The Experts
Tijan Biner catches up with a handful of Western Australia’s most renowned wedding vendors, who impart some knowledgeable advice to couples-to-be and discuss life in the industry.
What got you into photography, and when did you decide to focus on your craft and build your business?
“There were always cameras around when I was a child growing up. I remember the old disposable flash bulbs and fumbling to change film. There was even a time when my dad used to develop his own black and white film and – even though I was too young to be anything more than a nuisance –it captured my imagination seeing an image come to life. “Fast forward to 1995, and the girl I was seeing at the time was massively into photography and got asked to shoot her friend’s wedding. I offered to help, and I guess that is where it truly started. “In 2013 and 2014, I won the Australian Bridal Industry Academy (ABIA) award for Wedding Photography in Western Australia. I guess that’s when I had enough self-belief to consider pursuing this full time. My goal back then was to shoot 40 weddings in the year; in 2015, I got to 48, I did 55 in 2016, and in 2017, I photographed 68. I feel so wonderfully blessed to be entrusted to capture someone’s wedding day.” How would you describe your photography style? “Each part of the wedding day is [unique] and needs to be approached slightly differently. I like to think of my overall style as lightly posed and very natural. “During the preparation, we will keep the bride and groom on time, but we won’t control the shots too much. During the ceremony, we are just flies on the wall, shooting 100 per cent documentary style, and then for the bridal shoot we [capture] a [few] completely natural and candid [shots], as well as some lightly posed but natural [images]. I like to place a bride and groom in sensational light, tell them how to stand to make them look as good as they can, and then move back and let them be themselves. I usually come up with something silly to say, which ensures we get a good mix of sensual, loving looks and laughing shots. I love getting to know what makes the couple tick, so I know exactly how to get ‘that’shot. For receptions, we shoot a bit of candid, documentary and posed pictures.”
Who were your early influences?
“My early influences were most definitely my dad. For weddings, Jerry Ghionis is – for me – the pinnacle of wedding photography. He can always get such elegance in his images.”
What got you into shooting weddings?
“After shooting a few film weddings back in the 90s, I gave it up for a while as I refused to buy a digital camera. It was around 2006 when I had an opportunity to shoot as a second photographer for a friend. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and have never looked back. “People often ask me ‘why weddings?’, and I think it comes down to the love of a challenge. I get great satisfaction from getting two people who don’t like having their photos taken, and [making them] love having their photos taken. I get so many comments along the lines of ‘that wasn’t anywhere near as hard as I thought it was going to be’ or ‘that was actually fun’. I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy getting the opportunity to smooch away with the love of your life? I do enjoy shooting landscapes, but I don’t have the patience to sit and wait for five days [to capture] the perfect sunset. I like to think on my feet and get the best out of a location, regardless of what nature throws at us, albeit it harsh sunshine or rain.”
What’s your favourite part of the job?
“There are so many amazing moments for me at a wedding. I find the bridal preparation a beautiful part of the wedding day and often say to brides that I feel particularly honoured to be included in the ‘woman’s’ domain during that part of the day. You can feel the energy during that time and it is constantly changing. There’s excitement, nervousness, happiness – you name it. I think brides experience all of their emotions during this time. “I love the looks of pride on their families’ faces during the ceremony, as well as the tears in the eyes of the couple and their guests. Capturing the couple’s emotions as they vow to spend the rest of their lives together is truly special. “However, for me, the best part of the day is during the couple’s location photo shoots. This is essentially the reason the couple has chosen me as their photographer. This part of the day allows me to do what I do best, which is be creative and capture beautiful moments of the couple as they enjoy their afternoon and take in the fact that they have just married the person of their dreams.”
What is your preeminent piece of advice for engaged couples planning their wedding?
“Know what you want and do everything you can
to get it. You only get one shot at your wedding day. Shortlist your favourite vendors and meet with them all to see which ones you think will fit [your requirements]. Communicate your ideas to your vendors, and listen to their advice and opinions. “Surround yourself with those who love you. Wedding days can be stressful as it is, but ensuring you are surrounded by people who love you, as well as professional vendors, will go a long way to ensuring your day goes off without a hitch. “In regards to [your wedding photographer], make sure you feel comfortable with them – we are the one person who’ll be with you for most of your day. Celebrants are there for an hour, your limousine drivers will drive you around, and your DJ will get your party started, but photographers are with you [all day and all night]. You need to feel comfortable with all of your chosen vendors, but none more than your photographer.”
What’s important to keep in mind the day of?
“Try and take everything in. So much preparation has gone into it and the day will fly by. Try and enjoy each part of the day and each moment. Relax, breathe and cry. Allow yourself to feel and enjoy each emotion. Be yourself – I see too often people thinking they have to behave a certain way because people are watching them, but you need to be yourself at all costs. This is your wedding day – make sure you enjoy it.
What’s been your most memorable wedding?
“What a hard question. I’m sure a lot of people would answer ‘the wedding with the famous person’, or ‘the wedding with the most beautiful bride or amazing venue’. I have photographed famous people, [the most] beautiful venues and some amazing [couples], but – for me – what makes a wedding memorable is when you can see the bride and groom really enjoying their day. [It’s amazing to see couples] being true to themselves and each other, letting their inhibitions disappear and their personalities shine through. This makes a wedding memorable. So as a professional photographer who has shot more than 500 weddings, remember that it is you – the couple – not the physical things on a wedding that make it memorable.
Images courtesy of Kevin McGinn Photographer
Take us back to the beginning – what inspired you to create wedding gowns?
“To be honest, it is the technical difficulty [associated with bridal couture] that drew me to wedding dresses, [as well as] the intricacy and amount of detail required to make each gown. Knowledge is also a huge part of this and you never stop learning about fabrics, laces and techniques.”
