Jack Rabbit sits on the bluff at Bellarine with views straight across the bay to the You Yangs, and I’ve photographed enough weddings here to know exactly what the light does at every hour of the day.
Stephanie and Christian got married here on a 4pm ceremony, natural and native styling, 75 guests, the whole thing wrapped around that golden window when the light off the bay goes soft and the vines catch the last of the sun. It’s one of my favourite Jack Rabbit weddings, and a good example of how a day here can come together.
What I love about shooting here
The ceremony space faces the water, which means afternoon ceremonies get that soft bay light without anyone squinting into the sun. The vines below the restaurant catch the last of the golden hour, and there’s a spot near the top of the drive that most photographers walk straight past. It gives you the whole peninsula in one frame.
Because I’ve shot here plenty of times, I know which corners of the vineyard photograph best at which hour, and where to go if the wind picks up off the water. Little things, but they buy you more time enjoying the day instead of standing around waiting for a photographer to figure out the light.
Photo timeline tips for Jack Rabbit
If you’re getting married at Jack Rabbit, here’s what I’d suggest.
Book your ceremony for late afternoon if you can, the way Stephanie and Christian did with their 4pm start. The ceremony space faces west across the bay, so anything from 4pm onward gets that soft, golden quality without harsh shadows.
Leave enough time after the ceremony for portraits through the vines before your reception starts. Stephanie and Christian had a 4:30pm finish and 5:45pm reception start, which gave us just over an hour to make the most of the light without anyone feeling rushed.
If you want that peninsula-view shot from the top of the drive, mention it early. It only works in a narrow window before the light drops too low.
Talk to your venue coordinator about timing your reception entrance for just after sunset. The restaurant’s windows catch the last of the colour in the sky, and it makes for some of the best reception photos of the night.
Stephanie and Christian’s day
These two met on a night Stephanie had just come off a shift and told Christian she’d rather stay home than go out. He came over anyway, she tested him with Devil Wears Prada, and they’ve been inseparable since. Seven years later he proposed at Halls Gap, after apparently giving up on the scenic mountain lookout idea somewhere around Stephanie’s third complaint about snakes, and just ran her a bath instead.
That’s the kind of easy, unfussy energy they brought to their wedding day too. Natural and native styling, 75 of their people, and a ceremony that was over almost as fast as it started because neither of them wanted a big show, just their favourite people in one place. When I asked what they’d want to be looking at in the album in ten years, Stephanie said it plainly: the moments between the two of them, having the best time. That’s what we shot for.
Planning a Jack Rabbit wedding? Three packages, prices published, starting at $2,500. Your full gallery is delivered within 21 days, guaranteed. If it’s late, you get a $500 credit towards an album or wall art.
