S3, EP5: How to inject fun into your wedding photography with Nikki McCrone

Eddy: So, before we dive into today’s episode with an incredible photographer, let’s talk about what we’ve been up to. Aleks.

Aleks: Yes, I’ve got a little bit of boring housekeeping, if I may, about the podcast. Putting on my MC hat. Now I’ve got a bit of housekeeping. So we had a website, project engage biz, that is going to be taken down soon. And basically what we’re doing is moving all of the episodes, or the blogs connected to the episodes to one more song. So you can find them on our blog. But as always, you can listen to project engage on Apple podcasts, Spotify and all the other. Well, I assume a lot of the other podcast players. So that’s all good. It just won’t be on a separate website for now.

Eddy: Good announcement.

Aleks: So boring. But, you know, has to be done.

Eddy: Has to be done. Well, you heard it here first. Now let’s do a weekend roundup. This is gonna be a new little segment on our podcast, talking about the weekend where we played the supplies that we worked with. So we’ll give a few shout outs there. Let’s get straight into it. So, this is the weekend roundup.

Nikki: Wow.

Aleks: Can you do that? The second effect again?

Eddy: Wow. It’s a good one.

Aleks: I love it.

Eddy: It’s a good one.

Aleks: Weekend. So we’re just talking about last weekend then, which. I mean, just. Okay, so we’re in the middle of.

Eddy: We’re in the middle of November. So we’re talking about the weekend that started Friday, the 18th. And Aleks had two weddings. I had three weddings. So, Aleks, what was your Friday wedding?

Aleks: My Friday wedding was a cracker. I was at Glass House inside, and I was working with precious, who was the celebrant and the MC. So we got to hang out at the reception for Pia and sunny. Such a gorgeous couple. And I swear they’ve broken the Internet. I mean, yeah, those photos were pretty unreal. Yes. And the photographers were, and videographers were Chris and Shani from be here, be now. First time I’ve worked with them. I believe you’ve worked with them a couple of times.

Eddy: I have. They’re super nice.

Aleks: They’re so lovely. So lovely. And, you know, the bride had a wine red dress. I mean, she looked incredible. And the groom had a purple velvet suit on with avocado socks. I mean, the whole thing. Amazing.

Eddy: Oh, yeah. Avocado socks.

Aleks: Avocado socks. And I have to say. So this is, if you follow me on Instagram and. Or one more song as well, actually, we have a kind of weekly little ritual where we share our couples do not play lists that they’ve provided to us in their questionnaires and we always get pretty strong responses, or I should say reactions. And Pia and sunny, my couple on Friday night, had the longest do not playlist ever. I was like, I don’t know, very, very, very specific and had a lot of tunes on there, a lot of tunes to avoid, tunes by artists they liked. So, yeah, pretty specific. And I think a few people were concerned, but they did provide me with a lot of inspo. Of stuff they do like, so I didn’t have a problem, you know, choosing.

Eddy: Did you find you had to second guess some of the songs you were loading up just to see that it wasn’t on?

Aleks: Yeah, I just had to check. Yeah, it was more for background. They provided a really long Spotify playlist, like double the amount that I needed for reception. So I kind of stuck to that pretty closely, like, to their requests. There’s a really good mix of stuff, you know, like Motown Soul and there was some house, a little bit of. What else? Oh, lots of old school. Aaron being hip hop. The favourite. One of my favourite things about the night, which you would have seen if you follow us on one more song, is the singer from Kung’s versus what is it? Cooking on three burners song. This girl, the vocalist from that song, was actually a wedding guest, so she jumped on the mic and it was such an amazing moment.

Eddy: Yeah, that was quite a popular reel. A lot of people jumped on. Oh, my God.

Aleks: I know. She’s incredible. So that was really fun. And just very quickly, on Saturday, I was at a new venue or. Well, it’s relatively new. We haven’t played there before. Trowel estate, about an hour and 20 away from us. Or an hour and 45 if you’re not using cruise control.

Eddy: I feel like the only way to say that Vinny is trouble.

