I suppose Wedding photo locations in Melbourne is the second trending search topic on Google after wedding photography for the couple who plan to take bridal party photo in Melbourne city and nearby.
Yet many blogs have written where is the best wedding photo locations in Melbourne. However, most of it is written by a generic blogger who doesn’t even know whether those photo locations need permission or whether it has a backup plan if the weather is wet. Thus, the information those bloggers provided is inaccurate and contains mistakes.
Ironically, they dare to give the bride and groom unaffirmable suggestions even though they have never shot a wedding in Melbourne.
I must say here if you want to learn what is the best wedding photo locations in Melbourne, you’re better off reading a wedding photo location guide written by a real Melbourne wedding photographer.
Luckily, I endeavoured to find a wedding photo location guide from Google written by Seth from Tree Studio in 2017. Honestly, it is a qualified and informative wedding guideline for wedding photo locations. However, it is a bit out of date, whereas Seth has updated some new information on his blog occasionally.
Admittedly, Seth is a creative wedding photographer with a caring mind, work ethic, and professionalism in Melbourne. Although his photography guide lists the top 20 wedding photo locations in Melbourne, I am impressed that he has multiple ways to demonstrate the option of photo location in Melbourne, such as real weddings, video tours, and even virtual tours.
But I assert that many negligence’s or something can be improved in his blog. Even though Seth is my friend, I don’t want to gloss over his weakness in his wedding photo locations guide because it is not beneficial for the bride to obtain the photo location information.
One apparent problem in Seth’s guide is that he hasn’t made a category for different photo locations. For instance, if the bride only wants to take the photo at an architect, such as Parliament House or Melbourne university, thus some wedding photo locations in the garden information are nothing but a waste of the bride’s cherished time, even a distraction.
Thereby, I, Nick as a true friend of Seth, write a top 25 wedding photo location in Melbourne at giant’s shoulder. If you are a bride, I hope you can read the valuable information effectively. However, if you’re a beginner wedding photographer, you shall not miss this treasury hidden in a dragon’s cave, and it is a luck day when you have stumbled upon my wedding photo location guide today.
Video: Wedding Photo Locations Melbourne
Below is a category to make it easier to find the information you need for these wedding photo shoot locations.
List of Contents
- 1 Carlton Garden and Royal Exhibition Building
- 2 Fitzroy Garden
- 3 Royal Botanical Garden
- 4 St Kilda Botanical Garden
- 5 Williams Town Botanical Garden
- 6 Parliament House
- 7 Fitzroy Town Hall
- 8 Australian Centre for Contemporary Art
- 9 South Melbourne Town Hall
- 10 Spice Market
- 11 Labassa Mansion
- 12 Princess Pier at Port Melbourne
- 13 Lagoon Pier at Port Melbourne
- 14 Gem Pier and Ferguson St Pier at Williamstown
- 15 Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes
- 16 University of Melbourne
- 17 RMIT Design Hub Building
- 18 Chanel Shop Wall in Melbourne CBD
- 19 Victoria Barracks Melbourne
- 20 National Gallery of Victoria
- 21 Hoiser Lane Melbourne
- 22 Luna Park Melbourne
- 23 St Ignatius’ Church Backyard
- 24 Albert Park
- 25 Southbank Promenade and the Nearby Bridges
- 26 Victoria Harbor Promenade at Dockland
Garden Look Wedding Photography Location in Melbourne
- Carlton Garden
- Fitzroy Garden
- Royal Botanical Garden
- St Kilda Botanical Garden
- Williams Town Botanical Garden
Wet Weather Friendly Wedding Photography Location in Melbourne
- Parliament House
- Fitzroy Town Hall
Dedicated Limo or Vintage Wedding Photography Location in Melbourne
- Australian Centre for Contemporary Art
- South Melbourne Town Hall
Beach Wedding Photography Location in Melbourne
- Prince Pier at Port Melbourne
- Lagoon Pier at Port Melbourne
- Gem Pier and Ferguson Street Pier at Williams Town
- Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes
Get A Bit More Academic Feeling in Your Wedding Photography
- University of Melbourne
- RMIT Design Hub Building
Paid Wedding Photography Location in Melbourne
- Spice Market
- Labassa Mansion
When the Luxury Vibe is Important for Your Wedding
When the Historical Feeling Matters for Your Wedding Photos
- Victoria Barracks
- Royal Exhibition Building
- Parliament House
- Fitzroy Town Hall
- South Melbourne Town Hall
If You Are a Contemporary Art or Street Art Lover
- National Gallery Victoria
- Hosier Lane
- Luna Park
When you love Melbourne City View Backdrop in Your Wedding Photos
- St Ignatius Church Backyard
- Albert Lake
- Southbank Promenade and the Nearby Bridges
Weekends Only Location
- Victoria Barracks
After Dark Wedding Photography Location in Melbourne
- Southbank Promenade and the Nearby Bridges
- Victoria Harbor Promenade at Dockland
Non-Practical Wedding Photography locations in Melbourne
- Shrine of Remembrance
- Any Beach Locations When Windy
- Any Location takes more than 1 hour to travel
Carlton Garden and Royal Exhibition Building
Sit between the Rathdowne St and Nicholson Street, Carlton Garden, and Royal Exhibition Building is certainly one of the go-to wedding photo locations when the wedding happens around the Melbourne CBD.
The lush green garden together with the world heritage listed building could bring heaps of varieties to your wedding photography environment. Choose here to be the first stop of the photo shoot sessions is a popular choice for Melbourne’s bride.
The landscaped Victorian-Era-style lawns under the tree lines are perfect for symmetry in photography. It gives the wedding photographer plenty of room to fit a large-size bridal party for taking photos together. Also, the surrounding tall trees make the light quite soft even during the summer middle day. Sometimes, you could find a wedding ceremony was organized when you arrived. We probably need to give them the priority to shoot other spots first.
In the middle of the garden, we have the Exhibition Fountain standing in front of the Royal Exhibition Buildings. Your wedding photographer could throw you some dreamy and creamy photos when the fountains are running. On the wedding day, I will normally meet the couple here first to save time for finding each other.
