DeRay Simcoe Photography

News from Bulwer St

2007-12-20T23:14:00.000-08:00

Here's the bad news: After 16 months and 112 posts our "Blogger" blog has come to an end.

BUT HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS: We have a new blog featuring bigger, better quality photos and it's located here.

First up on the new blog is the very gorgeous Gareth & Michelle.

Thanks everyone for your support of our blog... we know many of our brides (and grooms) are out there pretending to work but really checking out everyone else's weddings!

The office will be closed from today until Wednesday 2nd of January but don't worry, there will be plenty to blog about on our return as we have two weddings and five portraits between now and the New Year.

I must finish up with photos of course, this is the staff at the DeRay Simcoe Christmas lunch at the Queens Hotel.

Left to right is our best girl Jodie (who else would tidy up our desks and keep the clients happy?), me, my awesome business partner Amber and the very talented wedding assistant Robert:

Of course the ultra cute Aiden:

Merry Christmas to all of our lovely clients and blog stalkers (comments are enabled on the new blog so let us know you are out there and leave us a message).

Diane xx

Blog a dog #6

2007-12-18T21:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a very cute doggie called Astro with his owners Chris and Win... they have recently had a little baby boy so I hope Astro is not feeling too left out!

Diane xx

Mick and Carolyn Tie the Knot

2007-12-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

Mick and Carolyn, a gorgeous young couple were married on a beautiful Sunday in December. Carolyn's family live in Highgate and have attended St Alban's Church for years, so it was the obvious choice for their ceremony. It was a very personal service as their close family friend travelled from over east to conduct the nuptials.

Carolyn wore a lovely dress from Anastasia Collections , one of her bridesmaids made the blue/green bridesmaid dresses. We went to nearby Hyde Park for photos with the bridal party.

Their reception was held at the Boat Shed South Perth. Starting at 4pm, there was a happy relaxed atmosphere. We took some awesome colourful photos on the jetty of the bridal party. It was a lovely afternoon!

A highlight for Diane and I were all the cute kids at this wedding. Here are our favourite photos of them during the big day.

Amber & Diane xx

A few from the weekend...

2007-12-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

We had two weddings last weekend so I am in the middle of editing and spotted these few shots taken by my super talented business partner Amber.

Bride getting out of the car with dad, I like the repetition of heads here...

Fun shot with the bridal party...

Love this one... reminds me of one of my favourite photographers Elliot Erwitt who I have incidently had dinner with! He's really amazing. Yes the man on the left is asleep.

Like the angles on this one and thought a bit of colour might be nice although my favs are usually black and white.

Of course there will be lots more photos from these weddings next week. It will be interesting to see if these photos make the final album as our favourites are not always appreciated!

Diane xx

Blog a Dog #5

2007-12-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple of cute dogs called Monty and Flossie at Whitfords Beach. This shoot was years ago but I love these two!

Diane xx

Fiona & Brendan's Karrinyup Country Club wedding

2007-12-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

Fiona and Brendan were married last month at a stylish civil ceremony at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club. We have had the pleasure of photographing there many times and Tara and her crew always do a fabulous job!

Fiona wore a lovely lace gown with gorgeous button detailing on the back. She carried a bouquet by Romance Roses.

The ceremony was held on the lawns and then the guests mingled around the pool for drinks while we took some photos in the beautiful grounds.

Fiona is a jewellery designer so she had stunning accessories for the day. Huge diamond earrings (yes... these were real girls!) and here's her rings:

And Brendan's unusual ring designed for him by Fiona:

She made this beautiful pearl bracelet but didn't want to spoil it with a clasp so it had to be put on with pliers!

Thanks for a wonderful afternoon guys!

Diane & Jodie xx

Sharon & Jonathan's wedding day

2007-12-03T00:37:00.000-08:00

Sharon & Jonathan live in Sydney but their families helped them plan their amazing wedding in Perth. Sharon was radiant in her beautiful lace gown from Sydney. Their ceremony was held at St Matthews in Guildford with tea ceremonies following at Jonathan's parents' home in Wilson. Everyone was so polite, it was one of the most well organised teas ceremonies I've ever photographed! They can be a bit chaotic!

We had a lovely lunch before heading to East Perth and Northbridge for photos. We found a beautiful Jacaranda tree in East Perth and some funky alleyways and buildings in Northbridge on Money Street.

Sharon & Jonathan's reception for 250 guests was held at the Hyatt in the ballroom. The room looked gorgeous.

Sharon's parents on their wedding day:

It was a pleasure to spend the day with them and their delightful families. Everyone made us feel so welcome... thanks for everything Sharon & Jonathan, your wedding album is going to be spectacular!

The beautiful Sharon is now featuring in our window...

Diane & Amber

Blog a Dog #4

2007-11-28T22:35:00.000-08:00

This is a random Blog a Dog taken at a recent wedding. This guy was interested in what we were doing while taking photos in East Perth. So cute!

Bruce and Anna get married in the hills

2007-11-25T20:31:00.000-08:00

I was so excited Bruce and Anna chose me to photograph their wedding as it was to be held in my home town, Kalamunda. Anna got ready at her parents' home in Pickering Brook, it was gorgeous and over looked a valley of orchards. She wore a stunning Pallas Bride gown which took a bit of getting on!

Anna's mum Lesley is a minister and officated at their ceremony at St Barnabas Anglican Church in Kalamunda. It was such a special and personal ceremony, Lesley did a lovely job.

