Dec 28, 2020

You’ve locked in your wedding photographer, wedding venue, band, wedding celebrant, and now, the job is to work out your wedding reception timeline. This might seem a little daunting, but with a little careful planning and breathing room given to all of the moving parts, it will make your reception exactly as you’d imagined, and probably most importantly, an incredible, slick night for your wedding guests.

When planning your wedding reception timeline, the most important thing is to think about two things:

wedding reception timeline tips
Lilli and Jakes Castlemaine Wedding reception
  1. Your guests are happy being a part of a formal experience. This means that they’re happy being told what to do, and happy knowing upfront what the expectations are. No-one likes being left wondering what to do next: if there is a lengthy period where not much is happening, make sure they know that ahead of time (possibly on the invitations), and make it entertaining for them by breaking it up with little sprinkles of surprise here and there in your wedding reception schedule.
  2. Give more breathing room to each element of the evening than you think you might need. We’re human. Which means we’re all over the place. If you think it’ll take 25 seconds to wrangle Bob and Jan for the family photo, that will all come undone when it turns out Bob has gone for a piss and no-one can find him. Add a little more padding time than you think you might need to account for the natural dance of what a wedding is: a gathering of all your favourite humans in one place.

Sample wedding reception timeline: a sample wedding reception order of events

Here is a rough sample wedding reception timeline. All timings are just estimates for illustrative purposes, but they also represent a rough timeframe that I think would be appropriate in most circumstances.

  1. The Post Ceremony Glow
  2. The Grand Wrangle
  3. Wedding Party Entrances
  4. First Dance
  5. Welcome Speech
  6. Entree and Dinner
  7. Sneaky Sunset Photoshoot
  8. Community Toasts
  9. Family Dances
  10. Dance Floor Open
  11. Cake Cutting and Dessert
  12. Dancefloor Anarchy
  13. The Exit

1. The Post-Ceremony glow/cocktail hour (1 hour)

The post-ceremony hour is a glow-up: you’re both stoked, so are your family and friends. This is typically the part when the congratulations happen, family photos, and maybe even your portrait session. Many photographers will take up the entire cocktail hour with the portrait session, which I think is a real shame, as this is an incredible time to hang out a little with the folks you’ve invited along for the ride. So typically, i’ll break the portrait part of the day into two smaller sessions. So the post-ceremony hour might look like 10 minutes spent on congratulations, 10 minutes on family formals, 15-20 minutes on portraits, and then the rest of that time hanging with your crew.

2. The Grand Wrangle (about 20 minutes)

This time-slot assumes everything is happening on the same site: if your wedding reception venue is far from your ceremony venue, then adjust and add travel time to suit. The grand wrangle is the part where you try and herd your community into the seated reception area. This isn’t a quick affair, and by the time someone has first begun screaming their guts out for everyone to come inside until the last butt has been gracefully draped across the final chair, you’ll be looking at possibly 20 minutes. At this time, your wedding MC can announce anything they need to, and any formalities as per your wedding reception timeline.

3. Wedding party entrances (10 minutes)

This is when, like a herd of majestic gazelles cantering across the plains, you and your crew make your way in, to your choice of music (if that’s how you’ve set it up). In practice this might only take 5 minutes, but as always, consider any extra time that might be consumed by any delays, unsignalled bathroom breaks by your best man, etc.

4. First Dance (15 minutes)

a photo of a wedding couples first dance
From Zoe and Adams wedding featured on Vogue

The first dance: this is exactly as it says on the box! If you’re doing a first dance, this is where you get to show off just how many practice sessions you failed to show up for. Good thing is, no-one cares how fancy your footwork is – your family and friends are just stoked to see you having a blast with each other. The dance itself might only be a few minutes, but when planning your wedding reception timeline, consider the extra time involved if your crew swamp the dance-floor with you, and any other minor delays either side.

5. Welcome Speech (10 minutes)

a photo of a wedding couples welcome speech at their wedding reception
From Liv and Adam

This is your welcome speech for your community, to bring them all into the evenings proceedings. Maybe here, you’d also like to consider an acknowledgement of country.

6. Entree and Dinner (1 hour)

an image of a wedding reception dinner
See this Rupert on Rupert wedding

Again, this is as it says on the box. You’ll likely be served first (if your wedding caterer knows what they’re doing), and my strongest recommendation is to make sure you knock down your meal in full, as everything will be pulling at your attention. As majestic as the wedding meal is, you also want to consider that getting some energy in is also the aim of the game here. Consider if you want to make your way around to all the tables – it’s a great way to make your guests feel loved and for many of them, might be the only opportunity they get to give you a hi-5 over the entire day.

7. Sneaky sunset photoshoot (10 minutes)

See more of this moody couple shoot

The sunset photoshoot isn’t just a great time to get incredibly beautiful images in the best light: first and foremost, it’s the only other time in the entire day where the two of you will get a break and a little bit of calm all to yourselves. Enjoy this, throw a wine in your hand and let your photographer take you out for a fun session: this will be where you get some of your favourite wedding portraits. Wedding reception timeline tips: Consider scheduling this in immediately after you have had your main course, and before you make your way around to all of your guests (otherwise there’s a good chance it won’t happen).

See more black and white wedding photos

Inform your wedding planner of this, and make sure it’s all formalised in your wedding reception timeline.

8. Community Toasts (20 minutes)

From Kate and Toms Palm Springs Wedding

The toasts section of the wedding reception timeline is where anything goes. Try to get an idea in advance of who might be giving a speech or toast, so all of the time can be accounted for, and a timing guideline can be presented to each person. This will keep things smooth for all your guests and for the rest of your wedding reception timeline.

9. Family dances (15 minutes)

a photo of a father and daughter dance

This is the part of your wedding reception timeline where some of the most brilliant memories are made, and brilliant photos. Work out ahead of time what the order of things should be, and put every detail and person into your wedding reception timeline.

10. Dance floor open (30 minutes)

Wedding reception timeline tip: after your family dances, make a note of at what point the rest of your community should join you, and make sure it’s formally announced, so that there is no awkward dripping of guests onto the dance-floor wondering if they’re allowed to. Remember the tip up at the top: your guests want solid direction and want to be told what to do. This makes it crystal clear and fun for them, and exactly the same for you.

11. Cake cutting and dessert (30 minutes)

a photo of the wedding couple cutting the cake
See more of this incredible Castlemaine Wedding

There are loud signals of an imminent closing of something (such as the venue lights in a nightclub being unceremoniously turned on at 2:45am), and there are soft signals: the wedding cake cutting and dessert bracket, is a soft signal that things are beginning to hit the final bit of track in your wedding reception timeline. Get the music provider to adjust things to suit, and take a bit of a breather of your own.

HOT TIP: Cut the cake immediately after you walk in, instead. Less formalities later on, = more time your guests can enjoy themselves rather than waiting for the next set of formalities.

12. Dancefloor anarchy (30-45 minutes)

a photo of a couples wedding reception party
See this Castlemaine Wedding Venue

By this point, you’ve probably hit your second wind, and you’ve got a perfect storm of caffiene and sugar coursing through your veins. Wind up the dancing shoes for a final go of it, and get your wedding band to dial things up a notch. When planning your wedding reception timeline, consider workshopping with them also on what the closing track #1 will be, and the closing track #2 (there’s always an encore at every good party).

13. The exit (15 minutes)

wedding reception timeline tips - the sparkler exit
From Kate and Alex’s Burnham Beeches Wedding

The exit itself will only take about 30 seconds, but when planning your wedding reception timeline, consider all of the other people-wrangling that will happen here: pulling any folks from the bathrooms, clearing the bar, and getting a host of gloriously fed and watered folks in a straight line (or whatever exit arrangement you’ve chosen here).

Final wedding reception timeline tips

One of my biggest tips, is to hire a wedding planner. Many folks are a bit unsure about the merits of a wedding planner, so to be totally clear, it’s this: they put out (proverbial) fires, they make you and your guests feel loved and looked after the entire day, but probably most importantly, they don’t leave anyone present feeling like they don’t know what’s going on. A great wedding planner ensures that your timelines are stuck to, and everything goes smoothly and as planned.

Book me to photograph your wedding (if you want)

Wedding photography Melbourne: Briars Atlas – Make an enquiry

Dec 5, 2020

Popup With Style are the Mornington Peninsulas best wedding planners and stylists, and they style and plan all types of wedding celebrations from the large (see also White Top Venues), to the smaller and intimate.

Popup with style don’t just share their creative genius with you, they take over many of the pain points associated with planning your Melbourne or Mornington Peninsula wedding: venue sourcing, liaison with various suppliers, and above all – ensuring that all your suppliers are not only top-notch at their craft, but pleasant and reliable (if this is your first time planning a Melbourne or Mornington Peninsula wedding, you’ll find out pretty quick this is the most important thing.

Popup With Style say it all on their homepage: you only do it once! They are the most knowledgable and creative wedding planners on the Mornington Peninsula, and experienced not only in all of the brilliant venues out that way (including one of my favourites, Tanglewood Estate), but in a broad range of design styles.

Popup With Style have a wonderful range of bright and punchy themes on their website, but here, they came along to the Celebrant A-List Baller – a gathering of the Best Wedding Celebrants in Melbourne, and applied their incredible sense of style to a more moody and subdued palette.

Popup With Style created a table setting, Vogue-esque photobooth, and creative direction for florals that was then crafted by The Flower District, along with cake wizardry by Melbournes brilliant Torte by Mirjana.

If you’re looking for a Mornington Peninsula wedding planner or stylist, check out what a small intimate event designed by Popup With Style looks like (and also be sure to check out these small wedding venues and more wedding venues on the Mornington Peninsula).

Popup With Style
The crew at Bottlebrush Films, Torte by Mirjana, The Arbourists, and Sean and Damian (Melbourne Wedding Celebrants)

Find Popup With Style online

Popup With Style website: https://www.popupwithstyle.com/
Popup With Style Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/popupwithstyle/

Find Popup With Style in person

Popup with Style are based in the Mornington Peninsula, but service all of Melbourne and indeed wider Victoria.