Walking towards the Exhibition building, we could the south façade of the building to shoot bridal party and couples’ photos here as well. Designed and built in the late 1800s, this Melbourne landmark blends with the Byzantine, Romanesque, and Italian Renaissance architecture styles. When we capture the wedding photos there in the late afternoon, we could also shoot against the light at the quiet corner of the north and west wings. It is best here for location and timing to create some atmospheric shots with a golden and dreamy background.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Carlton Garden and Royal Exhibition Building:
- The lawn under the tree lines
- The fountain in front of the Royal Exhibition Building
- The south façade of the Royal Exhibition Building
- The corner of the north and west wing of the Royal Exhibition Building
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens around Carlton Garden and Royal Exhibition Building:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: easier for up to 12 people
Address: 1-111 Carlton Street, Carlton VIC 3053
Parking For Wedding Photographer: Fees Applied, Hard
Permit: Not Needed as a wedding photography location
Carlton garden @ Google Map
Fitzroy Garden
Video: Fitzroy Garden Wedding Photo Locations
Fitzroy Garden is another great garden wedding photography location for couples who will get married around Melbourne City. The Plane Tree Walk, The Conservatory, The Cook’s Cottage, and The Dolphin Fountain will give you various preferences as the wedding photography backdrop.
As a wedding photographer myself, I prefer to meet the couple in front of the Conservatory. Get some shots with the Spanish Mission architectural elements mixed in it. Moreover, the stair is also great to create space for bridal party wedding photos. You could have more choices rather than just putting all the bridal party members in one line for photos.
On the backside of the Conservatory, we have a small square and a fountain here. For the bride to wear high heels on the wedding day, here is one of the best places to have some walking or running wedding photos. As a wedding photographer who shoots candidly and naturally most of the time, walking or even slow-running shots with eye and body connections is my favourite methodology for wedding photography.
The Plane Tree Walk is the other awesome spot on my list. The tall and perfectly lined trees make here a perfect and easy place for couples to have some symmetry in composing wedding photos. Grab a bit wide-angle lens, keep a bit of distance from the couple, and put the couple sit at the bottom in your viewfinder, put the shutter button of your camera. You will create some superior wedding photos with a greenie and creamy background. Sometimes, you could find a wedding ceremony are holding here. As they will pay for the permit to tie the knot here, I won’t jump in and take the wind away from them.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Fitzroy Garden:
- The front and back of the conservatory
- The Plane Tree Walk
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Fitzroy Garden:
1. 20mm Prime
2. 50mm Prime
3. 16-35mm Zoom
Suitable Bridal Party Size at This Wedding Photo Location: up to 10 people
Address: Wellington Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002
Parking For Wedding Photographer: Fees Applied, Hard
Permit: Not Needed as a wedding photography location
Fitzroy Garden @ Google Map
Royal Botanical Garden
Nested on the south side of the Yarra River, the Royal Botanical Garden is a gorgeous place for wedding photo sessions. It owns about 94 acres, which gives you plenty of fantastic spots to take your wedding photos. At the same time, it could also be hard for the wedding photographer to find the couple and the bridal party. I personally would meet the couple at The Taxodium Lawn or Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden to start the wedding location photo shooting sessions.
The Taxodium Lawn is located next to Ornamental Lake. You could find here provides the perfect garden style to shoot your wedding photos. The Melbourne city skyline backdrop, the peaceful lake, and the wild swans are also giving the wedding photographer plenty of choices for creativity.
The other awesome place for location wedding photography is Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden. Close to the Alexander Avenue street parking, Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden only needs about 1 minute’s walk from where your parking place to the Garden. It is a walled garden with a watercourse in the centre. You could embrace the symmetrical and well-maintained garden vibes here.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Royal Botanical Garden:
- The Taxodium Lawn
- The Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Royal Botanical Garden:
1. 35mm Prime
2. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size in this Wedding Photo Location: up to 8 people
Address: Alexander Ave, Melbourne VIC 3004
Parking For Wedding Photographer: Fees Applied, Struggling
Permit: Required for Wedding Location Photography
Royal Botanical Garden @ Google Map
St Kilda Botanical Garden
Video Tour: St Kilda Botanical Garden
Opened in the 19th Century, St Kilda Botanical Garden is a wedding photography perfect garden in the middle of Port Philip City. It has the Rose Garden, the conservatory glasshouse, and the timber framing tree lane for photographers to capture the wedding couple or bridal party photos with a clean and picturesque background.
The Rose Garden’s full name is Alister Clark Memorial Garden. Set on the northeast side of St Kilda Botanical Garden and close to the entrance on Tennyson St, it has a rose embraced gazebo in the centre with a hedged lush green wall in the background. From a wedding photographer’s perspective, this is a wonderful photo taking place when the weather is warm and flowers are blooming. One typical setup for me is to capture the couple’s photos inside the gazebo and take the whole bridal party photos in front of the hedges tree wall.
The St Kilda Conservatory is located on the western side of the St Kilda Botanical Garden and close to the Herbert Street entrance. Here is the home of tropical trees and plants. If you love to add some lush green look and rainforest feelings to your wedding photography, this is one of the best places in Melbourne. You could also find a timber decking pathway among the greenies, so your access to this glasshouse is easier than most other gardens. Definitely one of the places for Melbourne’s wedding photographers to go when the weather is wet and save the bride away from the muddy and softy road.
The timber framing tree lane is set next to the rose gardens. Here is a place for photographers to create some natural and candid feelings in your wedding photos. I personally would love to ask the couple to start walking from one side of this tunnel and show me some intimate interactions l. 85mm prime lens are my favourite choice here.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at St Kilda Botanical Garden:
- The Rose Garden,
- The St Kilda Conservatory and the timber-framed lane
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at St Kilda Botanical Garden:
1. 35mm Prime
2. 85mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size in this Wedding Photo Location: up to 8 people
Address: 11 Herbert St, St Kilda
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Free parking, Hard
Permit: Required as a wedding photography location
St Kilda Botanical Garden @ Google Map
Williams Town Botanical Garden
When you are organizing your wedding on the western side of Melbourne City, Williams Town Botanical Garden is another spectacular wedding photography location shooting choice to save up the traveling time and congestion on West Gate Bridge.
The most iconic place inside Williams Town Botanical Garden is the Palm Tree Lanes. Set in the middle of this garden, this spot got two lines of pretty tall and well-maintained palm trees. The symmetrical composition and extending leading lines will make your wedding photos on another level. 35mm prime lens is my favourite lens choice here. You could also find adequate space here to set up a bridal party photo with 8 or 10 people in your bridal party. Osborne Street is the best place for couples’ wedding cars and also for the photographer’s car to park.
