Emma and James’ Summer Wedding

Newlyweds Emma and James say they had the wedding of their dreams and Video Story Geelong was fortunate enough to capture their special day on video.




Their day
Some weddings have not only the attention to detail, thoughtfulness and warm approach to make it a memorable occasion – they’ve also got something else about them too… that ‘something’ about it which just makes it extra special.

The wedding of Emma and James, held earlier this year, was exactly that kind of wedding!

From the pretty lace details on the bridesmaids’ dresses to the pretty feather quill used at the ceremony signing, no detail was missed.

The happy newlyweds describe their Geelong wedding as the best day of their lives, as Emma tells.


"Getting ready in the morning with the girls was wonderful and so much fun, and then the rest of the day was a tremendous dream as it all unfolded."

"Thorough planning for every aspect made the day perfect as I didn't have to lift a finger.... except my ring finger!!"

Surrounded by family and friends, their sunny day of celebration had elements of a unique theme hand chosen by the bride a combination of a "pretty/romantic/dreamy" look meets "a touch of rustic vintage twerk".

And this was seen nowhere better than on the bride herself, who looked radiant in a strapless, ruched gown of pale pink silk with tulle and beading detail from Bridal House Geelong…rendering her groom awestruck as he watched his bride enter the church.

Walking down the aisle on her father’s arm, the glowing bride was complemented by her bridesmaids who wore handmade, lacy dresses by Amanda Rose Bridal. These were in ice-creamy hues like pale pink, cream and white; feminine but with a definite touch of boho glamour.

The bouquets, created by Smellies, included colourful, standout smatterings of David Austin roses, fresh eucalyptus, dahlias in different hues of pinks and soft greenery.

The groom wore a white tie and matching in with his bride, a corsage featuring dahlia while his groomsmen complemented the bridesmaids’ outfits by their pale pink ties.

The Ceremony
The ceremony was held at Ocean Grove Uniting Church and officiated by Pastor John Winkler from Waterfront Church Geelong.




Little glass jars of baby’s breath hung over the pews of the church and, on this summer's day, warm light streamed in from the windows during the ceremony.

A friend of the couple played keyboard and sang a touching rendition of 'Can’t Help Falling In Love' at the ceremony.

Naturally, such a dreamy day called for a memorable way to travel, and so, the bride, her bridesmaids and the father of the bride arrived in style: by limousine.

The Reception
Reflecting the couple's chosen theme, the reception – held at Capri Receptions – included layers of white tablecloths and dozens of vases of flowers thoughtfully dotted around the space.

Even the place setting reflected the theme and attention to detail – with small, take home bronze skeleton keys and soft feathers on the place cards.

Guests took home bonbonniere gifts of wooden coasters engraved with the couple’s name and wedding date.

The cake was a four-tier, cream creation surrounded by fresh flowers.  Foliage and ornamental white doves made for a stunning vignette.

Guests enjoyed canapés and champagne in the foyer before making their way to their tables.

The bride danced with her father to ‘Everyday’ by Buddy Holly while the couple’s first dance was a slow one to ‘Back At One’ by Brian McKnight.

"Chill out together, reflect on today and start that life together that you’ve been dreaming of" were apt words of advice to the couple, from the maid of honour in her speech.

After the reception, the bride and groom generously gave away all the reception flowers to guests. Even after a long night of dancing, many sprung into action to claim these sweet smelling mementos...

Their Video
Bride Emma says she worked very hard to ensure everything was in place so that everyone could relax and enjoy the day ahead.

And now, she’s thrilled that she and her husband are able to enjoy it time and time again on video.

It was the best day of our lives – and we were thrilled with Killian’s work!”

“We were hoping for a cute video… we did not expect it to be SO incredible! He really knocked it out of the park and shocked us with his fantastic, creative job of putting it all together.”


Having approached Video Story Geelong with a custom request for a short wedding video (less than 10 minutes), it was clear that Emma and James had something specific in mind...

While many couples opt for longer footage, the couple asked for footage of highlights throughout the day, which would be set against the backdrop of two songs they requested.

Pictures supplied by Stephlee Photography


While we’re proud to offer a selection of wedding video packages, we’re more than happy to tweak an existing one or even create a custom package should you have something particular in mind. Please contact us to enquire about this. 
Killian - Video Story Geelong.

