As the weekend draws upon us, I thought I’d share a little more imagery from the delightful wedding of Luke and Jenn. They’ve just returned to Sydney after their amazing six weeks of international travels and I am so excited to send them a sweet box of wedding goodies next week. Their day had everything a perfect wedding should have. Love. Laughter. Happy tears. Family. Friends. Delicious food. Good stories. Great dancing. And loads of pretty details!  I especially loved the flowers and reception styling by Roberta at Green & Bloom – they were perfect for the relaxed, organic style wedding that these two had planned.  Luke and Jenn, you make a gorgeous couple!  Enjoy  x Maddie

The sun shone beautifully on this sunny September morning. Spring was definitely in the air.  Mark and Deb’s day was filled with sweet romance and lots of laughter with very good friends. All through the day they were relaxed and carefree, yet playfully in love. What a pleasure to capture the start of their beautiful love story.  Congratulations again Mark and Deb, you two are truly gorgeous!  Maddie

Please note: I am fully booked for weddings this year and no longer booking traditional (3hrs+) weddings.  If you like what you see in the remaining wedding posts for the year and would love this to capture your boutique love story, please drop me a line and I’d love to chat x Maddie

Luke and Bex are one groovy couple. They totally love each other. They love their family and friends. They love to have fun. They love to enjoy life. So their wedding was bound to be an awesome celebration!  It was the perfect mix of laughter, tears, romance and fun.  Bex had envisioned a black and white theme and she hadn’t missed a beat with the details through every part of their day.   And while they both knew what they wanted for their day, they also knew how to roll with the punches – at one point we rocked up to the Powerhouse at New Farm for the bridal portraits and there was an art display smack bang in the middle of one of the main areas. So what did Bex & Luke do? Ask if they could use it for their images of course!  It was almost as if some of the art displays were made to match their day.  I loved their enthusiasm to just have fun and they will definitely have unique images to treasure, unlike anyone before. They’ll be back from their honeymoon this weekend, and we’ll be catching up soon, but for now a bit more of a sneak peek to enjoy. Have a great weekend!  Maddie

Please note: I am fully booked for weddings this year and no longer booking large (4hrs+) weddings.  If you like what you see in the remaining wedding posts for the year and would love this to capture your story, please drop me a line and I’d love to chat x Maddie

Near the top of my list of yummy-things to eat there is definitely a space for fresh strawberries. Mmmm! So what better place to do some cute portraits than at a strawberry farm?

On Saturday 28th July I will be running a series of mini-sessions for children. The sessions are designed for kids of all ages, from standing toddlers who love to explore through to tweens who love a little adventure.  With one week to go, I have four spots booked and two remaining so please email me at maddie @ ettaphotography.com.au if you would like to save one for your cuties!  The sessions are $350 each and include a mini album and five digital images of your choice (chosen from your private online gallery).  There is also the option of a wintery woodland location (same day) complete with a cute teepee and some vintage chairs.

If you can’t make this date but would love to do a mini session in the future, please email me and I will pop you on the waiting list for the next one.   But for now, here are some images from a recent strawberry picking adventure to get you inspired. If you get a chance in the next few months, make sure you take a trip out to the delicious Rolin Strawberry Farm for some beautiful fresh strawberries – nothing better than picking your own straight from the field! Have a wonderful weekend! Maddie

If you ask any Brisbane wedding photographer who has been busy this year, I can almost guarantee that they’ve photographed a wedding in the rain in 2012. I’m not sure what it is with weddings and rain this year, but it’s definitely been a wet few months!  And on the wedding day of Luke and Leanne, the skies were yet again grey and gloomy with a definite coolness in the air. With an outdoor ceremony (on Leanne’s parent’s property, complete with a wedding arch made by her dad!), an alternative ceremony was not really an option.  But although the clouds remained and the mountains around us told of rain falling, we didn’t actually get a drop until the very last moments of sunset just before heading to the reception venue. It was almost as if a giant umbrella was held over the top of the property to keep us all dry. It was truly a beautiful day, full of fun and romance and I LOVED capturing their story in the cloudy, wintery weather (which gave us some beautiful hints of autumn colour!).  The happy couple spent their honeymoon in the maldives which would have been awesome (and warm!) and I can’t wait to catch up with them later this month. Congratulations again xx

