Photo + Video
The Elopement
$2,490 AUD
Beach Weddings
Salt air, soft sand and the sun going down over the water, photographed and filmed by a small team that knows the wind and the light on the beach.
As featured on
A beach gives you open sand, the sound of the water and, on the right coast, the sun going down over the sea.
It also gives you wind, tides, sand in everything and a public place you can't book for yourselves, so it is worth planning ahead. We've photographed on the beach at Port Willunga on the Fleurieu coast and at Brighton in Melbourne, and this page puts what we learned at both in one place.
Salt air, soft sand and the sun going down over the water, photographed and filmed by a small team that knows the wind and the light on the beach. Collections from $2,490.
Martina and Diego, an evening at Brighton Beach
Our latest film is ready to play. Press any film to watch it with sound.
Latest filmMartina & Diego
Our beach weddings and sessions
A pre-wedding session at Port Willunga, and a sunset evening at Brighton Beach a week after a registry wedding.
Venues we know
Our notes from each one: where to get ready, where the ceremony happens, the portrait spots and the plan for rain.
Sayuri and Shuto at Port Willunga
A pre-wedding session from the clifftop in full sun to the old jetty posts at dusk, photographed by Serkan.
Martina and Diego at Brighton Beach
A week after their registry wedding, the water's edge, the bathing boxes, the shallows and sunset on the foreshore.
Your quote, in minutes.
Pick your date, your venue and the coverage you want. The price builds itself as you go.
Salt,Wind,Last lightby the water.
Before you plan a beach ceremony
The permit Most beaches are looked after by the local council, so check with yours first. At Port Willunga the City of Onkaparinga issues ceremony permits for up to 130 people for up to two hours; apply online at least four weeks ahead. At Brighton Beach Bayside City Council asks for an Open Space Permit for a legal ceremony and takes 10 working days to process it.
The public A permit doesn't close the beach. Walkers, swimmers and other couples will be around, so choose a spot with some room.
The wind Summer afternoons on the Fleurieu usually bring a south-westerly sea breeze. Think about how your celebrant will be heard and how the chairs will stay put. Brighton supplies no power and keeps amplified sound under 72 decibels, so bring a battery speaker for the vows.
The tides Check the tide times for your date. At Port Willunga a bluff reaches across the north end at high tide, and the fishermen's caves are best around low tide.
The weather There is no shelter on either beach. For a ceremony, agree a backup with your reception venue; for a session, keep a second date in reserve.
Where we shoot
- Fleurieu Peninsula
- Port Willunga Beach. A west-facing beach under golden sandstone cliffs, with the old jetty posts at the water's edge and the sun setting into the sea.
- Bayside
- Brighton Beach. The row of 96 heritage-listed bathing boxes along the sand, and the sun going down over Port Phillip Bay.
- Brighton foreshore
- The grassy foreshore above the beach. Tall grasses lit from behind and a twisted coastal tree, where we finish as the sun sets.
- The city
- Victorian Marriage Registry and Brighton Beach. A registry ceremony in the city and the beach on an evening of its own, as Martina and Diego did.
How we photograph a beach wedding
Everything is planned around sunset. Port Willunga faces west, so the sun sets straight into the sea, the sandstone cliffs turn gold in the last hour and the old jetty posts stand out against the sky. At Brighton the sun goes down over the bay and the light turns golden across the bathing boxes. We like to start about an hour and a half before sunset, with the brighter, bluer frames first and the water saved for the low sun. Sunset moves by more than two hours across the year, so we check the time for your date and work backwards from it.
Sand gets into everything. Bring shoes you can slip off, a towel if you might wade in, and someone to lift a train between frames. The sand at Port Willunga is soft, with pebbles, so guests who find walking hard are better seated near the bottom of the ramps. The breeze that lifts a veil also tangles it, so we keep a hand on it between frames.
Our days on the sand
Neither of these was a beach ceremony. One was a pre-wedding session and the other an evening a week after a registry wedding, and they show the light, the wind and the sand all the same.
Sayuri and Shuto wanted blue skies and a sunset for their pre-wedding session, and Port Willunga gave them both on a clear September evening. Serkan photographed them from the grassy clifftop in full sun, along the beach under the golden cliffs and out to the jetty posts, where the sun went down right behind them and the veil came out in the breeze.