Who Made It Happen, click on the link below to see suppliers.
Videographer: Video Story Geelong - www.videostory.net.au
Photographer: Stephlee Photography - www.stephleephotography.com.au
Dress: Bridal House Geelong​ - www.bridalhousegeelong.com.au
Reception: Capri ​Receptions - www.caprireceptions.com.au
Flowers: Smellies ​Flowers - www.smellies.com.au
Transport: Geelong Limousines - www.geelonglimohire.com.au
Hair and Makeup: Pash Hair & Makeup - www.pash.com.au/about.html
​Music​: Paint The Town Band - www.paintthetownband.com
Blog post by Anna Kosmanovski - www.annakosmanovski.com

Blog Link: http://avideostory.blogspot.com/2015/05/emma-and-james-summer-wedding.html

Maz & Andrew a wedding day



Describe your wedding to us?

It was one of the most memorable days of our lives. It does go very quick, we are grateful to have had Video Story capture our special day and film it as a real life love story. There were a many moments we particularly enjoyed watching back, for example, our guests enjoying the reception before we arrived, being walked down the aisle and our physical reaction when pronounced husband and wife. It is nice feeling to be able to watch our journey.





What was your favourite part of the day?

The whole day was our favourite part, but if we must choose, the moment we said “I Do” to each other. Nothing can be more special than making a commitment to your soul mate.

How did you come up with the idea of the video invite and what was your guest’s reaction?

Well, we have seen it too many times, married couples, always say, “we made our wedding invites and it was the worst experience, don’t do it!” So we wanted to try and make our wedding invites a fun, different experience. We wanted to look back at our wedding, including the planning, and ensure that we smiled with fond memories. That’s when we decided to do DVD style invite. Things initially were looking grim as a lot of other videographers that we went and spoke to did not understand our concept. However, after meeting Killian at Video Story, everything was back on track as we were bouncing well off each other. It was an amazing feeling, because with Killian’s experience and modern technique our thoughts became a reality. It was one of the many highlights within our wedding plans.


Our guest thought it was a unique idea, they appreciated the thought and love that went into it. It was a more personalised way to invite our guest, which not only excited us but also our guests.

Can you tell us something no one knows about the day??

Ok here it is, we had a few too many drinks whilst out getting our photos taken. Some may think we were a little too relaxed!

Why did you select Video Story to record your wedding?

We selected Video Story because we jelled so well with Killian. He was fresh, modern and his advice and ideas were offered gracefully. Killian was always easy to contact and had a great personality throughout the process. Attention to all brides out there, Killian took chopping and changing things very well! When we were getting quotes our main question (to ourselves) was, “is this person easy to get along with?”, if the answer was no, then we would move on. We wanted someone who knew what they were doing and made it look easy (even though we all know it’s not). However, that is exactly what Killian did.



Tell us about the. "Chat Cam".

This is what I mean about fresh, modern ideas. The chat cam was the best idea! We didn’t want our chosen videographer to be hassling people at their table whilst eating their dinner. It made our decision even easier when Killian mentioned the chat cam concept, we were definitely sold. Our guests loved it, and we loved watching it back, it is very funny, especially when your friends think they are comedians. It was a nice feeling to give our guests the opportunity to choose whether or not they wanted to leave us a video message.




Any funny quotes from the day?

The quote of the day had to come from our priest. We got married in a catholic church however, the church practiced orthodox like tradition. This meant we were official married by exchange of a crown, made of jewels, not by exchange of wedding rings. The priest felt the need to keep reassuring (to assist the Bride’s family) “they are not married yet” as the bride’s family have never witnessed a marriage in this tradition. By the tenth time our guests began laughing, and for many weeks after our wedding our family and friends kept saying, “they are not married yet” It was thanks to our wedding video that we got to watch that back and giggle with our friends and family all over again.



How did you select Riccardo as your photographer?

We were referred to Riccardo by a few friends. From the moment walked into his studio we felt comfortable and we were blown away with his work. He has had years of experience, listened to what we wanted and offered great advice. It was a no-brainer that he was going to be our photographer. He has a great eye for detail, and is a quick thinker. Everything you need a good photographer.




What advice have you got for Brides and Grooms to be?

A videographer and photographer are important on a wedding day!! Don’t sell yourself short, we were one of those couples whose frame of mind, at the beginning, was, “who needs a video these days, photos will be enough”, well, we are grateful for going ahead with and choosing to record our wedding day. We can honestly say, if we didn’t, we would have regretted it. The video and chat cam has been the most looked at. It truly told a love story, we have the memory forever. It allows us to look back and relive the day and the feeling whenever we please. Family that couldn’t attend also got to share our special day by watching our love story.