Aleks: I don’t really know how to say it. It is really gorgeous. It’s very, like, surprising. It sort of feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere, but it’s super modern, really nicely, you know, kind of designed and, you know, polished concrete and stuff. And it was really fun. It was a cocktail wedding. I worked with Heidi, hitched by Heidi, so again, had a celebrant who was Mcing. She’s such a legend. Was an all female supplier team as well. Saw Wendy. Wendy Bird, acoustic singer, musician. She’s a champ. And that was for Maddie and John. It was, yeah, really fun night. And they kicked on. They had an after party as well, which I like.

Eddy: Oh, that doesn’t happen as often as I would have thought.

Aleks: I know.

Eddy: I mean, it is a big day, particularly for the couple, obviously. They’re getting ready at six, seven.

Aleks: It was pretty. It was, yeah, it was. It was pretty loose. So I don’t know how that aftermath would have been a fun one to find out. And you had three?

Eddy: I had three. So interestingly enough, on the 18th. So that’s the Friday. I was also at Glass House, but I was at Glass House’s sister venue, glass House Brook on Bridge Road. And that was for Rachel and Ryan. Elsa Campbell was the photographer. I came. I didn’t. I actually don’t know who the celebrant was, unfortunately, because I came quite a bit afterwards. But that was really fun. It was interesting because Rachel had us. She was my age, she had a sister I think was eight years older and must have heavily influenced Rachel on her music kind of tastes. It was a lot of eighties.

Aleks: Oh yeah.

Eddy: Which is fun, you know, but Ryan was an indie kid through and through, so there was a little bit of a balancing act that, you know, I had to sort of stage to make sure that obviously the crowd pleasers were the eighties for that particular crowd. But I was very mindful of Ryan getting. Getting his songs, not being whacked by.

Aleks: Eighties in the face all night. When you like indie. That’s interesting.

Eddy: Yeah. Yeah. So. And so Saturday I took a trip to Dallas. Food and deejayed ceremony right through the end of reception.

Aleks: It’s a long day.

Eddy: Yeah, it is a long day. So I probably arrived there at 130, left at close. Close to one or 1230. So it’s a, you know, it’s a long day. But that crowd was just up for a party. I was able to play so many absolutely epic wedding favourites, just favourites after favourites. So that was really, really fun. I met a new celebrant named Jillian Lance, who also emceed. We’re seeing a pattern.

Aleks: Yeah. I had a call with a couple who said their celebrant was Gillian, who’s Mc. I wonder if she’s the same. I’ll hit her up possibly.

Eddy: Yeah. She was super nice, super organised. She left just after dancing started and I made the last couple of announcements. Unfortunately, the wedding had to be inside because of the tumultuous weather situation. However, they were able to do sparkler exit outside at the end. That worked out well, which is good because I’ve had a lot of quote unquote sparkler exits scheduled that could actually go through because the weather’s just been insane.

Aleks: Well, they’re like. They’re like fake sparkler exits, and they’re not really an exit. It’s just like a photo.

Eddy: Yeah.

Aleks: That’s early in the night, actually.

Eddy: Yeah, that’s funny you mentioned, because I had one once, this was a month or so ago, where they sort of staged it to get the photo earlier in the night and then obviously party till the end of the night.

Aleks: I had that on Saturday night.

Eddy: Oh, you did?

Aleks: Okay, cool.

Eddy: So that’s another thing that we’re starting to see. And then on Sunday, I was at Rupert, on Rupert for Georgie, and as his wedding, which was just.

Aleks: That looked awesome.

Eddy: It was just a vibe from the very beginning. They got the party started straight away. Dancing started around. Oh, I would have said about 630.

Aleks: I know. I looked at the. You printed out the setliest for me, and it was. I was like, when did you play background music?

Eddy: No, there wasn’t really anything that was. That was background, upbeat. Great vibe. Because that’s another thing we do, because we’re both wedding DJs. We’re able to share our playlists at the end of the night.

Aleks: Setlists?

Eddy: Yeah, set lists.

Aleks: I don’t like to call them playlists because they sound like they’re.