On the eastern side of the Palm Tree Lanes, we have 4 perfectly manicured lawns – Plumbago Lawn, Sunset Lawn, Golden Elm Lawn, and Liquid Amber Lawn. If you want to add some extra lush green feelings rather than just Palm Trees, they are also the view-perfect places for wedding photography location shooting. However, they may be occupied with someone else’s wedding ceremony.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Williams Town Botanical Garden:
1. Palm Tree Lane
2. Manicured Lawns
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Williams Town Botanical Garden:
1. 35mm Prime
2. 85mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size in this Wedding Photo Location: up to 12 people
Address: Corner of Giffard St and Osborne St Williamstown.
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Free Parking. Parking is at an easy level most of the time, only will be hard when a large size wedding ceremony holding here at the same time.
Permit: Required as a wedding photography location
Williams Town Botanical Garden @ Google Map
Parliament House
Video Tour: Parliament House
Built in the 1800s and set on Spring Street on the eastern side of Melbourne CBD, Parliament House is the best-known landmark and most popular wedding photography location in Melbourne. Moreover, it will be even busier when the weather is wet as it has a picturesque perfect long covered terrace.
After the newlyweds arrived, I will first set the whole bridal party photos on the sweeping steps when the background is not that busy. The bridal party members could stand on different heights of stairs. So, your wedding photos could get more stereo feelings with the view of the heritage facade. You could also have some natural and candid wedding photos when the couple walks upstairs, occasionally asking the couple to look back to check the city view could make the image look more authentic. When the bride is wearing a long train, we could also do a posed full-length shot with the bride back facing us. Capturing the train of the wedding dress on sweep stairs generally looks better compared to shooting that on flat ground.
Standing on the platform of the covered terrace, we have various choices for wedding photography. The elegant lamp, the historical metallic gate, the grand colonnades, and the perfectly tiled ground give everywhere here a splendid backdrop for wedding photos. You could also have the spectacular Melbourne city view as the backdrop while you are standing in the middle of the terrace. The extending Skyline view along Bourke Street makes here a perfect spot for sunset city view photos.
No matter what the weather looks like on your wedding day, Parliament house could always be the first place on your wedding photography location list. This is why sometime this place could be overwhelming. You have to allow more time to wait for the spot, especially during the peak wedding season. Also, during the weekdays, we could always have someone walking in and out of the Parliament House as they work there.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Parliament House:
- The sweeping stairs with the historical building façade as the backdrop
- In front of the metal gate,
- Walking along the covered terrace and shooting outside to have the city view under the terrace.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Parliament House:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 35mm Prime
3. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size in this Wedding Photo Location: up to 10 people
Address: Spring Street East Melbourne VIC 3002.
Parking For Wedding Photographer: Fees Applied. Harder than hard.
Permit: Not Needed as a wedding photography location
Parliament House @ Google Map
Fitzroy Town Hall
Nested in one of the most artistic feeling suburbs in Melbourne, Fitzroy Town Hall is another spectacular place to have your wedding location photography sessions. Here also works great when the weather is not that good or you have some fancy cars to be captured together with you.
As a wedding photographer myself, I will normally ask the driver to park the wedding cars in front of the clock tower on the eastern side of the building. As the wedding photo location sessions normally happen afternoon, we could have our wedding car photo shoot in the shade rather than directly exposed to the sun. This makes your photos captured here softer and smoother, and easier for post-editing.
After we finished the wedding photos together with the cars, we could have the bridal party photos in front of the public library gate. The historical façade, the grand pillars, and the red-painted timber windows and doors are the artistic elements in your wedding photography. Compared to the Parliament House, it has better lighting conditions during the afternoon when most of the wedding location photo shoot happens. The façade we captured is on the western side of the whole building, so the shade of the building itself makes here a more comfortable place for wedding location photos, especially during the summer. I normally use the wide-angle lens on this side like a 20mm or 24mm primed lens. “Flying the veil” shoot also accommodates well here.
On the other side of the building, we have a well-covered terrace in front of the town hall’s entrance gate. I prefer to have some couple’s intimate photos here. To create these kinds of intimate feelings, the telephoto lens works better. I would choose an 85mm primed lens to capture the wedding location photos here.
The drawback here is harsh lighting before 2 pm and homeless people’s staff in the background. So sometimes your wedding photographer may need to compromise on the angle selections or do more post-editing work to reduce the harsh light on the face and remove some rubbish.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Fitzroy Town Hall:
- The small square for wedding cars set up photos
- The stairs in front of the Fitzroy Library entrance,
- The terrace on the town hall entrance.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Fitzroy Town Hall:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size in this Wedding Photo Location: up to 10 people
Address: 201 Napier Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Free parking, hard
Permit: Not Needed as a wedding photography location
Fitzroy Town Hall @ Google Map
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art
Video Tour: Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA)
Located between Sturt Street and Dodds Street in the Melbourne arts “heart” area, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art is the top-tier location when you are prepared to have some fantastic wedding photos with your wedding car.
Despite the ACCA (short for Australian Centre for Contemporary Art) being located quite close to Melbourne CBD, it has a flat and vast square to parking your wedding cars. As long as we do not organize car shows here, we should be able to accommodate all of them. Ask your driver to drive your wedding cars to the square via the ramp at the corner of Grant Street and Sturt Street, this is the best route to avoid any damage to your wedding car chassis.
The ACCA building itself also provides a modern and minimal look for the backdrop. The rusty steel sheet façade makes here a very unique spot to capture wedding photos compared to other popular wedding photography session locations in Melbourne.
From a Melbourne wedding photographer’s perspective, an ultra-wide-angle lens performs better here. Together with the wedding cars, we could have the bridal party photos as well as the couples. “Flying the veil”, “Do the dip” and “Let the bride twirl”, these poses fit all perfectly here.
Besides these wedding photography ideas at this location, we could also have some close-up wedding photos inside the wedding cars
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Australian Contemporary Centre of Art:
1. Parking the wedding cars in front of the ACCA Building
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Australian Contemporary Centre of Art:
1. 16-35mm Zoom
2. 24mm Prime
3. 35mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size in this Wedding Photo Location: up to 14 people
Address: 111 Sturt St South Bank
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Free Parking, hard
Permit: Not Required as a wedding photography location
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art @ Google Map
South Melbourne Town Hall
Nested in Melbourne’s coffee centre precinct, South Melbourne Town Hall is one of the top-tier wedding photo locations for Melbourne’s lovebirds.
The multi-level clock tower, the granite columns, and the sweeping bluestone stairs work perfectly as the wedding photo background. This Victorian Academic Classical style façade combined with historical French Empire features will make your wedding photography goes to a superior level. You could set the couple close to the main building to have a clear backdrop view with a wide-angle lens. Or I prefer to set up the couple a bit far away in the centre of Perrins Street with a telephoto lens to add a dreamier and more intimate feel to the wedding pictures.
