Hello, I'm Daniel aka 'Dan the photo man', and I'm a Sydney elopement wedding photographer capturing weddings across Sydney and afar. I love shooting peoples faces in all sorts of different places, and I get a buzz out of capturing all those in-between unscripted moments that look like they feel!
Should I plan a wedding during COVID-19?
The covid pandemic has had a dramatic effect on the wedding landscape in Sydney and beyond. Panic ensued, weddings have been cancelled or postponed and morphed into different beings before our very eyes! Enter the prominence of the elopement. Also known as the adventurous wedding, micro wedding, tiny wedding or elopement wedding. With less fuss, and more bang for your buck, marry the one you love in an intimate setting or adventurous location!
With all the uncertainties around weddings in the time of Covid, planning a wedding can be daunting. It also doesn't mean that weddings or our lives need to be put on hold too. Now is the perfect time to escape the stress and pressure of planning a big fat traditional wedding. It's the stress free, adventurous and fun way to get married. With minimal guests, a great location, a couple of rings, a celebrant and a photographer is all that you really need. Don't forget the witnesses.
Having a smaller elopement wedding doesn't mean it won't be an epic day. You could choose a more adventurous spot to get married, or go a little more crazy with your styling, or over board on eye catching florals. Beach, mountains, city - your choice! The bonus is that I get to spend more focus on you, and less on other people.
You may well enjoy yourselves more. Have the Sydney wedding now, and party later! Do something to tell the grand kids about. There's no rules, so choose your own adventure!
So, how doe's one go about eloping, and what are some tips?:
1 - First off, a minimum of one calendar month prior to the wedding, both you and your partner must each sign a witnessed Notice of Intended Marriage (NoIM) form. This is an Australian law requirement to be legally married for small, large and even elopement weddings. This can be lodged with an authorised celebrant or minister.
2 - Did you know that there's a minimum number of attendees to constitute a wedding? It's actually five, and includes the happy couple, a minister/celebrant and two witnesses. And if it's the bare minimum that you're going for, I can act as one of the witnesses, but you will also need to ask someone other than the celebrant to witness.
3 - Incorporate technology with zoom, live streaming or a videographer. I love how we can adapt to utilize technology to include loved ones from afar, and one of these options could make it more inclusive for family and friends overseas. Also, the addition of a videographer could double as a second wedding witness, if keeping the wedding celebration to the bare minimum.
4 - Wedding details and styling. Why not go to town on the wedding styling, florals or even a mariachi band, boombox or violinist. Ha, those are optional. Or, maybe just be minimalist with a beautiful wedding arbor. Again, choose your own adventure, and go with your heart.
5 - Location, location, location. Forget the Chapel! Why not get married on a clifftop overlooking the ocean at sunrise. Or even a sunset wedding on a mountainous clifftop instead. Or a forest elopement amongst the trees. I dare you to show me a more romantic way to marry the love of your life!
6 - Be different and break the rules! Why not get ready at home together? The resulting images will be both intimate and special!
So, you want to see some Sydney elopement wedding photos that will leave you inspired? Mark & Lucinda tied the knot in the heart of Covid, and had an intimate micro wedding at Milsons Point on a warm and sunny winters day with Sydney harbour as their backdrop.
They kept their Sydney elopement small and simple, but big on fun, style and epic locations. They opted for a pre-wedding location shoot taking in the Sydney harbour bridge and Sydney Luna Park, followed by a simple ceremony, capped off with a sunset shoot!
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you're looking for some adventurous elopement wedding photography in Sydney or beyond. I'm always up with the latest in news with rules and restrictions. Contact me at:
Mark & Lucinda's Wedding.
Photographer: Daniel Kukec Photography
Celebrant: Simple Ceremonies
Florist: Flowers at Kirribilli.
Video: La Lune Cinema.