Hire me as your Mornington Peninsula wedding photographer

Briars Atlas Wedding Photography

Picnic Styling Co popup picnic setup

Nov 15, 2020

Picnic Styling Co in Melbourne create popup picnic experiences for small weddings, events, brand activations, gatherings and more. The brainchild of Havana (also behind Saint Germain and partner to Gene, founder of my local caffiene dispensry Advieh), Picnic Styling Co hit the ground with their incredible innovative packages well before Covid forced everyone’s hand and could no longer book a wedding venue, and for the last year they’ve been Melbournes leading popup picnic creators. This is a great option if you’re looking for advice on how to get married quickly in Australia.

Picnic Styling Co Melbourne

Marlena and Warwick had a small wedding created by I Do Drive Thru, after which Warwick took Marlena to a surprise picnic in Footscray styled and setup with love by Picnic Styling Co.

Popup Picnic Styling Co Melbourne
Popup Picnic Styling Co Melbourne
Popup Picnic Styling Co Melbourne
Picnic Styling Co Melbourne
Picnic Styling Co Melbourne
Use their own provided blooms, or add some extra from a great wedding florist in Melbourne.
Picnic Styling Co Melbourne
Picnic Styling Co Melbourne
Grazing board Melbourne picnic

Pop Up Picnic Hire Melbourne

Picnic Styling Co Melbourne

Picnic Styling Co have several offings, from group picnics, to couples picnics, outdoor movie night picnics, garden parties and more. You can choose from 6 styles and colour schemes, once you’ve selected the type of popup picnic hire that you’re after.

Melbourne Picnic Styling Company

Picnic Styling Co Melbourne

Picnic Styling Co offer a Marrakech collection and Luxe collection, which broadly cover more middle-eastern styling sensibilities as well as more streamlined, monochrome and boho picnic styling. You can customise any of the packages with a range of seating, cutlery, drink tray, cane-table options and much more.

Find Picnic Styling Co

Melbourne Picnic Styling Company

Picnic Styling Co Website http://www.picnicstylingco.com/
Picnic Styling Co Instagram https://www.instagram.com/picnicstylingco/
Picnic Styling Co Facebook https://www.facebook.com/picnicstylingco/

Hire me to photograph your small wedding or Pop Up Picnic (if you want)

Based in Melbourne, I photograph small weddings and elopements here there and everywhere for brilliant couples (just like you). Also head here to check out some of the best small wedding venues Melbourne has going.

Wedding photography meeting

Wedding Photography Melbourne: Briars Atlas – Enquire

Sep 10, 2020

Glasshaus Outside and Glasshaus Inside are two brilliant sister wedding venues in Richmond (the latter in Cremorne, depending on how you look at it). A Glasshaus Wedding is like nothing else, in this unique jungle setting that can only come from a wedding venue that also operates as a nursery during the day (side-note: be sure to check out these other small wedding venues while you’re here).

Glasshaus Wedding

The team at Glasshaus are master party-starters as much as they are master green-thumbs. So you can pick up your carbon-offset during the day, and then knock down drinks in this incredible sleepy jungle of an evening.

This video from Jo McAuliffe is a great insight to how the space looks by day.

Glasshaus Inside Wedding

Glasshaus Inside Wedding
Glasshaus Inside Wedding

A Glasshaus Inside wedding leaves guests wondering what scene from a Tim Burton film they’ve walked into, as the place is something of a unique fantasy land. Or maybe that was my 5th Negroni speaking. Either way the walls are lined with beautiful greenery, and it’s the best realisation of an urban jungle that you’re likely to walk into.

Glasshaus Outside Wedding

Over the road a short jaunt away, a Glasshaus Outside Wedding happens under a transparent nursery roof, in a jungle that in many ways is similar to Glasshaus Inside, except with the industrial warehouse feel replaced by open air as you walk though gentle canopies of greenery in the more exposed setting.

Plenty of beautiful gritty Richmond streets surrounding the area make it the ideal loop for wedding portraits, and so it’s a no-brainer that for couples having their wedding ceremony at Glasshaus Outside and then moving the party to Glasshaus Inside, the portraits can be done during that walk between venues.

Top reasons people book a Glasshaus Wedding

  1. Blank canvas space, in a jungley kinda way
  2. Both Glasshaus Inside and Glasshaus Outside are 5 mins from Richmond station
  3. You can host your wedding between both venues, breaking up your day for your guests

Book Your Glasshaus Wedding Venue Tour

Glasshaus Florist website: https://glasshausfloristonline.com/

Wedding Venues Similar to Glasshaus

If you’re looking for a wedding venue similar to Glasshaus, it’s hard to go past Collingwoods Rupert on Rupert. Not a nursery by day, the space operates instead as an iconic casual restaurant that can transorm into any number of arrangements for events and weddings.

Venues Like Glasshaus Rupert

To see more images of Rupert on Rupert, head here to see Tim and Alix’s Rupert on Rupert Wedding, and for more venues like this, check out some of the best small wedding venues Melbourne has on offer.

Glasshaus Wedding
Glasshaus Wedding
Glasshaus Wedding
Glasshaus Wedding
Glasshaus Wedding

Hire me to photograph your Glasshaus Inside Wedding or Glasshaus Outside Wedding

Briars Atlas Wedding Photography – Enquire

Aug 10, 2020

Briars Atlas – Melbourne Wedding photography documenting the calm and anarchy of beautiful couples all over Melbourne and Victoria. I’ve been fortunate to be noted as one of Melbourne’s top wedding photographers both locally in Australia’s Capture Magazine, and abroad in New Yorks Rangefinder Magazine, as part of their Top 30 worldwide.

But none of this stuff matters – what matters is that i’m lucky to have one of the best jobs in the world: chasing party-starters and anarchist lovers all over the planet to make something that matters for and with them.

I work with you to make your wedding photography absolutely bangin’, and not something that makes you want to chew a cyanide pill. Read on to see some of the wedding photography i’ve been commissioned on all over Melbourne and beyond.

A quick sample of my Melbourne Wedding Photography (if you have a minute)

Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers
Top 10 Melbourne Wedding Photographers

Melbourne Wedding Photography features

Vogue Wedding – Zoe and Adam
Hello May Wedding Photographer – Pepe and Sam

Looking for an elegant wedding venue? Check out the deck circa.

Jul 4, 2020

Planning a Beta Bar Sydney Wedding? Beta Bar is one of the most incredible, earthy event and wedding spaces in Sydney, and picked for couples wanting a spectacular modern venue that gives a nod to crumbling castles and mills found in Europe (looking for something more further south? Check out these small wedding venues). Beta Bar is a French warehouse styled wedding venue that oozes rustic charm.

Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer

Venue information for your Beta Bar Sydney Wedding

A Beta Bar Sydney Wedding can host up to 200 guests cocktail style, or 160 people seated, and if a dance-floor is part of the layout, 120 seated. Different configurations of the space can be hired, depending on whether you’re hosting an intimate or small wedding here, or the second coming of the party-apocalypse (i’m sure the first was hosted by Prince somewhere).

Wedding Venues Similar to Beta Bar Sydney

There’s only one answer to the question of what similar wedding venues are to Beta Bar out there, and that answer is (for better or worse), located in Victoria. The historic Fyansford Paper Mills are as good as it gets in a venue that appears to be a second cousin of Beta Bar, with it’s stunning exposed brick, these nearly untouched Old Paper Mills are the ideal wedding venue just a short road trip out of Melbourne City.

For more information on Fyansford Paper Mill, check out this Fyansford Paper Mill Wedding by Truffleduck Events.

Fun Facts* for your Beta Bar Wedding

  1. Beta Bar is the wedding venue of choice for exposed industrial city vibes
  2. The nearest paid car-parking for guests of Beta Bar is 2-3 blocks away
  3. The venue is indeed accessible by wheelchair
  4. As majestic as it looks, Beta Bar is ideally suited to Small Weddings

*Facts may or may not be fun

Find Beta Bar and Beta Events

Beta Events is located at Level 1/238 Castlereagh St, Sydney
Beta Events website: https://238castlereagh.com.au/beta-events/

Hire me to photograph your Beta Bar Sydney Wedding

Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer

Briars Atlas Wedding Photography – enquire
Also check out this beautiful Sydney wedding at the Theatre Bar at the End of the Wharf

Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer
Beta Bar Sydney Wedding Photographer

Looking for venues like this in Melbourne? Check out the deck circa.

Dec 27, 2018

Tips for the camera shy on being comfortable in front of the camera?

One of the most common things that couples tell me is that they’re not comfortable in front of the camera, which is a perfectly understandable position to hold. I’d encourage you to think about this as follows. If we look back, nearly all of the times that we’ve had our photo taken through our life, have been under sufferance!

School photos, family photos, and all that.

But you also know that if you’re out with your partner, and someone rips up an iPhone in the middle of you having a good time, you’re generally pretty comfortable. The secret to feeling comfortable in front of the camera, is having it not feel like a photo shoot, which is what I specialise in.

And you’ve got two things on your side on your wedding day, that will make this a non-issue, I promise: firstly, you’re getting married! How rad is that. You’ll have your hands so full with all the goings on, you just aren’t going to notice a photographer roaming around.

Secondly – you’re hiring me not just because I know my way around a camera, but because I know my way around a community: making folks feel comfortable is what I do, and the answer to that anyway, lies in you just enjoying each others company, instead of feeling like you need to pose for me.

Click!
wedding photographer camera shy

Should we have a meeting?

I always suggest we meet at my local cafe or wine-bar in Seddon, or if Seddon is inaccessible, we jump on a Zoom conversation to get to know each other.

Feel free to take a look at my photo gallery or Instagram to get to first get a feel for my style, and the cherry on top of course is that you get along with the human you’ll be spending the day with (me!) and that’s done by connecting in person or over Zoom.

