Is a Wedding Content Creator worth it?
Professional social media content creation for weddings is trending, but what exactly is a wedding content creator? What does one do? And do you need to hire a social media coordinator for your wedding day? Tanya Bywater, of ABIA Weddings, slides into the DMs of some of Australia’s most established wedding social experts to find out more about the latest wedding phenomenon.
Image Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash
With wedding planning comes a long list of decisions to be made, and wedding vendors to be chosen. At the top are the ‘must haves’ — the likes of venue, celebrant, wedding dress, photographer, florist, hair stylist, make-up artist and cake designer — followed closely by a seemingly endless list of wedding services and possibilities that range in order of priority depending on a couple’s wedding style, personal taste and budgetary limitations. Wedding content creators are relative newcomers to this wedding planning list, but these savvy social media professionals are fast rising in the ranks, establishing themselves as integral members of couples' media teams and ushering in an entirely new era of wedding memory making.
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What exactly is a Wedding Content Creator, Wedding Social Media Coordinator or Wedding Social Producer?
Evolved from the fast-paced and ever-changing landscape of social media, the role of a wedding content creator — aka wedding social media coordinator, wedding social producer and numerous other naming variations — is to capture and curate wedding-related photographs and footage for couples to share to their own Instagram, TikTok and assorted social media accounts, almost immediately.
“Our service was born in a social media age for social media posting,” explains Alexia Frangos, of The Wedding Creators, a wedding content creation company based in Adelaide.
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What does a Wedding Content Creator do?
“Wedding content creators specialise in taking shots of candid and intimate moments that are captured instantaneously and spontaneously… with a simple phone camera,” Shanaia Aguila, who manages content creation for Victorian-based Royal Media Weddings, explains. Adding that the medium generally captures, “often-overlooked behind-the-scenes happenings, going beyond traditional static images and conventional highlight reels with more spontaneous and informal visual content.”
Of course, packages and styles vary by vendor, but an organic, informal, ‘behind-the-scenes’ approach is the focus of professional wedding content creation. As is the super-quick turnaround time for images and reels — specifically shot to suit social media formats — which allows couples to view and share snapshots of their wedding day while some guests are still recovering from the celebrations.
Here are just some of the services that wedding content creators may provide:
- Raw and/or edited images
- Raw and/or edited footage
- Ready-to-post, curated and edited vertical footage, Instagram reels and TikToks
- Wedding website content
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How does a Wedding Content Creator work?
A pre-wedding consultation is usually arranged, to establish a couple’s focus and preferences, their wedding style and the social media trends they want to replicate.
Coverage is generally offered on the day for a set number of hours, and commonly documents pre-wedding preparation, highlights of the ceremony and reception and other candid elements of the day that might otherwise go unnoticed.
The likes of engagement announcements, bridal showers, kitchen teas and wedding planning can also be captured in the lead-up, and some creators can also assist with content for personalised wedding websites.
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Does a Wedding Content Creator replace a Wedding Photographer or Videographer?
While it’s a fair question, given the trailblazing nature of this wedding service, the answer is a resounding “No”, according to our wedding content creation experts.
“The products are just vastly different,” Alexia Frangos explains. “Photographers capture the beautifully-framed, stunning moments that you hang in your hallway for decades, videographers tell your love story like a romantic film… content creators, we're the ones who get the silly, off-beat content that can still be beautiful, but easily translates to social media usage.”
“An extension to the photographer and videographer,” is how Lily Ngo, of Sydney-based The Social Newlyweds, describes her service. “I work alongside, or behind, the photographer and videographer to capture behind-the-scenes content of the couple on the day for them to share and re-live the next day.”
Indeed, rather than competing with photographers and videographers, the wedding content creators we spoke to see themselves as part of a couple’s media team, working collaboratively in their best interests to provide multi-dimensional wedding memories.
“Content creation adds an extra layer of vibrancy and authenticity to weddings,” Shanaia Aguila points out. “It’s great for couples who value the overall storytelling and keeping a diverse collection of memories”. Like her counterparts though, she agrees, “This does not replace the artistry and quality that comes with wedding photography and videography”.
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Should you invest in a Wedding Content Creator?
As with every aspect of wedding planning, the decision to book a wedding content creator will be influenced by your personal priorities, preferences and budget. As the rapidly-increasing demand for this service suggests though, there are some wonderful reasons to add a social media specialist to your list of wedding vendors. Here are a few to consider.
Professional advantage – Until recently, couples wanting to share their day on social channels had little option but to attempt to piece together their wedding content for themselves, but for many it proved a complex, time-consuming undertaking that added to stress levels. DIY wedding content creation is also the type of project that’s likely to be forgotten amidst your post-wedding recovery and honeymoon departure, so hiring a professional to take care of your content makes absolute sense from a logistical perspective.
Absent guests – Whether due to distance, illness or any number of good reasons, it’s likely that there’ll be special people who can’t attend your wedding, and the informal, far-reaching and immediate nature of social media content offers an extraordinary way to include them without the wait-time associated with traditional wedding media.
Memories – Cliché yes, but once the champagne stops flowing and the music fades, it’s the captured memories of your wedding day that will allow you, and your loved ones, to relive it for decades.
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How to choose a Wedding Content Creator
Throughout the wedding planning process, research is key to finding vendors and professionals that are the right fit for you, and content creators are no exception.
“In most cases a content creator is with you the entire day,” Lily Ngo points out. “So, it's very important to hire someone that you will enjoy having beside you, like a friend or an honourary bridesmaid”.
To that end, we suggest the following steps to help narrow your options.
- Determine your style preferences and make a list of the types of social media trends and formats you like.
- Search for wedding content creators in your area via the internet, by asking friends and family for their recommendations or by checking out the profiles and reviews of vendors in the ABIA Directory.
- Once you’ve found a few you like, carefully examine their website, social media profiles and online reviews to find the best fit for your visual preferences and wedding style.
- Schedule a consultation, in person or via video call, to get a feel for their personality, approach and overall vibe.
- And finally, once you’re confident that you’ve found a wedding content creator that's just right, book them in for your wedding date and time.
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If you're keen to discover more wedding vendors and wedding inspiration, the ABIA website is an ideal starting point. The ABIA Directory lists vendors throughout Australia — from venues to celebrants, photographers, caterers, decorators, transport providers, hair stylists, make-up artists, live music and even dance teachers and photo booth hire — with ratings, reviews and recommendations provided by couples who’ve used the services previously. And the ABIA website overflows with the latest wedding-related information, including sustainable wedding suggestions, gift ideas, destination wedding venues, honeymoon ideas, an online wedding registry and all that engaged couples need to simplify their wedding planning.
