filled with close family and friends, laughing and drinking and talking about the silly things they have done.  It will be relaxed and entertaining and so very ‘them’.  Ceremony in Henley Square, photos around Henley Square and Henley Beach and then reception at their favourite restaurant.  It doesn’t get more personal than that. Perfect.

Want to know a secret? They are getting married early March and haven’t bought their wedding rings yet!  This is how relaxed they are!  I love it!

xx Merryn

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‘Love is friendship, set on fire.’

- unknown

Oh how time flies … it seems like only yesterday she was bouncing in her jolly jumper, wearing the knees out of all her pants, toddling down the drive way to help collect the mail …

Now she is 6 … and as clever as clever …

I must admit, that our idea for a garden tea party was inspired by non-other than the ubber talented and gorgeous Jessie Broome at J-Studios.

When I first asked Morgan what she wanted to do for her birthday party, she initially said she wanted to have an ice-skating party in the back yard. I said it was a good idea, but probably not something mum and dad could organise before next century … “what about a tea party?” I said … “yep” said Morgan, and the rest is history …

So on Friday all three kids and myself jumped in the car and went op-shopping … we were on the look out for vintage cups and saucers for the girls and little crystal sherry glasses for the boys (for apple juice of course!) … we looked for vintage dresses, long gloves, pretty hats, lacy scarves …. we looked and we looked and looked and …… WE FOUND THEM! yay!

We found some tomato stakes at the hardware store and made colourful swags full of treats for the guests to take home. We filled the pinata with sherbert bombs and boiled lollies. We baked a scrumptious chocolate cake and decorated it with spots. A wonderful, wonderful friend made little tea cup biscuits. We set a craft table for the guests to make little wooden peg dolls, and we made little name tags and tied them to the teacups and sherry glasses for place settings …

So on Sunday morning, at approximately 8 am, Morgan insisted she got dressed into her ‘pretty stuff’ as she called it. She put on her dress, her gloves, her hat, brushed her hair … by 9am she was sick of it, took it all off and put a t-shirt and shorts on! …

Thankfully she decided to put it all back on just before the guests arrived!

We had 18 children in total, 7 boys and 11 girls all ranging from 20 months to 6 years … and they were so well behaved, I was amazed! They played, and played and played …

The ‘wonderful aunty Merryn’ (who must also be thanked for these wonderful photos! – I love you!) hid cut-outs of cups and saucers in the back yard, and the guests had to find at least one and bring it back to have their names written on it ready for ‘pin the tea cup’ … Morgan’s expression is just priceless!

Lipstick was applied, the pinata was a hit (pardon the pun), and pass the parcel went down a treat …

At the end of every day, when we all sit down at our rambling, raucous, messy dinner table we always do “what was the best part of your day?” …

guess what Morgan said?

.

“oh … just …. everything” ….

.

.

Mum (Kate) x

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When I was one, I had just begun,

What I was two, I was nearly new,

When I was three, I was barely me,

When I as four, I was one year more,

When I was five, I was just alive,

But now I am six, I’m as clever as clever.

I think I’ll stay six now, for ever and ever.

I have to tell you … this couple have won my heart …

Since I first met ‘A’ at the very end of last year, this couple have moved house about 6 times, started on the slog of building a house, and completely organised a wedding! Not to mention working and dancing and going to the gym! …

I am so completely excited about this wedding … a gorgeous church, a gorgeous reception, and some AWESOME locations along the way! …

We met up on Friday for their engagement session at their beautiful tree filled block where they are building their new home …

You can just tell that these two enjoy each others company so much … ‘A’ has an contagious laugh, and a smile that brightens your day. ‘M’ is quietly observant … but completely in love!

we went for a wander on their block … down to an old fallen tree, amongst platypus ponds, the butterflies danced as the sun set behind the trees …

Thanks for a beautiful afternoon guys … we can’t wait to share your wondering day in April!

Kx

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“You don’t marry someone you can live with, you marry the person who you cannon live without”

~anonymous

I don’t often post about my personal life. In fact kate and I made a new years resolution to publish more personal posts on this blog but we have not done so yet.  This week I experienced a new level of emotion and feeling that I had not yet experienced. I shake as I type these words. still drawing up the emotion involved in this post.

