Weddings - Sarah & Jean-Marc - Ceretti Chapel St Patrick's - Opera House - Guillaume's at Bennelong

Hold on to your hat as this wedding is HUGE! Sarah & Jean-Marc live in the UAE so their wedding had a fabulous combination of things from all over the world mixed in with the very best of what Sydney has to offer.

Mikala has been shooting a number of weddings with us and she attended the boys preparations. Jean-Marc is originally from England and his friends and family mainly from overseas so we got some shots at the apartment before heading down to Kirribilli for photos with the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.

I went to Sarah’s place for her preparations and I was literally gob smacked when I saw her dress……it was amazing! It was designed and made by Jean-Marc’s mother & aunty who are couture dress makers in London (check out their website Kruszynka) and it featured an heirloom family brooch and a flower detail was made with material from her mother’s wedding dress. The fabric, finishing and detail in this one-of-a-kind dress was simply stunning, wow!!

As the girls were getting ready Sarah had some lovely gifts and personalised cards that made pretty much everyone cry. I think it’s a great example of how much care and planning she had put into her wedding day and her attention to detail could be seen in everything all day long.

The ceremony was held in Ceretti Chapel at St Patrick’s College above Manly. The chapel is simply stunning inside and the exterior of St Patrick’s College looks like a castle so it’s the perfect place for a fairy tale wedding. Sarah’s arrival and entrance had everyone very excited and on their exit the church bells of St Paul’s Cathedral in London were played.

We did some group and family photos before some shots with Sarah & Jean-Marc before heading down to Manly Wharf where we boarded a cruise ship that gave the international guests a great show of Sydney Harbour. We docked at the Opera House and then after more photos with the bridal party headed to the reception at Guillaume’s at Bennelong.

I think I’m running out of words to describe everything…… Guillaume’s looked fantastic with beautiful table settings, two cakes, a huge lolly bar, and even sandals for those tired of wearing heels. Drinks outside on the foyer deck with a setting sun was a perfect end to the first part of the day. It goes without saying the food that night was amazing and we had some very funny speeches and even a skit from their UAE friends! Not finished yet, Sarah had a big surprise for Jean-Marc: fireworks started in the Harbour just as they cut the cake! Unbelievable and Jean-Marc’s expression in the last photo below says it all……what a day!

There were a host of suppliers involved in the day – special thanks to Kathy from The Wedding Planner, Lee & the team from Variety Wedding Cars, as well as Miss Lilly, So Art Cakes, B Studio Invitations and Sugarcube. Like to share this with a friend? Simply click here. You can also become a fan of McKay Photography on Facebook!