Eddy: Yeah. Oh, obviously that’s a good point, but, yeah, so obviously we can. We can look through and chuck new stuff into crates that we don’t have on either side. And, you know, we use different software at the moment, although I’m trying to convince Aleks to use the same software as me to make it even easier to collaborate. So I think that’s something that is almost a bit of secret sauce from us. We’re able to have these conversations and flesh out things that, you know, may work at certain weddings and you sometimes.

Aleks: Forget, you know, like, you played a couple of tracks. I’m like, oh, that’s a banger.

Eddy: It’s really good to jump on and look at other wedding DJ’s sets. Yeah, I really, really enjoy it. And so the suppliers will. Nat Sproal was a celebrant. We. She’s been on our podcast. We absolutely love Nat. We had Megan Brown moments as the photographer on that one.

Aleks: She’s a bundle of energy, isn’t she?

Eddy: She really is. Yeah. So much fun. And she was there to eleven.

Aleks: Yeah.

Eddy: So she was there. Two stumps, basically, to capturing a lot. All of the dance floor, really.

Aleks: All of action.

Eddy: So that was really, really, really cool. Yeah. So finished on a really high energy one, which was. Which is always, you know, our favourite.

Aleks: Yes. Preferable, preferable. Awesome. Yeah. And it’s like, pretty busy now until, you know, what is it? Christmas?

Eddy: Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. I mean, I’ve got news, Eve. Like, it’s, it’s. Yeah, pretty busy.

Aleks: Yeah, yeah. But it’s been awesome. And we are chatting to. Yeah. One of our favourite photographers. An absolute legend, just an all around awesome human being. And, you know, I would be very confident that she would make every single client super happy.

Eddy: She’s the best. And there’s so many parallels. We’ve probably mentioned this in the podcast, but there were so many parallels between what she was saying and, and what we do as well as wedding DJ’s. So very, very similar.

Aleks: Yeah. Enjoy.

Eddy:
Welcome to Project Engaged, a podcast for fun loving couples planning their non traditional wedding.

Aleks: We’re wedding DJs Aleks and Eddy Mac from Melbourne. We run a business called One More Song, and our tagline is No More Nutbush.

Eddy: In this podcast, we’ll share our wedding experiences and chat to some of our past couples.

Aleks: We’ll also interview bold wedding suppliers who share our philosophy of your wedding being a celebration of you as a couple and one epic party.

Eddy: Let’s get into today’s episode. So today we are super excited to chat to a wedding photographer that we absolutely love working with and are very blessed to work with quite often. Nikki McCrone.

Aleks: Woo. There’s no better way to describe Nikki than to pull out some quotes from her Google reviews. So these are snippets from her clients. It’s okay. You can stop looking for your wedding photographer because Nikki is the one. Nikki was not just a photographer to us. In fact, we want to adopt her so we can have her infectious energy and enthusiasm with us always. We will now be hiring her for all future life events that require a photographer. Whoa.

Eddy: And here’s another one. We received the wedding photos a week before the proposed delivery date and cried with joy at how beautiful they are and how they so perfectly captured the beauty and atmosphere of the day.

Aleks: Another epic one. If you are considering Nikki Mccrone as your photographer, if these wonderful Google reviews or a quick stalk of her instagram doesn’t convince you, then all it will take is your first phone call with her and you will be well and truly sold. Nikki is the absolute dream.

Eddy: And on that note, let’s welcome Nikki.

Nikki: I clearly got a bit excited, guys, and cut in earlier on.

Aleks: It’s really funny. Hi.

Nikki: Yeah, this is the problem. I don’t stop talking.

Eddy: Well, actually, we had you on mute until that last part, so I don’t think any. True. Sorry about that.

Nikki: Oh, fantastic. That works really well.

Aleks: It’s really funny because we don’t normally have our podcast interviewees, guests, I should say, on video. But, Nikki, I can see you the whole time you’ve got your video on.

Eddy: Just adds to the experience for Aleks, who’s sitting on the other side of the table. I can’t see a thing.

Aleks: Yeah. If ever.

Nikki: So you can see me blushing heavily.

Aleks: Yeah, no, it’s all pixelated. Don’t worry. How have you been, Nikki, this mad wedding season?

