Rae & Minh’s Intimate Registry Office Wedding in Adelaide
Some weddings are big and elaborate. Others are small, relaxed, and filled with the people who matter most.
Rae and Minh wanted the latter.
When they first came to me, they told me they wanted a wedding that felt like their own. Nothing overly formal. Just a simple day with their closest friends and family, followed by a relaxed celebration where everyone could eat, drink, wander around and enjoy each other’s company.
I actually met Rae and Minh before their wedding day. They booked one of my complimentary engagement sessions last year, so by the time their wedding arrived, we already knew each other a little. We had wandered around Adelaide CBD together, taken photos, talked, laughed and, most importantly, gotten comfortable in front of the camera.
That made seeing them on their wedding day feel a little more special.
Their Adelaide Registry Office Wedding
Rae and Minh chose to have their ceremony at the Adelaide Registry Office.
It was intimate and simple, with their closest people there to witness them get married.
There wasn't a huge production or a long list of things that had to happen. There was just that lovely feeling of everyone being there for the same reason.
To celebrate them.
I love photographing Registry Office weddings for this reason. There is often so much room for the little moments. The nervous smiles before the ceremony. The way friends look at the couple. The hugs afterwards. Someone laughing at something completely unrelated while everyone is supposed to be standing still.
Those are the things I want to remember too.
From the Registry Office to Adelaide Cottage Kitchen
After the ceremony, everyone headed to Adelaide Cottage Kitchen for a cocktail-style celebration.
Rather than having everyone sit down for a formal reception, the evening was much more relaxed. Guests could move around, talk to one another, grab a canapé and catch up with people they might not have seen in a while.
And honestly, this is my favourite kind of wedding to photograph.
Give people enough space to forget that I'm there and something always happens.
Someone starts laughing.
Someone tells a story.
Two friends who haven't seen each other in years suddenly end up in a corner talking.
Someone pulls the newlyweds into a hug.
The room starts moving.
That's when I start looking for my photographs.
Why I Love Intimate Weddings
I think there is something really beautiful about having fewer people at your wedding.
Not because bigger weddings aren't wonderful. They absolutely can be.
But with an intimate wedding, there is often more time to actually be with the people you invited.
You can hear the conversations.
You can spend a little longer with your parents.
You can laugh with your friends without worrying about getting through a hundred different formalities.
And your wedding can feel much more like a gathering of the people you love rather than an event you have to perform.
That's what I loved about Rae and Minh's day.
It felt like them.
Planning a Registry Office Wedding in Adelaide?
A Registry Office ceremony doesn't have to be the entire wedding day.
You can keep the ceremony simple and then celebrate however you want afterwards. A cocktail party, a long lunch, dinner with your favourite people, or even a small gathering somewhere that means something to you.
There really isn't one right way to get married.
If you're planning an intimate wedding, Registry Office ceremony or elopement in Adelaide, I'd love to hear what you're dreaming up.
You don't need to know how to pose either.
That's my job.
I'll probably make you laugh, give you a little direction when you need it, and then let you get back to being with your people.
Rae & Minh’s Wedding at a Glance
Couple: Rae & Minh
Wedding style: Intimate Registry Office wedding
Ceremony: Adelaide Registry Office
Celebration: Adelaide Cottage Kitchen
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Engagement session: Adelaide Suburbs
Photography style: Candid, documentary-inspired and people-focused
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you have a reception after a Registry Office wedding in Adelaide?
Absolutely. Rae and Minh had their Registry Office ceremony followed by a relaxed cocktail-style celebration at Adelaide Cottage Kitchen. A Registry Office ceremony can be followed by whatever kind of celebration feels right for you.
Are Registry Office weddings suitable for intimate weddings?
Yes. A Registry Office ceremony can be a lovely option for couples who want something simple and meaningful with their closest family and friends.
Do you photograph Registry Office weddings in Adelaide?
Yes. In Ecstatic Motion photographs Registry Office ceremonies, elopements and intimate weddings across Adelaide and South Australia.
Do we need to know how to pose?
Not at all. In fact, I'd prefer if you didn't.
I'll give you direction when it's helpful, but I'm much more interested in what happens when you forget I'm holding a camera. The laughing, the awkward bits, the hugs, the little glances and everything in between.