Martina and Diego married at the Victorian Marriage Registry and came back a week later for an evening at Brighton Beach, which we photographed and filmed. They walked down to the water, sat among the bathing boxes, ran into the shallows as the light turned golden and finished on the grassy foreshore as the sun set. Their film is on this page. A ceremony in the city and the beach on an evening of its own is a good answer if the forecast worries you, and our registry weddings page covers that half of the plan.
Photo + video packages
Four photo + video collections, from three hours to twelve. Every collection includes a planning call before the day and travel within 50 km of the CBD.
Compare every collection
From $2,490
Photo + Video
The Celebration
$3,990 AUD
Photo + Video
The Full Story
$6,490 AUD
Photo + Video
The Legacy
$7,990 AUD
Photo and video timeline
Your day, frame by frame
Not sure how many hours you need? Pick a collection and move it along the day: the moments it covers come up on the roll.
- Details
- Getting ready
- First look
- Ceremony
- Family photos
- Portraits
- Entrance
- Speeches
- Sunset portraits
- Cake
- First dance
- Dance floor
- Farewell
A sample day with a 3:30 pm ceremony. Every wedding runs to its own timeline, and we plan yours with you before the day.
The Legacy: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, with details, getting ready, first look, ceremony, family photos, portraits, entrance, speeches, sunset portraits, cake, first dance, dance floor and farewell.
Why couples pick us
Serkan photographed Sayuri and Shuto at Port Willunga, and Jay and Sofia photographed and filmed Martina and Diego's evening at Brighton Beach.
- One team, one plan
- Photographer and videographer work from the same timeline, share the angles and never end up in each other’s shots.
- Less than booking apart
- Photo and video collections start at $2,490, below the same coverage booked separately.
- One creative direction
- Jay guides the edit of the photographs and the film, so they feel like the same day.
- Fast, both ways
- Photos within 3 weeks, films within 5 weeks.
★★★★★
We had such a wonderful experience with Jay Chubby Wedding in Melbourne. They captured the most beautiful, heartfelt moments of my husband, our daughter, and myself, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.
Questions couples ask
Do we need a permit for a beach wedding?
Usually, yes, and it comes from the council that looks after the beach, so check with them first. At Port Willunga the City of Onkaparinga's permit covers up to 130 people for up to two hours, applied for online at least four weeks ahead. At Brighton, Bayside City Council asks for an Open Space Permit for a legal ceremony and takes 10 working days to process it.
Can we have the beach to ourselves?
No. A council permit doesn't give you exclusive use at Port Willunga or Brighton, so walkers, swimmers and other people taking photos will be around. Arrive a little early and choose a spot with some room.
When is the best light for a beach wedding?
The last hour or so before sunset. Port Willunga faces west, so the sun sets into the sea behind the old jetty posts. At Brighton the sun goes down over the bay. Sunset moves by more than two hours across the year, so check the time for your date and plan backwards from it.
How do we deal with the wind?
Plan for it. Summer afternoons on the Fleurieu coast usually bring a south-westerly sea breeze, so think about how the chairs will stay put, bring a layer for between photos and expect the veil to fly. We keep a hand on it between frames.
Will our guests hear the vows?
Wind and waves carry voices away, so ask your celebrant about a microphone and a speaker. Brighton supplies no power and keeps amplified sound under 72 decibels, so bring a battery speaker there.
Do the tides matter?
Yes. Check the tide times for your date. At Port Willunga a bluff reaches across the north end of the beach at high tide, leaving less room, and the fishermen's caves at the foot of the cliffs are best visited around low tide.
Can guests throw confetti or petals on the beach?
Confetti and rice are banned at Port Willunga, where rose petals are allowed. At Brighton the council counts confetti and petals as litter, so plan a different exit.
What if it rains on a beach wedding?
There is no shelter on either beach. For a ceremony, agree a backup with your reception venue before you book. For a session, keep a second date in reserve, as Sayuri and Shuto did.
Does our photographer need a permit on the beach?
At Brighton, Bayside's filming page says private wedding photography and filming need no permit, though a drone does. At Port Willunga, the council's filming permit doesn't say whether it covers a wedding photographer, so we check with its permits team before every booking there.
Do you photograph beach weddings in Adelaide and Melbourne?
Yes. Serkan photographed Sayuri and Shuto's pre-wedding session at Port Willunga, and Jay and Sofia photographed and filmed Martina and Diego at Brighton Beach. Travel within 50 km of the CBD is included, and anything further is itemised in your quote.
Get in touch
We're excited to work together and can't wait to get started!
talk soon! Jay x
The enquiry form is loading. You can also write to [email protected].