One more thing, make sure you tell your videographer all the major things happening on the day that you want filmed. Perhaps give them a list. Form experience I can assure you that Killian showed true professionalism when I failed to let him know that I was singing for my husband, Killian managed to get a across the room at lightning speed to ensure that moment was a captured. Brides and Grooms will forget things so it’s good to have trust in someone that can do the job and be a quick thinker.




Any last comments:
Thank for your help and knowledge with not only filming our wedding day but also our wedding invite. You really helped put our thoughts and ideas on film. You were professional and very easy to get along with. Your versatility made it easy to trust that you would do an amazing job, and that you did. Thank you!



Top 5 considerations when choosing your wedding date!

Choosing your wedding date is one of the hardest things to do. 

What to take into consideration when booking the wedding date?

Brought to you by www.videostory.net.au Wedding Video Specialists in Geelong
Picture by Kari Teegan Photography
1) The Seasons
Which season suits you best? Which season suits your bridal party and guests best?
Victoria can have rather variable weather and summer days can be very hot. Of course you're never going to know what weather you are going to get until a few days before the wedding, but if you would like to feel comfortable on the wedding day and not too hot or too cold then March and November are probably your best considerations.

2) Holidays / Long Weekends
If you're not booking your wedding 1 to 2 years in advance I would suggest staying away from long weekends. It may be very difficult to find a venue and many people have made plans to go away so some of the very important people you may like to invite may not be available at short notice. Melbourne Cup, Easter and the Christmas period especially, roads are busy, people are away and it may be difficult for your guests to find accommodation if they require it.

3) Booking Suppliers
I guess one of the biggest challenges about booking good suppliers is that during the busy periods there are only a few to go around. Many suppliers will often say 'I could have been booked for that day 15 times over'. It looks like the 15th of November is going to be that day in 2014.  The biggest months for weddings are March and November.  So, if you find a good supplier available, book them quickly because you can be sure you're not the only one with a wedding in these months and of course if you need a Videographer in the Geelong region, drop by our website.

Link to Video Story Geelong Wedding Video Gallery


4) Considering Other Dates
I guess it depends what value you place on your date versus the suppliers who will work at your wedding but if you want to have a choice then consider other dates.  The end of October, beginning of December, end of February and April are usually always a good bet for weather, suppliers and venues.

5) Sporting Events
Something often forgotten when planning a wedding, but try to avoid clashing with big sporting finals. Guests and Groomsmen are notorious for going missing in search of a TV to watch the 2nd half or the last 10 minutes of the football or to see who wins the next set in the tennis. Everyone knows the Bride and Groom are the most important part of the wedding day but the attraction of a sports final is a unknown quantity. Here is a guide to the big events Sports Calendar.

I hope you have found this useful, add a line to the comments if you think of anything else or let us know how you chose your wedding date.

Written by Killian Mulcahy from Video Story | Geelong 
Contact us on www.facebook.com/videostory or visit our website www.videostory.net.au



Pictures supplied by Kari Teegan Photography



Our Wedding - Allyson & Greg



Describe your wedding to us...

The mission for our wedding was to create a really fun day for everyone. To achieve this we had a mixture of traditional components incorporated with some unconventional elements! By getting our wedding photos done before the ceremony, we were able to get amazing photos from a variety of locations. A highlight for the day was certainly the boys turning up to the ceremony on Segways, along with our whacky wedding dance montage! The feedback from our guests was that it was the most fun wedding they had been to - mission accomplished! :)







What was your favourite part of the day?

Getting our photos/video taken at various locations was awesome fun! We thoroughly enjoyed being directed by our Videographer, Killian from Video Story and Ric from Riccardo Photography.  Together they set up the perfect shots. Killian and Ric were super fun but still very professional! We arranged all the details with them and were chauffeured by limo to the chosen locations. Since they were so thorough and professional, it meant that we got to enjoy the time with each other and with our bridal party, whilst getting our 'glamour shots' done. Zero stress with maximum fun!

Any funny quotes from the day?
During Greg's speech:
"So, on to my wife. I'm completely overwhelmed at how amazing she looks today, and I can't believe just how privileged I am that she's chosen me to be her wife." Oops!



How did you select Video Story to record your wedding?

