The Wedding Playbook
A one stop shop for all your wedding preparation including how-to’s, to-do’s and not-to’s. All the information is broken up into sections of a wedding day to make it easy to find what you’re looking for.
Most importantly - it’s your wedding and no one can tell you how to run it, not even me! So take what you like from this and build the most epic day imaginable.
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Vendor Recommendations
I wouldn’t recommend just anyone. The businesses below are awesome people who I have worked with a countless number of times. They are the best in the biz and will work tirelessly to make your wedding run smoothly.
Let them know I sent you!
Celebrants
Rachael Calvert
Cinta Celebrate Love
Kathleen Ryan
Maria Bond
Videographers
Videography is one I get asked about a lot. The vendors I’ve recommended below have a similar style to me, they know how to shoot a wedding and they take a mass amount of pride in what they do. If you are wanting a wedding film, be careful hiring a cheap videographer. It takes a crap load of skill to make a film and if you skimp on it, you will probably end up with a cheesy home video shot by someone who made you feel super uncomfortable all day.
Light Noise Films
Folktale Films
Make Up Artists + hair stylist
Make Up Bar
Ben O’Brien
Wedding Stylist
Dear Leone
https://dearleone.com.au/
Artaud + Co
Florist
The Romantics
Lisa Kingston
Musicians
The Foley Artists
Tony Mak
Planning
Planning a wedding can be one heck of a stress. Who needs it? I mean, how many times in our lives do we organise a giant party with catering, entertainment, multiple venues, transportation and styling for a massive group of people? Like… never! My advice would be to look to your vendors for advice. We’ve all done this hundreds of times and would be more than happy to help you out.
Sample Timelines
Below are a bunch of sample timelines to give you an idea of how to structure your day around the time that I’ll be there. But remember - these are just a guide, do whatever works for you. You can do your first dance at sunrise on a mountain for all I care! Actually that sounds like a sick idea...let’s do that!
4 hours
3:15pm - 3:30pm - photos of people arriving
3:30pm - 4pm - ceremony
4pm - 4:30pm - cocktail party with guests
4:30pm - 4:45pm - family photos
4:45pm - 5pm - bridal party photos
5pm - 5:45pm - couples photos
6pm - 7:15pm - beginning of reception
7 hours
1pm - 1:45pm - getting ready photos with Partner A
2pm - 2:45pm - getting ready photos with Partner B
3:15pm - 3:30pm - photos of people arriving
3:30pm - 4pm - ceremony
4pm - 4:30pm - cocktail party with guests
4:30pm - 4:45pm - family photos
4:45pm - 5pm - bridal party photos
5pm - 5:45pm - couples photos
6pm - 7:30pm - beginning of reception
7:30pm - 8pm - sunset couple’s shoot
10 hours
12pm - 12:45pm - getting ready photos with Partner A
1pm - 1:45pm - getting ready photos with Partner B
2pm - 2:15pm - first look
2:15pm - 3pm - bridal party/couples photos
3:15pm - 3:30pm - photos of people arriving at ceremony
3:30pm - 4pm - ceremony
4pm - 6pm - cocktail party with guests
(During this time I can also take photos of the reception area without guests and do all the family photos)
6pm - 7:30pm - beginning of reception
7:30pm - 8pm - sunset couple’s shoot
8pm - 9pm - reception formalities
9pm - 10pm - party photos
Getting Ready
Getting ready photos are some of my absolute favourites. Being around to capture the moments prior to the ceremony gives the wedding gallery a great introduction and a it’s nice way to build into the story. From the small details that make up the day to the quiet suspenseful moments of each of you preparing - there’s a tonne of raw emotion and unique moments to be captured in the time before the wedding starts. Slowing down the pace and taking time to savour those moments, I often get dramatic portraits during this time.
How much time is needed?
I find 1 hour for each of you is best. It may sound like a lot, but by the time I take photos of details, get you guys dressed and do portraits - that time can seriously fly.
How do you take photos of both of us?
As long as your accommodations aren’t too far apart, I’ll shoot one person 2 hours prior to the ceremony, and the second person 1 hour prior to the ceremony. I can organise a second shooter if you would prefer to both get ready as close to the ceremony time as possible.
Do you need us to do anything before you arrive?
Try to have the place as tidy as possible when I arrive, that way I can spend more time taking photos and less time moving things around. If there’s anything in particular you’d like photographed (such as family heirlooms), have it out and ready.
Clean Up Crew
If you’ve recruited a bridal party, put them to use during this time and get them to do a bit of a clean up before I arrive. The less time I spend tidying up the more time I spend capturing all the good stuff!
First Look
What the bloody hell is a first look?
