10 years! I shot my first wedding in March 2014 and have loved every minute so far.

I used to be a lawyer before jumping into the unknown to chase my dream of working for myself in a creative industry.

I adore this job with my whole soul and my favourite part is getting to know so many wonderful people, hearing their stories and watching them celebrate with their loved ones.

Having been in the wedding industry for many years, there isn’t a situation or obstacle I haven’t come across.

Having me photograph your wedding day means that you can truly relax and enjoy the day because I have everything under control.

My work can be described as editorial photojournalism with an eye for beauty and art. I love using light to convey a feeling in my images and if you work with me, you’ll often find me literally squealing at how good the light is!

I love to capture unscripted moments, real emotions and human connection. My intuition for being in the right place at the right time means I’ll capture so many things on your wedding day that you won’t even know happened.

And as much as I love to work unobtrusively and candidly, I will step in when needed and gently guide you.

“We received many compliments during the wedding and afterwards on how friendly, relaxed and professional you were, and we couldn't agree more.” This is an email I received from one of my couples and it sums it up perfectly.

I love wedding days and my goal is to fit in with everyone and blend in. I want you to feel as if I'm one of your guests.

I will be as excited as your loved ones to see you walk down the aisle, to hear all the speeches and I’ll bop along to the music on the dance floor. I truly love getting in amongst it all.

If you're just after a service provider who will show up on the day and do their job without getting involved then we might not be the right fit for each other.

But, if you're after someone who you can trust and lean on for support, then I'm your person. I invest a lot of time into each and every couple and their wedding well before the big day arrives.

I love to get to know you and find out what is most important to you, so that I can craft a visual story of your wedding day that truly represents who you are.

My Full Day package is $5,500 (8 hours coverage) and I also offer a 6 hour package for couples who are planning a more intimate day.

I can also build a custom package for you, so let’s chat and work out a plan that suits your day perfectly.

Weddings taking place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays require a minimum 6 hour booking.

I also offer elopement packages for weekday celebrations.

Just hit 'Contact', fill in my enquiry form and we can chat more.

Absolutely! Almost all couples I work with say the same thing.

I can assure you that when you work with me there will be no forced posing, no awkwardness nor will I create fake moments between you.

I photograph weddings in a relaxed style and I like to let the day unfold naturally.

All the images you see on my website are of real couples and real moments. Nothing is staged, it’s just me making my couples feel comfortable in front of my camera and letting them be themselves.

Some couples are extremely affectionate, while others are more reserved - I take my cues from you as a couple and adapt my shooting style accordingly.

I will of course provide you with a little bit of gentle direction if and when needed. Most of the time this will be as easy as asking you to walk together, focus on each other and giving you little cues here and there to bring out those genuine moments.

The rest of the day you won’t even know I’m there. It is your wedding day and your chance to celebrate with your loved ones - while I quietly go about capturing all the magic.

Absolutely!

To get a sense of how a photographer captures an entire wedding day (not just those Instagram worthy moments!), it’s so important to view a full wedding gallery. When you choose to invest in a wedding photographer, you want to be able to trust that your entire wedding day will be captured with the highest skill and attention to detail.

If you would like to view a few of my wedding galleries please let me know and I will send you the links.

Don’t stress at all! I have a lot of experience behind me and I’ve shot weddings during some of the most rainy and stormy days. My job is to make it work by making plans with you ahead of time and a having back-up location for your couple photos.

I’ve found that couples who embrace the weather on their wedding day end up having the best time - they’re just happy to get married! Rainy and overcast days provide us with some of the most beautiful light and the most romantic images.

As much or as little as you want!

In recent years, I’ve found that most couples want to enjoy their wedding day with their guests, have a cocktail and relax after the ceremony. Most couples I work with don’t want to be whisked away for hours to take photos.

I can easily shoot your portraits in 30 minutes. Most of this time is spent with us going for a little wander, stopping in a few spots for photos and just having fun. This is also a perfect chance for you and your new husband/wife to take a breather and enjoy a bit of time to yourselves before heading to the reception.

And, if you have a wedding party, I suggest 15 minutes of photos with everyone before your couple portraits.

Most couples I work with book my 8 hour package as this allows them to have a complete visual story of their day. I usually spend a bit of time documenting the pre-ceremony preparations (the ‘getting ready’), and all the way into the reception and bit of the dance floor.

Couples planning a more intimate wedding and those wishing to have coverage from the ceremony onwards, my 6 hour package is ideal.

The great thing is, when you book me you don’t need to decide the hours of coverage straight away. As your day gets closer and you plan your run sheet, you’ll have a much better idea of how many hours you’ll need me for.

And I am flexible, as long as you’ve locked me in for your day, we can chat about the hours of coverage any time up to the wedding.