South Melbourne Town Hall is also a great place to have a proper setup place for wedding car photos. Ask your driver to drive in via Bank Street service road, and park the wedding cars in front of the entrance. With this setup, we could perfectly blend the spectacular backdrop of your wedding cars for bridal party and wedding couple photos.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at South Melbourne Town Hall:
- Standing along Perrins Street with the town hall front façade as the backdrop.
- Parking the wedding cars at the front entrance of the town hall.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at South Melbourne Town Hall:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 35mm Prime
3. 85mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at This Wedding Photo Location: up to 8 people
Address: Between Bank Street and Fishley Street South Melbourne VIC 3205
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Free Parking, Easy
Permit: Not Required as a wedding photography location
South Melbourne Town Hall @ Google Map
Spice Market
When we talk about the indoor site for wedding photography locations in Melbourne CBD, Spice Market is the one that will pop into my memory immediately. The exotic Middle Eastern style decoration will add a luxury vibe to your wedding photos.
For wedding bridal party photos, we prefer to head to the booth seat with pink, brown, and golden upholstery walls and ceilings. The half-circular booth would allow up to 10 people in the bridal squad to have seated posed wedding photos. An ultra-wide-angle lens and a flashlight are needed at this spot. It is also fantastic to have some couple or bride solo photos here. Backlighting flash is my favorite lighting solution at this spot to capture wedding photos.
There is also an archway lane here for us to create some HDR-style wedding photos. The arches along the lane are perfect for composing your wedding photos in a symmetrical way and leading line method. Additional photography light from the back or side could also enhance your wedding photos from normal good to “Wow.”
Additionally, if you still have a bit of time left for the photo sessions here. We could also have you stand on a high platform with the steel balustrading with a special LED lighted ceiling. Photographers could create some fantastic and unique pictures with cold tones on the ceiling and warm tones on the ground.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Spice Market:
1. The booth seat with Pink and Brown upholstery wall and golden silk ceiling
2. The archway lane with the statues on the sides
3. The steel balustraded high platform with Blue LED lighted ceiling
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Spice Market:
1. 20mm Prime
2. 24mm Prime
3. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at This Wedding Photo Location: up to 10 people
Address: Beaney Lane Melbourne VIC 3000
Parking For Wedding Photographers: No Free Parking Nearby, hard
Permit: Need a paid permit as a wedding photography location. Around $400 from the last couple I captured.
Spice Market @ Google Map
Labassa Mansion
Set in the southeast inner suburb of Melbourne, Labassa Mansion is definitely one of the most amazing wedding photo locations with incredible architectural features.
Could be together with your wedding cars or just your bridal party members, the front façade of Labassa Mansion is an outstandingly beautiful spot for couples to shoot their wedding photos. It combines the architecture of the Victoria Era and the French Second Empire. The Corinthian columns, the covered veranda, the light pinky painting, and the carving work on marble panels will elevate your wedding photography with vintage and elegant elements.
Internally, this place shines as well for wedding photos. The front living room with three bay windows is the best spot for lighting. Please be aware the flashing light is prohibited in this historical building for wedding photography. Please try to utilize natural light as much as possible. However, when the weather is not good enough, video lighting equipment is needed to provide better lighting conditions and versatility.
Alternatively, we could also have some fantastic wide-angle and symmetrical wedding photos on the staircase. The wedding dress with the long train fits exceptionally well at this spot, you do not have to worry about your wedding dress getting dirty before the reception started. Let the brides stand on the stairs or the platform with the body facing the stained-glass window and pour the train along the staircase is what I do here to get the photo shoot session started.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Labassa Mansion:
- With the front façade as the backdrop, also work perfectly with small size wedding cars,
- The front living room with bay windows
- The staircase connecting the ground floor and the first floor
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Labassa Mansion:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 10 people
Address: 2 Manor Grove Caufield North Vic 3161
Parking For Wedding Photographers: No Free Parking Nearby, easy
Permit: Paid permit required as a location for wedding photo shoot session. Around $900 for 1 hour.
Labassa Mansion @ Google Map
Princess Pier at Port Melbourne
Video Tour: Princess Pier at Port Melbourne
Located on Pier Street at Port Melbourne, Princess Pier is known as the photogenic pier for the tourist and Melbourne’s newlyweds. The historic wooden posts and sea view in the backdrop are perfectly merged together. When the weather and timing are right, here is the best location for a beach wedding photoshoot in my opinion.
The most amazing spot here is at the end of this pier. Hundreds of timber posts make superb extending lines towards the sea. The composing of your wedding photos could be fairly easy. The room for the photographer to find the right angle is spacious. When sunset time comes, the background will be enhanced with golden and creamy lighting. So here suits the wedding receptions held in Southbank or South Melbourne the best.
Besides the above spot, we could also ask the couple to move to the side with the view of the “Spirit of Tasmania” and the spirit station pier. This is another landmark scenery for capturing your wedding photos on Melbourne’s beach. The red and white color fused cruiser and lighthouse will upgrade your photography from good to superior.
Princess Pier is a beautiful place to head to when you try to embrace some beach views in your wedding photos. However, similar to all other beach scenes, try not to go there when windy or in the middle day of a sunny day. Melbourne’s crazy wind or the hash middle daylight are negatives to wedding photography.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Princess Pier:
1. The end of the pier with heaps lined historic wooden posts extending to the sea.
2. With the Spirit of Tasmania and the Lighthouse on sprit station pier as the backdrop.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Princess Pier
1. 35mm Prime
2. 85mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 12 people
Address: Pier Street Port Melbourne Vic 3207
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Free Parking, easy
Permit: Not Required as a wedding photography location
Princess Pier @ Google Map
Lagoon Pier at Port Melbourne
Standing close to Beach Street, Lagoon Pier is another premier beach wedding photography location for couples getting married in Melbourne. Here, you could find the classic timber deck, white painted wooden handrail, and dark green painted lights that showed up in the background of your wedding photos.
Capturing the couple standing on the pier with the deck, handrail and lights extending to the sea is normally the first photography method that pops out of my head here. Put the couple in the middle of your camera frame or rule of thirds composing are both working perfectly with this pier view. Alternatively, we could also have the couple walking or even slow jogging when possible. We could have more natural and candid feelings when the couple is just having their own moment on the pier.