A first look is when you and your partner see each other before the ceremony. If the thought of seeing each other for the first time at the ceremony with hundreds of people staring freaks you out, then this might be the option for you. I’ll find somewhere quiet, away from peering eyes, and you guys can share a special moment alone. You can let your emotions do what they will without an audience and make your way to the ceremony together.
How do we organise this?
A first look only takes about 15 minutes, so it’s easy to slide it in before the ceremony. If you also want to do all of your couple photos before the ceremony, get ready earlier and allow an hour or so to fit the photoshoot in.
Ceremony
The ceremony is the main event right? A celebration of your relationship. Don’t be scared to sit down with your celebrant and put together a ceremony that suits your personalities and resonates with your guests. Only a couple of lines make up the legal part of the marriage, so customise your ceremony however you like.
Lighting
Position yourselves completely in the shade or completely in the sun for best lighting. Being under a tree that has dappled light can create unflattering shadows.
My positioning
I’ll duck and dive between the crowds to capture all the priceless moments while staying as inconspicous as possible. I don’t usually go behind the couple or stand up the front. So if this is something you want a photo of, let me know.
Seating
Without a doubt, every wedding I go to, people do not want to sit down. They want to stand as far back as they can. But I’ll tell you now, empty seats look shit in photos. So if one of you are at the ceremony before it starts, go around and ask people to take a seat. Or you can even ask your celebrant to do this for you. Just get those butts on seats.
Confetti BOMBS
Confetti photos are sick. No doubt. Organise someone to hand out the confetti and ask the guests to come as close to the aisle as possible. The more people we can have close to the aisle, the more epic the photos will be. Just make sure you tell the guests to throw the confetti up in the air rather than straight into your faces!
Commandeer the ceremony
Did you know your celebrant only needs to say the legal stuff? If you have someone close to you who you would like to speak about your relationship, they can ride shotgun with your celebrant. It adds a nice personal touch to the ceremony.
Rectangle of death
Ditch your phone before the ceremony. There’s nothing worse than a big ol rectangle in the pocket messin up that crisp new suit.
Ditch the cameras
Okay…this photo is adorable. But I’ve had witnessed some not so adorable moments of guests hiding behind phones, holding up tablets and standing in the middle of the aisle with giant cameras. You’ve hired me, a professional photographer - I’ve got this! Free your guests to be present in the moment and enjoy the experience. Ask your celebrant to announce it prior to the ceremony.
Group Photos
Group photo
If you’re wanting a group photo with all the guests then the best time to do this is straight after the ceremony. Have your celebrant announce where we’ll be doing the photo before guest’s start wandering off. I’ll do my best to find a location where I can get up higher, but if you have over 50 guests - it can be a struggle to get everyone’s face in the photo.
Family photos
The last thing I want to do is make you stand in front of the camera doing hundreds of portraits with family members until your cheeks hurt. But these are the photos that your relatives are most likely going to print and frame. If there are particular people you know you want to have a photo with, now is the time to do it! Luckily, over the years I’ve come up with a few ways to get through this as quickly as possible so that you can get back to havin a good time:
Step one - make a list of every combination of photo that you want
Step two - enlist someone on the day that knows all the guests and can wrangle them up for us
Step three - follow me to a designated spot where we’ll do all the photos all at once
Step four - take photos using list to make sure we don’t miss anyone important
Step five - get back to the party
This is what a list looks like:
mum, dad
mum, dad, sister
mum, sister
dad, sister
mum
dad
sister
Cocktail Hour
If your schedule allows time for it, I think it’s always a good idea to spend some time with your guests after the ceremony. You spend the morning getting ready, you rush off to the ceremony, you stand in front of a hundred odd people saying your vowels, you seal the deal...then the photographer steals you for hours to take photos?? Not in my book. I think it’s crucial for you guys to spend some time with your guests and actually enjoy the beautiful venue that you’ve hired and all the delicious beverages that are flowing. 2-3 hours between your ceremony and reception is generally a good amount of time to have some drinks with your guests, do family portraits and go off for bridal party and couple photos.
Reception Details
If you’re pimping out your reception and want photos of all the beautiful styling before drunk guests get in there and run a muck, then the time between the ceremony and reception is when I can take photos of the venue.
Bridal Party
Bridal party photos for me are all about capturing the good times between you and your wolfpack. Basically the way I do this is I get you to bring along drinks, I chuck on some tunes and we just get photos of your gang hangin’ out. I’ll do a few lined up poses so that we can get photos of the sweet outfits, but mainly I’m focussed on taking candid photos.
How long do Bridal Party photos take?
15 minutes max! Old school photographer’s have made people think bridal party shoots take hours of transiting to multiple locations and taking an exhausting amount of photos. I have a few go-to moves when it comes to bridal party photos and I can get it done quickly.
Where do we go?
We don’t need to go on an epic hike or worry too much about having crazy views. I usually find somewhere within walking distance of the wedding to make it as easy as possible. That way we can take some drinks along and head off whenever you’re ready.