Every wedding is different, so catching up to learn more about you both and talk through a unique plan tailored specifically for your wedding day is always useful.

Once you’ve booked, i’m also available to meet as many times as you need to in the lead-up.

How are we supported through the planning process?

You receive a welcome package upon booking handy hints a list of talented wedding vendors I love to work with. During the planning process, you will receive emails on how to structure your timeline based on how your logistics for the day are evolving.

I am here with a virtual hug and many years experience to assist you in any questions you have during the wedding planning process, and I am available to catch up in-person or over Zoom to chat about your wedding planning as often as you need.

Will you customize a package?

Each package is different, so each package is able to be catered to you. The nature of weddings change rapidly, with large weddings, adventure weddings, elopements, experiential weddings, and everything in between being a viable option.

You are able to add coverage as required, add beautiful print products, additional photographers and more, as you see fit to match to your wedding day. To enquire about my packages, head here.

Do you do destination weddings?

Destination weddings make up about 50% of my wedding bookings. I’m thrilled to be able to travel to all corners of the planet to photograph weddings, and it’s often just as affordable as hiring someone local, with all of the benefit of a wedding photographer with fresh eyes in a new location.

I’ve photographed destination weddings in Bali, the US, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Thailand and more.

As a destination wedding photographer i’m familiar with all of the other requirements, including on the ground planning and contingencies.

Typically when photographing a destination wedding, i’ll arrive a couple of days earlier to acclimatise and meet, and maybe even do a pre-shoot.
Destination wedding photographer

What do your prices start at?

My prices for a small wedding or elopement begin at $3900, and weddings begin at $5000.

Do you have a weekday discount?

Yes and no! Unfortunately my wedding photography pricing reflects my years of experience, and the extensive work required in post production. While weekday discounts are not available, shorter weddings and elopements are available on weekdays, but not weekends.

This means you can book me for a small wedding or elopement on a weekday and a shorter number of hours, which is not available on peak-weekend dates, which are reserved for more extensive coverage.

To book me for your weekday small wedding or elopement, you can enquire here.

How long does it take to edit wedding photos?

The turn around on your digital wedding files is generally 3-6 weeks but you should see a few shortly after to get all gushy over. This might seem like a long time, but this post on editing wedding photos might give you an insight into why editing matters, and why my care and attention to detail during the editing process has made me one of the most sought after wedding photographers in the world.

Do you offer Albums?

I offer handmade albums produced by Australia’s best fine-art lab owned by generations of the same family. These are not quite what you imagine a wedding album looks like.

They’re available in a range of sizes, but the default size is an incredibly endearing format that you have to check out for yourselves. You can see my range of fine-art wedding albums here.

Do you charge for travel?

I do not charge for travel inside Victoria, and weddings in other states in Australia may have a nominal travel fee built in.

My wedding photography pricing is competitive for the world class images you receive, and so whether photographing weddings in Melbourne, New York, or Perth, you’ll find the pricing is usually pretty competitive and comparable to hiring someone local, with all the benefits of a fresh set of eyes on an enthusiastic traveller.

How many images do I receive?

You receive a curated collection of images without watermarks and in high resolution.

You receive all your images high resolution, print ready for you to print off freely, and share with your family and friends.

How fast do you edit photos?

On your wedding day, i will typically take around 5000 photographs initially. With so many things happening, it’s essential that I work hard and give myself plenty of options of the best version of a moment.

This is obviously way too many for you to receive, so from there, I cull this down to around 500-700 winning photographs, that each stand out strongly in their own right.

After that, this set is edited into a preview selection, as well as your full collection. There is several days of work involved in this entire process, which I split up over several different editing sessions. I aim to have you your finished collection of wedding photos, beautifully edited from start to finish, within four weeks.

How can we order prints?

I have a relationship with the best lab in Australia, and through a connection to my personal image sharing platform, you and your family and friends can order prints, albums, calendars and more via a simple link that you will receive.

As the wedding couple, you are also able to make private any images that you do not want shared with family and friends for whatever reason, prior to sharing this link with them.

Ordering world-class heirloom prints is a simple exercise that will take just a few clicks, and saves you a sketchy trip to Officeworks.

When is the final payment due?

Your final wedding payment is due 7 business days (1 week) before your wedding.A photo of Liv and Adam at their Melbourne Wedding by Wedding photographer Briars Atlas

I want to book, what now?

Just send me a confirmation email stating that you would like me to photograph your special day, we will book in a zoom call. I then will then send my Terms and Conditions to you with all the deposit and payment details enclosed. I only require a $500 deposit to confirm a wedding date.

How many weddings have you photographed?

I’ve photographed over 150 weddings all over the world: mostly around Australia, but as far as Germany, New York, New Zealand and more.

Around Australian i’ve photographed many in the Blue Mountains, all the way over to Fremantle and Perth, all the way up to the top of Western Australia, and of course many around my hometown of Melbourne and the Yarra Valley.

What is a site visit/planning session?

A wedding planning session is a session we have either in-person in Seddon, or over Zoom. In these sessions, we plan your wedding and my involvement in it down to the detail you require. Often you might have a wedding planner check out this incredible Melbourne wedding planner) who takes care of this, so we just need to work out how to best use me to ensure you get beautiful, broad, brilliant coverage.

A wedding site visit, is a visit together to your wedding location. My skill is in interpreting and researching new locations, and every award-winning image you see on my website was captured at a venue I had visited for the first time.

My skill is in interpreting space and light and responding quickly to whats happening. On top of that, i’m an advocate for not taking you too far away from your venue for your portraits.

As such, it’s generally not necessary to have a site visit, as they have no impact on the quality of wedding coverage you will receive.

What is a highlight gallery?

A highlight gallery is a small selection of previews that you will receive within 48 hours of your wedding day.

When the post-wedding buzz is high, I think it’s super important to have something to share with friends and family, so I work to give you a small selection of key moments over the day for you to enjoy as soon as possible.

How do the hours work on your wedding day?

We will know ahead of time when I should show up to the first location, usually where the bride is getting ready.

My time then starts ticking until the I finish at the final location. I don’t charge for any travel to or from these locations.

How much do wedding photographers in Australia cost?

The average wedding photographer in Australia costs about half as much as twice their full rate. In dollar terms, it depends on what sort of wedding photographer you are after. For folks that are less experienced, expect to pay about $2-3k for full-day coverage.

Most of my couples book me for $5-$6k, which also covers all of the client care around the day, several days of post-processing and delivery and storage of all your beautiful images.

The average wedding photographer in Australia that is experienced might cost you anywhere between $4k-$8k.

It’s important to work out what is important to you from a product point of view, and whether you even need full-day coverage. According to ASIC’s Moneysmart, the average cost to hire a wedding photographer is under $4,000 (not including albums, wall art or other printed items).

How many photos do I take?

I usually take somewhere around 5000 photographs. With so much going on, it’s essential that I give myself plenty of options to capture the most ideal version of a moment.

Henri Cartier Bresson called this “the decisive moment”.

This is obviously too many to deliver to you, so after this, I cull them down to around 500-700 photographs, to then beautifully and individually edit for you.

How far in advance do you have to book?

In order to book me as your wedding photographer, it really varies: most couples book me 12-18 months out, and sometimes they enquire just two weeks out!

You’ll never know if you don’t enquire: reach out to me for your wedding here.

What are the different styles of wedding photography?

There are so many different styles of wedding photography. If you’re googling around, you might see “photojournalism” and “fine art” and “candid” and wonder what it all means. Generally speaking, fine-art photography might feel more “dreamy, and occasionally have very staged moments.

Candid and photojournalistic style photography might appear to be a more “fly on the wall” style of capture.

I like to think my style, is something of a bridge between them all. I don’t interrupt the flow of the day, but know how to make the best of all situations.

Do you have to buy products as well as photos?

Not at all. They’re only there if you wish to add them in. You can hire me just to photograph your wedding and deliver your photos on a USB and via an online gallery.

You can then get creative with the high res photos to make the prints or even books yourself. To view my wedding photo products, which range from regular prints, to albums to calendars and more (socks coming soon, maybe), click here.

What do I wear to your wedding?

Sounds like an odd question to have listed here but I think it needs to be a-dressed. What I wear depends on what I am going to be doing and what locations and conditions we are going to be shooting in:in most cases, I have to be practical. They are long days, with many wedding days up to 15 hours by the time I add travel and back up time when I get home.

Sometimes I am kneeling, sitting and lying down on sand, dirt and road and so a pair of nice suit pants might not be the greatest idea. Generally – I aim to mix in with your guests, with a dash of jazz on top of that. Whether you’ve got a city wedding, a farm wedding, a beach wedding, a cocktail wedding, or a houseboat wedding, will all affect what I choose to turn up in.

Most Melbourne city weddings I’ll rock up in something super classy. But then when I photographed a wedding on a string of houseboats in Canada, I turned up in shorts and thongs! So it all depends.

How much “photoshopping” do I do?

Firstly we need to establish what we mean by photoshopping. When people say photoshopping, normally they mean things like adding fake looking filters, altering body shapes, or removing things that were a part of the image.

My approach to wedding photography is natural, and i focus on great moments and using my skill to anticipate things happening. I do not do any photoshopping, but instead make sure i’m getting the best possible version of a moment as it happens, in-camera. With that said, i’ll of course make an effort to remove things that might not be there in the days either side of your wedding, such as acne if requested etc.

What are the advantages of hiring a professional photographer?

When hiring a professional wedding photographer, you’re hiring someone with years of experience in weddings, and so years of experience in anticipating all of the things that happen on the wedding day, as well as providing a plethora of support before, during and after your wedding.

A professional wedding photographer has a thorough backup system, and ensures that this beautiful little moment of time is recorded in an incredible way, with no risk to you.

Do I work with an assistant or second shooter?

I have second photographers available for anyone wishing to book one in. I have photographed weddings of up to 250 guests alone comfortably, and with 500 guests with a second shooter with me.

