Newlyweds during sunset at Sydney's Athol Hall Wedding Venue

Marissa & Ben

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of my professional career in 2022 was shooting Ben & Marissa’s wedding at Athol Hall in Sydney. A month or so before the wedding I met this gorgeous couple for the first time on location for their pre-wedding shoot. The shoot was a great chance to interact with each other before their wedding photos at Athol Hall in Sydney. We ended up taking some stunning photos around Newtown before their Athol Hall Wedding. They were an absolute joy to photograph.

A Meaningful Ceremony held at Newtown Wedding Venue

Before our wedding photos at Athol Hall, a ceremony was held locally at a Newtown Wedding venue. Ben & Marissa had dreamed of marrying in the church where they frst met; Newtown Mission. Thanks to our pre-wedding shoot a month prior I was already familiar with the venue. Marissa & Ben were lovely enough to show me around and explain the layout of their soon-to-be wedding.

The venue is wild at first glance and in its own way a complete reflection of Newtown. It’s certainly eclectic which is reflected in the crazy book of revelations painting on the ceiling. It was certainly one of the first things I noticed upon entering the venue. Ben & Marissa explained that they admired how funky and weird the venue was.

The ceremony itself was gorgeous. Marrisa’s bridesmaids were dressed in a variety of beautiful colours and the boys were dapper as can be. Throughout the ceremony, I caught tonnes of cute moments between Ben & Marissa. These moments are so joyously present in the wedding gallery below.

Sunset Wedding Photos at Athol Hall

If you’ve never been to Athol Hall for a wedding in Sydney, the best way to describe it is MAGICAL. The venue is hidden within Sydney’s very own National Park. It also includes a heritage-listed building that houses a direct view of the city skyline and Sydney’s national treasures; the harbour bridge and Opera House. There are so many options for wedding photos on this stunning property.

We commenced the wedding photo session on Athol Hall’s front lawn. As always I started the session with a series of walking shots which got Ben & Marissa relaxed and giggly. These two were so in love they barely needed guidance. After taking photos on the lawn we walked around to the front of Athol Hall. The front of Athol Hall photographs extremely well due to its old-fashioned architecture and eye-pleasing symmetry.

The photo session wrapped up in the Courtyard behind Athol Hall. If you’re lucky enough to do wedding photos at Athol Hall I highly recommend taking advantage of this courtyard during sunset. Athol hall features a lovely stone courtyard behind the main building which offers a direct view of the city skyline and sunset. Ben & Marissa were daring enough to climb Athol Hall’s stone wall to get what I believe are some of the best sunset wedding photos I have ever taken. The sun flare coupled with the stunning views from Athol Hall made for some standout wedding photos.

Wedding Festivities in a Restored Heritage Building

The evening festivities took place within Athol Hall’s heritage-listed building. The setup was stunning and intimate, with all of Ben & Marissa’s guests spread across 3 long dining tables. It was a great chance for everyone to get to know one another, fostering some of the best guest vibes I’ve seen in a while.

The speeches took place at the entrance of Athol Hall. I was able to catch many precious moments as Ben’s brothers & the couple's parents got up to speak. In between festivities the catering at Athol Hall was seamless and of exceptional quality. Everyone was extremely pleased with their service, including the other vendors.

After the speeches, the dance floor opened up at the entrance of Athol hall where speeches had just taken place. To say this dance floor was crazy would be an understatement. Ben & Marissa started it off with a gorgeous first dance. Towards the end, their bridal party joined them. I don’t think anyone left that dance floor until the Bride and Groom’s departure.

To conclude the evening the guests made a sparkler arch out the front of Athol Hall. Ben & Marissa shared a cute moment inside Athol Hall alone before joining their guests outside for some sparkler photos. The doors of Athol Hall opened and the two ran through the arch. I gave the two a warm hug on my way out and wished them my very best for their future together.