What does the 2018 bride look like?
“We have many looks, but our brides draw from their own individuality. We like to draw on their own styles and reflect their personalities. There is not one look for us. From modern, classic and deconstructed bohemian, to retro and vintage, we do a huge variety of looks.”
Walk us through the process when designing a gown.
“We start with a design session to go through all the bride’s ideas and desires. From here, we analyse the design, cut and fit [of the gown]. Once we are happy with this, we choose the laces and fabrics in order to provide the bride with a quote. Next is the setting-up stage; all aspects of the gown are finalised and fitting dates are allocated. We generally have five fittings on average, but sometimes more for the complex and detailed gowns.”
Tell us about a highlight moment of your career.
“Being on the front cover of magazines is pretty cool. I also really love the way I constantly bump into families that we have made gowns for. I am always seeing previous clients, and I love hearing [about] their wedding stories, seeing pictures and hearing [about] how happy everyone was [on the day].”
What is your preeminent piece of advice for a bride-to-be?
“Organisation and budget [is vital]. We all need a budget and should try to stick to it – it saves a great amount of stress. One of my favourite pieces of advice is that if you are showing me pictures of $15,000 gowns and only want to spend $3000, simplify the style. Don’t try to make an expensive gown cheaply – it never works. Lastly, be honest with yourself and what you can cope with – a happy and relaxed bride always glows with beauty.”
Image courtesy of Paula & Jo Designer Dressmakers
Take us back to the beginning – what inspired you to create MissMeNot Flowers?
“I was inspired to create MissMeNot Flowers after the birth of my second child. I had spent nearly 20 years persuing my commerce degree in large corporations and had completed a floristry course out of interest after finishing university. While working in corporate organisations, I would help friends and family – and friends of friends, and friends of family – with all their wedding flower needs. “Once my children were born, I realised I was at a crossroad in my life [as I tried] to maintain a work/life balance. I had always wanted my own business and creating MissMeNot Flowers all happened by chance when I realised I could join my love of wedding floristry with my business knowledge. Now, I have the ability to take on as much work as I want without compromising my family, but also giving my utmost commitment to my business.”
Tell us about the amount of work – and love – that goes into creating an arrangement.
“There is a lot of pre-planning that goes into a wedding, [which] can start several months prior. There is a significant amount of time that goes into the initial consultation with a couple, which usually occurs between six and nine months prior to a wedding itself. This consultation ensures that all flower requirements are discussed, and details of the types of flowers and style of wedding are being arranged. “Depending on the season, I can order flowers from wholesalers more than one month in advance. Once flowers arrive at the wholesaler, I always ensure the quality of the flowers I am purchasing through careful selection, but I also ensure colours ordered are suitable for each wedding. “I then condition or provide treatment to flowers to ensure they stay at their best quality for a bride’s special day. In some cases, flowers such as roses need to be wired and dethroned. Every flower is checked and cleaned [to ensure it is]
ready for use within a bouquet or arrangement. There are a lot of labour hours that go into preparing flowers before any assembly of the bouquet even occurs. “Once assembly of all arrangements [has been] completed, I store [them] – ready for delivery – in peak condition. All bouquets are delivered in specially designed boxes to ensure [they] stay in prime condition and avoid any damage during transportation. “This is only the start, as there are flowers for the ceremony and reception tables to consider, as well. Again, I ensure all set up is undertaken, and table centrepieces are ready for guest arrivals. Most brides [are] surprised that their flowers still look good several days after their wedding!”
What can customers expect when they come to you?
“I believe customers can expect passion from me. I do have a passion for creating beautiful arrangements, and this is shown through my work and client feedback. I do also believe clients get exception service because of this passion. My honesty and guidance to help couples create their wedding vision is what – I believe – I have built my business philosophy around.”
Where does your inspiration come from?
“My inspiration comes from a bride’s vision. Having lengthy conversations with couples to create their vision of their wedding day is the basis for any great inspiration. I get lots of photos from brides that all come from Pinterest. This [doesn’t necessarily] mean those flowers are in season, but using alternatives can then [inspire] some new ideas. “Pinterest is great for getting an understanding of the styles that brides like, but – as floral designers – we will always put our own creativity and styling into the arrangement. I have a vast floristry network from around the world, and we are always… [sharing our] improved skills and knowledge. Although most brides [prefer] traditional [arrangements], I do like to step outside the box at times and
create individually unique bouquets.”
What does this year bring for wedding flowers?
“Flower trends are constantly evolving. My prediction for 2018 is that we’ll move away from the rustic and vintage styles, and very sophisticated and rich/bold colours [will become popular]. Native [flowers] will continue to grow in popularity during their seasonal peak periods.”
What is your preeminent piece of advice for couples when planning a wedding?
“Depending on your flower needs, set yourself a budget and be reasonable. Flower costs will depend on the style of bouquet you choose, the flowers you select and the size of your bridal party. [Similarly], try and select flowers that are in season, or be open to finding substitute flowers that can give you the same style of bouquet. “I hear many comments like ‘I’m not spending that on flowers!’, but just remember that you wouldn’t expect a mechanic to only charge you for the parts replaced, and the same applies to florists – they’ll have to factor in the cost of materials, as well as time and labour. Although many people think it’s simply a case of ordering some flowers, tying them together and – hey presto! – a bouquet appears, the reality is very different. Just remember the hours of work that go into one wedding – the initial consultation, months of correspondence, quotes, designs, storage and delivery. It all adds up!
What does the future hold for MissMeNot Flowers?
“My business continues to grow and will do so again this year. The future is looking amazing and exciting. With same-sex marriage now legal, I can’t wait to be a part of many more weddings in the future.”