Eddy: Yeah.

Nikki: Oh, I’ve been good. I’ve been good. I mean, nothing compares to last season, right? Like, I feel like, yeah, once you go through the COVID postponements, then you can survive anything. But I’ve actually. Yeah, I’ve been loving this season. I feel like people are taking a really different take on weddings recently and I’m here for it. Like, I think there’s a lot more point of differences this season than previous ones. So, yeah, I’ve been having a great time.

Eddy: Yeah, it’s interesting you mentioned that, Nikki, because one of the big points difference we are certainly seeing is the shorter lead times when it comes to weddings. Is that something you’ve picked up on as well?

Nikki: Yeah, absolutely. It had to be a bit of a mental adjustment for me, a little bit, because I was like, why aren’t I booked out 18 months in advance? What’s going on? Yeah, but then the inquiries are coming through for, like, next month, two months time, three months time. And, I mean, it kind of makes sense. We’re in a bit of a unusual financial climate and people are concerned about what’s happening there as well as, you know, just being a bit gun shy over the last two years about, you know, what the next 612 months looks like. So. Yeah, absolutely. Which is, you know, great for me because I love it when I get an inquiry through and I’m still available and it’s only a few months out, but, yeah, it certainly has. It was an adjustment for me.

Eddy: Yeah.

Aleks: But listen, listeners, this is not your cue to leave it until the last minute, unless it’s on like a Tuesday or a Wednesday or something and then you might be in luck. But, yeah, it has. We’ve definitely picked up on that and it’s been nice because I think, you know, couples can definitely get overwhelmed with the planning process and I often say, you know, having a shorter lead time is kind of good because you sort of have to, you know, make decisions quickly and just get onto it. So depends. Depends on each couple. Obviously, it will stress some people out. I think.

Eddy: I think it eliminates the constant second guessing if you’ve got a lot of time to make those decisions, whatever it may be.

Aleks: Decision fatigue.

Eddy: Yeah, exactly. You get decision fatigue 100%.

Aleks: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nikki: And confused by choice. Right. Like, if you. If you find someone you love and you vibe with them, you know, you go with it. Whereas, you know, there’s so many great people in our industry, you know, multiple, like, I would. There’s so many photographers that had dropped the hat. I would recommend people booking, you know, as well as myself. So you kind of then would go, oh, well, I love them and I love them and I love them. And then you’re just kind of in this position where you’re like, oh, okay, I’m really confused. Whereas, yeah, if you’ve got three months out, you’ve met with a vendor that you love, you’ve got their recommended vendor list, maybe, and you’ve met with those other people, and they’re a real vibe. And you all know that they work together really well. Then, you know, I just think, shoot the shot. Right?

Aleks: Just do it. Just do it. Totally. So let’s start from the beginning and just tell our listeners how you actually got into wedding photography.

Nikki: So that one’s like, I feel like I would love a more interesting story than I have. My mom always took photos of us all, you know, dressed up in our little olden day clothes, and she actually had a dark room in our laundry, and I would watch her develop these photos, and she did it for a few of her friends, just, like, photos of her kids and stuff. And they’re still photos that mums got on the wall at home. So kind of always an interest from that point of view. So the first paycheck I got with my first job was, yeah, just a film camera. And then I would spend my weekly pay on film. And I was always that super annoying person at a party who was taking photos of you really drunk and had all the evidence. The next day, even before, you know, phones and Facebook and Instagram were a thing, you know, I was the worst part of your hangover. Those photos just plastered by walls. And then when I was 18, I got an SLR as my 18th birthday present from my family, and then just started taking it along to family weddings, and they were the ones that my family printed. And then just kind of word in mouth from there, like, you know, I’d do a small job, family photos here and there. And then, you know, little weddings, you know, micro weddings and things, and it just kind of grew that way. So, word of mouth, I suppose, which is still, you know, one of the best ways to get clients, because, you know that they’re, you know, they know your work and they’re like minded people and, you know, they like the people you like. But, yeah, so it just kind of grew pretty organically. And then my background is nursing. I’m a paediatric nurse. And so I was doing that full time until I had my first kid five years ago. And then just being on maternity leave, I had a bit more time for the social media and the networking side of things and the website side of things. And then, yeah, it just. It went full time from there.

