These exquisite bridal portraits take our breath away. They are effortless, natural, sophisticated and timeless. In fact, that was the brief for this photoshoot, which took place in Sydney’s Blue Mountains, Bondi Beach, Sydney Observatory, Surry Hills and Woolloomooloo. What amazing work, Indra of Iluminen!
This lovely couple, who met and courted in Sydney, wanted to seal a number of precious memories with their bridal portraits. This included the Sydney Observatory, which was where Christopher asked Calista out for the first time. “I love how Indra was really able to connect with what we were trying to achieve,” said Calista. “He chose a few venues in Sydney that had stunning views but that were also meaningful to us.”
“My best memories were actually every step of our bridal portraits photoshoot. I remember thinking through the whole concept, venues, attire and other matters with Indra, and it was a very collaborative process. Tasha of Iluminen also helped us to bring the concept to life by preparing a PDF document listing the itinerary, concept for each venue, inspirations for outfits, makeup, hair, mood, etc. Everything they did was incredibly helpful to us in preparing for the shoot.
“We had tremendous fun with Indra during the two-day photoshoot; he is such a lively and grounded individual to work with. Every fear of feeling awkward before the camera melted away. Everything seemed to flow naturally with his help, who was so much fun. Plus, he had a playlist for us, which eased the tension and built up the right mood for each of the concepts.
“I remember we planned to shoot early in the morning to catch the sunrise, and we were quite late as I needed to do my own makeup and hair, but Indra was calm and never tried to rush us. In the end, we got there just in time! Overall, our entire experience was fantastic and we are super happy with the results. Kudos to the Iluminen team!”
Tips from the bride-to-be: “Know yourself and what suits you, what you want, and what makes you comfortable. Don’t just follow the trends because they come and go. Stay chic, classy and timeless. Do your research to get new inspiration on venues, clothes, accessories, etc. Get to know your photographer, talk to them and share your ideas with them. On the day of the photoshoot, just be yourself and be comfortable with each other, even if it means being silly or dancing like no one is watching. My favourite Instagram accounts for inspiration were the_lane, alli.studio and Iluminen.”
CALISTA & CHRISTOPHER {Australia}
Photography by Indra Kantawibawa of Iluminen / Bridal Gown by Sapto Djojokartiko / Jewellery by Sarah & Sebastian / Location Blue Mountains, Bondi Beach, Sydney Observatory, Surry Hills, Woolloomooloo in Sydney, Australia