Some couples even extend my time by an hour or so just days before their wedding.

I’m happy to chat to you about coverage and walk you through how everything works. Just reach out via my Contact form and we can talk more.

My job is to make things look beautiful no matter the light or time of day. I can make anything work.

In an ideal world, couple photos are taken about an hour or two before sunset (the golden hour). However, not all wedding schedules allow for this which is totally fine. I can chat to you more about your timeline and come up with a plan that will work best for you.

Some couples also choose to have their couple photos taken before their ceremony which can work really well for autumn and winter weddings.

I can make any lighting situation work so please don’t stress too much.

Yes absolutely! I also think that albums are the best way to preserve your wedding day memories. I personally design each album (with you choosing the images you’d like included). My albums are completely customisable with so many cover colours and materials to choose from, ensuring you have a truly bespoke book that you can show to your loved ones and enjoy for many years to come. All albums are handmade using beautiful museum quality paper and your images are printed with archival inks that will not fade.

For more information, please click on ‘Albums’ in the main menu above or email me at sonja@sonjacphotography.com.au

Of course. Prior to your wedding day I will ask you to provide me with a list of the family groups you would like me to photograph. These photos will be taken after your ceremony (after you've had a few moments for congratulations and hugs). I will ensure that this part of your day is relaxed and pleasant. In fact, I am known for making this part of the day quick and easy!

No and I highly discourage this as it doesn't allow me to capture your day to the best of my ability. My way of working is very much documentary and photojournalistic. I am there to capture the real moments and interactions. I have been photographing weddings for almost 10 years so you can rest assured that I have all the important details covered. The only time I will ask for a list is for the family/group photos after the ceremony.

To secure your wedding date I require a non-refundable partial payment of $1,500 and a signed contract. Once that is done, your date is locked in.

Unfortunately no. I often receive multiple enquiries for the same date so I am unable to hold dates. The only way to ensure the date is yours is to reserve it by signing my contract and paying the booking fee.

You will receive a preview gallery within one week of your wedding day and your full wedding gallery will be ready within 8 weeks following your wedding day. Please note that full galleries for weddings taking place during October, November, December and early January might take a little longer to be delivered due to the Christmas and New Year holidays (allow up to 10 weeks). Couples getting married during these months will still receive their preview gallery within a week of their wedding.

I use mirrorless Canon cameras and prime lenses. My favourite lens is the 35mm L series.

Yes, I personally edit all images I deliver to you. I don't outsource my editing because I want to retain the creative control over my work. My aim when editing your images is to present you with natural images that will last the test of time. I supply you with images in a mix of colour and black and white.

While I will fix up the odd little imperfections (i.e. removing a fly on your dress, an obvious pimple or cut etc) I do not heavily retouch images or do beauty retouching such as slimming etc. I believe that photographs of your wedding day should represent the real you and I find that natural photographs are always the most flattering and the ones that will stand the test of time. If there are some images you wish to have retouched I am always happy to refer you to a professional retoucher.

While I shoot most weddings on my own very comfortably there is an option to add on a second photographer to your package. The only time I will suggest the option of a second photographer is if there are time constraints on the day and I cannot be in two places at once or if you have a guest list of 150+. I prefer to shoot on my own so that I can give you my undivided attention and build a rapport with your loved ones and guests. I also feel that having one photographer on the day makes things a lot more relaxed for everyone involved.

Unfortunately no. With the amount of time, creativity and effort I put into each client and wedding, I'm unable to offer discounts.

Yes, absolutely! I aim to meet all my couples before their wedding day (usually a few weeks before the wedding). This is a casual catch up over a coffee so we can get to know each other, finalise the timeline for the day and discuss any last minute details. These meetings can also take place over Zoom (if we live too far away from each other).

For couples who haven't yet booked me I am happy to have a chat over the phone to answer any questions prior to booking.

I love spending time by the beach (I live in beautiful Coogee), taking my dog for walks, enjoying a coffee in a local cafe while people watching, going on walks with my husband and exploring Sydney's beaches and hidden bays.

I love art and history and learning how people lived in times before ours. What especially fascinates me is life and art in European royal courts - take me to an art gallery and I will spend hours looking at paintings and reading the artwork labels. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Versailles and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London are some of my favourites.

When I get a free weekend I love to either spend it by the beach or go for a drive out of Sydney - being in nature and especially near the coast is where I am the happiest.

I'm a quiet and introspective soul but once we get to know each other you'll probably feel like you've known me forever.

I also love to travel (I spent my early years living in a few different European countries!) and there are so many places in the world I am yet to see (the list just keeps growing).

My favourite destinations so far have been the Amalfi Coast and especially Positano and Anacapri, Rome, Port Douglas, Prague, Freycinet and last but absolutely not least, Hvar in Croatia.