Aleks: Is that your dog?

Nikki: It is my dog. Is it really annoying?

Eddy: No, I don’t think it is, no. Obviously wants to be part of the podcast, which I.

Aleks: Everyone, Nikki has a dog. She likes pets.

Eddy: Tell us about your dog.

Nikki: Well, so me and Molly have a tumultuous relationship at times because we got a cavoodle. Because cavoodles love attention. And I knew that my kids would, like, huddle this dog an inch of its life, want to sleep with it, want to hold it, want to pat it. So I needed a dog that was going to tolerate that and, you know, not bite back. But unfortunately, then when the kids are not home, that responsibility falls on me. So, yeah, she really gets uppity when I close the doors, because she just needs to be loved all the time.

Eddy: Yeah.

Aleks: Don’t you find?

Nikki: We always love her, but she wanted.

Aleks: To be quiet, high maintenance. We always have furry friends join us on calls with couples, and I just love video calls. Yeah, yeah, video calls. Sorry. Yeah, not phone calls.

Nikki: Do I have her on my lap? Which is absolutely where she wants to be, but then if she acts up, it was a. It was a, you know, line ball decision. I think I may have made the wrong one.

Aleks: Kids don’t listen to this.

Eddy: Well, it’s making this episode of the podcast more dynamic, which is. Which is great.

Aleks: Yeah.

Nikki: And, like, getting the dog, Aleks. I mean, keeping the dog outside.

Aleks: Oh, yeah. My bad. My bad.

Eddy: But, yeah, no, Aleks is right when she says that we do have a lot of furry friends. Jump on to video calls, which we absolutely adore. Lots of cats, lots of dogs. And they all want to be a part of it. And then you may we do we have a cat, Khaleesi? Yeah, a little moggy. Little black and white moggy. She’s cruising around.

Aleks: Yeah, she. She likes to disrupt us on the podcast sometimes too, but she’s behaving today, so that’s nice.

Nikki: Not by any sort of molly scale.

Eddy: She’s at the other end of the Molly scale, I think. Well, at times she can make herself known. Quite significantly, she will attack you for no reason, like a cat does and bite the ankles. Bite their ankles and all that kind of stuff.

Aleks: Anyway, weddings.

Eddy: Back to weddings. I could talk about animals forever.

Aleks: So, Nikki, we obviously work on a lot of weddings together, which is lovely. Can you tell our listeners, sort of like, I suppose, the types of weddings that you like working with and the types of couples that, you know, generally kind of attracted to you, attracted to you, attracted to your style, attraction?

Nikki: My style? Yeah. I think people and couples that don’t take themselves too seriously, that just want to have fun, but that family and a dance floor and good drinks are their main priority. I think, you know, anybody who wants to do too many, like really quite staged and formal and, you know, dramatic photo. Yeah, that’s not really my style. And I suppose my worst nightmare is someone not loving their wedding photos. So my reply to any inquiry is always, just make sure you’ve had a really good look through my website because I think that, you know, that speaks volumes in terms of what my style is like. I just want it to be fun, I want it to be natural. Occasionally I’ll get you to look at the camera, you know, just for a few set portraits for grandma and grandpa. But ultimately I want you looking at each other, I want you moving, I just want you to look back at your photos and go far out. That was so much fun. Yeah. And I want that to be like, for every stage of the day, for like the ceremony, the bridal party portraits or wedding party portraits, I should say. You know, the only part I’m yet to be able to make too much fun is the family photo. So instead I just make that quick, quick and painless.

Eddy: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nikki: But I just think every part of the day should be fun. So, you know, my couples, I never say, let’s block out 2 hours for portraits. Like, it’s like high energy, it’s. Yeah, it’s fun. And it’s people that get married at, you know, pubs and their backyards and, you know, bars, you know, places that are pretty relaxed and pretty true to them, things that are, you know, I just. Weddings that are fun for me are weddings that are fun for my couple. And I find, like, I find that weddings that are fun for them are ones that are really authentically and truly them. And that. That’s what makes it interesting for me because then that makes every wedding different.

