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Sydney Wedding Photographers

We are two professional Sydney wedding photographers. Our personalities are different and so is our approach to photography. You can benefit by getting the best of both worlds.

Be our wedding couple

Who are we?

How do we help before the wedding day?

Engagement photo session

Wedding photography time schedule

Wedding tips & photography tricks

What do we do on your wedding day?

Getting ready photos

Ceremony photography

Bridal shoot photography

Wedding reception photography

Why should I hire you?

Destination wedding photography

What will you be left with after your wedding?

Wedding photography pricing

Our testimonials & reviews

Wedding venues

More answers about our wedding photography

Why do clients choose us for their wedding?



Be our wedding couple

Even the best wedding photographers need one thing - a wedding couple in love. I didn't read that anywhere, I just think that love is the most important ingredient of getting ready for your wedding. No matter what camera is pointing at you on your wedding day, true love will make you love your wedding photos.


I shouldn’t probably say this but - even though photographers can do a lot with photos, you have the main power to make your photos magical.


A simple example of this magic is a little printed photograph framed on Rochelle’s desk. It is a photo of me and her on our first date. That photo is taken from a weird angle and doesn’t follow all rules of good photography. But it captures love. You can see it. Love makes magical photos. We (photographers) are just helpers of love. That's my philosophy... Do you want to be our wedding couple?


Who are we?

We are Jan & Rochelle and you'll have both of us at your wedding. Our photography styles are determined by our personalities. Our strengths and characteristics are described in more detail on our about us page.


We provide a mixture of Jan's authentic candid photographs and Rochelle's fun and traditional photos with guidance where needed.


How do we help before the wedding day?

Planning your wedding day looks hard. Especially if you are doing it for the first time in your life. No, we are not wedding planners, but we help our clients with:

Engagement photo session

Your chance to become comfortable with your wedding photographers before your wedding day.

Wedding photography time schedule

So many things on your wedding day need to be coordinated properly and it can be overwhelming. In the following table are usual photography requests for different stages of your wedding day.


During our pre-wedding consultation, we are looking at your day with you and go through the timesheet of your day with the goal to ensure the best photography outcome for you. Don't worry if you don't know where to start - we do.

If you are planning a small wedding or elopement, check this page.

Wedding tips & photography tricks


We'll talk with you before your wedding about your worries, questions or insecurities and offer our advice based on our experience. Your wedding will not be our first one and you may find our advice valuable.


When it comes to photography tricks - the majority of the wedding photos we take are captured in a documentary way without interrupting the natural flow of what is happening. However, you may appreciate help or expert advice which will affect how you will look in your photos. Some people who are not familiar with being in front of the camera may feel anxious or nervous. Do you need some help with posing? That's all part of our job to make you look your best and feel comfortable.

What do we do on your wedding day?

Getting ready photos

Groom getting ready

We usually spend up to 1.5 hours with the groom, groomsmen and family.


How should the groom & groomsmen be prepared for the getting ready photo shoot?

By the time we arrive, guys should have on:

  • shoes
  • pants
  • shirt

The vest, cufflinks and accessories can be done on camera. The family should also be dressed and ready by the time we arrive.

Groom getting ready - 1.5 Hour Coverage Example
Getting dressed 15 minutes
Detail photos with the groom 15 minutes
Parents & buttonhole 15 minutes
Groom portraits 10 minutes
Groomsmen portraits 10 minutes
Groom and groomsmen group photos 10 minutes
Groom with family 15 minutes


Bride getting ready

We typically spend up to 2 hours of photography time with the bride, bridesmaids and family.

How should the bride & bridesmaids be prepared for getting ready photo shoot?

By the time we arrive, girls should have:

  • hair & makeup completely done
  • robes or dress on
  • bride's family ready for family portraits or dress reveal (with parents, grandparents and/or bridesmaids).


Hair & makeup

We usually don’t photograph hair and makeup being done. If these shots are important to you, we can document this part for you as well or perhaps take a few photos of final touch-ups however we found that photos of makeup being done are not the most effective use of the photographer's time.


Getting ready detail shots

We prefer to take getting ready detail shots with "soul " which means our detailed shots of the dress, shoes, jewellery, veil and bouquet include the bride in those photos - where possible.


Bridal Boudoir Photography

Please note, that we are family-friendly photographers and do not photograph nudity. We can however photograph the bride in her bridal lingerie, veil and garter in an elegant and respectful way. Available on request. Allow 15-30 minutes.


