Photo + Video
The Elopement
$2,490 AUD
Church Weddings
Readings under stained glass, vows at the altar and family on the steps outside, photographed and filmed by a small team that knows how to work quietly through a service.
As featured on
A church ceremony has a rhythm of its own, from the hush before the doors open to the rush of family on the steps outside.
We have photographed weddings in an Anglican parish church in East Melbourne, a Catholic church in Northcote and a college chapel in Kew, and we know how to work inside a service without getting in its way.
Readings under stained glass, vows at the altar and family on the steps outside, photographed and filmed by a small team that knows how to work quietly through a service. Collections from $2,490.
Kira and Nick, from Xavier College Chapel to the Plaza Ballroom
Our latest film is ready to play. Press any film to watch it with sound.
Latest filmNicholas & Kira
More of our films
Our church weddings
An Anglican parish church in East Melbourne, a Catholic church in Northcote and a college chapel in Kew.
Venues we know
Our notes from each one: where to get ready, where the ceremony happens, the portrait spots and the plan for rain.
Bianca and Aidan at St Peter's Eastern Hill
An Anglican ceremony under the gold reredos, then portraits on foot at Parliament House and a night at The Imperial Hotel.
Ashley and Bryan at St Joseph's Northcote
An autumn Catholic ceremony with a rosary cord at the altar, then portraits in the church garden and up in the choir gallery.
Your quote, in minutes.
Pick your date, your venue and the coverage you want. The price builds itself as you go.
Stained glass,Old timber,Quiet vowsand a church full of family.
Before your church wedding
Who can marry there Each church has its own rules. St Joseph's in Northcote asks that at least one of you is a baptised and confirmed Catholic. St Peter's Eastern Hill uses the Anglican form of marriage, led by a licensed Anglican priest. At Xavier College Chapel, many of the college's own graduates come back to marry, and the Chapel Coordinator can tell you whether you're eligible.
Notice St Joseph's asks for at least six months' notice and closes some dates, such as Palm Sunday to Easter Monday. Wherever you marry, your Notice of Intended Marriage has to be lodged at least a month before the day.
Photography Ask the priest or minister where the photographer may stand and whether flash is allowed. None of the three churches we know best publishes its rules, so raise it at your first meeting.
Confetti St Joseph's allows nothing to be thrown inside or outside the church, no confetti, flowers or rice. Ask your own church before you buy any.
Getting ready We found no rooms to get ready in at any of the three, so plan to arrive dressed, and leave time for the drive to the reception afterwards.
Where we shoot
- East Melbourne
- St Peter's Eastern Hill. An Anglican parish church opposite St Patrick's Cathedral, with Parliament House a short walk away
- Northcote
- St Joseph's Catholic Church. A red brick church on Westbourne Grove, with a garden and a timber choir gallery
- Kew
- Xavier College Memorial Chapel. A sandstone chapel with a portico and a dome on the hill at Xavier College
How we photograph a church ceremony
We work quietly from the side aisles, the back of the church and the gallery where there is one, and we keep out of the aisle while the service is on. The light inside is usually low and warm, from lamps, candles and stained glass, so we rarely need flash, and black and white suits it as well as colour.
Knowing the shape of the service puts us in the right place before each moment. A Catholic or Anglican wedding usually moves from the entrance to the readings and a homily, then the vows and the rings, prayers and a blessing, the signing and the walk out. A Nuptial Mass adds Communion and takes longer. Bianca and Aidan's ceremony at St Peter's Eastern Hill took a little over half an hour, and they knelt together at the rail of the high altar for a couple of quiet minutes before walking out.
Some ceremonies carry a family tradition. At Ashley and Bryan's wedding in Northcote, two family members looped a cord of rosary beads over their shoulders at the kneelers, and they wore it to the end of the ceremony. Tell us about anything like that beforehand and we'll be ready for it. If family can't be there, we can stream the ceremony live for them with wedding live streaming.
From the church to the reception
The hours after a church ceremony need a plan, because the reception is almost always somewhere else. Bianca and Aidan walked out of St Peter's at a quarter to four and did everything on foot: family on the stone steps at the red door, friends in Parliament Gardens, the colonnade of Parliament House and the avenue of old trees in Treasury Gardens, then into the Cabinet Room at The Imperial Hotel just after six.
Kira and Nick had about twenty minutes of hugs and photographs on the portico, the terrace and the lawn at Xavier before the cars left for the city. They rested and changed at a hotel beside the Plaza Ballroom, and we took their portraits upstairs in the Regent Theatre before the reception began. We photographed and filmed their whole day, and their films are on this page.
Ashley and Bryan booked an hour and a half at St Joseph's, and it was enough for the ceremony, the family on the forecourt and portraits in the church garden and the choir gallery. A church and its grounds often hold more than couples expect.
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
Jay and Sofia photographed Bianca and Aidan's ceremony at St Peter's Eastern Hill on digital and 35mm film. Jay guides the editing and storytelling behind every wedding we cover.
- 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.
★★★★★
Jay was an absolute professional. We loved how he set out a time line of our day and made it all so easy. Also loved the contrast of the black and white to the colour pictures. The sneak peek shortly after the day was a lovely touch. Thank you Jay and Megan.
Questions couples ask
Can you take photographs during the service?
Yes, within the church's rules, and every church sets its own. Ask your priest or minister where the photographer may stand and whether flash is allowed. None of the three churches we know best publishes its rules, so it is worth asking early.
Do you use flash in church?
Many churches don't allow flash during the service, and we rarely need it. We work with the light that is there, from the windows, the lamps and the candles, and at Xavier College Chapel the tall windows fill the chapel with warm light on their own.
Can guests throw confetti outside the church?
Ask first. St Joseph's in Northcote allows nothing to be thrown inside or outside the church, no confetti, flowers or rice. St Peter's and Xavier don't publish a rule. If your portraits are in a City of Melbourne park, confetti and rice are banned there, though real petals are fine if you clear them up.
How long does a church ceremony take?
Bianca and Aidan's Anglican ceremony at St Peter's took a little over half an hour, and Kira and Nick's ceremony at Xavier about 45 minutes. A Nuptial Mass includes Communion, so allow longer for one.
What happens in a Catholic or Anglican ceremony?
The usual shape is the entrance, the readings and a homily or sermon, the vows and the rings, prayers and a blessing, then the signing and the walk back down the aisle. A Catholic Nuptial Mass adds the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Your priest will take you through your own order of service.
Do we need to belong to the church?
It depends on the church. St Joseph's asks that at least one of you is a baptised and confirmed Catholic, St Peter's uses the Anglican form of marriage, led by a licensed Anglican priest, and Xavier College Chapel says many of its own graduates come back to marry there. Ask the parish or the chapel coordinator.
How far ahead should we book?
St Joseph's asks for at least six months' notice, and closes some dates, from Palm Sunday to Easter Monday among them. Your Notice of Intended Marriage has to be lodged at least a month before the day, wherever you marry.
How much time should we leave between the church and the reception?
Enough for photographs and the drive. Bianca and Aidan walked out of St Peter's at a quarter to four, did their portraits on foot around Parliament House and the gardens, and walked into their reception just after six. Kira and Nick stopped at a hotel on the way to rest and change.
Can family overseas watch the ceremony?
Yes. We can stream the ceremony live, so family abroad can watch it as it happens. Ask your priest where a camera may stand, and see our wedding live streaming page for how it works.
Can you film a church wedding as well?
Yes. We photographed and filmed Kira and Nick's day, and their teaser and wedding film are on this page. Photo and video collections start at $2,490.
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].
