Sydney Wedding Photographer

05.27.20

Chinmoy & Bec – Albert Hall Canberra Wedding

“Chinnerz is genuinely one of the kindest people I have ever met. If he sees someone in need, his default response is to go out of his way to help them; even if that means putting himself in harm’s way. His concern for the wellbeing of both everyone around him and complete strangers inspires me every day to be the best and kindest version of myself.” – Bec

“Bec is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. She has an unwavering sense of justice, and a strong desire to do right by others. She is incapable of turning a blind eye when someone is in need. She will always be the first to open her wallet or donate time or help out any way she can. It’s a quality that would make anyone proud to be her friend and has been the start of many of our adventures.” – Chinmoy

I still vividly remember my first video call with Chin & Bec. They were telling me about their wild plans for a cross-cultural wedding, interspersed with random talk about different board games and audiobooks. I knew very quickly that this was a couple I not only wanted to photograph, but also hang out with.

Our first meeting in-person was on the South Coast. They’d driven 3 hours to meet me for an adventure shoot. Little did I know how affectionate and photogenic they were going to be! It was clear that they were best friends and the real deal. After 45 minutes of braving thunderous waves crashing against the rocks, I hugged them goodbye before rushing home to brag about these two phenomenal humans to anyone who would listen.

A few months passed and the big day had arrived. The wedding itself was a 16-hour marathon of dancing, singing and clapping. A festival of flavour and colour! I witnessed my first Baraat in the heart of Canberra, at Lennox Gardens. It was basically a long and loud party welcoming the groom to his wedding. The Baraat was followed by a series of significant and romantic rituals that recognised the union of two families and the union between Chinmoy & Bec.

The traditional North-Indian ceremony culminated in the Mangal Phera. This stage is the most important and auspicious part of the ceremony. Taking their first steps as a married couple, Bec & Chinmoy circled a sacred fire four times, promising to seek righteousness, prosperity, love, and spiritual enlightenment together.

So here are some photos of Bec & Chin’s wedding. I hope I have done at least a tiiiny bit of justice to their memory of the day.

05.18.20

Lia & Robbie – Inner City Town Hall Wedding

Flashback to early March 2020. Before the threat of COVID-19 caused mass shutdowns and bans on large gatherings, Lia & Robbie pushed ahead with their celebrations, knowing full-well that this could be the last time they’d get to see all their loved ones for many months.

Armed with hand sanitiser, a positive attitude, and the most beautiful Excel Spreadsheet I’ve ever seen, these two lovers chose to stand in front of 80 of their friends and family to declare their lifelong commitment to each other. In my books, this is pretty much as good as it gets.

Leichhardt Town Hall was the perfect setting for this rainy day. Lia’s choir friend travelled from all corners of Australia to perform a stellar selection of songs (arranged by Lia herself!). Lia’s unique ensemble was handmade by the maid of honour, with dozens of other touches created by this wild team of creatives.

In this time of unprecedented stress and anxiety, my hope is these photos remind you that love is well and truly alive, and something worth celebrating. For those waiting for things to calm down in order to get married, let me assure you that the wait will be worth it.

Venue: Leichhardt Town Hall | Photos: Henry Paul Photography | Flowers: Sarah Weiner | Bride’s Attire: Handmade | Groom’s Attire: Politix & TM Lewin

02.18.20

Chinmoy & Bec Engagement

Chin & Bec are radiant. Having met them several times now, I can confidently say that they are best friends who make each other laugh to no end. They are also extremely authentic people who wear their hearts on their sleeves.

With their enormous wedding extravaganza a few months away, we decided to run away to the coastal town of Kiama for an intimate engagement shoot at Bombo Headland Quarry. It didn’t take much to convince these two, who drove all the way from Canberra, as it seems we share a love for road trips and outdoor adventures.

We wasted no time, ignoring the potential downpour of rain and jumping straight into some “superfeel” prompts designed to shake out any awkward inhibitions someone has when getting photographed. They told me they had never been professionally photographed together, but Chin & Bec were such pros at relaxing and just being themselves in front of me.

The privilege of documenting what it means to be in love never gets old, and I am bursting from the seams to capture their traditional Indian-style wedding real soon!!

01.25.20

3 Cost-Effective Ways to Make Your Wedding More Ethical

Planning a wedding is an enormous task that takes many months of creative thinking, collaboration and financial investment.

There is no such thing as a “perfectly ethical wedding”, but if we all work to make ours a little better for the planet, we can celebrate marrying our forever-person knowing that we’re contributing to our forever-planet.

I have determined 3 simple, yet cost-effective ways you can make your wedding more ethical and better for the planet in 2020.

How do you determine what is “ethical”?

What are your personal values? Generosity? Making an impact? Kindness? One of the best ways to measure how “ethical” your wedding will be is to measure your decisions against a set of self-determined values. Ethics, by nature, are subjective and need to be agreed upon by the two people planning the wedding.

I have established my own ethical framework. Feel free to borrow mine, or write your own.

Hank’s ethical framework:

▷ Sustainability

▷ Generosity

▷ Equality

1. Catering

If you haven’t heard, meat is not so great for the environment. Eating plants is one of the most impactful decisions you can make for your wedding, and will also affect your bottom line. If you want to go hardcore, you could opt for full vegan catering (which will be much cheaper than paying for meat). Otherwise, avoiding red meats or having vegetarian entrees can be a good compromise.

2. Wedding Party Attire:

Consider allowing your wedding party to source their own clothes, rather the prescribing a single style. You can encourage them to wear something they already own or borrow from a friend. This means you can save money, and not succumb to the lure of fast-fashion at the same time! If you do ask them to purchase something new, it’s best to make sure it’s something they’ll likely get future uses out of.

3. Screening your vendors:

Research costs you nothing! When meeting with vendors such as venues and photographers, it’s important you use your values as a framework for the questions you ask them and hire vendors who align with your values.

Do your research to see if particular vendors employ sustainable practises, are LGBT+ friendly, donate a portion of profits etc. Reading online reviews through Google and Facebook are helpful, but also be sure to ask them upfront about anything that is super important to you.

Want to learn more about planning an ethical wedding?

Download “The Ethical Australian Wedding Checklist” here.

01.23.20

Krissy & Mitch – Dryridge Estate Wedding

A wild and romantic Dryridge Estate Wedding, Megalong Valley.

Photos from Krissy & Mitch’s Dryridge Estate wedding, taken in December 2019.

Krissy & Mitch met when they were teenagers at the Big Day Out musical festival. Then they had their first date on Friday 13th. A decade later, and showing no signs of superstition, these two lovers were married on Friday 13th at Dryridge Estate in the Megalong Valley. With the valley (and the rest of Australia) on the brink of a bushfire crisis, we all counted our lucky stars that this wedding went off without a hitch! Pun intended.

Krissy and Mitch are cheeky and vibrant. Surrounded by some of the most joyful people I have had the pleasure of meeting, they truly knew how they wanted to celebrate. Every element of this wedding represented the fusion of total class with unequivocal celebration. They signed the weddings papers, then danced. They took family photos, then danced. They openly professed their love for each other and for their community… then they danced the night away.

Krissy & Mitch love each other no holds barred, and they are matched perfectly in temperament. Yet this wedding was not only a mark of Krissy & Mitch’s relationship (and marriage ahead) – this wedding was a mammoth effort, with contributions their community and wedding professionals to ensure this party was truly the people’s party. No one was left behind.

I left at the end of the evening with a full heart, sore feet, and hundreds of stellar photos. Here are just a few of them I have selected to share with you. Enjoy.