lifeinmotion.net.au

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If you’re not familiar with what a typical Asian wedding is like, here’s a quick introduction to how crazy and how much fun they can be! When I first met Eleanor and Lionel, he was hoping to bypass the games that are usually played before the groom can get access to his bride… but the bridesmaids had other ideas! And Lionel himself had to pay the biggest price, as you’ll see… In contrast, the ceremony itself was a beautiful, communal celebration of their love and the role of God in their lives.

Thanks to Charis Photography for their company on the day (they brought a great sense of energy and fun to the photos), and to the Tatra team for their incredible hospitality as always.

Different couples have different reasons for wanting their wedding filmed – with Doreen and Damoon, two quietly-spoken, private people, it certainly wasn’t so they could watch themselves being the centre of attention, which was enough of a challenge for them on the day! But they wanted to share their wedding with their families overseas (what really happened on the day, not a fairytale version of it), and also so they could remember it themselves in the years to come.

And what a day they had. In today’s modern weddings, the serious and beautiful purpose at the heart of the day can sometimes appear to be overlooked. With Doreen and Damoon, the sense of awe and reverence for the step they were taking was never far from the surface – typified by Damoon reading and re-reading the order of service in his hotel room as he mentally (and emotionally) prepared himself for the ceremony, and by the sage advice given to Doreen by her mother. Which isn’t to say there was no fun to be had – in fact, the playful moments with the wig at Doreen’s preparations were among the funniest and most intimate moments I’ve ever filmed – made all the more hilarious by the fact that Doreen’s young niece was asleep in the next room, so everyone had to laugh and enjoy themselves in almost complete silence.

Ceremony: Christ Church, Hawthorn
Reception: Fenix in Richmond
Photography: Louisa Jones

Filmed on the Canon 60D and the Sony Z7. 100% real, no staging.

An excerpt from the full-length DVD – we join the bridal party relaxing and posing for photos, then follow them into the bridal suite at Poet’s Lane for nibblies before their entrance into the reception. This is often the most relaxed and care-free part of the day for a couple – the ceremony’s out of the way, and the formalities of the evening are far enough off not to worry about.

There are a few things I love about this clip:

• the playful bantering of the bridal party (starting to really relax for possibly the first time all day)
• the choice of music – Melbourne’s own Cat Empire (we love getting songs that aren’t typical ‘wedding tracks’)
• and the way the bridal party – who initially were rather self-conscious when I started filming- are at this stage so comfortable with my presence that they’re all just being themselves.

Watching the footage, it feels like I’m there again, joining in the fun and laughter and looking forward to the party to come… and a great party it was!

Venue: Poet’s Lane
Photography: Kelly from Studio Max

(This video is in HD – for the best viewing experience, click Play, then pause the video until it has finished loading).

This was a special wedding for Life in Motion – the bride, Emma, was one of our own camera operators and editors for several years – and what an amazing day she and Gerrick had. Attending all those weddings as a videographer perhaps gave Emma a head-start in planning her own day, and everything came together beautifully. It’s not hard to see how much in love they are as a couple, and that joy radiated out amongst all their family and friends.

It was a pleasure to work alongside photographer Jonas Peterson also, whose unobtrusive approach is very similar to the way I film a wedding. If you haven’t seen any of his photographs yet, visit his website – they’re as beautiful as the thoughts he pens in his blog.

Ceremony and reception – Emu Bottom in Sunbury www.emubottom.com.au/
Photography – Jonas Peterson (The Invisible Man) www.jonaspeterson.com/
Celebrant – Alan Jacobs www.sevenblessings.com.au/

Filmed on the Canon 60D and Sony Z7. 100% real, no staging.

(This video is in HD – for the best viewing experience, click Play, then pause the video until it has finished loading).

As Cassandra mentions at one point in this clip, not everything went without a hitch at her wedding to David – but as you can see, it didn’t stop them having a brilliant day. The preparations were in Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula, followed by a ceremony on the Portsea Hotel’s fabulous upstairs balcony. Vows with a view! Two of Cassandra’s cousins had flown all the way from Poland to join in the celebrations, and were given the important task of helping Cass into her beautiful dress (which involved getting quite up-close and personal). Apparently David’s not a bad singer, but his sister wowed everyone with an achingly beautiful song at the reception in honour of the new couple.

Ceremony and reception – Portsea Hotel
Photography – Michaela, Gallery One

Filmed on the Canon 60D and 7D. 100% real, no staging.