St Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane

Does the occasion get much bigger than this? Walking down the aisle at St Stephen’s Cathedral, Brisbane is a bride’s journey made accompanied by a mix of smiles and tears she sees along the way.

St Stephen’s Cathedral is a Brisbane icon in the heart of the Brisbane CBD. I’ve been photographing weddings there for 20 years and it is one of my favourite wedding ceremony venues. As guests arrive to greet the groom, there is always a blend of excitement and nervous tension in the air. Entering the Cathedral, it’s always much cooler than outside with welcome breezes from the side doors.

The adjoining Chapel is as intimate as the Cathedral is grand. If you’re numbers are small and you’d prefer a more cosy experience, put the Chapel on your list.

When photographing a wedding at Stephen’s Cathedral, I always include a sense of scale in the images, wide shots from the back to capture the pillars and arches, the altar from the side and of course details of the vows and ring exchange. The walk back down the aisle is a surreal experience, I reckon grooms feel about 10 foot tall with the wedding ceremony done and dusted. The stairs onto Elizabeth Street are a great place for candid hugs and kisses and a whole group photo of all the guests.

Traditional family photos are important, especially the mums. I find the best spot for these at an afternoon wedding is usually the  Eagle Street side of the church.

Time management on a wedding day is always important. If your wedding is in wedding season (autumn and spring in Brisbane), it’s essential that you be on time to arrive and leave as there can be a wedding before and after yours. Wen photographing weddings at St Stephen’s Cathedral, I manage the time we’re onsite so your wedding cars can depart the church on time.

As you can see in the images, St Stephen’s Cathedral is an amazing backdrop for timeless wedding photographs.