Do you Take funny/silly photos?
It’s not really my style. I’m all about the magic of a wedding. So cheesy photos of the bridal party covering their eyes while the couple kisses just don’t really do it for me. But if there’s a particular pose you have in mind, I’m more than happy for you to set it up and I’ll take the photo!
Get In, Get Out
Once we’ve done photos with the bridal party, send them back to the wedding. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible for the couples session, and for this we need an environment that is intimate and safe for you and your partner to be yourselves. For this reason, it’s best that we let your drunk friends head back to the party.
Couple Photos
The couple’s session is always my favourite part of the day. Instead of thinking about this time as leaving the wedding to take photos, think of it as a chance to go on a little adventure with your partner and spend some time alone. I can’t tell you the amount of times of gone off with couples and they have loved every minute of being able to spend some time with each other away from all the guests.
“I’m so awkward in front of a camera”
It is completely normal to feel nervous about having your photos taken. But I promise - if you just be yourself the photos will be amazing. I’m right there with you and I’ll help you every step of the way. We’re in this together!
Posed… but not posed
So how exactly do I get all of these beautiful couples looking natural and unposed in my photos? Over the years I’ve come up with a bunch of different activities and poses that help couples loosen up and look like absolute rockstars. Every couple is different, so the amount of posing I do really depends on you and your partner. If you’re super shy and awkward, I’ll give you simple directions like walk towards me and chat to each other. If you’re more confident I might ask you to piggy back each other or run and jump into each other’s arms. If you’re not into PDA, that’s cool - I’m not going to ask you guys to make-out or do any of that weird shit. If you’re a quiet and reserved couple, I want to capture that vulnerability so I might just ask you to hold each other. How easy is that? Easy squeezy lemon breezy.
All that I ask is that you trust me. Look at my work and know that my end goal is to create beautiful, natural photos of you and your partner that you will bloody love for the rest of your lives. Not some cheesy awkward portrait of you making a gross love heart shape with your hands. Trust me and we will make pure fucking magic together.
Where the heck do we have our photos taken?
Where we do our photo shoot is largely dependant on where your ceremony and reception is. When you have these venues locked in, I’ll scout around the area and find somewhere good to take you for photos. If you’ve got somewhere in particular that you like then that’s perfect! Or if you’re not sure but you have a certain type of setting that represents you (eg forest, beach, urban, mountain), let me know beforehand and I’ll do my best to find somewhere close by.
Best time, best light
Time of day is everything in photography. The closer we can have our couple’s shoot to sunset, the better it will be for the photos. If you’re keen to get your photos done before the ceremony, I always recommend we duck off during the reception for 15-30 minutes to do a mini session. The photos will look dramatically different and it makes for an epic way to finish off your photo album.
Go wild
I love taking couples off the beaten track for photos. This can often mean we’re climbing on rocks or trudging through shrubbery. The photos end up being epic, but sometimes dresses with long trails can get a little bit dirty. If you’d rather keep it clean, just let me know! I never want to take you somewhere you don’t feel comfortable going.
Strap yourself in
If you don’t mind an adventure and you’re keen for some epic photos, don’t forget to pack a change of shoes. High heels aren’t gonna do you any good here. The plus side - boots look frickin badass with a wedding dress/suit.
Reception
General reception tips
After doing this for years I’ve learned some things that work better than others. Feel free to take these on or tell me to piss off.
round tables are more communal than long tables
doing your speeches early relieves a lot of stress on the night
get your DJ/Band to play a banger straight after your first dance to keep people out on the D-floor
Polaroid cameras or photo booths are a great way to get heaps of hilarious photos of you and your guests
Light it up!
Ambient lighting makes all the difference at receptions. It makes the space feel romantic, warm, comfortable and not to mention it makes the photos look awesome. This is especially important if your reception is outside. Stringing up festoon lights is a cheap and effective way to take your outdoor space to the next level.
Tip - use fairy lights as a decoration, but not as a light source. They don’t actually provide any ambient lighting.
Let’s EaT
Venues seem to think it’s a great idea to feed me last (after they’ve fed everyone else). But if you’re planning to do speeches after main course you don’t want me out the back eating while all the action is happening. I’d be so grateful if you could let the venue know that I need to eat at the same time as you so that I don’t miss out on anything important on the night.
Lighting is everything
Adding ambient lighting is an easy way of taking your reception space to the next level. Just a simple string of festoon lights can make the space look a million bucks!
Party time
If you’ve got a rowdy crowd, make sure you get me to stick around until at least 9:30pm. After the formalities, that’s when people starting tearing it up!
COME BACK SOON
I know that was all a bit of an information overload, but feel free to come back and visit this page whenever you need it. I’ll regularly update sections when I think of more wisdom nuggets to send your way.