I photograph weddings right across Brisbane — riverside ceremonies in the city, warehouse receptions in the Valley and Teneriffe, and out into the Scenic Rim, Toowoomba and the Sunny Coast.
Most of what follows isn't about me. It's the practical stuff I've picked up shooting here: what are some great venues, what time of year is a good choice, whether you need permits or not, etc.
If you're planning a Brisbane wedding, this should save you a few conversations.
SOME of my favourite BRISBANE VENUES
Where I haven't shot a venue before, I scout it beforehand and arrive early — walking the space in the right light matters more than having been there.
A note on 2026: the Brisbane venue landscape has shifted this year. Victoria Park Function Centre closed in May to make way for Olympic infrastructure ahead of the 2032 Games, and Smoked Garage wound up the same month. Both still appear on venue lists published recently — check the date on any guide you're working from.
Kooroomba Vineyard
Brisbane Powerhouse
The Refinery
Bougainvillea House
MORE BRISBANE venues
Others worth a look while you're deciding — venue pages coming soon.
THE BEST TIME of year to get married in BRISBANE
Every season here shoots differently, and the thing that changes most between them is when the sun goes down. That single number drives your whole timeline — when the ceremony starts, whether portraits happen before or after canapés, how long your guests stand in the heat. So here's the year as I've experienced it, month by month, with the light times that matter.
Autumn — March to May
SUNSET 5:50PM → 5:00PM
The best season in Brisbane, and it isn't close. The humidity breaks in March, the storms stop, and you get week after week of dry, mild, clear days. The sun sits lower so the light is soft for longer, and there's none of the harsh overhead glare that makes summer midday portraits hard work.
The catch is the early sunset. By May you're losing the light at 5:00pm, so a 4:00pm ceremony is already cutting it fine — golden hour has come and gone before the entrées. May is close to a perfect month to shoot here, which is exactly why it books out first.
Winter — June to August
SUNSET 5:00PM → 5:25PM
Brisbane winter is a gift compared to most of the country: mid-twenties, dry, and almost no rain. The sun never gets high, which means good light nearly all day rather than a narrow window at either end.
But 5:00pm is the earliest sunset of the year, and it catches couples out constantly. A winter wedding wants a ceremony around 2:30 or 3:00pm — which sounds early until you realise it puts portraits in beautiful light and still gets you to the reception before dark. Evenings drop to around 10°C, so an outdoor reception needs heaters and a plan for people to move inside.
Spring — September to November
SUNSET 5:40PM → 6:30PM
The other strong season, and the prettiest. October and November bring jacaranda season — those purple canopies over the streets in New Farm and around the university are worth building a portrait stop around, and they only last a few weeks.
The later sunset gives you room to breathe: a 4:00pm ceremony in November still leaves a comfortable golden hour. The trade-off is that November is the front edge of storm season, so this is the point in the year where you want an indoor option you'd genuinely be happy with, not a contingency you're dreading.
Summer — December to February
SUNSET 6:45PM → 6:30PM
The hard one, and the cheapest to book for that reason. Daily afternoon storms are routine rather than possible, and the humidity is the kind that flattens hair inside ten minutes. Thirty-plus degrees with eighty percent humidity is not a temperature you want guests sitting in on a lawn at 3pm.
It is entirely doable, though — and some of the most dramatic skies I've ever shot have been summer storm light breaking over the city. It wants an early ceremony, an air-conditioned space to get ready in, and portraits either first thing in the morning or right at the end of the day. The late 6:45pm sunset actually helps here: it pushes the good light past the worst of the heat.
The short version: April, May, September and October are the months I'd pick. Autumn and winter give you reliable weather and gentle light but an early finish; spring and summer give you a long evening but weather you have to plan around. Either way, send me your date and I'll tell you exactly what the light does that day and build a timeline around it.
WHERE we'll actually SHOOT
A shortlist, with the parts other guides leave out.
Kangaroo Point Cliffs
The skyline shot, and it earns its reputation at sunset. The catch is access: the street below the cliffs is narrow, permanently busy, and miserable to get out of on a Saturday. Park up on Pixley or Hamilton Street and walk in along the river. Budget the extra ten minutes rather than discovering it on the day.
New Farm Park
The fig trees and the rose gardens, and the most forgiving light of any park in the city because there's shade almost everywhere. Popular, so early or late beats mid-afternoon.
City Botanic Gardens
Enormous variety in a small footprint, and walkable from most CBD venues — the efficient choice when the timeline is tight.
Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens
The range of backdrops is unmatched: rainforest, bamboo, arid garden, all within a few minutes' walk. It's a drive from the CBD though, so it works when it's the destination, not a stop.
Teneriffe & the Valley
Woolstore brick, laneways, and consistent shade. Where I go when the sun is high and unhelpful.
South Bank and the river
City and water in one frame. Busy in a way that reads as energy rather than clutter, if that's your thing.
PERMITS: what you actually need
This trips couples up more than anything else, and it's rarely explained properly. Brisbane City Council requires a permit for promotional wedding photography in spaces it manages, and for exclusive use of a park. In practice the line falls roughly here:
Portrait sessions — a couple, a photographer, walking through a public park — usually don't need one.
Ceremonies — anything with chairs, an arbor, a celebrant and guests, particularly on the popular lawns — generally do. Sites are often booked in two-hour blocks.
Vehicle access into parkland needs separate approval and a $110 key bond, and wedding cars can't be driven onto grass unless there's an existing road.
National parks are a different system again: Queensland Parks and Wildlife require a filming and photography notification at least 14 days before you arrive, whether or not a permit is needed.
Applications want a few weeks' notice. If a park ceremony is part of your plan, sort it early and bring the confirmation on the day — and if you're not sure which side of the line you're on, ask me and I'll tell you what I've had to do at that site before.
RECENT Brisbane weddings
Nicole & Ryan at Kooroomba
Story in progress
Story in progress
BRISBANE questions
How far do you travel?
Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Byron Bay, the Tweed and the hinterland are all included — I'm based on the southern Gold Coast. The Sunshine Coast and anywhere beyond is quoted with travel.
Have you shot at our venue?
Probably — and if I haven't, I'll scout it before the day and arrive early. Send me the venue and I'll tell you honestly either way, along with where the light lands there in your month.
When should we book?
Most couples book 12–18 months out. In Brisbane the autumn and winter dates go first — April through August is the busiest window — so if you want May, start early.
What time should our ceremony start?
It depends entirely on the month — see the timing section above. Send me your date and I'll tell you what the light does that day.
Do we need a permit for photos in a park?
Usually not for portraits, often yes for a ceremony. The permits section above covers where the line sits.
What does it cost?
Full-day coverage starts at $3,800, and weekday elopements at $1,400. Full pricing is here.
I take a limited number of weddings each year. Get in touch to check your date and tell me a little about your day.
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