Aleks: Yeah. And that’s when you get the real, really good shots, don’t you? When people are feeling comfortable and relaxed and nothing’s forced or a chore or. Yeah, yeah.

Nikki: And doing something that they would normally be doing. Like, a big part of my lead up process is, like, getting to know them, making sure I’m following them on instagram. We have a really good chat for our first meeting. I have questionnaire that I send out, but it’s because I want to know what you’re into, because I want to do stuff that you would normally do on the day. Like, do we go to a bar and get a drink? Do you love, like, I had a couple who just, their thing was espresso martinis. And I’m like, well, that’s something that we have to go and have then. Or like, another is like, oh, you know, we always get a kebab when we’re drinking. It’s like, okay, let’s go and get a kebab during portrait.

Eddy: That’s awesome.

Nikki: You know, and because I want, you know, that’s what you do. I don’t want you to look at your photos and be like, oh, those were the people we dressed up as for the day.

Eddy: Yeah, yeah. This is the plot we were playing.

Aleks: Yeah, I love that.

Nikki: So, yeah, it keeps, it keeps it interesting and it means that, you know, like, this idea of how, you know, we’re not posey or whatever, it’s like, just fall into whatever’s natural. Yeah, yeah. And that’ll make great photos.

Eddy: Yeah. And I imagine that’s probably the secret sauce there. If you’re getting people super comfortable in their own skin, doing what they usually do, then they’re just going to be themselves and that’s going to reflect in the types of photos you’re able to catch up.

Nikki: Yeah, absolutely. And I think. I think the secret to that is keeping people busy. Like, have you got. I know, you know, obviously, as wedding vendors, you’ve had your photos taken on the night, but have you ever gone for headshots or anything?

Aleks: Yeah.

Eddy: Yeah, I think we have back in the day. It’s not a fun process for me, anyway.

Nikki: It’s not. And I think calling that elephant, like, if I don’t think I’ve ever had a couple not say, oh, we’re really awkward, you’re going to have your work cut out for you. Like, I think every couple says it and I’m like, mate, me too. Like, I’ve had headshots taken and it was so awkward. It was. And as soon as you are thinking about the photo, then you’re thinking about your posture and you’re like, oh, where do I put my hands? And, oh, is this a good angle? And, oh, my God, this is so awkward. And you’re in a dialogue is never that great. So, you know, my key is just like, keep talking, keep moving. Like, I don’t. If there’s no silences, you have no time to think about that. And it means that you’re not thinking about where to put your hand. Your hand just falls where it naturally falls. So, you know, if we have music playing, if we’ve got drinks, and I’ll just say, guys, we’re walking from here to there now we’re going to walk over there now we’re going to talk about this, like, so that at no point are you standing there really being aware of the fact that your photo is being taken. It’s just like we’re hanging out, we’re having a drink, we’re listening to music. You’re either with your favourite people in the wedding party or your favourite person, which is your, you know, partner for life or me and me or the.

Aleks: Third wheel, the ultimate, the really romantic moment last to Nikki. Nikki’s there.

Eddy: It’s me again.

Nikki: Another show, hey.

Aleks: Yes, but it’s so true. You know, actually, I was saying the other night at a wedding, you know, oh, like have to get the obligatory, you know, behind the deck’s photo. And I was like, oh, I don’t know how to pose. Best photos of me and Eddy are the photographer just getting us in the moment and I just can’t replicate that. Like, I’m just so awkward at smiling and posing. I look terrible. It’s just. Yeah, I get it. I can imagine that on a massive scale at your own wedding.

Eddy: Oh, definitely.

Nikki: Yeah, yeah, definitely. And it’s something that they, you know, couples understandably worry about. Right. Like you’re cutting out a chunk of time to spend doing something that you don’t really like doing. Like, nobody likes having their photo taken, really. Certainly mostly my couples don’t. So, yeah, you’ve just got to make it fun and reassure them that it’s going to be. And, you know, proof is in the pudding. Right. It’s just like every couple says they’re awkward and it always ends up okay.

