We simply couldn’t pass up the chance to show off this truly elegant South Australian elopement styled shoot at Yatahlia Manor in Adelaide as part of our South Australia Issue! Co-ordinated and shot by photographer Tianie Caruso Photography with a glorious bevvy of exceptional South Australian wedding vendors. I’ll let Tianie tell you more about the shoot, how it came together, and some words of wisdom for couples getting married in South Australia!

This is part one of the styled shoot we have named our “Elopement Shoot” which showcases the gardens and ceremony location of the beautiful Yatahlia Manor which is a new venue available in Adelaide, South Australia. We wanted to show the versatility of this venue for both big and small weddings. 2020 really threw some major curve balls at the wedding industry, not only in Adelaide but across the world, and as such, we started to see a major rise in elopements over the traditional style weddings. When most people think of elopements they think of low key events that are thrown together quickly or overseas trips to somewhere exotic. We wanted to show that not only do we have some pretty amazing wedding venues such as Yatahlia Manor right here in our home state of South Australia, but also show that an elopement can still be a grand affair that can make you feel like you have travelled overseas to some incredible destination.

The inspiration for this styled shoot started with our gorgeous lace beaded bridal gown picked out by the talented team at Jenny and Gerry’s Bridal Centre, and designed by Wedding Societe. Instead of a traditional veil, it features a beautiful tulle cape that adds that element of modern fairytale to our bride Bridget’s look, something we expect to be very popular this coming wedding season. The amazing team at Ninnette’s Hair City created her beautiful side-swept hairstyle and soft blush make-up, which was complimented perfectly by the floral hairpiece created by the students at Adelaide Floristry School. The incredibly talented students dreamed up some truly incredible floral pieces for this shoot, this included the buttonhole for our groom, our bride’s stunning bouquet, the centrepiece for our table and the most impressive of all was the gorgeous floral arbour that features in our ceremony and couple photos.

Gerry’s Suit Hire provided this handsome suit combo which included their lux cream jacket with a navy tie, which was the perfect take on the modern groom. We love that they brought something fresh to our shoot and the colour pallet was the perfect compliment to our bride’s dress and floral designs, and it was also the perfect colour pallet for our handsome groom Leigh. Lyons Den Cakes dreamed up this textured apricot cake design after seeing the beautiful florals that would feature on the day. They perfectly captured the essence of the floral designs for this wedding, creating a rustic and contemporary cake that fit perfectly into the gorgeous surrounding interiors of Yatahlia Manor.

Our celebrant Lauren was an absolute burst of energy from the moment she arrived, she is the biggest and best personality you will ever meet in Adelaide when it comes to celebrants and she somehow becomes everyone’s best friend instantly, bringing the best out of everyone around her. Speaking of bringing out everyone’s best, Wade our videographer from Movement Productions is just the best at making everyone feel relaxed and feel super comfortable in front of the camera. He was definitely someone I was able to bounce off of all day and would highly recommend him as the perfect video partner to any of my clients in the future.

And there is me, Tianie Caruso Photography. It has long been my dream to capture a wedding at a grand estate such as Yatahlia Manor. When I first discovered this venue I knew I had to have these pictures in my portfolio. I love fairytales and everything French Provincial so I was so incredibly fortunate to not only secure this incredible venue for this shoot but also be able to pull together this amazing team of talented Adelaide wedding vendors to make my dream a reality.

The joke in Adelaide is often how small it is and that everyone knows everyone which is in many ways what makes working with our vendors amazing. We get to be great friends in this city and we are all there to support one another as we truly want everyone to succeed. It also means that our clients get that extra bit of care because we know that we are referring them to people who are amazing at what they do and will make their wedding day amazing.

Yatahlia Manor is going to be the GO-TO spot for elopements in South Australia this year. They are brand new so you have the advantage of somewhere that hasn’t been seen by all your family and friends before. They are also a B&B along with a ceremony location so you get to live the dream of staying at a manor before your wedding day and get to be treated to the most luxurious brunch you have ever seen. The house and grounds are incredible! There really is nothing else like it in SA. Peak wedding season in Adelaide is between October and May with the most popular months being October, November, March and April. The weather is absolutely perfect in these months! As things start to open up again we are seeing a boom happening with the coming wedding seasons, so make sure you prioritize your vendors and book them in as soon as you can. Venues, photographs and videographers are always the first to book out so get in contact with them first so you don’t miss out.

About Tianie Caruso Photography: A super friendly and easy to get on with Adelaide wedding and portrait photographer. My passion is to create unforgettable moments for my clients by blending dramatic artistic images with natural candid photographs for the bride and family who wants both.