After the ceremony we found a quiet spot in the bush along Piesse Brook for some bridal party photos. We also took some shots in her parents' orchard before joining the guests for the reception.

The bridal party were driven in style by Frits' cars.

The reception was also held at Anna's parents' home and was catered for by Heyder and Shears.

It was great going back to my old stomping ground, it was such a pleasure being part of your day Anna and Bruce. Seeyou on Wednesday for your album plan!

Amber and Diane
xx

Bree and Jeremy's Wedding

2007-11-22T20:38:00.000-08:00

Bree and Jeremy were blessed with fantastic weather for their wedding earlier this month. Bree wore a gorgeous dress from Zanzis and the bridesmaids looked awesome too. We are photographing one of the bridesmaids, Jasmin's wedding next year. Bree got ready at the couple's home in Dalkeith and Jeremy got ready at the classy Outram Hotel in West Perth.

About 200 guests attended the ceremony on the main lawn at the Cottesloe Civic Center. We took some photos in the grounds of the Civic Center after the ceremony as well as Bishops Road Reserve, a gorgeous spot high above the river.

The reception was held at the University Club (UWA). It's the first time we've been to this venue and we were very impressed.

Thanks for a great day everyone, we look forward to showing you the rest of the photos soon!

Diane and Amber
xx

Blog a Dog #3

2007-11-20T00:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a cute little mutt taken at Fiona's wedding recently (stay tuned for classy wedding pics coming soon). Taken by the very talented Jodie...

Thanks everyone for your feedback about Blog a Dog, seems like a popular feature! Maybe one day we will combine our interests and photograph a doggie wedding! Just joking!

Diane xx

Can you believe I took these around the corner?

2007-11-16T00:42:00.000-08:00

This is Jonathan and Sharon and we look these cool engagement photos around the corner from our office in Bulwer St in a vacant lot. They are getting married tomorrow!

Isn't Sharon going to be a beautiful bride?

Bit of flare for fun...

Here's my newest assistant Jon!

Stay tuned for wedding photos very soon...

Diane xx

Blog a Dog #2

2007-11-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

Our second blog a dog is a photo I took at Bianca and Lucas's wedding in 2005. Diane loves this shot. I entered in our state 'mini merit' awards. One of the judges made a joke about there being two dogs in the photo. It didn't get a great score but did feature in one of our magazine ads.

Amber xx

Maria and Ricardo's Freo Wedding

2007-11-08T23:41:00.000-08:00

Although the weather wasn't perfect all day, Ricardo and Maria made the most of their wedding day and had a great time. A marquee was erected for their ceremony in Bicton Quarantine Park as a last minute precaution due to the weather forecast. After the ceremony we took some shots on the street in Fremantle, always great for veil shots!
The reception was held at lunch time at one of our favourite venues - The Red Herring. We are on their list of recommended photographers so end up there quite often.
We then had a few hours off before meeting up with Ricardo and Maria again in Fremantle for a 'twilight shoot' down at the river. Soon after we arrived the weather went downhill again and we were thinking we'd better head in doors. Good thing we didn't as the showers quickly passed and we got some fantastic shots in the late afternoon light.

Ricardo, Maria, Rob and Amber waiting for the rain clouds to pass.

Everyone at this wedding were just so lovely and helpful. We had a great time.

Amber and Di
xx

Blog a Dog #1

2007-11-02T01:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our first 'Blog a Dog' post. I thought we'd start off with the best dog of all, mine. This is Chelsea our honeymoon dog (we bought her the day we got home from our honeymoon).
She's 2 and a half now. She's been a little put out by the new baby in the family but is still great mates with Aiden. This photo was taken on our winter holiday in Dwellingup last year.

Stay tuned for more 'Blog a Dog' posts.

Amber

Kelly and Mark get married!

2007-10-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

We first met Mark and couple of years ago when he was groomsman for our lovely clients Abby & Richard who were married in 2005. Fast forward to 2007 and Mark married the lovely Kelly at the St Georges Cathedral in the city. It is a beautiful church that is being renovated, the inside is spectacular and the outside will be soon! It's the first time I have photographed a wedding with a tractor in the church grounds!

We went to East Perth for photos, it was a bit rainy towards the end but we made the most of the sunshine while it lasted. Amber and I had a fun time with the bridal party. All the girls were dressed by Dion for Brides.

Their reception was held at the Rydges Hotel in the city, the guests had drinks on the terrace and the canapes were awesome!

Thanks for a great day Kelly & Mark, your wedding album is going to be spectacular.

Diane xx

Gareth & Michelle's Engagement Portrait

2007-10-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of photographing a very cute couple who are getting married in December, Gareth & Michelle. We took the photos near our office in an alleyway off Lake Street, near our favourite cafe Tarts. It's an awesome spot for photos and I loved how these turned out!

Keep practising this look for the wedding Gareth, I love it!

Isn't Michelle going to make a beautiful bride?

Loving this last one...

Diane xx

My weekend

2007-10-22T02:13:00.000-07:00

Don't usually share too much personal stuff but I had a rockin' weekend! Plus now I have my Leica I can take a camera everywhere!

Friday night I went to the Hydey down the road on Bulwer St to see one of my fav singers, Ben Kweller. Took my Leica and tried to get a few shots but the stage was really low and I could hardly see! Also I have a philosophical problem with using flash aimed towards the stage. I did manage to get this one:

Ben was supported by a groovy Perth band called New Rules For Boats :

Here's my buddies Brian and Claire who came with me:

Saturday Amber and I shot Mark and Kelly's wedding at St Georges Cathedral and Rydges Hotel, stay tuned for photos from that next week.

