A wedding in paradise. Leza and Graham put on the best party and entertained us all with their unique and comedic vows! Leza and I worked together for many years at the RSPCA. Leza actually helped to look after Russia (my furry customer service manager) when she was little and needed some friends to socialise with. So all thanks is to Leza if you have enjoyed the snuggles and attention from Russia. The weather was mild but best of all the wind was quiet and the rain stayed away. All the wedding vendors Leza had chosen were superb and we were very impressed with the service and quality at Angsana Resort and Pacific Bridal. A big thanks goes to my wonderful assistant Renee who always knows what to do and where to be at the right times. Please feel free to be jealous as you look through the photos of this gorgeous wedding

Ceremony Venue – South Pacific Bridal Cairns (at Angsana Resort) /   Reception (and getting ready and location photos) at Angsana Resort and Spa /   Wedding Dress – InWeddingDress.com /    Flowers – Bouquet and Reception – Pink Moss /    Hair and Makeup Artist – Kristy from Blush, Cairns   /    Celebrant: Wayne Rees /  Bridesmaid dresses:  Peri Dress /   Cake – Passion for Cakes

Naomi and Nick’s Wedding is not far away so we decided instead of a big portrait session that I could take a few pics at my home which is also where I have my showroom. It worked in perfectly with their love of vintage 1970s style and my crumbling old backyard . We did this all in less than 5 minutes and it was almost dark. Considering they had never met me before I think we did pretty well for bringing out some lovely and natural moments!

When I graduated with a Bachelor of Business degree at UTS in 2000 I never thought I would be running my own business in Wedding Photography 7 years later. I knew I would always be doing something people-related. It was firstly human resources and then public relations/marketing. I worked many years in not-for-profit marketing/PR at the RSPCA, MS Society and Girl Guides. As they could not afford professional photographers, I was doing a lot of the photography for media campaigns from 2003. I love helping others and making them happy.

In 2007 my sister asked me to photograph her wedding and there was no turning back – I was hooked. Providing people with memories of the happiest day of their lives – what a rewarding experience! As I got more and more experience in wedding photography I realised that my personalised style was what people were recognising and demanding – my ability to connect, to understand, to make people feel comfortable and also to be cheeky to get the laughs!

I call myself an ‘emotional photographer’ (as opposed to a technical photographer) – I love capturing and anticipating moments – it is these types of photos that I find my clients cherish the most. I spend time getting to know my couples and how they have planned their big day so I can look out for unique details and moments that represent what is important to them.

This year I will be photographing my 100th wedding (including my 10th Internationally) and I would like to celebrate by offering free wedding photography worth $3500 for one lucky couple.

Each wedding is different; it is personal and unique to who you and your fiancé are and what you want on your day. This competition is about finding the couples who want to show how their wedding is unique. Please refer to the rules below for how to enter.

Examples of some personalised weddings I have photographed recently:
Jane and Aaron’s Wedding on a property in the Blue Mountains
Hannah and Cam’s Vintage Road trip/1950s Country Fair Wedding
Erin and Nathan’s VW, Parramatta Eels, Etsy Vintage inspired Vineyard Wedding

What you WIN:
1. Eight hours of coverage on your wedding day.
2. Edited full-sized high resolution wedding images on disk.
3. Portrait session before the wedding day so you can be comfortable in front of the camera and also so we can get to know each other.
4. Online gallery for you and your guests to view and enjoy.
5. A meet-up before the wedding day so we can get to know each other and discuss details.

The RULES:
1. Couples must be getting married in 2011* and have not already booked Gemma Clarke to photograph their wedding in 2011. You can be anywhere in the world to enter – please read the other conditions.
2. Weddings must be within a 2 hour drive of Sydney however weddings outside of this area will be considered if you are willing to pay travel costs including weddings in other states and overseas.
3. How to Enter: Please send details about you and your wedding including the following – how you got together, the proposal and 3 quirky/unique/unusual things you love about your fiancé (please include answers from both bride and groom). Details about your planned wedding locations, how is your wedding personalised e.g ceremony, invitations, your theme, special guests, music items, clothing etc. You can include pictures of your inspiration if you like. Please include a recent photo of you and your fiancé. All these items must be addressed to be eligible to enter. There is no word limit. Selection of the finalists will be based on the information you provide.
4. Email the above information and photo to info@gemma-clarke.com. This must arrive by 11:59pm Sydney NSW time on Tuesday April 5, 2011 to be eligible.
5. Finalists will be selected by Gemma Clarke and then featured (your photo and some details) on Gemma Clarke Photography’s Facebook page by Tuesday April 12, 2011 (http://www.facebook.com/sydney.wedding.photographer ) People who are fans/likers of the GCP FB page will be able to vote for their favourite couple. The couple with the most votes at 9:30pm Sydney NSW time on Monday April 18, 2011 will be the winner. An additional Gemma Clarke Photography blog post will direct people to the Facebook page to vote.
6. Finalists (those that do not win) and other entrants may be offered discounts and special deals by Gemma for their wedding photography.
7. Please note that by entering this competition you are allowing Gemma Clarke Photography to use your photo and some information about your wedding for purposes of the competition including uploading to Facebook and use on the GCP blog.

*Subject to Gemma Clarke’s availability. In addition to weddings, renewal of vows and special anniversary celebrations are included.

Graham loves playing Poker and both Leza and Graham love the movie Casino so when I suggested they make the session more personal they suggested the Poker/Casino/Gangster theme. Leza asked for permission from Star City and to our surprise the Poker Room manager allowed us to take some shots on a table with a dealer as well! We were very grateful for her being so generous with her time to allow us to do this. And thank you to the dealer, Peter for being such a great sport!