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

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  

www.videostory.net.au

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

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.

 Video Story Website

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!