Sunday we went to Rottnest as the support crew for Amber's husband Art as he ran the Rottnest Fun Run. Unfortunately we were slacking off in the sun when Art ran over the line so I nearly missed capturing the big moment!

Here's Aiden enjoying the foam from a carrot juice, so cute! Everything is so much fun when you're seven months old!

Diane xx

Arna and Ryan are married...

2007-10-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

Arna and Ryan were married on a beautiful Friday afternoon in October. They held their ceremony at St Cecelia's in Floreat with the reception at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club.

Arna's stylish dress was by Collette Dinnigan and the girls carried lovely bouquets by Poppy's Florist in Nedlands. The bridal party travelled to UWA for the photos where we enjoyed beautiful light in the afternoon.

Thanks for such an enjoyable day Arna & Ryan, it was a really awesome wedding!

In case we weren't sure who the bride was...

Last minute nerves outside the church...

I photographed Arna's cousin Kate and her husband Cameron's wedding in December, here's a photo of them at the reception, thanks for the referral guys!

Diane xx

Claire and Brian's beautiful winery wedding

2007-10-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

Amber's sister Claire was married on the 6th of October to her gorgeous long-term partner Brian. Amber was a bridesmaid and I was photographer/guest with help from my talented husband Rob. The service was held at the Ceremony Gardens at the Vines with a lunchtime reception at the Riverbank Estate Winery. We took the bridal party photos after the reception at the Middle Swan Reserve.

Claire's stunning dress was from Cupid's Bridal in Mt Lawley. Amber's son Aiden was so cute in his suede waistcoat, he loves having his photo taken! Brian also has an adorable nephew called Ethan who was the little pageboy.

Claire spent hours making these amazing origami boxes to decorate the reception tables, they made the perfect spot for the ring photo:

Aiden getting some drinking tips from his uncle while his dad is trying out the dummy...

The unmarried ladies going for the bouquet:

Here's a shot of me doing my thing...

It was a really lovely day, Rob and I were delighted to be the photographers.

Diane xx

Australian Breastfeeding Association

2007-10-11T02:06:00.000-07:00

We were approached by the Australian Breastfeeding Association to supply some photos for their image library. I jumped at the chance to volunteer my time as it's a cause close to my heart. My mum was a member of the association (formally Nursing Mothers) and I am also a member and currently Breastfeeding my son Aiden.

Marnie and Oscar were my very willing models, thanks to them for volunteering.

Amber

Baby Belle

2007-09-25T02:11:00.000-07:00

Look who came in the office for her baby photos on Friday! Isn't she adorable?

This is baby Belle and she is 5 months old... she is so beautiful (just like her Mum).

Diane xx

New Zealand

2007-09-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my trip to New Zealand, it's such a beautiful country. I do get homesick for the green grass and all those hills! Perth is so flat in comparison. Here's a couple of photos taken 5 minutes walk from my Aunty and Uncle's house in Masterton (thought I'd share some cows instead of the usual sheep!):

And here's my handsome Grandpa Bertie:

He is 93 but looks much younger. He is still living at home on his own!

All my photos while I was away (hundreds of them) were taken on my new toy, the delicious Leica D-Lux 3 , an awesome compact camera with 10 megapixels, 2.8 inch 16:9 widescreen, ability to shoot RAW, Leica's retro styling and so much more!

Isn't it cute? I had to buy the gorgeous 1960s style brown leather case for it.

Amber and I are headed down south this afternoon for the annual Fuji Breakaway at Bunker Bay. It's an awesome conference for photographers in a beautiful setting. The office will be closed until Friday when we will resume regular hours. I look forward to catching up with all of you then.

Diane xx

Aiden's Mate Sean

2007-09-07T19:51:00.001-07:00

This is Aiden's mate Sean from mum's group. He's the first of the mum's group babies I've got my hands on for photos, they are all so cute. He's also the first to start crawling out of the group. Check out those eyelashes!

This one we'll save for their 21st birthdays. Sean loves touching everything including other babies.

My little man Aiden having a bad hair day. Will have to teach him how to use gel.

I love being a mum but also love my job so I'm blessed being able to manage both at the same time. Thanks must go to my fantastic husband Art who's at home with Aiden today AND cleaning the house (we hope).

Amber xx

Office and blog update

2007-08-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Regular readers will know I promised a new blog soon... it is still a work in progress and now I am going on holiday for 2 weeks to visit my family in New Zealand. I'm sorry there won't be much blogging for a while but I promise October will be full of weddings and other fun stuff! Also there might be a few holiday photos... my Grandpa is 93 and still living at home on his own. I can't wait to see him.

Amber will be in the office part-time while I'm away so if you need anything call her on 9328 6911 and leave a message or email on info@deraysimcoe.com.au and she will get back to you as quick as she can. If you need to come and pick up your order we are still having "pick up day" on Wednesdays but it will be from 1pm till 6pm.

Thanks for your understanding everyone.

Here's a cute shot of our office with my nephew Liam peeking through the window (this shot was his idea!). he loves to come down after school and wreck the office and steal all our mints!

Diane xx

Reegan... she's a Ford racing fan!