Please note: I am fully booked for weddings this year and no longer booking weddings from 2013 as I focus on portrait and commercial photography (and more time with my cute family!). If you like what you see in the remaining wedding posts for the year and would love this for your portrait photography, please drop me a line and I’d love to chat x Maddie

Earlier this month I entered several fine art prints into the APPA’s – the Australian Professional Photography Awards – and last weekend they were finally judged.  I scored two SILVER awards for the images below – very exciting for me! I had planned to enter the state QPPA awards in February, however in the end I had to let it go due to family and client commitments. But then the national APPA’s approached and it all fell into place, even if it was a little daunting to go straight to the nationals for my first competition!  To enter is a fairly big investment in time and money and you never really know just what the judges will like each year.  So it’s great to know that my work is rated highly at a national industry level –  as well as loved by all the awesome people like you who follow my work! Your kind words and comments are always very appreciated. And a big thank you to my lovely clients Bek and little Elias (and his parents) for allowing me to capture these moments in their lives xx

Tradition says it’s good luck if it rains on your wedding day, and that a rainy wedding is great for fertility. So if that’s the case, these two are bound to have an amazing marriage (and lots of children!). On the day of Aaron and Jess’s Brisbane wedding it didn’t stop raining all day. It really was non-stop dreary, drizzle. But the way that these two rolled with the punches, is a true testament to their character and love.  To be able to smile in the midst of undesired circumstances is one of the best things you can take into a marriage. Life un-doubtedly throws us many curveballs over time and to be happy, you need to learn how to smile and appreciate what you DO have right where you are. And that’s certainly what they did!  Jess had dreamed of sun-filled images, but as we unfortunately didn’t even get ONE ray of sunshine during their wedding day, it’s almost as if Jess took on the role herself. She was just like a ray of sunshine – beautiful, happy and lighthearted and her handsome groom was relaxed and in love with his bride.  Together they MADE something that felt like sunshine, and it was a pleasure to capture their day!  With these attitudes, their days are sure to be filled with fun times and pretty rainbows (whether real or created!).  Here are some of my favourite images from their day – enjoy xx

Ceremony at Broadway Chapel // Location Photography at GoMA and the State Library Grounds // Reception at Victoria Park // Dress from White Lilly Couture Park Road // Bride’s shoes by Alan Pinkus // Suits by Tommy Hillfiger // Rings by John Jacobsen // Hair by Leigh Mostyn Styles of Brendale // Makeup by Embellished Makeup // Bridesmaids by Light in the Box // Flowers by Daniela of Pink & Purple Petals

In April I captured the wedding story of Hugh and Kirsty. It was a beautiful sunny autumn day and it was my honour to share in this relaxed and romantic love story.  Kirsty made her preparations surrounded by three special women: her bridesmaid, a close friend and her mum. It was fun to be there to watch them prepare for the day and to see their gorgeous outfits come together. Kirsty wore a simple but elegant Vera Wang dress and it was awesome to see a bridal party step outside the norm and add their own personal taste to their look! Amongst Kirsty’s amazing collection of heels I photographed her divine Nicholas Kirkwood midnight blue satin shoes (with a hint of black to match the band on her dress) and also the bright orange Jimmy Choo bridesmaid shoes you will see a bit further below – so much fun!!

Hugh wore an awesome velvet midnight blue jacket with both the men’s suits by Wil Valor. The velvet jacket tied in perfect with Kirsty’s shoes and outfit. Kirsty married Hugh at the Albert St Uniting Church – a beautiful venue where both Kirsty’s mother and grandmother were married. After the ceremony we headed off to a few local spots for their portraits and also included a trip down an alley way to the secluded bean cafe.  It was so fun to capture them in a place that has become one of their local favourites!    We then ended up at Urbane Restaurant for their reception – a funky modern venue that provided the perfect backdrop for an intimate wedding.  Congratulations Hugh and Kirsty, it was a perfect day! xx

Hair by GW Private Rooms // Makeup by The Powder Room // Vera Wang Dress by Helen Rodrigues, Sydney // Bridesmaid dress by Ultrasuite // Flowers by Michelle Jorgenson of Bride’s Flowers // Brides Shoes by Nicholas Kirkwood // Orange heels by Jimmy Choo // Suits by Wil Valor // Ceremony at Albert Street Uniting Church // Photos around Bean Cafe  and at Roma St Parklands // Reception at Urbane Restaurant, Brisbane