I used to work with Killian and knew that he was not only a fun-loving person with a terrific sense of humour, he was also a true professional with a great work ethic - especially working as a Videographer as a SECOND job - absolute dedication! I knew he would add a great element to our day with his extensive experience in wedding videography.




Can you tell us something your guests don't know about the day?

A power outage was scheduled in the Yarra Valley area on the morning of our wedding. Our accommodation was terrific and arranged a generator so that the girls could still get their hair done, despite the loss of power - talk about going above and beyond. We were very fortunate to be so well looked after so that our day wasn't delayed or ruined.

Also, we were practicing our wedding dance in our room late the night before the big day and were trying to keep the volume down so nobody heard the music...or us jumping around like idiots!

So about the first dance...

Ok, so our first dance was a little different to most and was performed straight after we entered the reception. What started off as a relaxed slow dance, soon turned into a montage of short dance scenes - everything from Gangnam Style and Men in Black to Thriller and the Duck Dance! It set the 'tone' for the reception as being relaxed and fun which we feel made everyone "let down their hair" and enjoy the night...

We chose many songs that were easy to dance to (eg Grease Lightening) and a few that required a lot of practice (eg the German slap-dance scene from National Lampoons European Vacation). We had such fun practicing the routine at home weeks before the big day, and were so pleased that we pulled it off on the day. The best part is that it was all captured by Killian of Video Story so we can laugh at it for many years to come - thanks heaps!



How did you select Riccardo as your photographer?

Killian recommended a few photographers with different styles.  Since we trusted Killian's judgement, we checked out Ric's website to have a look at his work - OMG Incredible! So we decided to meet with Ric and had an instant connection - we could tell that Ric was our guy. He also had a great sense of humour, strong work ethic and incredible talent.
 



Why was it important to you to select a professional Photographer and Videographer for your wedding?

We not only wanted our wedding day to be fun and memorable, but we wanted the quality of the photos and video of our special day to be something that we could pass down to our children and be happy to share with people. And since Killian and Ric were so experienced with capturing the perfect shots, they were able to direct us, which allowed us to relax and know that we were in great hands.




What advice have you got for Brides and Grooms to be?

Brides - plan ahead and get things ready/booked sooner than later, as the time leading up to the big day flies by so quickly Allocate tasks to your family & bridal party to do on the wedding day, so there is not pressure on you to have to worry about anything - except having an awesome day! Select a great Photographer and Videographer as they are the ones who will capture the most special day of your life - money well spent! You won't regret it :)

Grooms - support your Bride and remember to turn up on the day - that's your job!

Any recommendations?

Our guests were very appreciative that we hired a mini bus to pick them up and drop them off from DeBortoli Yarra Valley Estate. They also thoroughly enjoyed the open photo booth (and the open bar, of course!) that we hired - we sent each guest one of their funny photo booth pics with our thank you cards :)

DeBortolis was amazing - very competitive pricing and fantastic people to deal with. Their gardens are phenomenal and was the perfect setting for our ceremony - highly recommended!

We strongly recommend Video Story and Riccardo Photography to capture the most special day of your life. Killian does an amazing job with the video, breaking every section into chapters and providing an awesome 'highlights' video which is great for showing people who don't want to sit through a few hours of footage - it's great! And Ric's albums speak for themselves - AMAZING! :) We had a blast getting our pics done by Ric before the wedding as it made the day extremely fun and settled any nerves about the "I dos" - it was great to just feel happy and excited about it instead of nervous. So if you are willing to overlook the superstition, we would thoroughly recommend it.

Killian Mulcahy - Geelong Videographer - Video Story 
Website: www.videostory.net.au


Ric -  Geelong Photographer  - Riccardo Photography
Website: www.riccardo.com.au

Seven tips on planning your wedding!


With over 10 years in the Wedding industry, one Videographer shares his hints and tips for making your special day run as smoothly as possible. 
Killian Mulcahy from www.VideoStory.net.au


1)  Preparation is key
When it comes to booking your wedding services, try and be as early as you can. For the venue, celebrant, photographer and videographer and many other services, it’s ideal to book twelve months in advance to secure what/who you want. It’s not uncommon for these services to have spots in their diary taken so far in advance of a wedding day and you want to avoid the unfortunate situation of deciding on a professional services company, only to be disappointed.

