Congratulations to Katie and Mark on their recent engagement!  (And yes, we mean an entirely different Katie and Mark to your resident Hudcomm Weddings photographers here )

We had the pleasure of photographing Katie one recent morning.  The garden setting was beautiful, with shading trees and vines overhanging a beautiful framed walkway.  Other parts of the garden included a band-stand and pier out across the dam, and stunning lawns.

Katie wanted some beautiful and elegant pre-bride images, and here are some of our favourites from the shoot:

We’ve been working recently with Peter and Michelle, owners of Piotr Antoni shoes (www.piotrantoni.com.au) , who sell high quality, designer evening, wedding and bridal shoes.  Some of their well known brands include Wild Diva and Amelia Jane, and they’ve been prominent in the industry here in Melbourne for well over a decade.

With a new range of bridal shoes to be launched, Peter and Michelle commissioned Hudcomm to come shoot their new product range.  It was a grand shoot in St. Kilda’s Mink Bar (www.minkbar.com.au) with Kara, a model we had not worked with before.  We spent a little time getting to know her as she had hair and makeup done, but then had to get straight into the shoot as we had all of an hour and a half to get the shots.  Kara was excellent to work with and took direction well, as well as contributing her own ideas – so thanks to Kara for making the difficult time-frame much easier to manage!

We had great fun getting some excellent shots – here are some of our favourites…

Congratulations to Natasha and Tony on their recent engagement!

They plan to marry in March next year at a beautiful Melbourne outdoor venue and we’ll be providing both the photography and videography for their day.

Their recent engagment party was held in the midst of some of Melbourne’s wildest Spring weather, though that didn’t get in the way of the party itself.  Mark attended to provide photography of the night and here are some of the images from the party.

We’re both looking forward to their wedding next year!

In June we had the pleasure of covering the wedding reception of Terri and Doug.  It was held at All Smiles,  a beautiful boutique winery reception venue located in the Yarra Valley (www.allsmiles.com.au).  Terri and Doug had been married in Fiji a month earlier but wanted to have a wedding reception back in Australia with the family and friends who couldn’t make it to Fiji.

In contrast to the weather in Fiji, it was a cold and wet evening for the Melbourne Reception, making it impossible to take advantage of any outdoor night shots.  The roaring fire kept the guests warm inside, however, as the food was continually served throughout the night.  Family and friends had photos with the newlyweds early in the evening.  As the party atmosphere kicked in and the night went on, we were able to get lots of party shots of the bride and groom, their friends, the dancing and the celebrations.

Congratulations to Terri & Doug

Have you thought what to do with the wedding dress after your wedding day?

You could let it sit in the closest, never again to see the light of day. Or maybe you could sell it on eBay, for a fifth of the price you paid for it (if you’re lucky).

What about doing something far more fun and just that bit different with it? Like taking it out into wilds of nature and trashing it!
Trash the Dress – or Drown the Gown as we like to call it here at Hudcomm – is a rising phenomenon across the US and now becoming popular in Australia. They involve the bride, or both the bride and groom, donning their wedding gear once again and, well, trashing it.
It could be walking into the ocean, as demonstrated by the beautiful Bella in our gallery, or it could be going for a swim in a country river, rolling in the mud out in a country paddock, or crawling through dirty, abandoned buildings in the middle of an urban, city environment.

Whatever it is, the idea is to Trash that Dress, Drown that Gown, and get some totally different, utterly amazing post-wedding images to complement those from the actual day. This is the opportunity to release your alter ego and explore your wild side – the possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

So what would you really like to do with the wedding dress after the wedding day?

Think of the most amazing, out-there, fabulous ideas you can, that really unique location, and then give Hudcomm a call!

Do you like the beach? The smell of the salt air and the feeling of the sand on your bare feet? Then a beach wedding might be for you.

In late 2008 we were contact by a Bride whose photographer cancelled her booking less than four days prior to her wedding. It was a disaster for the Bride. Having seen some of Hudcomm’s ‘Mother-in-Waiting’ work, she called us around 10am on an brisk October Tuesday morning desperately trying to find someone who could shoot her wedding that Friday. Luckily Katie and I were in the middle of moving home and studio and so had not taken any bookings for that weekend, and after a brief consultation we were able to quickly slot her in.

We were glad we were able to do so, for it was a beach wedding at a popular Port Phillip Bay beach and we were excited to be able to shoot it!

