Sean and Jenny did something with their Peterson House wedding that I honestly don’t think I’ve seen another couple do quite the same way since. They got married early, had their reception early, danced while the sun was still up and, from memory, I was completely finished photographing their wedding by around 6pm. Nothing important had been cut out to make that happen either. They had the ceremony, portraits, reception, first dance and a proper dance floor. They just shifted the whole thing earlier, and the result was one of the most genuinely relaxed wedding days I can remember photographing.
Sean stood out to me from the beginning because he was genuinely invested in the wedding. There can sometimes be this stereotype of the groom being dragged along for the ride, told where to stand and what time to turn up, but that wasn’t Sean at all. He was excited about marrying Jenny and excited about the day they had planned together. I think that contributed to the whole atmosphere of their wedding. It was important without becoming overly serious, emotional without becoming stressful and, in some ways, it almost felt like a really great engagement party where two people happened to get married in the middle of it.
laughing, trying not to cry
Their ceremony at Peterson House probably summed them up pretty well. Their celebrant managed to find that difficult balance between making everyone laugh while still giving the actual commitment they were making the weight it deserved. When I recently asked Jenny what she remembers most about their wedding, she immediately went back to their vows.
“I was laughing so hard because of Sean’s humour inducing but also heartfelt vows. At the same time trying so hard not to cry and get emotional.” A wedding ceremony doesn’t need to be completely solemn to mean something, and it doesn’t need to become a comedy routine to be fun. Theirs managed to sit somewhere beautifully in the middle.
The part sean remembers most
After the ceremony, we headed out around Peterson House for portraits. We had beautiful light over the property, went down towards the dam and photographed them around the jetty, but one of the things I deliberately did during that time was put my camera down.
Weddings can be surprisingly intense. Even when everything is going perfectly, there is constantly another person to talk to, another photograph, another place to be and another part of the timeline approaching. If you’re not careful, you can reach the end of your own wedding without ever really stopping to realise that you just got married. So whenever I can, I like giving couples a few minutes where I essentially tell them to sit down, have a drink, talk to each other and look around. I’ll leave them alone.
Years later, when I asked Sean which part of their wedding he remembers most, his answer wasn’t a particular photograph or one of the big traditional moments. “When we went off together to have our shoot with you. It was nice to be in each other’s company.”
I absolutely loved reading that. Because while we made some beautiful photographs during that part of the afternoon, what Sean actually remembers is being there with Jenny. That’s exactly what those few quiet minutes were supposed to give them.
a first dance before dark
Interestingly, when I asked them what they did for their wedding that really felt like them, they both independently chose their first dance. For Jenny especially, it was well outside her comfort zone, but they decided to have lessons beforehand and she now describes it as one of the best decisions they made.
Because of their unusual timeline, that first dance happened while there was still beautiful natural light outside. The marquee was bright, everyone was still full of energy and we could photograph the dance floor without it feeling like we’d suddenly jumped to midnight. Their guests weren’t exhausted, Sean and Jenny weren’t exhausted, and the whole thing just continued with the same easy feeling the rest of the wedding had.
That’s probably the word I’d use for this wedding more than anything else: easy. Not because nothing mattered, but because Sean and Jenny didn’t seem determined to make everything harder than it needed to be.
don't stress the little things
When I asked what they’d tell someone planning a wedding now, their answers were remarkably similar. Sean’s advice was simply, “Don’t stress the little things on the day. It always finds a way to work out.” Jenny said much the same thing, adding that couples should enjoy the moment and be present because, as clichéd as it sounds, the day really does go incredibly quickly.
Jenny also said something in a review she recently left me that I think fits their wedding perfectly. She talked about wanting candid photographs of all the “fleeting moments that I would have not have seen with my own eyes.” That’s one of the strange things about getting married. You can’t possibly experience every part of your own wedding. There are conversations happening across the room, reactions behind you and dozens of tiny moments occurring while your attention is somewhere else.
But you can make sure you’re actually present for the part you are experiencing. Sean and Jenny did that. Years later, the thing Sean remembers most isn’t rushing between another five locations trying to make more photographs. It’s sitting beside a dam with his new wife, doing absolutely nothing for a little while. I’d call that a pretty successful wedding day.
a few words from jenny
Jenny had never actually left me a review after their wedding, but when I contacted them recently to ask about their memories of the day, she went and wrote one almost immediately. One line in particular stood out: “Candid shots and shots that captured all the fleeting moments that I would have not have seen with my own eyes.”
She finished by saying they’d ask me to photograph their future milestones too, and apparently those plans might be slightly more ambitious than another Hunter Valley session. Sean and Jenny have talked about renewing their vows at Hobbiton in New Zealand and have already asked whether I’d travel over to photograph it for them.
So I have a feeling this might not be the last time these two appear on my website. And I’d be very happy about that.
Vendors
Wedding: Sean & Jenny
Venue: Peterson House, Hunter Valley
Live wedding artist: Teresa, Live Wedding Painting
Hair & makeup: WHITE Hair & Makeup
Musicians: Paper Hearts
Florals: LS Flower Design
Photography: James White Photography