2007-08-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here's some photos I took yesterday of my gorgeous niece Reegan. She is 10 months and she loves to wear her Ford racing suit (bought for her by her Ford mad father!).

Reegan is going to have a baby brother in December so she might have to pass the suit over to him!

These two are my favourites... I always seem to be drawn to the not smiling photos:

I actually have eight nieces and nephews (soon to be nine) so there's always someone to photograph!

Diane xx

New blog coming soon...

2007-08-24T02:43:00.000-07:00

Our apologies for the lack of blogging in the past few weeks, we are currently working on a brand new blog with bigger photos!

Check back soon...

Diane & Amber

Introducing baby Ava

2007-08-10T01:49:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting baby Ava recently, she was only two weeks old! Babies are tiny for such a short amount of time so I love it when I get to photograph them so tiny and gorgeous. She has two beautiful older sisters, Chiara & Mia and they adore Ava. Here's some photos I love:

Diane xx

Amanda and Ross tie the knot!

2007-08-07T03:28:00.001-07:00

It was terrible weather leading up to Ross and Amanda's big day but it turned out to be a beautiful day! Amanda is a florist (Flowers in Bloom in Attadale) so of course the day was spectacular... flowers everywhere. Amanda's amazing dress was by Galleria Couture, it was really unique and perfect for the winter theme.

Their church (St Columbas in South Perth) was beautifully decorated as you can see from the photos. We had a lovely time with their fun bridal party, including the adorable Cooper and Taylah (both only three). The bridesmaids were gorgeous, including Rosalie who's wedding we photographed in May and Caterina who's wedding we are photographing next May!

We went into the city for photos, followed by the jetty at Jojos/Aqua Viva where the reception was held. Check out the beautiful full moon photo at the end...

It was a fantastic day, we hope everyone enjoys the photos.

Diane & Amber

Baby A

2007-08-02T23:23:00.000-07:00

Amber's little boy Aiden is growing up so fast! Here's his baby photos in case you missed them but now he is almost 5 months!

He is such a happy baby, always smiling and giggling. Here's some photos taken by his talented mother earlier this week:

Of course everyone knows I can't resist a crying baby photo!

Diane xx

Julie and Peter's beautiful July wedding

2007-07-26T23:44:00.000-07:00

Julie and Peter had a beautiful winter's day for their recent wedding. Julie choose a striking shade of orange for the bridesmaids, complimented by red and orange bouquets by Romance Roses. The ceremony was at the Macedonian church in North Perth. It's a beautiful church with a striking chandelier as you can see from the photos.

We then went onto UWA for some photos, it's a great location for a winter wedding shoot as you can hide undercover if it rains. Thankfully we didn't need to worry about the weather as it was a beautiful day. We then headed down to the river near the UWA sailing club. Julie's stunning dress was by Galleria Couture and they were driven in style by Richmond Palace Limos. The bridal party enjoyed their glass of Dom Perignon!

We headed to the reception at the Novotel Langley where the room had been decorated using the theme colour. The last photo is a shot from the first floor looking down into the lobby.

Thanks for a wonderful day Julie and Peter, your wedding album is going to be awesome!

Diane & Amber xx

Baby Ella and her sisters

2007-07-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

This is baby Ella, she was only two weeks old when we had this photo shoot, isn't she adorable!

Ella has three stunning older sisters (actually they are more like mini mothers!). Here's Janelle, Marlina and Angela with Ella.

Diane xx

Ross and Amanda are getting married

2007-07-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ross and Amanda are getting married this Saturday (fingers crossed for fine weather!). It's going to be an awesome wedding, Amanda is a florist from Flowers in Bloom in Attadale and she's planned a winter wonderland theme. We are all really excited about it after hearing the plans for months!

Amanda popped into the office a while ago and showed us her kitchen tea invitation, it was so cute with miniature whisks attached to every one. Here's a couple of pictures:

And here's the gorgeous couple:

Stay tuned for wedding photos...

Diane x

Nicole & Tim's Winter Wedding (and Amber's back!)

2007-07-17T19:04:00.001-07:00

Nicole and Tim were so lucky with the weather at their wedding... it rained on the way to the ceremony then was fine and beautiful for the rest of the day! Guests had travelled from their home town of Merredin for the day. Nicole and her bridesmaids got ready at Burswood in a beautiful suite before heading off to the ceremony at Christ Church in Claremont.

The bridal party then headed to UWA for photos followed by the jetty at Mounts Bay Sailing Club. Nicole wore a lovely gown by Tuscany and carried flowers by Willetton Wedding Flowers. We had so much fun with the bridal party, check out the photo below of the groomsmen with their "extra manly chest hair" (helped out by the bridesmaid's fur stoles)!

The reception was held in the newly renovated ballroom at Burswood... it is amazing! The black and white theme was beautifully presented.

I look forward to showing Nicole and Tim the rest of their photos when they return from their honeymoon.

I'm also excited to announce that Amber is back at weddings. Here's a photo of her on the job with some help from one of the groomsmen. It's awesome to have her back... we make a great team!

Diane xx

Western Australian Professional Photographer of the Year

2007-07-16T02:31:00.000-07:00

Last week we all attended the awards night for the Western Australian Professional Photographer of the Year. It was held at the Central Park building in the city. We were a bit lazy this year and didn't enter but we still had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone's work. The exhibition is up until this Thursday 19th July so check it out if you are in the city.

