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wedding – John McRae Photography & Studio

Georgia & Luke’s urban wedding


I traveled to Victoria to photograph the wedding of Georgia and Luke in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick.

Many years ago I lived along Sydney Road in Brunswick, and I have very fond memories of this quintessential “Melburnian” urban landscape. The weather for Georgia and Luke’s wedding was perfect, so what more could you want for a successful and joyful event.

The wedding took place along Lygon Street. The ceremony was held at a great space called the Noisy Ritual Urban Winery. The reception was also held here, so there was no need to move great distances to find the reception … you just sat down. Actually it wasn’t too “noisy” at all. It was a lively space that was perfect for such a celebration, with attentive and generous staff on hand.

During the ceremony at the Noisy Ritual Urban Winery
Brunswick Bowling Club entrance

We also made great location shots in the general area. We didn’t have to walk far to find colourful graffiti-covered laneways which provided the best backdrops and perspectives for location images. The bride grew up not far from this area. Georgia has a particular affinity for the Brunswick Bowling Club grounds, so we staged a couple of shots of the newly-weds at the entrance gate. The East Brunswick Hotel also holds a special place in her heart, so we included this iconic venue in the background of a few shots for good measure. I enjoyed the tour of the back streets as we made our way from one brightly coloured spot to the next.

RAINBOW WEDDING IN A PADDOCK

Five months ago, in early November 2017, Dan and Verity said “I do”. They tied the knot on the weekend just prior to the mammoth announcement of the plebiscite on marriage equality in Australia. The ceremony and reception took place in a picturesque paddock at the foot of Mount Victoria, in the Blue Mountains, N.S.W.  Dan and Verity specifically asked their guests to dress in a single colour of their choice. Their intention was to stage a group photograph of themselves with all their guests, positioned loosely in the colours of the rainbow.  

My shot is not only a document affirming this joyful event at which Dan and Verity were free to commit their love and support for each other in front of their friends and family, it is also an expression of Dan and Vertiy’s solidarity with their LGBTQI brothers and sisters on the issue of marriage equality. This group portrait even heralds an early celebration of the positive outcome that everyone was hoping for.

I entered this photo in the 2018 Moran Contemporary Photography Prize, since for me, it follows the Moran’s mandate for images that interpret the changing reality of life in Australia today.