Generally, for the sake of guaranteeing the widest amount of wedding coverage possible, my recommendation is that if you are going to have over 180 guests, that you consider booking a second photographer with me.

It’s a nominal fee, and one of the most inexpensive ways of broadening the amount of coverage you’ll receive.

Video slideshows at the wedding?

No – because your wedding is not about me, it’s about you. Back in the 90’s it was common for video slideshows to be displayed at weddings, and while i’ve seen it done, and the guests loved it, in my opinion the guests should be interacting with each other and having a great time, not looking and images and videos of things that just happened.

I do not offer same-day slideshows.

What is the Booking Process?

If you decide that i’m the right fit as your wedding photographer, I have an online enquiry form that you can fill out here. After the initial enquiry has been received and put into my system, we work together to build the logistics of your day, so that all of the details are present and clear.

You will receive a four-part payment schedule, so that you can pay off your wedding in instalments up to your day, with your wedding photography balance due seven days before your wedding day.

This is all the technical stuff though: the important thing to know about the booking process is that i’m available to talk about your wedding day at any time.

Do you need a permit for your wedding?

You may need a permit to have your wedding in a public place, or if you want your formal photos taken in, for example, a public botanical garden.

All permits are your responsibility to organise ahead of your wedding day.

Are you insured?

Yes, I have the highest level of public liability insurance.

Why is a professional wedding photographer so expensive?

A professional photographer doesn’t just bring years of experience to the table, but all of the hours or work around your wedding day too! In my experience, a single wedding, when all is said and done, is about four long days worth of work, once all of the consults, planning, editing, delivery, and of course the wedding day itself, are considered.

Aside from the physical time involved in a professional photographing your wedding, a professional will back-up your photos for at least four years, as well as have various insurance, software-subscription, hardware and marketing costs associated with being a professional wedding photographer. A great way to think about it is to think about how much it would cost to hire an A-grade electrician for an entire four full days, or if you want a really wild comparison, a lawyer.

What all this amounts to though, is not only beautiful images for you, but someone reliable who is there with you and for you before, during, and after your wedding day.

What equipment do you use?

I use the highest quality Canon digital cameras, and a selection of their industry leading prime lenses. I also have a professional, modern suite to edit your finished collection of wedding photos.

Aside from those, for folks who love the old-world of analogue, I have a selection of analogue cameras between 20 and 100 years old that I am also able to bring to your wedding if selected as an add-on.

What are RAW files and do you get them?

Think of RAW files like this: when building a home, you want the completed home – not necessarily piles of bricks, concrete, and disassembled fittings.

A home is the product of these things, in the same way that the finished images you receive are actually the product of taking the RAW file – the bare image-data captured by the camera – and then applying a decade of experience into bringing that raw up into a finished photograph. In the old days, labs took a negative, and interpreted that through a complex machine that brought out the colours buried in that negative.

So as much as we like to imagine people didn’t edit film photos, the reverse is most definitely true. RAW files are much the same: in their native format, they’re dull, flat files: the pure camera data.

My job is not just to take the photos on the day of your wedding, but use my experience in colour and tone to ensure the edited files reflect your day.

As such, RAW files are not delivered or available as an option, but the finished, edited files, made with love and care. To get a little insight into my editing process, see this post about editing wedding photos.

Do you save our wedding photos?

I keep copies of your RAW files and edited jpegs for a minimum of 4 years, in case you lose your copies. This way I can provide you with a free backup in case of emergency.

While I make all efforts to keep things indefinitely, I cannot guarantee availability of your files after 4 years. There have been, unfortunately, several scenarios where my lengthy backup policy has come in handy: with couples who have either lost their images, or had their house broken into (i’m not sure why you’d steal anyone’s wedding photos, I mean I know they’re lovely photos, but what a weirdo), and it’s been an incredible treat to be able to save the day in those instances.

What is the resolution you will receive?

You will receive your wedding photos in the highest resolution available on my brand professional grade Canon DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

These are suitable for printing at the highest size and the highest quality.

What happens if we need to cancel?

If you need you cancel your booking with me, please see my cancellation policy, which goes into lengthy detail about your cancellation options and any implications.

Can your friends and family take photos too?

Yes! As much as your wedding day is about you getting married, it is also about your community feeling a part of it. As such, it’s perfectly natural for your family and friends to take photos on the day. I encourage this!

With that said, there are only two parts of the day where you want to consider what this means for your coverage, and where i have to place a caveat, to ensure that I can deliver the world class product of me that you have booked.

During the ceremony, consider having an unplugged policy – so that all of your wedding guests are present with you and making eye contact with you, and not through a device. I’ll be there to ensure beautiful coverage of this, anyway.

During the portrait session is the only other time where I present a caveat: this is a moment for just the two of you, and in order for me to deliver the beautiful work you’ve booked, it’s essential that noone else with cameras (except your videographer) is present taking photos during this time – which is generally only around 30-45 minutes.

How do I back up my images?

Photographing your wedding is just one small part of the job description. One of the other parts is ensuring that your images are safely stored after the day, incase of any worst-case scenarios (flooding, theft, asteroids, etc).

After getting home from your wedding, I immediately backup the files on my main storage unit, as well as making further copies on two redundant backups. On the evening of your wedding, including the 2x copies that are in my camera, your wedding lives on a total of five (5) distinct pieces of hardware.

The following day, the RAW files are also synced off-site. Once your wedding photos are edited, they also live in my cloud software for a minimum of four years.

Can I “pencil” in a date to hold a spot?

Unfortunately not. With bookings coming in often, to lock in a date requires a secured booking form. Holding dates can be a sticky situation and very hard to manage when you have multiple enquiries and meetings with couples for the same date.

Unfortunately, this is one of the only parts of this job I don’t have much flexibility on, just because of the unique nature of booking work so so far in advance.

Do you shoot with digital or film?

Digital and film have slightly different aesthetics, and I love photographing using both digital and analogue film. For most of the coverage you will see on my website, i use digital. It’s reliable, fast, and ideal for great coverage at scale.

With that said, I love analogue, and if you appreciate and prefer the aesthetic of analogue film (check out this post on why I use analogue film at weddings), I am often able to arrange either partial or full coverage using analogue film.

To see what a wedding photographed entirely on film looks like, check out Lil and Jakes Castlemaine wedding here.

Do you edit all your photos?

I edit each an every one of your finished wedding photos, individually. Your wedding photos should be timeless, while still reflecting the flair and style that your wedding day had.

As such, all photos are gently, carefully, and painstakingly edited to ensure all tonality is consistent throughout the day, and that the story of each image is clear and punchy.

For information on why editing wedding photos is important and why only edited files are supplied to you if you hire me as your wedding photographer, please see my post here on editing wedding photos.

How many weddings to you take on each year?

In order to ensure extraordinary care and attention, I book a maximum 30 couples per year.

This ensures that you receive the highest standard of images and care before and after the day, which reflects itself in the world renowned, premium product that you receive.

Where are you based?

I am based in Melbourne, Australia, but grew up in the Yarra Valley (Read more about Yarra Valley Wedding photography).

I regularly travel all over Victoria, Geelong, the Yarra Valley, and Mornington Peninsula (see here for your Mornington Peninsula wedding photographer), as well as all over Australia and beyond.

If you’d like to book me as your Melbourne wedding photographer or Destination wedding photographer you can make an enquiry here.

Do you travel outside Melbourne, Victoria, Australia?

I regularly travel to photograph weddings outside of Melbourne. Booking me for your wedding anywhere in Australia or indeed anywhere else in the world is as easy as checking the date with me, and then me working out what’s involved from a logistical point of view.

It might just be a lot easier than you think, and after 8 years of photographing destination weddings everywhere, i’m very familiar with that dance.

Make an enquiry with me to photograph your wedding here.

Do you travel to New Zealand?

I frequently travel to New Zealand, having photographed weddings on both the north island and the south island. As well as this, i’ve spoken at around ten conferences on those beautiful islands.

Most recently, I photographed this Solscape wedding, as well as this Queenstown elopement.

A flight to New Zealand is quicker than a flight to Perth, so hiring me as your New Zealand wedding photographer is just as easy as hiring someone local.

Do you travel Internationally

While my home base is Australia, typically destination weddings represent about 50% of my work, as couples from all over the world have commissioned me to photograph their destination wedding.

Travel gives me the opportunity to meet new people in interesting locations, and as a result gain a broad understanding of all of the brilliant and wonderfully varied ways in which a wedding can be held.

I’ve seen traditional Bavarian weddings, Balinese destination weddings, New York warehouse weddings, Indian weddings and everything imaginable.

Every wedding that I photograph internationally gives me a new skill and way of seeing that I am able to take into other weddings. To enquire about your destination wedding anywhere on the planet, reach out to me.

Do we need to provide meals for you on our wedding day?

Most wedding venues will have an option for vendor meals, so count me in for one of these please. Providing a vendor meal means I can duck away, inhale some calories to recoup my energy, before rejoining and kicking ass for you.

What happens you are sick?

After nearly a decade of photographing weddings, i’m fortunate to be well connected to community groups of wedding photographers all over the world, in nearly every city I could possibly work in.

In the highly unlikely event that I am too sick or injured to photograph your wedding, I will immediately engage these communities and arrange a suitable associate shooter to photograph your day, so that your coverage and booking is entirely unaffected.

This associate photographer, of which is selected on a strict set of criteria to the highest standards, will act as a proxy of me, potentially with better or more hair, and then pass me their files.

These files will be edited in my style, so you receive exactly what you had originally paid for. In the unlikely event that you are unsatisfied with my replacement option (who would be thoroughly vetted, so this is again unlikely), my liability is limited to your deposit and booking fees being returned.

Will my photos make your website, social media or blog?

I try my best to update my website, social media platforms and blog wherever possible, however it is usually up to my discretion as to whether or not a particular image from an engagement session or wedding will be published.

Recently, it was only through Covid hitting us that for the first time in years I was able to update my site.