When tides fade away, I will jump on the sand and try to capture the couple from a side and lower angle. To create more intimate feelings, I may ask the bride to put her weight on the groom and stand close to the handrail. Also, the photographer needs to keep eye on other visitors passing by and make sure they are out of the camera’s frame.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Lagoon Pier:
1. Ask the couple standing in the middle of the pier, with lights, handrails, and decking forming extending lines. Prefer to have a couple in the middle and compose symmetrically
2. Photographers could jump to the beach when tides are low, and get the couple or bridal party photos with the side view of the pier.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Lagoon Pier:
1. 35mm Prime
2. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 8 people
Address: Beach Street Port Melbourne Vic 3207
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Free Parking is Available Nearby, easy
Permit: Not Required as a wedding photography location
Lagoon Pier @ Google Map
Gem Pier and Ferguson St Pier at Williamstown
When your wedding ceremony and receptions are on the western side of Melbourne CBD, Gem Pier or Ferguson Street Pier sounds like a better choice as you don’t have to travel via West Gate Bridge, which most of the time is congested. Both of these two locations are set along Nelson Place, and it is only about 2 mins for driving between them. That is why I believe putting them together for reading is better.
Close to the Hobsons Bay Visitor Information Centre, Gem Pier is a quite special beach wedding photo location in Melbourne. Besides the classic timber deck, wooden handrail, and historical lamp, we also have the HMAS Castlemaine Parking on the left-hand side, the yachts from the Royal Yacht Club parking on the right-hand side, and the Melbourne city skyline in the middle. A bit wide angle lens is the ideal equipment to capture the couple or bridal party photo together with these landmark views in Melbourne.
The cons for taking wedding photos here. Mainly two things. Firstly, Gem Pier is a quite popular place for tourists. So be patient to make sure the background is clean when taking wedding photos, especially when you need to create a deep view depth. Secondly, somewhere on this pier, there is no handrail. Make sure you walk carefully and keep a bit of distance from the edge.
Located on the other side of The Grand seafood restaurant, Ferguson Street Pier is a gorgeous wedding photo shoot pier, which owns the stunning Melbourne City view, the background with the West Gate Bridge, The yachts parking nearby, and the beautiful pier itself. Compared to Gem Pier, the main advantage here is the quietness. Based on what I have seen before at these two beach wedding shoot spots, most of the tourists will go to the Gem Pier. So, the photographer, couple, and bridal party could concentrate more on the photo shoot itself.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Gem Pier and Ferguson Street Pier:
1. In front of the HMAS Castlemaine
2. Let the couple stand in the middle of Pier
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Gem Pier and Ferguson Street Pier:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 35mm Prime
3. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 8 people
Address: Gem Pier – 1 Syme St, Williamstown VIC 3016, Ferguson St Pier – 270 Nelson Pl, Williamstown VIC 3016
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Paid Parking close to the pier, hard
Permit: Not Required as a wedding photography location
Gem Pier @ Goolge Map
Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes
When you get married in the Southern Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne, Brighton Beach Boxes is a superb location where you could encapsulate your wedding memory at.
Built back in the 1900s, Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes is a popular place for Melbournians to take photos. Nearly 100 unique color-painted, timber framed, weatherboard-built, corrugated iron roof-covered bathing boxes line up along the Port Philip Bay beach. Instinctively, your wedding photographer will ask you and your bridal party to line up in front of the picking bathing boxes for photography. Sometimes, you may need a wide lens here to keep away from the water. Or could be just like me, taking the shoes off when stepping on the beach. When going there with the hushed lighting, you could also hide the couple between two bathing boxes to have a perfect shade environment for wedding photos.
Alternatively, you could set the couple walking on the beach, at a bit distance from the bathing boxes. Your wedding photographer could shoot from a side angle and include more colorful bathing boxes in your backdrop.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes:
1. Set the couple and bridal party in front of the bathing boxes and shoot from the front.
2. Let the couple walking on the beach, capture them from a side angle.
3. Find the shade between two bathing boxes to avoid hush light directly on the couple’s face.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes:
1.35mm Prime
2.50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 12 people
Address: Along the Esplanade between Kinane Street and Norwood Ave, Brighton VIC 3186
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Paid Parking, Easy
Permit: Not Required as a wedding photography location
Brighton Beach Boxes @ Google Map
University of Melbourne
Found in 1853, Melbourne University has some Australian top-tier historical and architectural featured buildings that fit perfectly for wedding photo shoot sessions.
Number 1 spot on my list when shooting wedding photos in Melbourne – Building 150, Old Quadrangle. Built in 1854, Old Quadrangle Building is the original home building for the University of Melbourne. Normally parking on Swanston Street, I will head to the building entrance gate of the east wing first. Here suit couples’ intimacy photos better as the entrance gate and the following terrace is pretty tight. However, the historical backdrop and the extending line formed by the gate are irresistible.
After we enter the internal terrace, the iconic archways and bold architectural stone internal façade makes every wing gorgeous for photos. The terrace on the east, west, and north wings is a bit tight, so we could capture the couple from the front with the extending archways as the background or shoot from the side to have a more internal stoned façade in the frame. The south wing is a bit different compare to others. It gives plenty of space rather than functional rooms on this side. The wide-span arch with the featured ceilings makes here perfect to create a dramatic feeling for wedding photos. Keys for the success of the wedding photos here – are wide angle lens, full body composing, lower camera angle, and perfectly set up wedding dress.
For the bridal party photos, the external side of the south wing is the spot I went to the most. It could easily fit a large-size bridal party, and throw a clean stoned façade as the backdrop. The perfectly lined archways background suits the symmetrical composition the best.
For wedding photography within the University of Melbourne, we also could go to the Elisabeth Murdoch Building with its historical facade, the South Lawns with the Old Art Building clock tower in the backdrop, or one of my own favorites – The underground car park under the South Lawn.
This spot suits weddings on weekends only as most staff will not work during that time. So, we could easily have a clear background with the stunning arch ceilings and concrete posts. Here, we could use LED lights to create many styles we will not be able to do on the ground. For example, we could use the backlit flashing for the outline light, or two flashlights with different color tones for the bride and groom respectively. Furthermore, we could also have the vintage wedding cars drive in. Then a photo with a perfect blend of the couple, the cars, and the bold architecture will be created.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at The University of Melbourne:
1. Old Quadrangle Building East Wing Entrance
2. The internal terrace of the Old Quadrangle Building
3. The external façade of the Old Quadrangle Building’s South Wing
4. The external façade of the Elisabeth Murdoch Building
5. South Lawns
6. Underground car park under the South Lawn
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at the University of Melbourne:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 35mm Prime
3. 50mm Prime
4. 85mm Prime.
