Who loves Lions? How about Hippopotamuses? Want to get hitched at Sydney’s local animal kingdom? A wedding at Taronga Zoo might be up your alley! Located within a stone’s throw of the Sydney CBD, just down the hill from Mosman on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, and amongst some of the best wedding photography locations in Mosman; is the Taronga Zoo wedding venue.
Marina and Michael’s wedding at Taronga Zoo started with their pre-ceremony coverage. Both Marina and Michael stayed at Taronga Zoo’s Wildlife Retreat. It’s a brand new hotel built around wildlife enclosures. You can literally wake up with Koala’s looking right at you! The rooms have good light and it is a great option for morning bride prep, especially the suite on level 4!
Taronga Zoo also has a lovely location for a wedding ceremony at their Bird Amphitheatre. The only issue with a wedding ceremony at Taronga Zoo is that the Bird Amphitheatre is in use by Zoo staff during the day, and so you might be limited in time slot availability, especially if you would like to take your wedding photos after your ceremony and before your reception.
To solve this, I suggest that couples consider either having a ceremony elsewhere (such as right down the road at Bradley’s Head), or going with a ‘first look’ wedding schedule. You can read more about the benefits of a first look wedding over in this blog article.
I was delighted when Marina and Michael decided that a first look wedding would suit them. So, after they both got ready, we went to Georges Head Lookout for some portraits.
Wedding photography at Georges Head, Mosman
Georges Head Lookout is located at the end of Suakin Drive in Mosman. It has a contemporary character with a pale gravel path that leads to a raised marble stage, with views across the harbour and towards the city to the west.
Michael was already there when Marina arrived, and after seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day we captured some portraits with their bridal party in tow. We walked down the stairs to the cliff edge to capture the city backdrop, before heading back to Taronga Zoo for their wedding ceremony at Bird Amphitheatre.
Now, I know that I said earlier that time constraints might limit options if you choose a wedding ceremony at Taronga Zoo, but as Marina and Michael decided on a first look wedding schedule, the Bird Amphitheatre option worked because their wedding photos in Mosman were done and dusted.
The sunset at the Amphitheatre is pretty spectacular. Guests receive a 180-degree view of the city skyline as the sun sets behind the Harbour Bridge. Check out some of the photographs below.
Taronga Zoo Wedding Reception
One key benefit of the first look wedding schedule mentioned in my earlier blog post is that you can maximise the time that you spend with your guests. In the case of Marina and Michael’s wedding, because they had already completed their wedding photos in Mosman earlier in the day they needn’t leave their guests to enjoy drinks and canapés without them. The maximised their time enjoying the company of their family and friends.
The evening went really well. The venue has wrap-around glass so that guests can take in the vista during lunchtime receptions, and although the view is partially blacked out at night (due to the dark sky and the effect of reflected light inside), the venue has a great location above the wildlife enclosures and a nice balcony so that you can easily step outside and take it all in.
If you’d like some more information about photography for your wedding at Taronga Zoo, or natural wedding photography in general, feel free to contact me via the contact page on this website.
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