When I think about ‘Life’ and what it means and why we are here I always come back to the same thing. Love. And when I think about ‘Love’ and what it means I also always come back to the same thing, or the same person I should say, and that is my Grandpop.  He loves my Grandnan at an astronomical level. Like nothing I have ever seen. This is a photo of that gorgeous woman he fell in love with so many years ago…. the first time they met she was collecting money for a charity and he gave her his last penny to be able to speak to her….

A few years ago my Grandnan began to suffer from Dementia. At first it was silly things she would forget, like how to switch on the tv or someone’s name. And gradually it became worse. Now she does not know who I am. She asks me ‘who is the little girl’ about my son and she looks at my husband in a way that I know she is wondering who this strange man is with his arms around me. It is absolutely heart breaking.

My Grandpop is a very special person.  He is not just ‘my’ special person but he is everybody in our families special person. He is there for everybody and would give the shirt off his back. He has worked hard his whole life to give his family opportunities that he never had.  I can talk to him about anything and I share with him everything.  He is 83 years old and he is my Grandnan’s full time carer.

When Grandnan first started changing, Grandpop and I were talking about ‘Love’ and he told me he has never loved her more than he does today. I know that he still feels that right now, right this second.   The next day I was driving down a busy road when I saw out of the corner of my eye an old couple walking hand in hand down the street and I thought to myself how beautiful that was. As I got closer I realised it was them and a tear slid down my cheek as I realised how happy they were just being together.

Almost 50 years ago they made the decision to leave England and everything they knew to live in Australia. They did not know a single soul here. Together they raised their two children, my mum and my uncle and were rewarded with seven Grandchildren, one of whom sadly passed away shortly after she was born. Today they have four Great Grandchildren who absolutely adore them and one more on the way.  Grandpop’s heart is bigger than anybody I have ever known. I sometimes wonder how he has room to fit it all in but I resolve that his heart just keeps growing bigger and bigger.

This is my Grandnan and Grandpop on their wedding day.

Last week my Grandpop was rushed to hospital. This left the family to care for Grandnan. It was very clear that Grandnan needed to be somewhere she could have access to 24 hour care and that Grandpop’s enormous heart overflowing with love was not enough to care for Grandnan anymore.  He was becoming sick too.

Grandpop is out of hospital now and Grandnan has moved into a Nursing Home close by.  A Nursing Home filled with staff who are passionate about their work, who are kind and gentle and soothing.

I can see that this the most painful thing Grandpop has ever felt.  60 years of marriage and they have shared almost every single minute together.  He visits her every day and talks to her about life. He tells her stories about their life together and about our family. He is her best friend and she is his.

Im not sure why I felt to post this.  It was certainly not easy to write. I think I just wanted to share their beautiful never ending love.

Grandpop you are amazing.  You have taught me a new level of love, respect and compassion and I admire you more than anything or anyone else on this earth. I love you and Grandnan with all of my heart and will never, ever let either of you forget it.

xxM

I met Lauren and her gorgeous family last week when I photographed their Portraits as a part of the Australian Community of Child Photographers.

The Australian Community of Child Photographers (formerly known as the Australian Charity of Child Photographers) is a volunteer organisation of child photographers from all over Australia who have come together to form an organisation dedicated to giving the gift of photographic memories to families that have experienced stillbirths, premature and ill infants and children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units of their local hospitals, as well as children with serious and terminal illnesses. The ACOCP is dedicated to providing this gift to families in a caring, compassionate and heartfelt manner.

Lauren stole my heart instantly. She giggled. She played. She was slobbered on by a Newfoundland, nipped at by a Border Collie puppy, she argued with me about where to have the photos and she giggled some more. Then she made me giggle.  She bossed her teenage brother around, she cuddled her mum and teased her dad.  She made us all giggle.  She was cheeky, gorgeous and an absolute delight to photograph.

She reminded me one single an hour what life is all about. Making the most of every moment. Laughing out loud. Being with family and friends.

Thank you for sharing your family with me.

xxM

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‘Happiness or unhappiness is often a matter of choice’

- anonymous