The Bride arrived by Hot Rod to the beach location she had been dreaming of being married at since she had gone there as a child. The Groom and a small number of guests were waiting, and Hudcomm was there with two photographers to ensure their wedding day was captured from all angles. Despite a moderate breeze, we were able to capture all the images the Bride was after, with some stunning images of the wedding party on the beach, while the guests were able to relax at the nearby reception venue.

It turned out a perfect day on the beach, with the Bride having the wedding she had always dreamed of, without any indication it had seemed almost doomed only four days before.

Mark & Katie

You searched long and hard for The Dress. You probably spent a good deal of money on it, too. It is – or was – the perfect dress and you felt wonderful wearing it.

So what do you do with it now you’re married and the wedding is over?

Well, have you ever thought about a post-wedding bridal or couples studio shoot?

At Hudcomm, we have found that brides and newly married couples love our post-wedding studio shoots. Usually booked for a handful of weeks after the wedding, after the day itself and the following honeymoon are now memories, it is a marvellous way to capture images of yourselves within the controlled studio environment.

Sometimes it’s just the Bride, spending a post-wedding day of pampering, getting her hair and makeup done, getting into the wedding dress and having some truly glamour photos taken. At other times it’s both Bride and Groom for a couples shoot, either to complement the wedding photos on the day, or perhaps a casual couples shoot to provide some truly memorable pictures of the two of you together at the start of your lives together.

Why a studio shoot? Well in the studio we have full control over all elements. We don’t need to worry about rain, harsh sunlight, gale force winds or curious onlookers. In the studio we can not only control the lighting, but set up a variety of effects and backdrops, creating imaginative, artistic images to keep for ever more. Best of all, you can relax and enjoy this shoot, as a celebration of your wedding, once the hectic stress of the wedding itself is behind you.

A bridal or couples studio shoot is just for fun! And it’s becoming an increasingly popular addition to the standard wedding photography package. If you’re curious or would simply like to discuss it further, then just drop Hudcomm a line – we’d love to hear from you!

Here are a some of the Brides from some of our bridal studio shoots:

How does this strike you for a wedding idea – get away from the madness of the city, relax with a small group of close friends and family, and create an entire weekend dedicated to your wedding in a stunningly beautiful natural setting.

The ceremony itself can be conducted on the banks of a river beneath the gum trees and the reception can be held in the marquees reached by following the path through the trees. At the end of the night, everybody can walk back to their cabins, awaking the next morning to the cockatoos and a post-wedding BBQ breakfast, once again on the banks of the river.

That’s what Kylie and Chris from Geelong did for their wedding. They headed to Moama up on the Murray, Echuca’s twin-sister town, about 4-5 hours drive from Melbourne. It’s a stunning location just for a weekend away, but Kylie and Chris, who love the entire area there, brought all the family and turned it into their wedding as well.

It was a warm, if slightly windy, December afternoon. Everybody was staying in the same resort for the weekend, so everybody was there for the entire experience, right from getting ready beforehand through to relaxing afterwards. For that reason, it was a smaller wedding with close of friends and family, those who were really special to Kylie and Chris. Kylie had asked both her parents, mum and dad, to give her away and her three sisters were bridesmaids. Chris’ best man was, as should be, his best friend – who also just happened to be his sister. There were perhaps forty guests all together, which meant Hudcomm was able to get individual photographs of everyone who attended.

This was a beautiful wedding for which Hudcomm provided both photography and videography, in a relaxed natural setting which was enjoyed by all.

The Garden Wedding we’ve highlighted here was held on a private property in Wandin, Victoria, right on the edge of the Yarra Valley. It was a beautiful spot of personal significance to the bride and groom. Guests had the opportunity to casually mingle with other guests, and the bride and groom, and best of all, everyone, including the wedding couple themselves, had a relaxed and enjoyable day.

Catering was done by a local company, who put on a lavish buffet style meal in the large marquee, with large tables but no assigned seating, letting guests mingle and sit where they chose. Music was provided by a fabulous string quartet playing classics chosen by the bride and some of their own music, setting off a perfect day amidst rolling hills, green paddocks and gumtrees.

We loved this wedding because it was a day which suited the bride and groom perfectly. Their personalities and individuality came out throughout the day, allowing then to relax and enjoy it and create the most beautiful of occasions.