Bride getting ready - 2 Hour Coverage Example
Dressed in robes 15 minutes
Bridal boudair photos 15 minutes
Getting ready 15 minutes
Bride & details 15 minutes
Father-daughter or mother/daughter dress reveal 15 minutes
Grandparents or bridesmaid dress reveal 15 minutes
Bride & bridesmaid portraits 15 minutes
Bride with family photos 15 minutes


Getting ready FAQ

Yes, you need getting ready photos if you wish to have the complete photo story of your wedding day. Skipping this part of wedding photography may look like a good saving tip financially. However, there are so many meaningful moments that can be photographed during this time of wedding preparation with your parents and bridal party. For this reason, we do not recommend skipping getting ready photos.
No. Even though we are two photographers, we use different lenses therefore we have different goals to achieve in each location. For example - while one of us is taking portraits of the bride and her family helping her with her wedding dress, the second photographer is taking detail shots of rings, shoes...etc. Each photo requires a different lens. Having two photographers with the same set of lenses would be in our opinion waste of resources. Our approach means that in the end, you will have a wider variety of images to choose from out of your getting ready photos. Often this question is asked because people believe that dividing photographers into two different locations will save time but one photographer can only concentrate on one goal at a time which is the downside of this option. To cover the scope that two photographers can capture together will take one person double the time.
If you don't believe that it is bad luck to see your partner before the ceremony, then the first look is an opportunity for beautiful emotional photos. The wedding couple also has a rare opportunity for a few private moments before the public part of the wedding day.
Quality photography takes time. We recommend at least 1-2 hours for the girls getting ready photos and a minimum of 45 minutes to 1.5 hours for boys. There are many factors involved in scheduling time for getting ready photos - e.g. the number of people present. If you are getting ready with just your closest friend the photography part needs less time than getting ready with a big group of groomsmen or bridesmaids and family.

Ceremony photography

A typical wedding ceremony takes between 30 minutes to 1 hour.

This is where it comes in handy to have two photographers documenting your wedding the most. We usually start photographing at the wedding ceremony location 15-20 minutes before the actual ceremony starts.


One of us is staying with the groom, the other photographer is waiting for the bride's arrival.


After the start of the ceremony, we capture the most expected ceremony moments from two different angles with four different lenses giving you more variety in the photos.


The most important ceremony photos usually are:

  • the bride walking down the aisle
  • wedding vows
  • wedding ring exchange
  • your first kiss


Straight after the wedding ceremony, everyone hugs and congratulates the newlyweds. This is a good opportunity to organise a large group shot and most importantly family & friends group shots with the bride & groom.


Ceremony FAQ

We ask our clients to prepare a list of the most important groups ready on paper so that we can tick them off as we go and nobody will be missed. It is a good practice to make a bossy family member or friend be your nominated coordinator for this part of the day. This person's role is to help us gather groups together and because this person knows the family members better than we would do, this help can prevent some unintentional hick-ups while gathering your guests.
We recommend allocating 1-2 minutes per group photo. Family photos are usually taken after your wedding ceremony at the same location. If the time has not been scheduled correctly for these important photos you will lose time out of your bridal shoot.
Both options have pros and cons. An outdoor ceremony is a great way to commit for life in a stunning wedding location. An indoor ceremony is a safer bet if you are expecting a thunderstorm on your wedding day or wish to have a religious indoor ceremony. Confident photographers can shoot in rain and use it to their advantage to make photos look soft and romantic. An enemy for your outdoor ceremony pictures is wind. For example, hair blowing over your face during your ceremony will interrupt the magic moment and lower the quality of the photos.
If you are planning to have an outdoor wedding ceremony it is highly recommended to think about a Plan B for wet weather. Hoping that you will have a beautiful sunny wedding day worked for many of our clients, but not for all of them. If you are worried about rain during your bridal shoot - do not worry. There is always a way how to make your bridal shoot images beautiful. Rain will make your bridal shoot different. But the difference can be positive. Of course, you can have a Plan B for your bridal shoot too. We are confident to photograph in rainy conditions if that's what you are asking. If you are brave to stay outside on a rainy day we can use umbrellas, trees, shelters...etc. Just bear in mind, that we do not provide props for wet weather photoshoots - prepare yourself for the option you prefer - we are ready either way.

Bridal shoot photography

Bridal shoot FAQ

The bridal shoot is wedding portrait photography of the bridal party & bride and groom after the ceremony.
The majority of couples have their bridal shoot location picked before the wedding. It may be the location you really love or simply the location of your wedding ceremony or reception venue. We as photographers are happy to go to any location of your choice however on the day we have to pick the best spots within that location based on light, time of day and other conditions at the time of the bridal shoot. E.g. You may love to have a bridal shoot on the beach but the strong wind or heavy rain on your wedding day may force you to change your plan.
You should allow no less than 30 minutes for a bridal shoot. Photography is like a pokie machine in the sense that we could be one click away from that winning shot and the more time we have the more of those shots we can achieve.