2) Be like the early bird, go get the worm
On your wedding day, get ready early. You think you have loads of time but often that’s not the case, so prepare for unexpected delays. There’s nothing wrong with being early but being late makes your day seem a little rushed and even risks the unsettling of your plans. Tradition says the bride can be fashionably late, it’s ok to be 5 minutes late but when it’s pushing the 30 minutes to 1 hour mark that’s a different story!

It’s your big day, which you are paying a lot of money for, so make sure you start on time and everything else should fall into place. By starting on time you get the maximum value from your service providers like your venue, photographer, videographer and band etc.   


3) Keepin’ it simple is sometimes less stressful
The simple truth is this: if you’re not naturally an organised person, then keep things simple on your wedding day. Don’t channel the Amazing Race when it comes to the event planning and avoid committing to high maintenance items. Just let the focus be on enjoying your celebration with loved ones. Think of the big picture and consider swapping any stressful, grandiose plans for something simpler but make sure you also like the simple things you choose…

4) Don’t be afraid to put forward your ideas to your providers
The main point is this: your wedding is your special day which celebrates you and your partner’s love. Your wedding service providers are all part of the plan towards making this happen. Think of them like mini fairy godmothers who all want to work in with your grand plan, making your wedding dreams come true.
With this in mind, don’t be shy in communicating your vision. Furthermore, good suppliers aim to please you with their services and are pleased when you share any specific ideas you might have. Don’t be afraid to ask for things you would like and share your ideas! But remember they are professionals and have been to many weddings, so if you ask them if your ideas will work they will have a good idea of the timings involved and if they have the capability to complete your request!

5) Sounds silly but make sure you actually like who you are hiring
When it comes to weddings, people have many recommendations to help you. Often this is of course helpful, but just make sure you genuinely like who you have hired. This is especially true for your celebrant, photographer and videographer. If they’re going to be a part of the furniture on your special day then you need to feel comfortable working with them and have faith in their abilities. Do your own research, be honest and work out what you actually want.

6) Get industry recommendations from suppliers 
Picture by 'Photography by Riccardo'
Ask your suppliers who they recommend, they cross paths with other industry professionals all the time. They know about people and, if you ask them, they’ll probably be happy to tell you honestly their view. Don’t be afraid to seek information from suppliers you’re already in contact with. 
Wedding planning can often seem overwhelming so it’s an easy shortcut to ask your suppliers who already work in the industry if they have any recommendations. Just talk to them, they don’t bite and if they do then perhaps you should reevaluate using them!  

7) The best time to book a supplier …
This is a common question for people planning their weddings, “When should we book someone?” The simple answer is, when it feels right! If you like them, their style and their price then don’t hesitate because if you wait another three or six weeks they could be booked by someone else. Most suppliers will hold a date for a few days to give you a chance to make your mind up.




I hope this guide has provided 7 practical tips for organising your wedding, to find out about Video Story Geelong please visit  



Pictures kindly supplied by: 'Photography by Riccardo' http://www.riccardo.com.au/








Video Story's First Birthday


A Busy First Year at Video Story Geelong

As it approaches Video Story Geelong’s first birthday, I thought I would share with you some of the highlights along the way...

I can’t believe that it’s been almost a year since Video Story Geelong was launched the Geelong Bridal Expo in July 11. It’s been choc-a-block, lots of weddings and TV work and even a documentary.

So, without any further ado, Happy First Birthday to us and hope you enjoy this retrospective post which looks back on our first year…

July 2011: Weddings and Expos

It was in July 2011 when Video Story Geelong first debuted at the Brides Wedding Expo in Geelong. Perhaps it was the ‘luck of the Irish’ or perhaps sheer fate, but the only reason Video Story Geelong even got a chance to display at this show was because another videographer pulled out.

So, with the help of my wife Kay, Video Story Geelong had to organised itself a stand. A few trips to Office Works, Spotlight, Snap Printing mixed with some creativity and we were ready to go! Luckily, Kay’s pretty handy with crafty stuff and together, I think we made the stall look pretty decent, although it will look very different this year.

In any case it was a tight squeeze to get it all ready in time. We had literally just arrived in Australia to live from Ireland weeks before, which didn’t leave much time for designing and printing fliers and getting everything in order before the expo but it all went really well. 


At the expo, we wanted Video Story to get people’s attention so we had a really great sale offer: the first 10 people to book would receive their wedding videos for $1000. As anyone looking at wedding video quotes knows, that was a unbelievable deal.