Normally, I will bring all my prime lenses when heading to the University of Melbourne for wedding photography. Simply heaps gorgeous spots and need the diversity here.
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 12 people
Address: Parkville VIC 3010
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Paid Parking, Easy
Permit: Paid Permit is needed for a wedding photography location
University of Melbourne @ Google Map
RMIT Design Hub Building
RMIT Design Hub, also known as Building 100 of RMIT University, is a place you need to visit when you are particularly after the uniqueness of your wedding photography.
Set at the corner of two of Melbourne’s iconic and busy streets – Swanston St and Victoria St, RMIT Design Hub was completed in 2012. As soon as this location could be accessed by the wedding couple and photographer, it became one of the Melbourne newlyweds’ favorite landmarks to capture their wedding photos.
The most iconic scene here is the long extending stair and aisle with the mirror-like glass on one side and the vertical powder-coated metal pillars on the other side. When you love the symmetrical view with the long extending line, this is the perfect place for your wedding photography. If the couple prefect a bit more candid style, we could ask them just walk and talk along the stair and aisle with the bride’s dress naturally extending on the walkway. Alternatively, if the couple prefers a bit more editorial style for their wedding photos, we could keep them still to capture a gorgeous full-length with the bride’s train photo from the back. We could also use the elevated balcony where close to the street to shoot a wide-angle image here.
For the bridal party photos, the above spot won’t fit as it is quite tight. However, we have adequate room in front of Building 100 of RMIT. The external façade of this building has been specially designed into many round glass-featured walls. Line up the bridal party in front of this feature and capture them with a wide lens could give you some dramatic feeling wedding photos you won’t see anywhere else in Melbourne.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at RMIT Design Hub Building:
1. On the balcony close to Victoria Street
2. On the entrance side of the featured stair
3. Shoot from a lower angle on the stair.
4 Line up the bridal party or couple in front of the round glass-featured façade.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at RMIT Design Hub Building:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 35mm Prime
3. 85mm Prime.
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 10 people
Address: 136-154 Victoria Street, Carlton VIC 3000.
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Paid Parking, Extremely Hard
Permit: Not needed for shooting wedding photo sessions at this place
RMIT Design Hub @ Google Map
Chanel Shop Wall in Melbourne CBD
If you love the lavish and opulent feelings in your wedding photos, then the Chanel Shop in the Melbourne CBD is probably one of the most suitable places for you, your bridal party, and your photographer to visit during the photo shoot session.
Nested at the corner of Russell Street and Flinders Lane in the City, Chanel Melbourne’s flagship Shop finished its most recent renovation in 2013. It looks like a Parisian mansion among the Melbourne City high-rise buildings. The exclusive and elegant architectural details on the external wall make it here soon a hot spot for wedding couples.
As it sits in one of Melbourne’s busiest areas, the angle is pretty limited for wedding photography. The Flinders Lane side is a bit less busy, so most wedding photographers will choose the south façade as the backdrop. However, there are still plenty of cars, passengers, and other wedding couples showing up here during the weekend afternoon. Some extra time will help your wedding photographer to shoot some perfect wedding photos with a neat and clean foreground and background. For wedding photographers, make sure you shoot both the lower angle and eye levels at this place.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Chanel Shop Wall in Melbourne CBD:
1. Standing on Flinders Lane and use the Channel Shop south façade as the backdrop
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Chanel Shop Wall in Melbourne CBD:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 10 people
Address: 140 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Paid Parking. Harder than hard
Permit: Not needed as a wedding photography location
Chanel Melbourne @ Google Map
Victoria Barracks Melbourne
Video Tour: Victoria Barracks Melbourne
Set on the well know St Kilda Road at Southbank, Victoria Barracks is always a desired place that pops out of couples’ wedding photography heading list, even though this is a spot only available on weekends for wedding photo shoot sessions.
Built in the middle of the 1800s, Victoria Barracks Melbourne offers a beautiful backdrop combined with the historical architecture and the lush green or reddish vines defended on the season. Personally, I would say head there when you organise the wedding in summer or autumn. At this time, you could enhance your wedding photography with its best scene at Victoria Barracks.
The entrance gate on the left is my priority spot here. The vines on this side just grow better than in any other place. Additionally, it also gives you the historical red painted timber windows and doors, lamps with the metal post, and the heavy blue stoned façade as the backdrop for your wedding photos. For photographers, here also have adequate space to shoot close up or from a bit far away. With the stoned stairs in front of the gate, here is also a great place to shoot some bridal portraits with the full length of the wedding dress. As a wedding photographer, I love to shoot full-body portraits especially when the train of the wedding dress could easily flow down the stairs. It simply gives you more stereoscopy compared to letting your couple stand on the flat ground
Alternatively, when the couples prefer a more natural and candid vibe in their wedding photos, we could let the couple walk and talk on the lawns and use the whole blue-stoned building as well as the palm trees as the backdrop. A wide-angle lens performs better here when the photographer tries to include more background environment in the photos.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Victoria Barracks Melbourne:
1. Left entrance gate with the extending stairs
2. Lawns in front of the middle entrance gate
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Victoria Barracks Melbourne:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 35mm Prime
3. 85mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 10 people
Address: 250-300 St Kilda Rd, Southbank VIC 3006
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Free Parking could be found nearby. Normal
Permit: Needed as a wedding photography location
Victoria Barracks @ Google Map
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria, also known as NGV, is one of Melbourne or even Australia’s oldest and most visited museums. The classic or contemporary, international or local art vibes make here the location to create some elegant and unique wedding photos.
Located on St Kilda Road and close to the Yarra River, the parking for wedding photographers here is always challenging not matter during weekdays or weekends. Tourists are another issue for taking wedding photos here. So please allow a bit extra time and be patient to shoot the wedding photo sessions at this spot.
We normally get started at the front arch gate of the NGV. The water runs over the glazed façade and makes the background a bit fluted. This is a unique place and one of Melbourne’s landmarks to shoot wedding couples portraits. On the other side, the background is stunning as well for wedding photography. You could have the light color stone wall and the ornamental pond in the backdrop. Wide angle lens suit perfectly here.
In the backyard, we also have a pink color pool here. This is another outstanding and full of a fun place for your wedding photography. Let the couple have a bit walk on one side of the pool and the photographer could capture the intimacy and uninterrupted moments from the other side. I normally will use 35mm prime and 85mm prime lenses here for wide angle and tight shoot respectively.