Should you have any concerns about this, please let me know and I am happy to explain or discuss this further with you. Images I share online are done with utmost sensitivity to you first and foremost, and if there are any images you do not want shared, this will be of course honoured.
kyha studios wedding dress

Do you take video as well?

In order to provide you with extraordinary photographic coverage, I do not generally shoot video as well, as it would compromise my ability to make the best photographs of moments unfolding.

However occasionally, I can bring a super-8 camera, which is an add-on option. This makes for more informal, home-video style coverage of your wedding day: a beautiful, gritty take on the polished video we see these days.

You also have an option to upgrade that an have me bring along an extra videographer who will be exclusively on Super 8.

For full, formal wedding videography including the recording of your speeches, I recommend reaching out to any of the best wedding videographers in Melbourne.

Tell us a bit more about you?

I’m a life-long creative, having worked as an illustrator, animator, creative director, music video director, upholsterer, credit-card-maker, KFC salt packer. Over the last decade i’ve turned my interest in the arts to the craft of photography, and it’s led me on adventures in every corner of the planet.

Most of all, i’m fascinated by all of the small, quirky little parts of being human, and found that many of them exist at weddings.

So naturally, it’s there that I get to sit at the weird and wonderful intersection of celebration, art-making, and photojournalism.

To find out a little more about me, head to my about me page, and check out my interviews and podcasts at the bottom.

Do you accept credit cards?

You can pay for your wedding photography booking via credit card using my online payment system.

Where are some wedding venues you shoot at?

I’ve been fortunate to photograph at some of the most unique wedding venues in melbourne, some of the best weddings in the Yarra Valley and Castlemaine, and the best wedding venues in nearly any other place imaginable.

It’s one of the true treats of this incredible job. Some of my favourite wedding venues in Melbourne are Rupert on Rupert, Half Acre, Newport Substation and Luminare.

In the Yarra Valley, you cant go past Stones of the Yarra Valley, Immerse Winery, and Yering Station.

Are there any restrictions in your wedding photography?

The only restrictions on my wedding photography, is the natural style of work that I produce.

This is why I always recommend doing thorough research into the wedding photographers that are available in the community, so that you know with full conviction that the one you’ve booked is the right one for you!

With all of that said, i’m able to slightly bend my style to each couple, and that’s something I take pride in, as your day is unique to the other wedding days i’ve photographed.

How do you describe your style?

I would describe my wedding photography style as Wes Anderson meets David Lynch at a party with Jennifer Rush playing in the background.

Hopefully.

What are your payment terms?

My payment terms are 25% down to secure your date, 2x 25% payments in the leadup to your wedding day, with the final 25% balance payment due seven days prior to your wedding day.

This ensures that you’re not thinking about money or administrative things on or around your wedding day.

The full balance must be paid by your wedding day.

What happens if it rains?

If it rains at your wedding, we know exactly what do to because we’re an organised bunch aren’t we? Basically when rain happens there’s a few ways it can go.

Firstly, we’ll have some options up our sleeves for portraits, that are safe and sheltered. But as well as that, we’ll have discussed ahead of time whether you will or won’t be comfortable running out into the rain. If you are, I am! It make for fantastic images, but it isn’t for everyone. So we can either make the best of it if you’re up for it, or we will rely on our wet weather contingencies.

Will you stay until the end?

Usually the coverage option selected covers me for a couple of hours into the reception, so that each and every part of your day, from preparation through to wild dancefloor, is reflected in your coverage.

If you’re having an incredibly large day however, there is also an option to book me for the whole day, end to end.

This may include the 6am yoga session, through to the 4am afterparty as required (this has happened!).

How reliable is your equipment?

I think you had better ask Canon that! I use new, state of the art Canon DSLR and mirrorless cameras and systems at home.

On the day, i bring a minimum of three professional cameras to your wedding. Including other analogue cameras, this number often sits closer to five.

Why are some photographers cheaper?

This is a great question. There is so much variance in wedding photographer pricing, which reflects the years of experience, stability of backup systems, and quality of the final product.

My position is this: a professional photographer is a luxury! And you don’t necessarily need it – you certainly don’t need a professional photographer for your wedding. But if you want one, my pricing reflects a unique eye and thorough systems in giving you an extraordinary level of care up to and around your wedding day, and photographers that come in cheaper may be compromising on any or all of these.

And that might be totally ok – because what really matters is that you get married, not that you hire the most expensive photographer that you can afford.

But if you want someone around the middle, you’ll find that my pricing sits in the middle-upper bracket for the style of work I produce, which has made me one of the most sought after wedding photographers in the world, published in everything from Vogue to Martha Stewart, and both a winner and judge of international competitions at the highest level.

But most importantly, I absolutely love the shit out of this job.

Will you work with another photographer?

I generally work solo, but you have an option in my price-list to book an additional second wedding photographer, which is something worth considering if you are having more than 180 guests at your wedding.

With that said, I have photographed weddings alone with 250 guests.

How long do you stay at a typical wedding?

At a typical wedding, I will be present for around 8 hours. In fact, that’s my default package, but depending on the day of the week, you can book me for a much shorter period of time if you like, or a much longer period of time!

I’ve photographed weddings of over 17 hours in length, so if you book my unlimited hours package, i’ll turn up for the sunrise photoshoot, and turn away once the sparklers die down at the end.

Do you do droneography at weddings?

I do not do droneography nor do I offer it, but if you are looking at having a drone at your wedding, I can point you in the direction of some folks that might be able to help you out.

We’ve heard horror stories about lost/corrupt photos and hard drives, how do you address this?

When i arrive back home from your wedding, i immediately make a further three copies of all of your files. Including the dual copies that exist within my dual card slot cameras, this means that on the evening of your wedding, your wedding photos are stored separately on five unique pieces of hardware.

Following on from that, your edited files are stored safely in the cloud for a minimum of four years.

What Is An Engagement Shoot, and what is a pre-wedding shoot?

An engagement shoot used to be a sort of formality before your wedding, and is otherwise known as a pre-shoot or a pre-wedding shoot. The purpose of a pre-wedding photoshoot or engagement shoot is to be a warmup, if you will, to being photographed together and hanging out. This is an option you can book with me, and it can be as formal as you like, or informal as you like.

Typically the wedding itself is a bit of a grand old affair, so what I normally recommend is to either have a pre-wedding photoshoot in a totally different style to your wedding, or to go in the complete opposite direction, and make it as informal as possible.

You might be amazed at how meaningful it can be to simply have some beautiful photos of you both at your favourite cafe, favourite set of streets, or doing something you both enjoy and get up to anyway, because that everyday stuff is what can’t be captured at the wedding itself.

What Locations Do You Use For The engagement or pre-wedding Shoot?

The locations that can be used for your engagement shoot or pre-wedding photoshoot can either be something epic and wild, or instead celebrating the everyday, and picking a local cafe, park, or even your home.

How Long Does the engagement shoot or pre-wedding shoot take?

An engagement photoshoot or pre-wedding photoshoot might only need 30-60 minutes to get the most out of it, and by that time you’ll still be on a high and ready to go and kick it into the evening or a dinner.

What Time Of Day Is An Engagement Shoot or pre-wedding shoot usually done?

The best time of day for your engagement or pre-wedding photoshoot is generally going to be around the golden hour, which is about an hour before sunset. With that said, beautiful light can be found at all times of day, and if we’re spending a lot of the shoot indoors, at say your favourite cafe, then the time of day matters less.

I’ve done engagement shoots and pre-wedding shoots at all times of day, and it’s possible to make great photographs at all times, but as a general rule I would recommend that hour or so before sunset.

What Should I Wear To The Engagement or pre-wedding Shoot?

When thinking about your wardrobe for your engagement shoot or pre-wedding photoshoot, I recommend sticking to two things: outfits that make you feel awesome, and outfits that you feel comfortable in.

The other thing to consider, is that you will be dressed to the nines on your wedding day. So maybe there’s some merit in wearing the everyday stuff – even that daggy top your significant other has been telling you to get rid of since forever.

Your engagement shoot or pre-wedding shoot can be as glamorous, daggy, fun, or serious as you want it to be, and we can work together on a vibe that makes the most sense to you both.

What Is Included In The Price For An Engagement or pre-wedding Shoot?

Included in the price of your engagement or pre-wedding shoot is all of the consultation and care around the shoto day itself, a photoshoot of around 60-90 minutes in length, and your beautiful, fully-edited gallery of all the selected images from the session delivered via my online gallery platform.

From here you are able to download your pre-wedding photoshoot images and share them, as well as ordering prints, albums, calendars and more.

Do You Offer Any Additional Products From Our Engagement or pre-wedding Session?

Yes. Once your pre-wedding photos are delivered via my online gallery platform, you are able to order from an incredible array of beautiful print products via Australias best print lab, Atkins.

Through my platform you will be able to order small and large prints, framed prints, calendars, albums, and many more.

What Finished Products Are Available?

The finished products that are available for purchase are prints, fine-art albums, framed prints, calendars, canvas prints and more.

I Don’t Have A Wedding Planner. Can You Assist With My Wedding Timeline?

It’s fairly common that wedding couples don’t have wedding planners, in fact, i get probably an even mix of both. There are of course enormous advantages to having a wedding planner, as they look after an innumerable amount of things that you’d never imagine having to take into consideration.

For this reason, if you’re looking for a wedding planner in melbourne, I recommend checking out my list of the best wedding suppliers in Melbourne, and this feature piece on Melbournes best wedding planners.

If you don’t book a wedding planner, I have almost a decade of experience in planning wedding timelines and can assist as best as I can.

Do You Attend The Wedding Rehearsal?

I don’t typically attend wedding rehearsals, as with after nearly a decade of photographing weddings, it’s my experience that attending them does not affect the quality of my coverage at all.

Many photographers use the rehearsal as an opportunity to meet the couple, but I find that’s best done ahead of time at a wine bar myself.

All of the planning and logistics for the wedding day will be completed together in my online form so that there’s no surprises.