Here's some photos of us on the night, Amber and I:

The gorgeous Jodie from our office:

Here's our lovely photographer friend Alanna Matsen

Jodie and Alanna looking beautiful!

Amber and I had to shoot a wedding the next day so we went home early... stay tuned for two winter weddings I will be posting soon, Nicole & Tim and Julie & Pete.

Diane xx

Meet Jason Chatfield (the caricaturist)

2007-07-04T01:02:00.000-07:00

Here's the update to my previous post about Brendan and Kylie's wedding a couple of weeks ago. I promised to blog about Jason Chatfield, the awesome caricaturist. I have to admit when Kylie told me she had organised this for the reception I thought WHAT THE ...?

But it was fantastic! The guests loved Jason and here's a few pics of guests enjoying their caricature experience. The first couple is Brendan's parents Stan and Gail (they LOVED their caricature and showed it to everyone in the reception!)

As promised here's my caricature:

And my buddy Mike Jepson from Phenomenon (awesome video guy if you need one):

Thanks Jason!

Diane xx

Announcing the arrival of Imogen Clare

2007-06-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

I have a new niece, Imogen Clare was born a few weeks ago and I was there! Here's a photo of my sister Louise, Imogen (about 5 minutes old) and me in the theatre at the hospital. It was an amazing experience!

Here's some more photos I took recently, she is such a smiley baby. She was giggling when she was only a few weeks old...

Diane xx

Kylie and Brendan's Wedding

2007-06-22T00:49:00.000-07:00

Kylie and Brendan had the tricky job of organising their wedding from Newman. Luckily Kylie is very organised and knows what she likes! We got on really well and she made us laugh all day.

Her amazing dress was from Pallas, it was gorgeous! The flowers were by Lime in East Fremantle. Kylie got ready with the girls in a suite in Burswood resort while Brendan and the guys got ready at the new Richardson Hotel in West Perth. The ceremony was at St John's in the middle of Fremantle. If you look closely at the photo of Kylie getting out of the car you can see Red Dot and a whole stack of on-lookers in the background. Everyone loves to sticky beak at a wedding!

We took photos on the street in Freo before heading to the South Molle lighthouse to catch the sunset. Robert and I were driven in style by Frits. It was freezing but everyone was such great sports, even when Kylie's veil almost ended up in the ocean!

Onto the East Fremantle Yacht Club for the reception for 150 guests. There was a really fun caricaturist Jason Chatfield drawing pictures of the guests. I have one with my buddy Mike Jepson from Phenomenon Video . I will post more about this next week!

I am looking forward to seeing Brendan and Kylie next time they are down in Perth to share the rest of the photos with them.

Diane x

Every Woman Expo

2007-06-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry about the lack of blogging last week, we had a stand at the Every Woman Expo on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Most of last week was taken up organising the expo and setting it up!

We had a great time at the expo and met heaps of lovely people. We also caught up with a few old clients which was fun.

Here's a photo of our booth with Amber and I. My husband took this one and I'm not keen on my double chin but it gives you an idea of how it looked!

Our large picture on the right is the adorable Teisha in the ivy at Hyde Park, she's in the front window of the studio now.

Our lovely flower arrangement was by Touched By Angels and it lasted all weekend and is still looking good. Thanks girls!

We had a great special at the Expo which is available for the next two weeks only, $20 only for our sitting fee. That's $100 off the regular price. Just call us on 9328 6911 or email on info@deraysimcoe.com.au and mention the Every Woman Expo. You must call before Friday 29th June to book but don't have to have the photo shoot straight away.

Hope to see many of you soon!

Diane xx

Manisha is a big girl now!

2007-06-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

My beautiful niece Manisha is now 9 months! Here's her baby photos

I have just updated her photos and now she's standing up on the furniture and crawling everywhere!

Isn't she gorgeous?

Diane xx

Rosalie & Zvonimir's wedding

2007-06-05T01:55:00.000-07:00

Rosalie and Zvonimir (aka Zvonie or Swanny depending on how Croatian you want to be) are the most adorable young couple and they were married on a beautiful autumn day in May. They both got ready at their parent's homes.

I met Rosalie and Zvonie through their friend Amanda from Flowers in Bloom florist in Attadale. We are photographing Amanda's wedding in July. She did all the flowers for Rosalie and they were beautiful! There was an abundance of beautiful fresh flowers everywhere!

Their ceremony was held at Christ the King in Beaconsfield. It's a gorgeous church overlooking Fremantle. It always really windy up there and Rosalie's veil was flying all over the place! Made for gorgeous photos. Rosalie's Donna Tobin gown was beautiful and she had a cute little fur coat to keep warm.

We then went down to Point Walter to catch the sunset, everyone was such good sports as it was freezing!

The Croatian Club in North Freo was the destination for the reception and it's never looked so good. Amanda and her team did an amazing job of the decorations.

Rosie and Zvonimir were awesome fun to photograph, Zvonie spent the whole day talking about how they were going to have a photo on the wall in our office... now I just have to pick one. Enjoy the photos...

Diane xx

Australian Professional Photography Awards 2007

2007-05-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

Amber and I were excited to learn that we had received three silver awards at the Australian Professional Photography Awards in Melbourne. Over 200 images from all over Australia were submitted and judged by a panel of Master Photographers from the AIPP

Here's our images:

The AIPP publishes a book of the winner's images every year. The 2006 book has just arrived and my three silver award images have their own page! Here's a couple of photos of the book, make sure you check it out next time you are in the studio:

Diane xx

Lia and Chris tie the knot!

