Today while finding a topic for my morning blogpost, I came across an amazing website of a wedding photographer in Australia, SvenStudios.com providing Adelaide wedding photography and just out of curiosity (not for writing the blog) I browsed the site. And I at once fell in love with the photos. The diversity of locations and shots and the huge range of awards the photographer has been conferred is commendable. I felt that my readers should know about Steven Duncan, especially through a wedding photo shoot he did at McLaren Vale of Bek and Spud.
McLaren Vale is near Adelaide, Australia and has got quite a lot of fame for its wines. The fine wines are accredited to Thomas Hardy and John Reynell who planted grape vines here first in 1838 and the region is rich with some grape vines that are over 100 years old and still producing. The atmosphere of McLaren Vale is amazing mainly because of the homely wine businesses; so, any of the numerous wineries here makes an ideally rustic location for weddings; but there are many other locations too where a stunning wedding can be conducted, and Bek and Spud enjoyed venturing many of them.
Magical Locations in McLaren Vale
Perched between the beautiful beaches of Gulf St Vincent and the undulating Mount Lofty Ranges, McLaren Vale is home to the South Australian wine industry and has over 65 wineries! Most of them are boutique-sized. There are also around 270 individual vine growers here. The Mediterranean climate of the region is perfect for grape growing and also for romantic weddings and honeymoon! Lots of weekend farmer’s markets are held and you can feast upon fresh cheese, bread, olives and many other fruits, or you can choose any restaurant in McLaren Vale, all of them are picturesque. And of course, wine tastings here offer a great experience during which you can meet winemakers, enjoy a guided tour to wineries, and more.
You can capture photos while walking, cycling or horse riding along the Shiraz Trail. The old railway line passing by from McLaren Vale to Willunga offers a quaint background to the scene. As such, there are many driving and walking trails here, where beautiful wedding photos can be captured, while enjoying the artistic culture of the region.
If ancient chapels are your area of interest and you have dreamed of tying the knot in one of them, McLaren Vale has got one at Chapel Hill with a historic 1865 ironstone chapel. A visit to d’Arenberg here is a pleasant experience too and it features the beautiful Verandah Restaurant.
McLaren Vale Remembrance Hall is another superb location to say “I do” (the one chosen by Bek and Spud). This is a huge public brick-and-stone building, marked with Dutch gabled corrugated iron roof. The building has some excellent parts like the street façade, arched porch, the large hall, a WWI memorial, and many more, where you can capture wedding photos that will make you proud while watching them later in your life.
Just outside the hall, there is a public space where there is a permanent awning where some beautiful photos can be captured (chosen also by Bek and Spud). This space is perfect for weddings and other events being very open, airy and featuring a small stage beneath the awing, and a big open space for wedding guests or spectators.
The mighty River Onkaparinga offers you opportunities of capturing lovely shots while paddling a canoe. Soak in the splendour of Onkaparinga National Park. Capture photos in one of the 1880 ruins lining the Echidna Trail.
Explore the rich wildlife in Fleurieu Peninsula, and enjoy surfing, diving and fishing together. Enjoy staying in the holiday villages like Victor Harbor where you can snorkel and dive too, among leafy sea dragons and shipwrecks in Rapid Bay or can cruise the Coorong Wetlands from the celebrated Goolwa.
Another place where you can cuddle up on the lap of nature is the Kuitpo Forest, perched within the South Mount Lofty Ranges. Bek and Spud ventured here too. The forest earns millions of dollars to the country with its rich timber production.
Bek and Spud Wedding Photo Shoot at McLaren Vale
Bek and Spud chose some of the most stunning locations in McLaren Vale for their wedding photo shoot.
Steven describes Bek and Spud as a perfectly laid back and quirky couple, sheer fun to work with. He photographed them for the entire day and enjoyed the locations and the company of the couple. They opted for the very affordable full day package offered by SvenStudios which also included a photo booth featuring a customised green screen background. They also chose the main street’s public speaking space. Their ceremony took place in the McLaren Vale Remembrance Hall. After the event, Steven, the newlyweds and the wedding party hopped in a bus and reached the Kuitpo Forest to take some stunning photos of Bek and Spud amongst the majestic pines rising high in the sky!
Preparation Photos
The two-storeyed renal beach house on the Aldinga Beach where the bride and the groom prepared for the wedding is also an amazing place as you can see in the striking preparation photos. Steven describes his experience as great because he could capture their personalities in an excellent way as both the parties were extremely lighthearted and were having full fun.
The generous dance floor of the Remembrance Hall and the ample space for lots of tables served as a nice airy and open space for a hearty cake-cutting, dinner and dance.
Ceremony Photos
McLaren Vale Remembrance Hall was the venue for the ceremony and there is a public space just outside the venue off the main road of McLaren Vale with a large permanent sunshade offering the much required shade on the sunny day.
Adventures
As mentioned earlier, Bek and Spud ventured through a few hills at Kuitpo Forest, so that Steven can capture some of their amazing photos; but the photos, as you can see, are truly rewarding, after all sweating.
Steven has numerous such experiences, each of them outstanding with a beautiful unique couple. I really wonder how he gets along well with all his clients and his clients praise him for the wonderful alliance he makes with them and the amazing photos he captures. After all, when we love our work, it always gives us extreme joy that reflects in others too, and it has happened with Steven. Watch the following video to catch some of the wonderful glimpses of Steven’s work. If you are looking for a wedding photographer, find one like Steven!