When going inside NGV, we could find different artworks displayed in different rooms. Now it is your time to choose which one is your favorite backdrop for your wedding photos. Some of the artworks will only be displayed for a short time here, so your wedding photography will be unique and stand out from all others. For wedding photographers, please be aware they may not accept the flashlight inside the building. It is better to bring a video light together with you as some rooms could be dark.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at the National Gallery of Victoria:
1. Front arch gate with water run over glass façade in the backdrop
2. Front gate with stone façade and ornamental pool in the backdrop
3. Backyard pink pool with tips of the city skyline
4. Inside display rooms with exceptional artwork.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at the National Gallery of Victoria:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 35mm Prime
3. 85mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 10 people
Address: 250-300 St Kilda Rd, Southbank VIC 3006
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Free Parking could be found nearby. Normal
Permit: Needed as a wedding photography location
National Gallery of Victoria @ Google Map
Hoiser Lane Melbourne
Extending between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane, Hoiser Lane is a place filled with urban arts. If you love street culture and love to have that vibe shown in your wedding photos, Hosier Lane is probably the best location we could go to on your wedding day.
Set in the heart of Melbourne CBD, the parking for the couple and wedding photographers could be hard. From a wedding photographer’s perspective, I always add at least 10 more mins on top of the photo shooting time. When the couple arrived earlier, they could have a bit of refreshment and retouch before the photo shoot session started.
As one of the most famous graffiti works in Melbourne, Hoiser Lane also has heaps of tourists on most weekends. When the street is a bit bush, we could walk into the side laneway called Rutledge Lane. Normally we should have much less interference here. So, both wedding photographers and couples could focus more on capturing the wedding photos.
The background sometimes could look a bit messy as the painting work keep stacking on each other. My personal preference here is to choose a relatively large paint rather than the smaller one. Then when we use the wide-angle lens, the background of your wedding photos could look a bit more consistent.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Hosier Lane Melbourne:
1. Head to Rutledge Lane when too many tourists
2. Choose relatively large paint rather than smaller ones.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Hosier Lane Melbourne:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 8 people
Address: Hoiser Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Paid Parking. Hard
Permit: Not Required as a wedding photography location
Hoiser Lane @ Google Map
Luna Park Melbourne
Nested on the coastline of Port Philip Bay in St Kilda, Luna Park Melbourne is an amusement theme park open to all Melbournians. It is also a superior place for capturing your wedding photos when you prefer a bit of fun, a bit of carnival, and a bit of uniqueness perfectly mixed together.
The first spot for shooting wedding photos is the front gate of Luna Park Melbourne. The exceptional design of the front façade makes here a landmark for wedding photography. A lower wide-angle shot with the couple standing in the middle is the classic way to shoot wedding photos here. For the photographer, you also need to watch the lighting here. It does not have any coverage or shade here, so coming here a bit late in the afternoon is preferable.
Walking inside the park, my favorite is the carousel horse riding place. The couple and bridal party could jump on the horse and chat about their childhood. Let emotion and memory play the main role, and photographers could shoot in a more ambient and candid way. Besides the normal wide angle and close-up portrait, you could also shoot the slow shutter photography here. Let the couple keep an intimate pose and the background carousel horse just keeps running, you will have a stunning wedding photo.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Luna Park Melbourne:
1. Front Gate during the late afternoon
2. Carousel Horse with the couple and bridal party riding
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Luna Park Melbourne:
1. 35mm Prime
2. 85mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 10 people
Address: 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda VIC 3182
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Paid Parking. Normal
Permit: Not Needed for capturing wedding photos outside the park, needed if you prefer to come in.
Luna Park Melbourne @ Google Map
St Ignatius’ Church Backyard
When we talk about the most gorgeous and beautiful places for couples to tie the knot, St Ignatius’ Church at Richmond is definitely one of them that keeps popping out of my memory. Besides the stunning architecture inside the church, you could also find the perfect Melbourne CBD skylines at its backyard stairs. When there is no wedding ceremony held, St Ignatius’ Church is a fantastic location for the wedding photo shoot as well.
Standing on the arguably highest point of Melbourne’s Inner suburb Richmond, you could simply have the Melbourne CBD high-rise buildings as the backdrop of your wedding photos. Start with the couple standing on the city side stairs, wedding photographer could shoot on the other side of the stair with a telephoto lens. A 70-200mm one is probably the best one to shoot the couple with distance and compress the space feelings between the Melbourne skylines and the couple.
After we have done with the telephone shoot, we could come to the same stair when the couple stays. As we are on a sweeping stair, so it is kind to shoot at eye level. The cars parking under the stairs could make the whole image a bit messy, so try to avoid shooting downward at all.
I also love to shoot the couple holding each other’s hands and walking down the stairs together. The brick wall of St Ignatius Church throws us an exceptional and clean backdrop. The wedding photographer could perfectly shoot some intimate images of the interaction between the couple.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at St Ignatius’ Church Backyard
1. Shoot the standing on the city side stair with the distance.
2. Get close to the couple for the whole Melbourne city skyline backdrop picture
3. Capture the couple from a side angle when they walking down the stairs.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at St Ignatius’ Church Backyard:
1. 24mm Prime
2. 35mm Prime
3. 70-200mm Zoom Telephoto
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: Only for the couple
Address: 326 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Free Parking is available nearby. Normal
Permit: Not Need for capturing wedding photos at this place
St Ignatius’ Church @ Google Map
Albert Park
When you love to capture your wedding photos at a lakeside urban park with the city views in the backdrop, we probably need to head to Albert Park.
Located about 3km south of Melbourne city center, Albert Park owns some superior spots for newlyweds and wedding photographers to capture stunning photos.
My favorite spot for taking wedding photos here is the parallel piers in front of the Melbourne Argonauts Rowing Club. Let the couple hang around on the first pier to the Melbourne city side. The wedding photographer could shoot from the bank side with more lake view in the backdrop or capture the couple from the next pier with more city skylines shown in the background. The lighting of sunny days late afternoon or cloudy days performs better for your wedding photography here. I normally will bring my 35mm prime lens to shoot the couple or bridal party in the environment, and my 85mm prime lens to shoot the couple’s portrait or capture from a bit far away angle.
