Shambala Estate | Tamborine Mountain

Some weddings have a really easy going feel from the moment you arrive, and Erica and Lucas’s day at Shambala Estate was definitely one of those. Perfect spring weather, a beautiful mountain setting, a great bunch of family and friends and a couple who were completely comfortable around each other meant there was never any shortage of laughs or things happening.

We started with the girls getting ready, where spirits were high and a glass of champagne was shared out on the deck before we headed over to see what the boys were up to. There was plenty of noise coming from their room as everyone got ready, with the usual mix of tying ties, fixing the final details and giving each other a hard time. We grabbed a few photos together before the boys headed off towards the chapel, and I went back to the girls as the dresses went on.

Erica looked incredible in her full gown, with her mum and sister helping with the final buttons before we grabbed some photos with the bridal party and a few of Erica on her own. Her dad then came in to see his daughter for the first time, and it was one of those quiet moments that didn’t need much direction. Just a dad seeing his daughter dressed for her wedding day.

The chapel at Shambala is a pretty special spot for a ceremony, and by the time everyone arrived the boys were waiting outside doing their best to look completely relaxed. They headed in to cheers from the guests before the bridal party made their way down the aisle. The doors closed, everyone waited, and when they opened again Erica appeared at the other end with every eye in the room on her. Lucas wasn’t exactly subtle about where his attention was either.

Their celebrant told the story of how Erica and Lucas first met in Japan, which gave everyone a bit more insight into the two of them and brought plenty of laughs along with the more heartfelt moments. They exchanged rings, shared their first kiss and made their way back down the aisle to a huge cheer from everyone. Halfway down, Lucas stopped to kiss his new wife’s hand, which was a beautiful way to finish the ceremony.

Once they stepped outside, they were quickly surrounded by family and friends wanting hugs, handshakes and congratulations. We slipped away to a little side garden so they could sign the certificate before getting everyone together for a big group photo and the family photos. After that, the guests headed off to enjoy cocktail hour while we kept the bridal party together for a little longer.

A drink was definitely in order by this stage, so the bridal party relaxed with a few beers before we got into some photos. We grabbed the classic shots but also had plenty of fun with it, including the boys deciding that throwing Lucas into the air was a good idea. He came back down rather harder than planned, but thankfully survived the experience. We finished up on the chapel stairs with a full bridal party shot inspired by Vanity Fair, which turned out to be one of my favourites from the day.

Once the bridal party joined everyone else at cocktail hour, we were left with just Erica and Lucas. The grounds at Shambala are made for this part of the day, with plenty of different looks all within a short walk of each other. We wandered to the gazebo, past the fountain and around the hedges, making the most of the golden hour light as it started to settle across the property.

The two of them were so relaxed together that we could just let things happen rather than constantly directing them. There was a few laughs, plenty of quiet moments and the occasional excuse to stop, kiss, and take in what was going on around them. It was one of those sessions where the location does some of the work for you and the couple simply need to be themselves.

Back in the side garden, their guests were making the most of cocktail hour, catching up and enjoying a few drinks before the reception. I grabbed some relaxed group photos as everyone mingled, and before long it was time for the guests to make their way inside.

The reception room was perfectly styled and the bridal party were waiting upstairs as the guests settled in. The groomsmen were introduced first and came down the stairs with a choreographed entrance that immediately got the crowd going. The girls were still upstairs watching it all unfold, clearly aware that the boys had just made their job a little harder.

The bridesmaids followed to huge cheers before Erica and Lucas finally made their entrance, with everyone on their feet to welcome them in. From there things settled into speeches, dinner and the cake cutting before the two of them made their way onto the dance floor for their first dance. It was a beautiful moment, made even better when their guests joined them halfway through.

The next song kicked in and the DJ lifted the pace, which was all the invitation this crowd needed. The dance floor was packed and everyone seemed to completely forget about behaving themselves for the camera. They knew how to have a good time, and by that stage there wasn’t much for me to do except get in amongst it and photograph what was happening.

Erica and Lucas had the sort of wedding where everything felt easy. Great people, plenty of laughs, a few questionable decisions involving the groom being thrown into the air, and a dance floor that stayed full once the music really got going. A perfect wedding for a fun couple on Tamborine Mountain.

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