I remember getting a phone call late on a Saturday night at a party from a couple who didn’t want to miss out, neither did I, it was all very exciting. Something I never expected to happen so soon, happened in a few weeks later. I was turning down work, I couldn’t believe it, people wanted to book Video Story but were booked out for certain dates.

Soon after the Expo I bought all my equipment. I’m not kidding! I bought all my equipment new here in Australia. That way if something happened over here I could simply take it back to the store which is a lot easier than trying to work with Irish bought equipment!

So I spent about 4 hours at Videocraft in Melbourne, where I surely drove the sales assistant mad but probably mad in a good way because I left with lots of gear.

The Wedding Season
Pretty soon it rolled into wedding season and before I knew it, Video Story turned it’s cameras on and we were in business.



I have been filming weddings for about 15 years so I’m no novice but there was something about filming my first Australian wedding here which brought on an unexpected twinge of nerves. I think it was just doing my job in a new environment and a new country, which made me nervous, the nerves disappeared as soon as I pressed record, it was like riding a bike it all falls in to place when you turn the pedal.

In some cases bookings happened much closer to the wedding date than I was accustomed to, at the end of October I had just one wedding booked for the month of November but by the end of November I had recorded five! I guess I was new and had dates available, we’re already nearly booked out for November 2012. In Ireland, 90% of bookings are made 1 year in advance.  

Made in Geelong, the Documentary...

While all this was going on, there was also something else I began to work on. I decided to take a course in documentary film making at RMIT, which I started at the end of August.

Soon after finishing, I made a documentary for the Geelong organisation “Made in Geelong” (which you can see here if you’d like)

This experience was really interesting. I was still a newbie in Australia, it was great to meet some locals at Made in Geelong. For instance, I met Geelong artist and entrepreneur Rod Moore who I would end up working with for my first TV project and I met Anna Kosmanovski a professional writer who re wrote my website.

Video Story goes on TV

It turned out I would work with Rod, and his wife Sue, on a TV series for Channel 31 called Plein Air Painting. We filmed a pilot episode in Queenscliff and hoped for the best. Next thing we know Channel 31 wanted to air a season of it, starting December! Well did we work hard to produce the series on time as C31 liked it so much they wanted to air it right away.

That lead to another hectic schedule for the following 4 months as we filmed 13 episodes of Plain Air Plainting TV. It brought us all around Victoria and we had a great time shooting.

Aussie Summer
I was really busy from January to April with loads of beautiful weddings and we also had Plein Air painting still on the go. In the middle of an Aussie summer this videographer coped reasonable well with long days shooting outside in the sun considering the pale skin!!  I must say I became very fashionable with my wide brimmed hats, shorts with white legs sticking out the bottom and of course I had lots of sunblock and icy cold water to keep hydrated. I’m now accustomed to filming in the warmer weather. 





Main highlights

I’ve really loved  starting up Video Story Geelong, it’s been a wonderful business venture, very busy, hard work and  good times.

I’ve thought about some highlights along the way!

-          Receiving my first booking was a definite highlight!
-          Getting my work on TV was a brilliant
-          Working with Brides and Grooms is a part of the business I really enjoy
-          Meeting the people of Geelong and surrounds

It’s been a brilliant, big and fun-filled year at Video Story and I look forward to what this next year brings. This is a good chance for me to say thank you to all the clients who booked me, everyone in the industry I worked alongside and those who supported Video Story along the way and who continue to support Video Story.






The contrast in Irish and Australian weddings.

Video Story's first year in Australia

As a wedding videographer with links to both Ireland and Australia, Video Story’s Killian Mulcahy has been intrigued to observe some of the differences between a typical Irish and Australian wedding. Killian is from Ireland (as you will be quickly be able to work out if you chat with him on the phone!),  he and his Australian wife recently moved to Geelong, Australia. So what were Killian’s observations after filming wedding videos in both countries.

Weather
Although the Irish climate is substantially colder than the Australian climate, there isn’t usually much difference in bridal fashions between the two countries, men arrive in suits and the ladies wear evening dresses rain, hail or shine.



The Ceremony  
Another big difference is timing. Generally, Australian weddings have a faster pace while Irish weddings are a longer affair.  The average Aussie ceremony runs for 20 minutes, an Irish one is much longer and usually goes for at least one hour, including a full Catholic mass.