Alternatively, you could also head to 22 Aughtie Dr. Parking on the other side of Albert Park Lake. Walking to the nearby lawns or walking tracks with the lake and city view in the backdrop. On this side of Albert Park, you are able to put both the lake and city skylines in the backdrop of your wedding photos.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Albert Park
1. Piers in front of Melbourne Argonauts Rowing Club
2. Walking tracks or lawns close to 22 Aughtie Drive Parking.
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Albert Park
1. 35mm Prime
2. 85mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 8 people
Address: 326 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Paid Parking for weekdays and weekends. Normal
Permit: Not Need for capturing wedding photos at this place
Albert Park @ Google Map
Southbank Promenade and the Nearby Bridges
When you try to stay as close as possible to your wedding venues in the Melbourne CBD and prefer to have Melbourne city view as your backdrop for wedding photos, Southbank Promenade and the nearby bridges will be the only choice.
Runs along the southern bank of Yarra River, Southbank Promenade, between St Kilda Road and Queensbridge Road, and owns some epic spots for your wedding photography. When wedding receptions hold nearby, most couples also love to have one or two images with the night view of Melbourne City.
I will normally park in the underground park under Langham Hotel when the couple prefers me to capture some of their wedding photos here. My favorite spot is the platform close to Hamer Hall. When we set the couple here for wedding photos, we could simply have quite a few Melbourne Iconic landmarks such as Flinders Station, Federation Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, etc. in our backdrop of the wedding photos. No matter whether the couple like more classic stills or a bit more natural and candid walking, this view won’t make you disappointed when your wedding photographer shows you their artwork.
The next spot I will go to is the pier for Melbourne River Cruises in front of the Southgate shopping centre. Compared to the last spot, this one is much closer to the Yarra River and lower for the photographer’s shooting angle. The high-rise buildings, the Flinders Station, and the Yarra River will be composed closer to each other as the backdrop.
If you prefer to shoot just above the river and have both sides of the city view in your wedding pictures, we could move to the Southbank Pedestrian Bridge. Right in the middle of the bridge, we have a special design and built platform for taking photos on this bridge.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Southbank Promenade and Nearby Bridges
1. Platform close to Hamer Hall
2. Pier in front of the Southgate shopping centre
3. Southbank Pedestrian Bridge
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Southbank Promenade and Nearby Bridges
1. 24mm Prime
2. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: up to 8 people
Address: Southbank Promenade, Melbourne VIC 3000
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Paid Parking. Harder than hard.
Permit: Not Need for wedding photography shoot sessions
Victoria Harbor Promenade at Dockland
It is a new trend that the couple will ask you to have some wedding photos with a city view during the night. We could make it during the reception formalities or just do an after-party photo shoot. If your wedding is not too far away from Dockland, then Victoria Harbor Promenade is probably one of the best places for shooting night wedding photography.
Extended on the southern side of Dockland Harbor, Victoria Harbor Promenade is an exceptional place to shoot night wedding photography. The Bolte Bridge on the west, the high-rise buildings on the north, and the Marvel Stadium on the East are all normally lit during the night. As you don’t have to consider the lighting for the backdrop, the rest work for stunning night wedding photos is much less complicated. The wedding photographer could set one flashlight from the back or one from behind and one from the side both work perfectly.
Preferred Wedding Photography Angles at Victoria Harbor Promenade at Dockland
1. The park which is close to the corner of Victoria Harbor Promenade and Harbour Esplanade, with the wooden pillars and Bolte Bridge in the background
2. The decking area in front of Watermark Dockland with the Marvel Stadium in the backdrop
Preferred Wedding Photography Lens at Victoria Harbor Promenade at Dockland
1. 35mm Prime
2. 50mm Prime
Suitable Bridal Party Size at this Wedding Photo Location: Normally couples only for night wedding photography.
Address: Victoria Harbor Promenade, Docklands VIC 3008
Parking For Wedding Photographers: Paid Parking. Normal
Permit: Not Required for wedding photoshoot sessions
“Not That Good” Wedding Photography locations in Melbourne
We have walked through our recommended places above for capturing your wedding photo sessions in Melbourne. However, I believe it is also important to let you know the Locations We Do Not Recommend to organize the wedding photo shoot. The places below are the locations where myself, my colleague and our couples got issues previously.
1. Shrine of Remembrance
Set in between the St Kilda Road and the Royal Botanical Garden, the Shrine of Remembrance owns spectacular architecture. It also has one of the best spots to capture the city skylines extending along St Kilda Road. Lots of Melbourne’s landmarks such as Flinders Station, NGV, and St Paul’s Cathedral could be shown in your photos. On paper, this place owns so many beautiful features for creating excessive wedding photos.
However, the Shrine of Remembrance is built to recall and show respect for Australians serviced during wartime. We need to show our respect to the people who protected this land before. Additionally, securities show up quite often here. They will ask you to leave when you wear the wedding dress. Sometimes, things could even go worse. The officials may show up and ask the wedding photographer to delete everything recorded in the camera.
2. Any Beach Locations When Windy
As Melbourne residents, we love this city. That is why we choose to work, live and get married here. However, when it comes to the weather especially out of summer, Melbourne is wild. Due to the prevailing westerlies, Melbourne’s beaches are quite windy for at least 1/3 of the whole year.
For wedding photography, it loves a bit breezy, but definitely not the strong wind. It will ruin the bride and bridesmaids’ hair and makeup. As a wedding photographer, you always need to check your weather app on your mobile phone before heading to any beach spot to capture wedding photos. Moreover, heading to the beach as the last location for a wedding photo shoot is my recommendation. You could get away from the potential harsh light during the middle of the day and the bride and her squad get some time at the reception’s bridal suite for a retouch.
3. Any Location takes more than 1 hour to travel
For most of the weddings, we will have some pressure from time. Try to leave more time for morning preparations, for perfectly showing up at the end of the aisle, for more mingling with relatives and friends, and for more photos or raw footage recorded, etc. Spending time on these is better than heading somewhere far away, jumping out of the car, taking a quick 3 minutes photo session then going.
The locations listed here are for weddings that happen in metropolitan Melbourne — mostly within 50km of Melbourne CBD. For weddings that will be organized a bit far away, organizing the wedding photo session onsite or nearby to save up the traveling time will smooth your wedding day heaps.
About the Author
Dreamer, Laugher, Violin Player, Oil Painter, and Saltwater Fish Lover. Yea, these are all parts of me. Besides these, I am a wedding photographer who has shot more than 300 weddings, mostly in Melbourne. Naturally documenting the best you and capturing authentic emotions is my philosophy for this job.
About This Blog
This article was written, sorry for being this massively long, to give you a bit of information about the locations for the wedding day photo shoot. Hopefully, after the reading, you now could decide which Melbourne landmark is your favourite to set up as the backdrop for your wedding photos. Please contact me if you are unsure of anything or just want to talk about your weddings.
