In early September I made the drive out to Ipswich to photograph Erin and Max’s fabulous wedding at their home. I’d met them the year before, when COVID wasn’t causing as much havoc with border closures and travel. We chatted over weddings and bonded over our mutual love of dogs 🙂 By the way, check out their adorable fur kid Boo who made an awesome ring bearer.
But these guys were keen to get married and no stupid global pandemic was going to put a dampener on their wedding plans.
By the time their wedding day rolled around, much of Australia was embroiled with COVID lockdowns, restrictions, and unfortunately for Max’s interstate family, border closures.
So, it was bittersweet for Max and Erin knowing their loved ones couldn’t share the day in-person with them. But luckily Erin, who’s a complete tech guru set up a technological masterpiece so Max’s family and friends could tune in to their ceremony. For the 30 minutes before the ceremony Erin was running around, doing audio and visual checks to make sure the family wouldn’t miss a moment of their wedding ceremony.
Fantastic Wedding Photos in Ipswich
Erin and Max, who call Ipswich home, were happy to give me a guided tour and a brief history lesson of their town while we captured some gorgeous wedding photos.
One of the best things about photographing weddings in Ipswich is the photos opportunities. A century ago, Ipswich was a limestone mining settlement and today, many of its old buildings and churches remain. The city is an architectural feast. So, it’s always super fun to explore the area in search of funky brick walls.
Ipswich is also home to Nerima Gardens which Erin was adamant we visit and rightly so! It features a gorgeous lake and traditional Japanese style gardens and was a stunning choice for their wedding photos.
Huge thanks to Erin and Max for trusting me as your wedding photographer, giving me a tour of Ipswich and for letting me be a part of it all.
I had a blast!
Love and congrats,
Alison x
Looking for an Ipswich wedding photographer? Get in touch.
Erin and Max’s Real Life Love Story
How did you meet?
We met through working in the scuba diving industry. Max worked for the supplier in NSW, and I worked at a local shop in Queensland. We chatted so easily but were just friendly, talking casually how if he was ever in Brisbane, or if I was in Sydney, we would catch up for a drink. We each left those workplaces, and reconnected through social media the following year, and planned to catch up… in Melbourne of all places! The rest is history!
Any funny stories about that meeting?
We were walking around North Melbourne in the late afternoon and couldn’t find a single pub or cafe that was open. Neither of us knew the area well, and I think we also got a bit los, so our first ‘date’ meal was pies and coffee from a random bakery that was thankfully still open.
Tell us about the engagement?
Unbeknownst to me, Max had bought my engagement ring the year before. He had this big, glorious plan to get someone to ‘take a photo of us’ while secretly filming so he could propose to me under the cherry blossom trees in Japan in April of 2020. That trip was obviously cancelled, so he sat on the ring for another six months, trying to find the right occasion or moment. We used some of our trip money to put lovely outdoor blinds around our patio in late August. To test how well they blocked the wind, one stormy Ipswich night, I grabbed a whole bunch of candles and lit them all over the patio. Max saw the opportunity. I was unknowingly ‘setting the stage’ for him so he offered to cook dinner and make it a little at-home date night. He went inside to grab the dessert and got quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet when someone is up to no good.
He came out, and started saying the sweetest things about me, about us… and then he got down on one knee. I started crying, our dog got very confused about why we were crying and laughing. It was lovely.
How long have you been together?
Nearly seven years on our wedding day.
Why did you choose Alison Cooke Photography to photograph your wedding?
We were really impressed by the quality on display on the website and were even more impressed when we met Alison in person.
What was the one thing you just had to have for your wedding day?
Cherry Blossoms everywhere to tie into our wedding theme. Even though things may not seem like they are going the way you planned, you can always find a way to get there in the end.
What things about your wedding made it so amazing?
We were so grateful to have good weather and as many friends and family there as we did. The venues, buildings and gardens all looked amazing, and our dog Boo was the most handsome and well-behaved Best Man. We were so worried about the looming potential of lockdowns or cancellations. And as sad as we were to not have all of Max’s family with us, we were thrilled that everything went so smoothly.
How did you go about planning your wedding and did you have help?
We planned it together. We both made great suggestions and thankfully got our first choice of venue, celebrant, and photographer. Everything clicked together so well. When the borders closed it was a bit of a shock to our perfect plan. But we pivoted and worked hard to try and make sure Max’s family were included and could watch our wedding via livestream. We tried to cover every moment we could for them to enjoy while we are apart.
What tips or ideas would you pass onto future couples?
Always work to check in with each other and make sure you’re making your wedding about each other. It isn’t about just one member of the couple, or about your families, or your friends. Incorporating people’s wishes and hopes into your plans is important, but they should still be your plans. Your wedding is a big party to celebrate the new family you are making and should never be more important than touching base to make sure each other are good and happy.
How did you go about choosing your Ipswich wedding venues and vendors?
We wanted to keep things local as much as possible and help out small business in the town. Especially with the financial hit a lot of people have taken in the last 18 months.
What was something unique about your wedding?
With an assist from a kind friend, we livestreamed the ceremony to all our interstate loved ones. The day after the wedding, our first outing as a married couple (at 8am) was get our second Pfizer jab!
Did you honeymoon, where and for how long?
We popped out to the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands for a few days mid-week to decompress and unwind.
Vendor Shout Outs!
Photographer: Alison Cooke Photography
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Home Ceremony, Reception at 4 Hearts Brewery, Dovetails Restaurant
Cake: Made by Kay Johns (my aunt)
Flowers: Silk flowers, assembled by me!
Décor: DIY with a decorating assist by Dapper Qld
Wedding Planner: Bride
Suits: inStitchu
Transport: Self
Entertainment: Jimmy Festoon
Photobooth: In The Booth
Jeweller: Michael Hill and the Brisbane Opal Museum
Wedding Celebrant: Peter Grant
Alison Cooke Photography – Ipswich wedding photographer
If you’re looking for an awesome, fun-loving Ipswich wedding photographer for your wedding, drop me a line here. I’ve photographed over 800 weddings during my 25 years as a wedding photographer, so I know my stuff. Do you like what you see? Well, head on over and check out the wedding gallery here. Better yet why not pick up the phone and we’ll chat all things wedding. Ph: 0418 882 778