Wedding reception photography

Wedding reception photography for us usually starts 15 minutes before the entrance of newlyweds. At this time, we capture photos of the venue, the setting of the tables and detail shots - such as flower decorations, wedding cake (if already available) etc.


The reception photography plan depends on the individual needs of each wedding couple. Every reception can be a little bit different but these are the most usual photography expectations:

  • Bride and groom entrance
  • Photos of the reception venue, wedding cake, and wedding decorations.
  • Photography of wedding speeches.
  • First dance photography
  • Cake cutting photography
  • Bouquet toss photos
  • Garter photography
  • Dance floor photos
  • Bride and groom leaving the venue

Why should I hire you?

The simple answer is: If you like our photography, then you should hire us. We love to work with people, who love the type of photography we are doing. We believe that this is the only right reason, why you should hire your photographer. Other reasons for hiring a photographer can lead to misunderstandings, tension or disappointment from the results of the shoot.


There are other reasons which could make us your favourite Sydney wedding photographer. Maybe you want more from your wedding photographer than just digital files on USB.


What is more than USB in today's digital world? A great thick wedding album - a beautiful photo book created with you, for you by us. Or wall art for your home - a piece of art you will have to find a prominent space for on your wall.


Destination wedding photography

If you are planning your wedding far from Sydney, we could still help you. We love travelling.


What will you be left with after your wedding?

We are photographers who decided to provide more than just pixels on a computer screen to our couples. Our main focus is to give you a physical product as a lifetime reminder of your wedding day. Our high-quality wall art is designed to last a lifetime.


Wedding photography pricing

On our wedding photography pricing page, you will find details and coverage inclusions you may need for comparing us with your other options. My advice is: always make sure that you are comparing apples with apples.

A price is just a number that is useless without details. So pay attention to the details if you are looking for value.


Our testimonials & reviews

If we will write that we are the best wedding photographers for you, you will run away - and you should. However, if you have time to go through the testimonials & reviews of our happy clients, you can find where the real value is in hiring us for your wedding.

Jan and Rochelle truly are amazing and super talented. We are not used to being in front of the camera, but Jan and Rochelle made us feel at ease and some how managed to make us look like we belonged in front of the camera. Their positive, relaxed, fun energy is super contagious. which made it all the more enjoyable as we bounced off each other bringing our laidback carefree nature into the photos. The photos they created were absolutely beautiful and completely us. They captured all our emotions and memories of our special day, in a way that was natural and true to our way of being. Thank you Jan and Rochelle. x - Natalie Smith

Wedding venues

If you are wondering if we have photographed in the venue you have booked for your wedding, know that we are confident to photograph in any venue. It is important to mention that we are also covered by public liability insurance which some venues require from wedding vendors.


More answers about our wedding photography

To help answer some of the questions you may have, we have put together a frequently asked questions page. We are also happy to answer any more questions if you wish to schedule an obligation-free phone call.



Ready to say "I do"?


Why do clients choose us for their wedding?

We ask that question often. Here are some of the answers from our clients:

...in the end, it was between you and one other photographer. He was a little bit cheaper however when we put yours and his photos side by side we just couldn’t justify going with him.

We are all about good feelings when choosing vendors for our wedding and the chemistry was there with you guys from the first phone call.

I was initially looking for someone a little bit more local, but I just couldn’t get that phone call with the photographer from Sydney out of my head and I came back to you because it felt right.

You had really great reviews.

Everybody in your wedding photos looks happy and relaxed. We could tell that they were comfortable with you.

We asked our celebrant on the Northern Beaches about you, he said - If you asked me to recommend a photographer, it would have been them. Rochelle and Jan are awesome, you can book with confidence there.

You photographed my friend's wedding and they couldn’t stop showing me your photos.


We saw how you work at my cousin's wedding and we just knew you are the right photographers for us.


You were the first people we thought of because of what you did for us during our surprise proposal.


I looked at your photos on your website just after I got engaged and thought "wow!" I really liked your photos because they looked beautiful and magical. I showed my fiance straight away and said: I really want to go with these guys! that's why we chose you.


We chose you because of the quality of the photos. When we read your email we felt an instant click with you. Another photographer was recommended to us but their work looked outdated. You also had amazing reviews.

Contact Us


Salava Photography, 3/30 Muston Street, Mosman NSW 2088 +61 435 796 373 info@salavaphotography.com - Privacy Policy - Copyright © 2022