Venue: Ruby’s Mount Kembla
Portraits: Mt Kembla Memorial Pathway
About halfway up Mount Kembla, in the small village of it’s namesake, there is a small but charming venue called Ruby’s. It’s this quaint spot that served as the backdrop for Clare and Pete’s stunning ceremony and reception.
Clare started her day by getting ready at her parent’s home, with her mum at her side to get her ready. We then did a first look with her dad, tucker away beside their bar nook, setting the scene for a heartfelt day full of love and warmth.
Pete’s first glimpse of Clare came as the appeared through the back gate of Ruby’s escorted by her father down the aisle, with Pete beaming at the end. The ceremony was short, sweet and beautiful, with one of the most crowded yet organised line afterwards to congratulate the newlyweds.
We took our portraits on the start of the Mt Kembla Memorial Pathway tucked between George’s Rustic Village and the still functioning coal rail line. It was quite dark that day under all the gorgeous greenery, so I used the opportunity to get a little more creative with the off-camera flash which brought out some beautiful tones.
We made our return to Ruby’s and I allowed the wedding party some time to themselves while I captured the reception set-up. We were visited by a very friendly local dog who apparently had an eye for cake (don’t we all, though?). I never imagined having to play security guard to a cake to protect it from a dog, but it did eventually find it’s way on the other side of the fence and I assume headed off home to bother his human for cake instead.
The reception kicked off with some amazing food, drinks, laughter and cheer. This was one of the bigger weddings Ruby’s had hosted, so it meant the dancefloor was just outside the marquee – which ended up being a great idea, with the cool mountain air keeping it fresh on the packed dancefloor! Clare and Pete’s first dance was sweet and simple, joined afterwards by their parents and then seemingly the entire guest list.
Before I left we set up a quick backlit shot by their wedding set-up. It was a magical way to end the coverage, and I left knowing that this amazing bunch of people would be continuing a fantastic evening.
