It’s been a strange, very busy summer. It’s been a very wet few weeks, with a La Niña weather system causing higher than average rainfall across Australia’s East Coast. I’m making a concerted effort this year to create more content on this blog; to publish more wedding day stories featuring lovely couples who have had awesome wedding days. So what in mind, what better wedding to share with you than Katherine and Matthew’s wedding at Pilu, Freshwater.
Weddings on the Northern Beaches
The Northern Beaches is a lovely place to tie the knot. There are a wide variety of wedding venues available for couples, with beautiful backdrops that open to both vivid green environments and also sandy beaches (so many beaches!)
The one factor to consider for a wedding on the northern beaches is a wet weather backup for your ceremony and also your wedding bridal portraits. This year, I feel, was a real wake-up for me. The number of weddings this summer that have involved rain-day backup considerations is more prevalent than in other years.
I’d have to give it to Katherine and Matthew – the couple in this story. At the very last moment were able to secure the Manly Sailing Club as their backup ceremony venue. Little Manly Point Park (only 300 metres up the hill) was scheduled to host their nuptials, but rain in the summer of 2022 forced their hand into nominating and actioning a backup wedding ceremony at the Manly Sailing Club.
Wedding ceremony at Manly Sailing Club
The Manly Sailing Club might not be your first consideration when it comes to a wedding ceremony location on the Northern Beaches, but it sure is an ideal location if the weather is poor. The Manly Sailing Club is central to the Northern Beaches, located on East Esplanade a short walk from Manly Wharf.
Katherine and Matthew were able, at a moment’s notice, to shift their ceremony from Little Manly Point Park to the Sailing Club to escape the weather forecast. The Club has a reasonably large covered deck that overlooks Manly and the passing iconic Ferries.
Wedding Photos around Manly
Due to the rain, we were slightly limited in locations for Katherine and Matthew’s wedding photos in Manly. Ideally, we would have captured wedding photos at Little Manly Point Park however due to the inclement weather (and also the humidity that the current weather system brought with it) we decided to capture wedding photos at the Manly Sailing Club jetty just below the clubhouse.
We spent around 30 minutes shooting some variety with their bridal party, and a few images on their own, before heading over to Pilu at Freshwater for their wedding reception.
Wedding Reception at Pilu, Freshwater
Let me just start by saying this: Wow! What a wedding reception! Let’s start with the venue: Pilu is a multi-award winning Sardinian beachfront restaurant in Freshwater on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Pilu has sustained culinary excellence, winning two chef hats between 2005 to 2020. I’ve personally dined at the venue and the menu is excellent.
Pilu operates from within a heritage-listed Hamptons beach house located on the waterfront at Freshwater with uninterrupted ocean views of Freshwater Beach and the surrounding landscape. The venue is an icon on Sydney’s Northern Beaches for its charm, customer service and culinary experiences.
And boy, they sure turned it on for Katherine and Matthew’s wedding!
The venue has a beautifully paired back yet refreshingly contemporary character. Pilu uses the interior of their heritage building to their advantage to display a white canvas that does not need many (or any) additions. Katherine and Matthew’s florist provided some table arrangements at a suitable level and let the inherent building shine.
Guests arrived at Pilu, greeted by canapés and an Aperol Bar on the terrace, before moving on in to be seated for the evening.
During the reception, we heard from the bride and groom’s family with touching speeches and remembered those who couldn’t be there in person. After delectable dishes by chef Giovanni and the team, the dance floor opened, with music from Max Music Collective. Katherine, Matthew and their guests partied hard right through to the end – shirts very saturated by the end.
If you’d like further information about wedding photography at Pilu Freshwater please contact me via this page.
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