How Do You Choose Where To Have The Photo Shoot After The Ceremony?

After the ceremony, in order to pick the best location for your formal photo shoot, we work together on finding the type of look and feel that you prefer, which helps us to work out if you’d prefer the photoshoot in nature or in a more industrial setting for example.

From here, we look at how much time you want to allocate (I recommend 30-60 minutes), and I’ll often do a google scout to work out how to best spend the time.

My aim is to not waste time in the car driving between locations.

Do You Shoot Family Photos At The Wedding?

Yes! Family photos are so important. We work on a list of family group photos before the day, and I turn up with these in hand ready to go after your ceremony.

Please assign someone to assist in gathering family and friends who will be in the images, as it will streamline the process enormously.

I aim to complete these within about ten minutes so everyone can get back on to enjoying the day.

Can We Give You A Shot List?

You can give me a shot list for family group shots, but shot lists ptherwise impede the natural flow of the day and can cause your coverage of organic moments to be incomplete.

With that said, if there is an item of significance present or any other moments during the day you want specifically captured, please feel free to ask me to get it at any time, that’s what i’m there for.

Do You Include Digital Files In Your Wedding Collections?

Yes, digital files are included in all wedding collections. At a minimum, you will be able to download and share your fully edited set of images amongst family and friends.

Are The Images We Receive Watermarked?

No. I do not watermark any of your images, because it’s not 1998 anymore. You receive your beautiful images all free of watermarks.

Do You Retouch All The Photos We Receive From Our Wedding Day?

I aim to not retouch any images, but instead gently edit them so that the colours and tones are consistent throughout the day.

To find out why editing your wedding photos is important, please see this post on editing wedding photos.

Can We Print The Digital Files Ourselves?

You absolutely can. You have the option to use my online shop to print your photos at my bespoke fine-art print lab, and you are also welcome to download them and print your wedding images wherever you like.

Please be advised that if printing at Officeworks or a lower-grade lab, consistency and quality cannot be guaranteed.

What Are The Benefits Of Having You Print My Photos?

The benefits of having your wedding photos printed at my Australian lab, is that you have the eyes of several generations of professional printmakers ensuring that your wedding photos look better in the hand than they do on your screen.

Quality cannot be guaranteed if printing at another lab, and it’s common that there can be colour inconsistencies or other implications from using lower grades of paperstock.

How many wedding photographers should i interview

This depends on how many woozy-winebar sessions you want, you devilish boozehound, you. When considering the best wedding photographer for you, I personally recommend first narrowing your pool based on the type of wedding photos that appeal to you.

That should bring the options down to a manageable number.

From there, I recommend interviewing about three. That will give you a good idea of their manner, candour, and whether you feel like you can spend 8-10 hours with them without wanting to tear your eyeballs out. When you know, you know! You know?

How many photos do wedding photographers deliver

Every wedding photographer is of course different, but I typically deliver between 500-700 finished, fully edited wedding photos to you.

Of course this varies depending on the hours of coverage you have booked me for, how batshit crazy the dance-floor is, the number of guests, and some other variables that can implicate the volume of finished images you receive.

As a rule of thumb, you might receive about 60-100 images per hour of coverage booked.

Can’t afford wedding photographer

If you can’t afford a wedding photographer, there are still some great options available. Firstly, lower your expectation of the photos, because at the end of the day, what matters is that you’re married!

Fancy professional photos are great, but part of the magic of photography, is that the wedding photos inherit their own value over time, because they’re of you two, on a ripper of a day.

So don’t stress, and don’t feel like you have to bust your budget hiring a professional wedding photographer. Just know that there is an enormous difference between hiring a professional or hiring a student/handing the camera to your uncle (unless… your uncle is Salgado).

How many wedding photographers do i need?

In most cases, you only actually need one wedding photographer. If you’re planning a wedding day with several hundred guests, there is of course a benefit to also booking a second photographer through your wedding photographer, to ensure a higher volume of guests can be captured.

With that said, i’ve captured weddings of around 250 guests by myself, and there is also a benefit to be had in having less people with cameras filling the space.

How much is a wedding photographer?

How long is a piece of string! When you’re hiring a wedding photographer, you’re essentially hiring a sole-trader making a commitment to you in advance with love and professionalism, and guiding planning collaboratively, kicking ass (with/without bubblegum) on the day, and then spending at least a couple of days afterwards, beautifully editing your images individually with the highest level of care.

In many ways, a good way to think about it, is that you’re hiring a professional contractor for a total of 4 or so days work (all things considered), and that person will have insurance, maintenance, and a whole lot of other boring costs to factor in to how they come to pricing themselves. Imagine hiring a senior electrician for four full days – that’s sort of the ballpark.

I’d also consider looking at it like buying a car: some are 10k new, some are 100k new, and others… lets’ not go there. At some point though, there are diminishing returns. Me? Most couples spend about 5-6k hiring me as their wedding photographer, and this is pretty standard where I am for the broader style of work that my images fall under.

You can get someone for half as much as that, or twice as much.

It’s important for me to say that you don’t need to blow your budget! I love what I do and believe fully in my way of going about things, but we’re capturing nostalgia: the images I make, or the images that someone half or double my price make, really inherit their own value over time: not just because I made them.

So factor that into your decision making too. Great wedding photography costs the rate of a professional of course – but you don’t have to hire great photography – there’s plenty of ways of planning your day.

Should we plan our wedding with Covid 19?

Planning your wedding during Covid is a wild ride, and there a plenty of things to keep in mind at the moment. Here’s a few of my top tips for planning a wedding during Covid.

Firstly, create a few scaled guest lists, and ask yourself if you’re honestly happy going ahead whether you’re limited to 5, 10, 20, or 50 guests. If not, then make a rule that you’ll postpone the party until later and proceed with the marriage bit, or keep the two of them together. There’s no right or wrong. The important bit is the two of you getting hitched, but your community is important too.

You decide what’s right. But know this – and this isn’t mentioned in anything I’ve been reading on the topic: whatever you run with will become your story, and it will become a unique thing you look back on. Wrap your arms around that bit, think about what matters, and let that be your guiding light.

From my side, and many other vendors side, we are trying to be as flexible as possible with moving dates. Naturally, peak dates do fill up fast: if you want to keep your team, be sure to use a service like doodle.com to share date options between us all so that we can find an option that works for everyone.

Aside from all of that, if there is a chance your wedding may have to be small during Covid, check out this list of the Best Small Wedding Venues in Melbourne.wedding photographer melbourne - moody gallery

How did you become a wedding photographer?

I traversed the mountains of Mordor, pulled the key from my codpiece, and opened the door of destiny. While I’ll continue to tell myself that, truth is something more along the lines of: I worked at advertising and creative agencies, wanted to do real work directly for real people instead of selling burgers (no shade on that whatsoever), and here we are.

How to choose a wedding photographer

Put aside the styling, dresses, and all that stuff. Look at 10 wedding photographers in a variety of styles, and see how they photograph the really important stuff: the photos that serve your family, and community – photos that show how attentive they are to the small moments that happen at a wedding. Meet with several photographers, and follow your instinct.

What to ask your wedding photographer?

When booking your wedding photographer, I recommend asking them heaps of questions to ensure you’re in safe hands, and that they have reliable file management, and, not least of all, that you’re going to receive the same standard of images and care as what you see on their website.

Here’s a few great questions to ask your wedding photographer.

1 – Do they have a proper and secure backup process? This is important to ask, as you want to know that they make multiple copies of your files and shoot on professional gear. By the time I get home from a wedding, I have already made an additional two copies, and shortly after that one of them ends up being placed in a location offsite.

2 – How do they show up for our community? You want to ask them what they find important to photograph on a wedding day. Is it. the big moments and all the typical things, or is it your grandma pinching your nephews cheek?

Who is the best wedding photographer in the world?

This is like asking “who does the best espresso martini in the world”. I mean it’s possible that you could zero in and split hairs on which meets a certain set of criteria to be the best but past a certain point a few other factors come into play.

Does the person drinking it like froth, do they like beans floating on the top of it, are they hungover, have they gone without water for 2 days and just need that sweet hit of liquid, etc.

The best wedding photographer in the world is someone who not only takes great images, but is someone you could imagine knocking down a wine with and being stuck in a confined space for an hour.

How many photos does a wedding photographer deliver?

All wedding photographers vary in how many photos they deliver to you, but for a full-day wedding, you can expect 400-900. The variables are things like how wild the dance floor is how many quests and so forth. These all affected how we shoot and pace the day.

A good ballpark I tend to set is that you will receive about 60-90 beautifully, fully-edited images per hour of wedding photography coverage that you book me for.

Can you negotiate wedding photographer prices?

My prices reflect 8 years of experience leaning in to doing this at a world class level, for folks who value this component of their day.

Unfortunately, I’m not able to negotiate my pricing. Not because I don’t want to, but because I want you to have the best level of care: for the type of output, care and attention to detail I strive for, it’s physically impossible to lower them without drastically affecting what you’re receiving. This might sound like schmuck-talk, but I promise you I still feel a buzz of being new to this, and as you’ll find on and around the day, give myself entirely to you.

So just as any professional service requiring several days of net output, unfortunately I cant adjust my pricing, as i’m most interested in continuing to produce the best work you could humanly hire someone for.

How many wedding photographers do I need?

In my experience, one wedding photographer is plenty enough to cover the day beautifully and thoroughly, head to toe. My style of working is minimal, so that you do not feel like you’re the subject on a Hollywood set (no shade on you if that floats your boat!).

Where this differs, and where I’d suggest you consider booking a second wedding photographer through me, is where you have in excess of about 180 guests.

Beyond that, there is an advantage in having an additional wedding photographer to capture more people! Great wedding photography is the balance of two things: gathering proof of your day as it happened, and also taking a slower, more artistic take on what is going on.

These two competing methods mean that if there are tonnes of guests, it can be easy to sacrifice one for the other in an effort to ensure there is enough proof of everyone that was there.

