Cabarita, just off the M4
A great spot to head to for wedding photography on the fringes of the inner west of Sydney has to be Cabarita Park, which is located right next to Concord at the end of the M4, and pretty much right in the middle of the greater Sydney area. Really easy to access and quite often for me on the way from the church to the reception (or not far off)
The park includes parks/green areas, harbour/river views, a small beach, a long jetty style ferry wharf & also a number of gardens/rotundas suitable for wedding ceremonies.
MAJOR PERKS…
It’s free
So many locations in Sydney these days are starting to charge quite hefty fees for permits to be able to photograph within limited time frames. So this little gem is still free to go along to, which in my books is a major plus ++
Location, location
As I already said, it’s positioning is awesome, let’s say I have a wedding in the Hills and then a reception down south, it is not that far out of the way to head to Cabarita for some awesome snaps, and not having to detour through the city
Harbour/River views
Want water shots, this place has awesome water views, don’t expect harbour bridge and opera house though, we are still a little far west and around the corner here to get those sorts of views
Cool Sunsets
As part of the park faces west (where the boat jetty is), if you are there late enough and depending on the time of year you can get some pretty spectacular sunset shots over looking the water
Relatively quiet
So this little gem is a little off the beaten track, so whilst a lot of weddings do stop past here, you will not be potentially inundated with endless wedding parties like a lot of other city harbour locations
Lots of parking
Now, I will say it is not always easy to get parking, but there is plenty of it so if it is not an absolutely stellar public holiday Sydney day, you will usually be guaranteed a few free spaces
ON THE SLIGHTLY DOWN SIDE
Other weddings
Yes, this is a risk you take at any free venue you head to any where in the world, however a great photographer should be able to liase with the other wedding’s teams, to make sure you can all amply share the space, and not feel like you are on top of each other, or worse still playing that awful comparing competitive game on the day (yeah you know the one, their bridesmaid’s dresses aren’t as good yadi yadi…)
A little messy
Depending on the day, there can be a little bit of rubbish washed up or left by previous messy picnickers. This can be easily overlooked, however I thought it best to pre warn and mention
It is a ferry terminal
It is a terminal on the Parramatta ferry line, so people do come and go, and the occasional bus stops in too.
Wet weather
As with most locations, there are limited wet weather options here, there is a large rotunda, and quite large trees you could hang under until it passes, however if it is a terrential day, I would recommending bypassing this as an option. In the case of light drizzle or on and off, no dramas, a good photographer should have umbrellas and have educated you about the in’s and outs of bad weather options
Check out some pics from there to see if you like the feel, and if you have any more questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with us so we can answer your Q’s
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