2007-05-25T02:10:00.000-07:00

Lia and Chris had an awesome wedding on the last weekend in April. Lia has impeccable taste and the whole wedding was really stylish. Lia's lovely bridesmaid Mel came from Sydney and bought Lia and Chris a framed engagement photo for their wedding gift. This is the photo they chose, aren't they a cute couple?

Back to the wedding! Lia's amazing Zanzis dress suited her petite figure beautifully. The flowers were by Poppys. Their ceremony was at St Mary's in Leederville. The photos outside the church of the kids are Chris' adorable neices and nephews.

We took photos at UWA, the little park at the bottom of King's Park and the cute little blue boat shed on Mounts Bay Road. The bridal party was so much fun and Robert and I really enjoyed our afternoon.

Their reception was at Acqua Viva in Nedlands. Umberto always hosts a great party, he makes every guest feel welcome. Lia decorated the whole restaurant in white and cream with crystal candle holders and ornate perfume bottles for the ladies.

Enjoy the photos!

Diane xx

Rebecca and Reece's wedding

2007-05-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

Rebecca and Reece were married on a beautiful Sunday in April, it was actually my birthday! It was a pleasure to share the day with them and their wonderful families and friends.

Rebecca got ready at Reece's parent's home. It's a converted warehouse in the heart of Fremantle. It was an amazing building and beautifully furnished as you can see from the photos. Rebecca wore a stunning Dion gown, covered in beautiful lace.

Their ceremony was held at Cottesloe Civic Centre on the main lawn. Kevin Graham, one of our favourite celebrants was officiating. We went to the Peppermint Grove foreshore for some photos before the bridal party caught a boat to the reception. They were all very brave as it was quite a windy day and the swell was up! Thanks to Robert for volunteering to take photos on the boat (someone had to drive!).

Rebecca and Reece hosted a stylish reception for 150 guests at the Royal Perth Yacht Club. It was the perfect end to a lovely wedding.

Diane xx

Mothers Day

2007-05-15T00:44:00.000-07:00

Amber and I have been spending Mothers Day together for the past four years. We have both lost our Mums to cancer so the day is a bit sad for us both. We both have sisters (Louise and Claire) so we all get together and celebrate our mums. This year we went to commemorative tree planting at Ozone Reserve in the city. This is the website if you are interested

www.treesformum.com

Here's some photos for you, my sister Louise brought her beautiful new baby, 4 week old Imogen and Amber took baby Aiden.

After we got back to Amber's house we took a photo of the babies together but they were both a bit hungry so they were cranky!

Diane xx

Melissa & Gavin's lovely wedding

2007-05-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

Mel & Gavin were married on a beautiful Autumn day in April. Melissa wore a gorgeous halter neck gown from Tuscany. Her cute nephew was the star of the show in a mini tux!

Their ceremony was at Infant Jesus in Morley. We went to an awesome location in Gwelup to do photos with an old cottage on Old Balcatta Rd. It was so much fun! The wedding cars by Vintage Burgandy were perfect.

We then travelled to Jackadder Lake and finished with a couple of photos on the beach at Scarborough. Their reception was at Rendezvous Hotel.

Robert and I had a great time this wedding, everyone in the bridal party was so relaxed and easy to photograph. Mel and Gav are both really photogenic and are so well suited to each other. I look forward to sharing the rest of their photos with them next week.

Diane xx

Shona & Arron's Margaret River wedding

2007-05-02T03:12:00.000-07:00

Regular readers will remember me posting ages ago about going to Margaret River to photograph a wedding (apologies for the delay in sharing these photos...).

Shona's family came from Scotland to WA for the wedding and we had guests from lots of places! The whole wedding was held at the Waterfall Cottages, just out of Margaret River. Shona wore a stunning dress she bought in Brisbane while her and Arron were living in the Queensland outback. Their Pastor Mark and his wife made the trip from the US to officiate the wedding.

The whole wedding was really lovely, Rob and I had such a great time and were made to feel so welcome by everyone who attended. Special mention has to be made of the food, catered by Romano of "The Fine food of Margaret River". Highly recommended!

There's a funny photo to share near the bottom of this post of a bull ant on the table at the wedding, the Scottish guests were amazed by this huge creature!

Thanks to Shona and Arron for inviting me to be such a big part of their special day, it was a real pleasure to photograph them.

Diane xx

Baby Aiden's first photo shoot

2007-04-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

Amber's gogeous boy came to the office last week for his first official photo shoot. I bought this beanie for the baby before it was born and had it embroidered, it's a bit big but it looks adorable.

Amber thanks all our lovely clients for their emails and cards of congratulations. She even got a card from Ireland! Thanks everyone.

Diane xx

Joanne and Brett's wedding

2007-04-10T01:51:00.000-07:00

Joanne and Brett were married on a beautiful autumn day. They were married by their long time friend Dr John Evans. Their ceremony was at Wesley Chapel in the city. We took photos around the city on King Street and surrounds before heading to Parliament House.

Joanne and Brett's reception was in the Swan Valley at Sittella's Winery. I first went to Sittella's years ago and absolutely love going back for a visit. Their food and hospitality are always awesome.

Joanne's flowers were by Kelly Canby, one of our favourite florists and she bought her gorgeous gown in Singapore where her Mum lives.

Thanks for a great day guys, your wedding was awesome!