With that said, I have photographed weddings of up to 250 people alone and delivered exhaustive coverage: but a second shooter is a comparatively small fee to pay that will reap benefits of their own.

What are the best wedding venues in melbourne?

In my opinion the best wedding venues in Melbourne are the ones that you feel you can see yourself in! Not a cop-out — all venues are awesome places to be if the people in them are celebrating.

With all that said – for me, the best wedding venues in Melbourne are wedding venues where you can have both a brilliant ceremony and reception on-site, in an atmosphere that either has beautiful heritage to it, or a progressive design.

Rupert on Rupert and Quat Quatta fulfil that criteria – and to see my other favourites, head over to this post on unique wedding venues in Melbourne.

What to look for in a wedding photographer?

When you’re looking for a wedding photographer, there’s a few questions you want to ask yourself: how important is wedding photography to you, what sort of wedding photography is important to you, and what sort of person can I stomach spending 8-10 hours with.

One part of your wedding photographer is the type of images they’ll make, and the other part is the type of human they are. Some folks want a calm presence, some folks want someone very hands on, and your wedding photographer should be someone that not only makes wonderful images, but serves your community and gets along great with you.

How to find a wedding photographer?

There’s tonnes of places to find a great wedding photographer that suits you and the tone of your day.

You’re here, so there’s that. But you can also check out wedding directories, such as Hello May, Nouba, Ivory Tribe and more, and I always recommend having a chat with a few so you can get a good lay of the land.

This way when you end up making your decision it’s done in the full confidence that they’re the right fit for your day.

What to tell your wedding photographer?

When booking your wedding photographer, you’ll want to make sure they are across the timeline and logistics of the day, so that they can build their own runsheet that takes every element of your day into account.

A few key things that you’ll need to tell your wedding photographer are:

1- A list of all family and friend group shots that you want. These are quick and painless, and making sure you have the groups listed ahead of the day will save a tonne of time.

2 – Your getting ready locations. Are they near each other or near the venue? These will have timeline implications for your wedding photographer.

How to find a cheap wedding photographer?

Finding a cheap wedding photographer is actually super easy, and you can book someone that’s just starting out, or a studio that has a lot of photographers.

In any case, when working out what your budget is, ensure that the photographer you book is the one you’re getting on the day itself, and that they have all the relevant insurances and backup processes in place. Another way to find a cheap wedding photographer is to find the one that you love the most, and see if they can be booked for a shorter range on the day.

Like purchasing anything, there are things to be aware of when booking a cheap wedding photographer, and it’s important to ask all of the right questions to ensure you’re in safe hands.

How to dress as a wedding photographer?

A wedding photographer should fit in with the guests, and just look like a part of the wallpaper of the day.

I dress depending on the couple and the theme of the day. Sometimes this is smart casual, in one occasion it was short-shorts and thongs, another it was a suit.

Generally, i’ll be filed under “inoffensively smart”. If you want me to turn up in a banana suit though, i’m all for it.

How to be a good wedding photographer?

To be a good wedding photographer, you need to have a really comfortable pair of shoes and a reusable bottle of water (actually, for anyone who’s photographed for 10 hours straight with the attentiveness of a squirrel on a sugar high, they’re probably the most important elements).

Apart from that, it comes down to a love of people, community, and moments. All the gear, technical stuff can kinda be learned. But the difference between being aware of brilliant moments of human theatre that are happening, as well as doing them justice, is a long-built intersection of craft, and that love of community.

We’re not turning up to get the play by play, we’re turning up to show you that your community matters, and that there’s all this magic in it that you may or may not know existed.

A good wedding photographer is less focused on the stuff you think you need, and more focused on showing you those little slices of magic that will mean the most in 50 years (and the next day, when your auntie shares the photo we caught of your nephew picking his nose up to the 3rd knuckle all over facebook).

What are the best places to take wedding photos in Melbourne?

This post on the best wedding photo locations in Melbourne is a great place to start if you’re looking for places to take wedding photos. But aside from that – the best place to take wedding photos in Melbourne is a place that means something to you.

Sometimes that means a cafe you’ve both frequented, or streets around where you live – anything that has left some kind of imprint on either or both of you is a great place to start, as it adds a layer of nostalgia to the images that will mean more than the most fancy mountain top.

In my post about the Best Wedding Photo Locations in Melbourne, i’ve listed some of my favourite spots in all of Melbourne covering industrial, heritage, art-deco, bushland and more.

How many hours of wedding photography do I need?

When considering how many hours of wedding photography coverage you need, you just need to prioritise the things you think you’ll want to look back on.

Typically this is the ceremony and portraits, but really great wedding photos often happen at the times of the day that you wouldn’t imagine them happening in. Whether it’s your beautiful community hanging out informally during the prep stage, to your grandma cutting shapes late on the dancefloor – my recommendation is to spend an exhaustive amount of time looking through full galleries of wedding photography, so you get a great understanding of the sorts of images you can expect at different parts of the day.

From there, you can decide whether you want all-day coverage, or a reduced number of hours. I find around 8 hours generally covers all the really important stuff.

How do I find a destination wedding photographer?

To find a great destination wedding photographer for starters google “destination wedding photographer” (but I know you’re all across that). Reach out to photographers and ask them whether they have existing travel dates, or what other associated travel fees there are for a region if not. You can also ask these questions of any wedding photographer – most of us are quite happy to travel.

I regularly photograph destination weddings all over the planet, and if you’re considering booking a destination wedding photographer, I wrap everything into one fee that often works out being competitively priced to hiring someone local anyway.

How long until I receive my wedding photos?

You will receive your wedding photos within 2-3 weeks of your day. On average, every wedding also includes a few days of work afterwards. For more information on what that is, you can head over to my post on editing over here.

It’s important to me that you receive your wedding photos quite quickly, so I ensure that you have them inside a month from your day taking place. Your wedding photos are initially delivered via my online platform, and they then arrive in a beautiful bespoke hard-copy.

Top videographers in the world?

The best wedding videographers in the world are wedding videographers that feel just like having the presence of a great friend around you on the day. You don’t want to feel like you’re a part of a Hollywood set, being posed into oblivion like a contortionist.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the best wedding videographers in the world, and we’re fortunate to have some award winning greats right here with us in Melbourne.

To see who they are and have a look at their wedding videos, head over to my post on the best wedding videographers in Melbourne.

If you’re getting married outside of Melbourne or anywhere else in the world, i’ve worked with tonnes of brilliant artists, so just let me know and I can offer advice and recommendations.

Unique places to get married?

There are so many unique places to marry. Short of waiting half a century for Elon Musk and his mates to make the moon accessible, there’s plenty of great options out here in Melbourne.

You can literally get married anywhere these days: indoor, outdoors, rooftops jumping castle, the lot.

But I’ve got a few recommendations on great places in and around Melbourne to get married. Firstly, check out these unique wedding venues in Melbourne. Secondly, head over and take a look at the unique small wedding venue in Collingwood, The Altar Electric.

Thirdly, if you like the images you see on my site, reach out, I can suggest some rad celebrants (check out this post on the Best Wedding Celebrants In Melbourne for a start), and we can craft the perfect day for you.le louvre wedding dress

Wedding reception venues western suburbs melbourne?

If you’re looking for a wedding reception venue in the western suburbs of Melbourne, there are so many incredible options. With that said, you just can’t go past the wild, industrial blank canvas wedding venue that is Newport Substation.

Staggering in scale and design, it’s a feast for the eyes and can be moulded into anything you can imagine. Outside of that, you must also check out the Fyansford Paper Mill, out near Geelong. This incredible old paper mill is again a blank canvas, and in my opinion, the best kept secret in all of Victoria.

There you go – possibly the two best wedding venues in Victoria, and just hop skip and jump into the western suburbs.

Fairfield boathouse wedding?

Fairfield Boathouse is a beautiful place to host a wedding, with a tonne of incredible nature at your fingertips, as well as the beautiful industrial surrounds of Collingwood and Abbotsford nearby.

Reach out to me to see what a Fairfield Boathouse wedding looks like, and also be sure to check out this Rupert on Rupert wedding for some great nearby inspiration.

Top wedding venues melbourne?

There’s so many brilliant wedding venues in Melbourne, to cover every taste from art deco, to industrial, to forest-ey, and everything in between. The main considerations for you are going to be this: how far are your guests willing to travel, how late can you carry on the party until, and how much can you transform (or how much do you NEED to transform) the space?.

I recommend checking out my list of Unique Melbourne Wedding Venues, and also this incredible gem, the Fyansford Paper Mill.

Also be sure to consider engaging a great Melbourne Wedding Planner who can help you with some incredible options you may not have considered.

Unique venues for weddings?

There are so many incredible and unique wedding venues in Victoria. As a start, head over to this post – a list of the most Unique Wedding Venues in Melbourne.

If you’re in the Yarra Valley, check out this list of the Best Wedding Venues In The Yarra Valley.

Where to get ready before your wedding?

My recommendation for where to get ready comes down to two things: the comfort of the space, and it’s distance from your ceremony venue. They’re both important points, and will each impact how smoothly your morning goes and what the transition is like into your ceremony.

My top piece of advice is to select a space that is comfortable enough to offload all your stuff the night before with your crew, and some nice amenities don’t hurt. Beyond that, there’s lots to be said for selecting a wedding getting ready location that’s not too far from your wedding ceremony location.

What is photojournalistic wedding photography?

This is a great question, and I wish more people would ask it! It’s tough to get an idea of what all of these words mean, when we all use everything from “candid” to “photojournalistic” to “documentary”.

Basically, what they’re all trying to convey is this: the act of taking photographs at your wedding, without interrupting what is happening. Some people are hands on, and if that isn’t your thing, when you see those words, it might give an indication that they’re more hands-off.

I don’t interrupt the flow of the day, but instead focus on what brilliant things are already happening in front of my lens. It’s where all the good stuff lives, such as these:

How much should I spend on wedding photography?

