Brianna & Katelyn — an intimate Kittyhawk wedding in the heart of Sydney

11 Nov

Some weddings fill a cathedral. Brianna and Katelyn's filled one small candlelit room in the heart of Sydney, and honestly, it was one of the warmest I've ever photographed.

The morning began at The Old Clare Hotel in Chippendale, all exposed brick and soft light, pearls and black velvet, a glass of something cold before the day properly began. There's a particular calm to getting ready for a small wedding. No production line, no crowd, just the people closest to you and a slow build of nerves and excitement.

Their ceremony and celebration were held in a hidden art-deco bar tucked away in the city. Dark timber, aged mirrors, candlelight, and that gorgeous worn-in grandeur you couldn't recreate if you tried. Brianna and Katelyn leaned all the way into it: black and gold tables, deep red blooms, taper candles, a room dressed to match two people with serious style.

But here's what made the day: it was small on purpose, and you could feel why. One big family, a tight circle of friends, everyone packed into one candlelit room, close enough to reach out and touch the couple as they said their vows. No distance, nobody just making up numbers. Every single person there was there for them, and it showed in every frame — the laughter, the tears, the way the whole room leaned in.

That's the quiet argument for an intimate wedding. When you strip a day back to only the people who truly matter, what's left isn't less, it's more. More connection, more feeling, more of the thing a wedding is actually for.

Brianna and Katelyn, thank you for letting me into a day this full of love. Wishing you both a lifetime of exactly this.

Dreaming of a small, intimate wedding in Sydney? Whether it's twenty of your favourite people or a quiet celebration somewhere unexpected, I'd love to hear about it.‍ ‍Get in touch