There are times in your life that you can scarcely believe your circumstances. Sometimes it’s as a result of hard work, sometimes it comes from natural talent, but for me, it was simply a case of being in the right place at the right time.
The first wedding I ever photographed was a little over 5 years ago. The groom, Callum, was the bassist in a touring band from Melbourne who I just so happened to photograph at a small venue in Sydney. He contacted me asking whether I’d be keen to photograph his wedding to which I nervously agreed. Things went well and 5 years later, the guitarist in Callum’s band is getting married and looking for a photographer. The universe, in its strange ways put us together and I was going to be coming back to Melbourne to photograph Rachel and Karl.
I don’t know where to start with Rachel and Karl. These two people are honestly two of the most amazing people I’ve ever met (and I can see why they are the way they are). Their families are both exceptionally wonderful, they took me in and treated me like I was one of their own. I was instantly welcome and able to be involved in everything. I arrived to Boyd Baker House a day early to the hustle and bustle of the entire family getting together and setting things up which is just the way I think things ought to be. In my mind, the history of weddings are not necessarily about finding a nice venue and serving tasty food, it was about bringing families, and to a larger extent, the community together. People would help each other out with whatever was needed and we’re lucky in the Westen World that we can have a lot of the hard work taken care of, but part of me, perhaps the Sri Lankan bit, wishes things were a little more different at times.
For me, this was the ultimate in personalised weddings; nothing generic, nothing stock, nothing without meaning. Rachel’s mum had grown nearly 120 plants from seedlings which were gifts for the guests. The suits the boys were wearing were custom made with Karl’s own breastplate design. Rachel learned and wrote a speech in Italian to speak to Karl and his very large Italian family. The drinks available included Apple Cider made by Callum using the apples grown on Karl’s uncle’s family orchard. Like I said, this was something that was very special to everyone involved. The connectedness that a wedding like this can bring, in my eyes, is the exact meaning of what a wedding should be about. I was invited to this day as a photographer, but I was part of it, I was involved and it was a wonderful experience.
It was a long day for me, nearly 18 hours from the moment I left my hotel to the moment my head hit the pillow, but this is what I love doing. This, is what feels like home. Rachel and Karl are people who deserved to have their love celebrated, the world needs more like them.
17 Comments
Thanks Inta, that’s honestly so lovely. And you should get some sort of badge or something for being a 2 year reader of my site! :)
I remember seeing this wedding when it just came out on your blog. I swear I scrolled to the top and back for several times! To this day, your work is always an inspiration and pure beauty.
Thanks Jowita, it’s great to hear you took something positive from this post. I hope you have a wonderful wedding day! :)
Stumbled across this page and love what you wrote (as well as the photos). I’m planning a wedding and starting to get caught up in all the bells and whistles and forgetting what it’s truly about. Your images reflect what you say and I just hope my wedding has as many happy faces as these photos :)
Thanks Deeps! My FB page is: https://www.facebook.com/lakshal.perera.wedding.photographer :)
found your site via link shared by someone in FB and yeah, now you have made it to the top of my list of favorite wedding photographers. awesome shots Lakshal, keep them coming!!
Do you have a facebook page where you share your photos?
J’adore!
I am in love with this wedding, bloody gorgeous!
Superb! Gorgeous wedding and stunning photography! Thank you :)
Absolutely stunning work :)
Thanks everyone. With people and venues this pretty, it’s hard not to take good photographs! :)
Ridiculously lovely.
You’re awesome!
This. Is. Awesome.
Did it justice lucky!
Those guys jackets are killer. The style, epic.
Absolutely stunning wedding and photography, completely love everything about it!! congratulations all round!
Awesome, Lucky. Love the shot from the night before dinner of the table flowers with the fairy lights behind :
Lucky! How talented are you!! You captured this wedding so beautifully. I love everything about it… Theres 2 people with some serious style :) LOVE the painting idea too!! xx