You should spend as much as your budget allows! More if it means more, and less if it means less. While there’s no need to break your bank balance hiring a wedding photographer, it’s important to treat it like any other significant purchase: by doing plenty of research to see what type of work people are producing as a wedding photographer at different price points, and what sort of wedding photographer you think will be the perfect fit for your day.

Many of my couples prioritise wedding photography, and some prioritise venues or catering – every couple is different. Ask your wedding photographer if they have a package for your budget.

What is pre wedding photography?

Pre wedding photography is somewhat of an outdated term that also describes exactly what it is: photos of you two, before your wedding day. Historically they might have been pretty formal, but all the rules are there to be broken.

Your pre wedding photoshoot can be anything you like it to be. I’ve done shoots in a studio, walks around beautiful inner Melbourne suburbs and everything in between that would broadly fall under the banner of pre wedding photography.

Head here to see some of my favourite pre wedding photos in Melbourne. If you’re coming from overseas, I have plenty of information on incredible places in Melbourne, Victoria or indeed Australia for where we can quest and make some magic.

How to save on wedding photography?

Here are my top ways to save on wedding photography*.

1 – Put a camera in your uncles hand! Family members are usually only too happy to have a crack at taking some shots. Just make sure they’re not right up front blocking all your other guests views.

2 – Don’t worry about having any photography! There’s a good argument to say that the best nostalgia lives in our minds. *I cannot guarantee that any of these will result in images that you love, images that do your day justice, or make you come out the other side with all of your hair intact.

On a serious note, to save on wedding photography, you can simply ask what smaller packages are available from your wedding photographer.

If they can’t do a smaller package on a popular weekend date, they may be able to on a weekday, so it’s always worth the ask.

What do I need for my wedding day?

For your wedding day to qualify as a wedding, we recommend one part you, and one part your significant other. And a celebrant (check out this post on the Best Wedding Celebrants in Melbourne).

That’s really all you need for a wedding – everything else is just a cherry on top.

If I was to list the things you really need, it isn’t the table settings, the fancy styling, or even me: it’s your community, some way of recording what happened (whether it’s a photographer, or just… selfies), and a way to share your feelings.

Maybe that’s dance, maybe that’s speeches, or anything else you can think of. If you want to cast the net a little wider, here’s what you need: a place for it to happen (check out these unique melbourne wedding venues), which can also be in nature – a great photographer and videographer to give you decades of stuff to look back on, and the incredible hand of beautiful stylists to create a space thats inimitably yours (check out these Melbourne Wedding Florists).

How to write unique wedding vows?

Writing unique wedding vows is one of the most important and maybe under-heralded parts of your day. If you think about it – a lot of stuff that happens at a wedding has a tonne of importance wrapped around it: enjoying drinks with your community, hanging out in a spectacular place, and partying on into the small hours.

But the vows are where you share something with and to each other, and is what the rest of the day is actually built around. My recommendations for writing unique wedding vows are firstly, to avoid going on a google deep-dive on other peoples vows.

They were made for other people. I’d instead suggest two things.

Firstly, write what you feel! Dive into your own relationship. Embrace the quirk, oddities, serious stuff, and everything in between.

Secondly – invest in a great celebrant, who is also invested in you. I have a list of the best wedding celebrants in Melbourne, and you can also check out this piece Charis White Celebrant wrote about vows, and she comes at my highest recommendation.

Where are the best photo locations in Melbourne?

Melbourne is full of such incredible wedding photo locations. In order to answer this question, first have a think about two things: firstly, if there are any places that would be more meaningful to you both as a couple.

This might include places you either frequent, or otherwise have some sort of nostalgic link to what you both love or what makes you as a couple.

This might sound kinda corny, but it can’t be overstated: the compounding value of having images of you both in a place that has meaning to you is like nothing else.

Secondly to that, sometimes you just want a rad location for the hell of it!

Luckily for you, i’ve compiled a list of the Best Wedding Photo Locations In Melbourne, so go and check that out.

Should we book a wedding videographer?

Coming in at number one on the list of post-wedding regrets (next to not having Michael Bolton as the first-dance song), is “not hiring a videographer”.

Photographs are great, and I believe fully in what I do and of course love my job to bitts. However, if push came to shove, I recommend you hire a wedding videographer if you can only budget one in. There’s nothing like seeing your loved ones move, hearing them talk, etc. You can always print stills from the video.

This might be shooting myself in the foot, but….it’s kinda true.

If you are looking for an incredible videographer, check out this post on the Best Melbourne Wedding Videographers.

How to plan a summer wedding?

When planning a summer wedding, this question practically writes itself. One thing I will offer, is this. If you’re a sweater, make sure your choice of outfit isn’t light blue, greys, or anything that risks making you look like you came off second-best in a fight with a hose once the sweat glands start working.

Select fabrics that breathe and are super comfortable to move in.

Bet this wasn’t the tip or advice you were expecting…

How to plan a winter wedding?

To plan a winter wedding, just keep three things in mind.

1 – Heating! Ensure your venue, whether indoor or outdoor, has adequate heating for the number of guests present.

2 – Work out what type of wedding you want, and whether you want any adventure involved. Winter can be brilliant for this.

3 – Make sure wherever you’re hosting your wedding has a flooding contingency! Oh, the things i’ve seen…

What to tell your wedding photographer

Tell your wedding photographer what song you’d take to a desert island, it might be more important than you think.

Should I have a small wedding

There are so many brilliant advantages to having a small wedding. Probably the greatest advantage, is more precious time spent with those that you do invite!

If you’re considering a small wedding and don’t know where to start, check out this list of the Best Small Wedding Venues In Melbourne, and hit up one of the Best Wedding Celebrants In Melbourne who will also be able to offer you advice and guidance.

Where to find wedding photographer

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer, I might know a guy…

Why wedding photography is important

Wedding photography is important, and for reasons that maybe you hadn’t considered.

It’s not just a time to get photos of you all looking rad and sassy – but it might be the only moment in your life where you bother hiring a professional journalist to create a brilliant record of you, your community, and all the good stuff that happens when you’re thrown in a pot together for the day.

How to become wedding photographer

To become a wedding photographer, first… love people. Second… love making stuff for people, not for you. Third… pick up a camera, spend a decade learning it properly, get all your systems in order, and then join all three of those things together.

How to choose wedding photographer

How to choose a wedding photographer. Step one: gather a list of wedding photographers that are either local to the area you’re getting married in, or can service it (like me – see why i’m a destination wedding photographer). Gather this list from things such as wedding directories, google searches, and award winners.

Secondly.

Cull that list down to about ten, and reach out to them all. Focus less on the pricing (really, most of us are in a vaguely similar bracket), and more on questions that uncover how they will serve you and your community.

Thirdly… make a shortlist of about 3.

Meet up with them, and by that point, you’ll know.

What to ask wedding photographer

Ask your wedding photographer their deepest, darkest secrets. Wait, don’t do that. Unless you want to. Who am I to judge your method of generating rapport. Actually, this is all a lot simpler than you might imagine.

Ask them how they manage your timeline, and how they show up and care for your community on the day. All of the rest, honestly, works itself out.

How to wedding photography tips

I get asked for my best wedding photography tips often, and to serve this, I have a lot of educational material on the matter. You can hire me to speak at your creative conference (i’ve spoken from New York, to Spain, to Antarctica and everything in between), you can book me for a one on one or group mentoring session, or you can download some of my free educational content.

After nearly a decade in the game, I have plenty of wedding photography tips to share for beginners and the experienced alike.

For a good start, head over here for my Free Wedding Photography Workshop.

Best wedding photography podcast?

Head over here to find the best wedding photography podcast.

Book me as your wedding photographer (if you want to)

Briars Atlas Wedding Photographer Melbourne – Enquire

gay wedding photographer melbourne

Dec 1, 2018

You’re getting married, you’re looking for a photographer, and you want to know the right questions to ask, and what sort of things you’re going to get. Experience is important, and i’m lucky to have plenty of it since our laws finally changed to allow same-sex weddings. I’m a same-sex wedding photographer based in Melbourne, and have been fortunate enough to photograph the weddings of beautiful couples all over the planet. On this page you’ll see some beautiful same sex wedding photography captured in Melbourne, and as far as San Francisco, as commissioned by couples looking for gay wedding photography that’s a little bit different.

Same sex wedding photographer Melbourne

On this page, i’ve put together some of my favourite images from five same sex weddings held in Melbourne and Beyond.

To see what other couples have said about me, take a look at my Melbourne wedding photographer reviews.

If you want to plan either a wedding (large or small) or Melbourne elopement, reach out to me if you’re after a photographer. For small and large wedding planning, I recommend Melbourne wedding planners Will and Jac.

Same sex wedding photography – Celeste and Sam

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Same sex wedding photographer: Matt and Andy

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Same sex wedding photographer (featured on Hello May) Anna and Anna

You can see Anna and Annas gorgeous same sex wedding, held at the unique Melbourne wedding venue Gather and Tailor, over here on Hello May.

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Incredible floral styling thanks to North St. Head here for the best Melbourne wedding florists.

Yarra Valley Same Sex wedding: Daniel and Darkus

Check out Daniel and Darkus’s beautiful Yering Station wedding in full.

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same sex wedding photographer in the Yarra Valley at Yering Station
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Same sex wedding: David and Dat

Same sex wedding photographer: Sam and Paul

Sam and Pauls incredible Thornbury wedding will be on my site soon, but in the meantime you can check out their brilliant celebrant, Matt Finch, over on my Melbourne wedding celebrants page. Also check out their drop-in to Kenny Lover.

This brilliant location can be found at my Melbourne wedding photo locations page.
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Sam and Pauls incredible interior styling was by Bangin Hangins.
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KFC catered Sam and Pauls wedding, and you can head here for some of the other best wedding caterers in Melbourne.
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Make your own moments like this – check out Sam and Pauls DJ, One More Song entertainment, and their thoughts on planning your wedding music.