Diane xx

Julie & Mark get married and bring their families together!

2007-04-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Julie and Mark were married on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in March. They held an intimate gathering for 50 guests at the Karrinyup Country Club. Julie and Mark's have four children between them and they had a lovely time watching their parents join their families. There were lots of other children at the wedding as well and they loved running around the beautiful grounds of the club.

Julie wore a beautiful satin dress with a pale pink bouquet and her bridesmaid wore a lovely charcoal gown. The children looked adorable in blue for the girls and charcoal and black for the boys.

Congratulations on your wedding Julie & Mark... we wish you all the best for the future!

Diane xx

Melinda & Gary tie the knot

2007-03-30T00:48:00.000-07:00

Melinda and Gary were married on a beautiful day in March. Their ceremony was held at the St Marks School Chapel in Hillarys. It was a lovely service followed by photos at the Joondalup Resort. We had heaps of fun on the golf buggies!

Their reception for 100 guests was in the Grand Ballroom of the resort. Melinda wore a lovely gown by Bride's Selection, and had stunning hair & makeup by Dual Perfection. Touched by Angles helped to decorate the reception.

Tara and I had a great time with Melinda & Gary's bridal party, they were really relaxed and easy to photograph.

Diane x

Shona & Arron's Margaret River Wedding

2007-03-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Margaret River this weekend to photograph Shona & Arron's wedding. It's at the Waterfall Cottages and I'm really excited! Shona's family is from Scotland and quite a few of them have come to WA for the wedding.

Here's a couple of Shona & Arron's engagement photos, they are an adorable couple. Shona is always smiling!

I can't wait to share the wedding photos with you all in the future.

Diane xx

More about Amber's baby

2007-03-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Amber and her husband have named their baby Aiden Patrick. Here's a photo:

Isn't he cute!

See post below for the rest of the story.

Diane xx

IT'S A BOY!!!

2007-03-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Amber had her baby on Saturday night! It was a couple of weeks early so he's just a tiny little boy... 5lbs 6ozs but he's perfect.

They haven't decided on a name yet, she said she thought they had a couple more weeks to think about it! I will let you know when they have picked one. We have all suggested Patrick since he was born on St Pat's Day but we'll see.

I'm not being biased but he is one of the cutest babies I have ever seen... lots of dark hair and the most perfect tiny head. I will post some photos soon I promise.

If you would like to send Amber a message of congratulations her email address is amber@deraysimcoe.com.au

Diane xx

Sharon & Jay's wedding

2007-03-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sharon & Jay had a lovely summer wedding at a couple of locations I haven't visited before. It's always great to see new churches and reception venues. We started the day at their parent's homes in Warnbro before the ceremony at the quaint stone church, St Stephen's in Serpentine.

Across the road from the church was the historical house, Turner Cottage where Sharon's mum Margaret grew up. Now it is a tourist attraction. We took some interesting photos around the cottage before heading off to Millbrook Winery in Jarrahdale.

The winery has beautiful grounds which we used for photos before the reception for around 80 guests.

Robert and I had a lot of fun with Jay & Sharon's wedding party... they loved to have a laugh! I'm looking forward to showing them the rest of the photos soon.

Diane x

I've been a bad blogger....

2007-03-07T01:18:00.000-08:00

I'm really sorry everyone about the lack of posts in the past couple of weeks! It's been a really busy time for us down here on Bulwer Street. Amber has gone on maternity leave although she will still be popping into the office occasionally to meet people and help out in the next couple of weeks. We have a new staff member called Jodie who is an awesome help!

I've been really busy with weddings, check out Blair & Clare's big day in the following post and there will be more coming soon I promise.

Diane xx

Blair & Clare's wedding (featuring the adorable baby Ashlee!)

2007-03-06T00:10:00.000-08:00

Clare & Blair are such an cute couple, they are perfectly matched, down to their rhyming names! They have a gorgeous baby Ashlee, she is only 6 months old. Clare was really sick in the couple of week leading up to the wedding so I was so relieved to see her well on the big day. She spent the whole day smiling which made photographing her very easy.

Clare's family is Sri Lankan and she was keen to incorporate some of the Indian traditions in her wedding. She had a stunning gown by Donna Tobin, which featured sari fabric as an inset and she had a gorgeous bejewelled face.

Their ceremony was at St Michaels in Leederville and we went to the city & East Perth for photos. They were driven around in style by "A Old Limo".

They held a wonderful reception at the Parmelia Hilton for around 100 guests. Check out the last photo for a look at the spiral staircase at the Hilton, thanks to my awesome assistant Robert for spotting that one!

Looking forward to seeing you soon Blair & Clare,

Diane x

Tarsh & Leigh's Engagement

2007-02-18T19:35:00.000-08:00

Tarsh and Leigh are one of our many "out of town" clients. They live in Victoria and are coming back to Tarsh's home town Perth for their wedding in December 2007. We have sent many emails back and forth already, helping Tarsh pick great wedding suppliers for her big day.

Here's a couple of photos of them which we took when they made it back to Perth for some wedding plans. Tarsh is so beautiful and I can't wait for their wedding!

Diane xx

Megan & Ric's January Wedding

2007-02-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

I met Megan through her fabulous friend Megan! We photographed Megan and Darrel's wedding last year and it was awesome.

Megan and Ric also had a fantastic wedding! She wore a a beautiful designer dress by Pallas Bride. The ceremony was at St Columba's, South Perth and after the ceremony we went to the Fremantle Art's Centre for photos. We then headed down to High St Freo.