While in Australia, many weddings are held outdoors, in such places as leafy gardens or stunning sandy beaches. Celebrants read beautiful ceremonies about the Bride and Groom's life and journey together, touching on wonderful stories and how they fell in love. Irish ceremonies and venues are predominantly unchanged: most weddings are held in a church and conducted by a local Priest or Minister, although equally touching ceremonies it's the variety of venues and locations that's different. 

For a wedding to be held in a venue other than a church in Ireland the venue must be approved for ceremonies and the County Registrar of Births, deaths and marriages, who is appointed by the Irish health service, is the only official able to marry a couple in a Civil Ceremony.

Whilst in Australia the number of guests can vary from intimate gatherings to a very large gathering, in Ireland weddings are always big with two to three hundred guests as a standard number.

In Ireland the Bride and Groom will always walk straight down the aisle after the ceremony to great applause and then stop at the front door to greet all the guests and they leave the church and receive their congratulations, a noticeable difference for Killian in Australia, is when the Bride and Groom after the cermony greet the guests as they walk down the aisle.

Ongoing festivities
At an Australian wedding, when the reception package has run it's time and the band begins to unplug their equipment, that’s usually around the time when the Bride and Groom wave their sweet farewells to everyone and the wedding has come to a close.

Yet, not so in Ireland! In fact, that’s usually the time when the dancing is just getting started! An Irish wedding couple along with their guests will be continuing to celebrate long into the morning, never one to miss a party, some even go home the following morning with the post man, there really is no time limit on the reception. 
It used to be the case that the couple would leave early but more recently they realise that there is a lots more fun to be had and the DJ usually kicks in at 12:30am to play for about 2 more hours, with the resulting sing song in the residents bar, tells Killian.  He says last time they were at an Irish wedding as a guest they retired from the sing song at 3am to go back to the hotel room for a cup of tea and wedding cake!

Dancing
Dancing is a big part of any wedding but especially so in Ireland! The band helps create a fun and inclusive atmosphere, as Killian describes.

The band is usually very interactive, finding out who’s birthday it’s been lately or who’s from what part of Ireland and they incorporate this info into the night, it’s just great fun.  
While at Australian weddings, the dancing can take a while to warm up, in Ireland the dancing is almost woven into the DNA of the wedding, including an elaborate and sometimes dizzying dance move called the Paul Jones, where of a circle of women holding hands and dance in one direction, while an enfolding circle of men dance around them, in the opposite direction. When the music stops after about 30 seconds you dance with the person opposite you for a few songs, it's a great way to mix up the crowd. 

How the day runs
A really interesting point of difference between Australian and Irish weddings is the time they are scheduled to begin.
In Australia, weddings can begin within a variety of different times, such as 10am, 2pm, 4pm or even 6pm but in Ireland weddings always begins between 1pm or 2pm.
Also, in Ireland the Best Man may have a busier workload: he’s also the MC on the day, as well as getting the groom to the church on time!!! The variety of the Australian weddings really impressed Killian, he says it's great to go to new venues, new themes and see new ideas for each wedding here in Australia. 

The structure of the evening is also a little different. Irish weddings have a four course dinner followed by speeches. Then everyone leaves the function room and retires to the bar, lounge, foyer or goes for a walk. Band then sets up in the function room and the hotel clears the floor ready for the dancing to begin, this process usually takes 1-1.5 hours. Where as in Australia the pre-dinner drinks, meal, speeches and dancing is all interwoven usually into a 5 hours reception package.

Photography
Although every wedding is different, Killian has noticed the quintessential Australian wedding photography style is more candid than back home.
Also, from a photographer’s or videographer’s point of view, the conditions in Australia are brighter and in most instances, flash isn’t even needed at all.  This means an Australian photographer/videographer has greater possibilities to work with on the day, especially the evening light that has a beautiful color and casts wonderful shadows on the background, the sky is usually blue and around the Geelong/Ballerine region the photos often take place on a beach or near the sea,  he loves his new working environment and working in the sunshine!

Some things remain the same
Whether it's an indoor Irish ceremony officiated by a Priest, with snow falling down outside, or a sunset Aussie wedding along the beach with canapés and candles, the truth is this: the excitement of the wedding remains the same! Everyone loves a wedding and it’s always a pleasure to be part of a couple’s big day, Killian reflects. People come along to a wedding dolled up, happy and looking forward to a good time, "that’s a fantastic atmosphere to work in," says Killian, to wrap up... 

Visit Killian's website at www.videostory.net.au to view his latest weddings and find out more about Video Story or give him a call on 0468 328 283 to hear that lovely Irish accent!