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03 November 2016
By sandra lee photography
Spring in Victoria this year has been unpredictable with unprecedented rain and howling winds so a garden wedding at the Old Cheese Factory Homestead Road Berwick was never a certainty until the day of the wedding. Between two inclement days Jaclyn and Dean were blessed with having a beautiful day albeit a little windy.
While clearly the gardens are an attraction, beautifully maintained by the City of Casey, one of the benefits of wedding ceremonies at the Old Cheese Factory is the alternative weather arrangements where guests and bridal party can escape the weather in a beautiful chapel like building within the grounds.
The gardens were lush and green although with the cooler conditions the white wisteria that covers the archway between two historic buildings along with many of the gardens beds were not yet in full flower.
Jaclyn arrived in a stretch limo with her maid of honour Chelsea, bridesmaid Alisha, junior bridesmaid Maddie and her gorgeous little boy Tyler who walked her down the aisle. The ceremony was witnessed by close family and friends and Dean was particularly honored to have family and friends attend who had flown in from his home town in England. Dean's oldest friend from school made the trip to stand besides him as one of his groomsmen. The significance of this was evident during Dean's speech at the reception.
It was an emotional moment for Dean watching his bride to be walk down the aisle on the arm of their son Tyler before Debra Pedretti, civil celebrant, commenced the service. Scott shared some words of wisdom in his reading while young Connor (Dean's nephew) taking his job as ring bearer seriously double checked to make sure they were still there. With vows and rings exchanged young Tyler received an unexpected gift from his parents. This wedding was a union of not only Jaclyn and Dean but of their young family.
Family and friends attending weddings are there because they are important to the bride and groom. As photographers we spend time capturing the reactions of guests during the ceremony, when the bride and groom are being congratulated after the ceremony and of course during 'family formals'. For Jaclyn and Dean it meant everything to have their family attend so the family formals became even more significant. It is easy to overlook the importance of these images and get straight into the 'creative' images with the bride and groom and bridal party however it is often these very images that are displayed proudly in peoples homes, shared on social media and looked back on by generations to come.
Wedding Photography in the Gardens - Old Cheese Factory, Berwick
Once of the benefits of holding a wedding ceremony at the Old Cheese Factory is utilising the gardens for your bridal party and bride and groom photos without having to travel to another location.
Reception - Officer Public Hall
Jaclyn and Dean chose the Officer Public Hall to hold their relaxed afternoon reception. A quaint building a short drive from the Old Cheese Factory, the Hall was originally built in 1913 and has historical significance in the region. The Hall sits on a lot alongside the Officer Union Church that was built in 1929. In a break between speeches, dances and the fun of the photo booth, we took Jaclyn and Dean outside for a few creative pics at the rear of the church.