The reception was at the Esplanade Hotel and featured amazing decorations by the florist, Natural Art by Rebecca Grace. She also made the unique bouquets featuring orchids and feathers!

I was delighted to receive this email from Megan today so thought I would share it with you:

Thanks very much. I have already sent the link off to London! They are going to love them.

The proof album is amazing, you are such a wonderful photographer. Mum and Vicki are having a very hard time trying to decide which photos to order, they love them all!

Thanks again for a wonderful day, we had such a great time with you and Robert and you really helped put everyone at ease. You even managed to bring usually shy Ric out of his shell - well done!!

Speak soon

Megan
xx

Thanks for the enjoyable day everyone, especially Megan & Ric. Robert and I had such a great time with your families and your terrific bridal party. Your album is going to be really special.

Diane xx

Trina and Deane's Summer Wedding

2007-02-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

Trina and Deane were married on a rather warm day, 3rd of Feb 2007. Trina and her sister got ready at their parents home in Hillarys and took photos at a neighbours house.
Trina wore a stunning Galleria Couture dress and carried a bouquet by Bayview Flowers. The ceremony was held at Christchurch Claremont officiated by Father Greg Davies.
We then took some couple photos in King St and Kings Park before joining the guests at the reception in the marquee above Frasers in Kings Park.

We just received this lovely email from the newlyweds.

Hi Diane

Deane and I would like to thank you so much for photographing our special day. Both you and Robert were so professional and in so many ways contributed to making our day so relaxed and memorable.

Thank you making us so at ease throughout such a hectic day.

We are so looking forward to seeing the photos.

Trina and Deane

Thanks guys, it was our pleasure,

Diane xx

Baby Emily and her hair!

2007-02-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

Here's some recent photos of the adorable baby Emily, she has the cutest hair ever!

Diane xx

Changes on Bulwer Street

2007-02-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today as the building next door to our office is being demolished. It's been empty for ages but previously it was a restaurant and a scooter shop. Here's a photo Amber took of the lovely Bianca & Lucas outside the scooter shop in 2005. It was a really cute little character shop front.

It's going to be really noisy for the next year while they build the new development, it's going to be 6 townhouses, if you have a spare $1 million you can buy one! It's progress I guess but sad that the old building is gone.

Our section of the street will certainly be very different in the coming months. We apologise in advance about the noise and possible lack of parking!

Diane xx

Kate & Cameron's Christmas Wedding

2007-02-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

Kate and Cameron were married on 23rd December, just before Christmas. It was a beautiful summer's day for their ceremony at St Joseph's in Subiaco, Father Mitchell performed a lovely service.

Kate wore a gorgeous blush coloured gown from Donna Tobin and carried a bouquet from Kelly Canby Flowers. The bridesmaids had stunning pink gowns with a black sash. The men wore kilts, they were very dashing!

After the ceremony we went to the Constitution Centre in West Perth for a fun photo shoot (the men were very keen to show us what was under the kilts!). We then stopped off in King's Park for some more photos before heading to Mt Eliza House for the reception under the stars. The whole lawn was beautifully decorated with coloured lanterns.

Kate and Cameron have started a new life together in Singapore and I look forward to seeing them soon to show all their photos.

Diane xx

Mel and Pete's Wedding on the River

2007-01-22T00:40:00.000-08:00

Melanie and Peter live in Karratha, they joined family and friends in Perth to celebrate their wedding just before Christmas.

They got ready together at Sorrento Beach Resort with their gorgeous baby Kyle, best man Rod and Bridesmaid Jo. We then went to South Perth foreshore for a short photo shoot before boarding the Paddle Steamer Decoy for their ceremony and reception. The ceremony was officiated by Richard Aitkin who also captained the ferry.

Melanie looked gorgeous in her gown from Bride's Selection. Pete scrubbed up pretty well too, love the 'before shot' with Mel in her rollers! Kyle also looked very cute in the outfit his grandma had made him for the occasion.

Amber xx

Julie and Dave's Winery Wedding

2007-01-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

Julie and Dave chose the Swan Valley for their wedding on the 30th of December 2006, it was a lovely blue sky day. Julie's gown was made by Samantha Wynne and she carried a unique beaded bouquet.

The ceremony was held under the big gum tree at Upper Reach Winery. Guests then enjoyed pre - dinner drinks while we took some bridal party photos around the train line in nearby Cathedral Ave and in the grounds of the winery. They then joined their guests for some fine food and wine in the winery's restaurant. Julie and Dave's many nieces and nephews had a wonderful time playing on the lawn.

See you soon for your album plan,

Amber and Di xx

Diane & Rob's 10th anniversary

2007-01-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

I am excited to be celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary today. Rob and I were married on 12th January 1997, seems like such a long time ago! I was only 24 so I guess that's giving away my age...

We were married in a garden in Bayswater and had our reception at Jojos in Nedlands. The wonderful Bill Rose took our photos. I thought I would share a couple with you.

Over time my photos have come to mean so much more to me, especially as I lost my Mum to cancer a couple of years ago. One of my favourite photos of the whole day is my Mum and Dad during the ceremony. My Mum loved her legs in this shot!

Of course I love the photos of Rob and I too!

My sister in law was 36 weeks pregnant and was one of my beautiful bridesmaids, our neice Leila will be celebrating her 10th birthday next month.

Diane xx