Eddy: Yeah.

Aleks: And then they crying tears of joy when they see the photos.

Eddy: You’re doing something.

Aleks: Right.

Nikki: Right.

Eddy: Where have I heard that before? Excellent. Well, okay, so we’ve talked about your process. Also, what are some of the things that couples should take into consideration when they’re looking at a venue and thinking about styling in terms of the photography.

Nikki: If it’s important, natural light, you’ll always be. I just, you know, it makes life so much easier from my point of view, from your guest point of view, and from your celebrant’s point of view, making sure that, you know, everybody can see each other. You can see the reactions of the people that are hearing your story, and, you know, it just makes our life much easier. Like, I have a pretty stock standard rule that I am yet to break. I never say never, but I just hate the idea of having to use flash during a ceremony. Like, how do you be a bit of a ninja? Background light flashing off. So look, always natural light. If you’ve got natural light, then I will be extremely grateful that it makes the photos more beautiful. It just has so many good reasons. But also, from styling point of view, you can kind of go one of two ways. I love a place that’s a blank canvas so that the couple can really make it their own. You know, they have to kind of think about each part of the day, whether it matters or whether it’s important to them or whether it isn’t. So they’re only kind of putting into the wedding what’s important to them. And so that’s when you have the guests, like, saying all night, wow, this is just so them, like, the things that are important are here. You know, that in the couple. But also, you know, it’s a big job planning an event, you know. You know, it’s some people’s full time job to be in a bed coordinator. Yeah. So, you know, picking a venue that is flexible in that way.

Nikki: So, you know, if they do have. If they do have some styling basics or if they have some suggestions of, you know, the way they could help. That’s amazing. A venue that will be flexible with bringing in things that are important to you or that stand out. So with the table, my husband and my dad made a table together for our apartment that would fit into our apartment. It’s just a two person table with a little drawer. And anyway, so we brought that to the wedding so that we could sit down and have dinner together at that table and kind of check in on each other and, like, actually be like, hey, we got married today. Like, how’s your day going?

Aleks: That’s nice.

Eddy: Yeah. Yeah, that’s so nice.

Nikki: It can really fly by. So a place that’s going to be a little bit flexible.

Aleks: Yeah, definitely. And actually, just going back to your point on lighting as well, because I was chatting to ed about this. I noticed it, you know, at a couple of weddings, sometimes when you’ve got, like, a photographer and a videographer, it can get quite light on the dance floor if you’ve got a lot of, you know, there’s like, a lot of lighting that comes in and stuff. So what do people need to consider from your perspective when it comes to, you know, dancing time? Because we found, we put our lights in sometimes, but we found it’s either like pitch black if the venue can’t dim the light, or it’s too light.

Nikki: Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, the most important thing for a dance floor is mood, right? Like, you’re not gonna kind of get down and dirty if it’s bright lights and everyone can see your maybe less than desirable dance floor move. Inflorescent lighting look a bit of. And that, that’s where it comes down to picking good vendors, right? Because I can. I can deal with any scenario on the dance floor with lighting. Like, if a videographer brings their side lights, that’s great. I can work with that. I have lights myself that I bring should I need them. Otherwise, I’m really confident with flash on the dance floor. So kind of what’s best for the mood when it comes to dance floor, like, when it comes to ceremony and, you know, a bit of reception, especially kind of in the summer months, bit of reception, natural lights, great. But when it comes to, you know, evening time, I mean, I hate black roofs, but I’ve learned to work with them because they just absorb all the flash. But, I mean, that’s another point. If they’re nice, let’s get technical. But, yeah, no, I think definitely dimmable lights are a dance floor. Right? You guys, you guys would massively prefer a dark.

Eddy: Yeah, yeah, we prefer dimmable over just turn all the lights off when we don’t have our own lights in. Our couples haven’t booked our own lights, but on the other side of the token, sometimes our own lights can light up the room a little too much.

Aleks: If it’s already pretty light.

Eddy: If it’s already pretty light. So we have to be a little strategic in the placement of those lights.

Aleks: But it’s very important from our perspective because we have, you know, it’s just like the level of energy, I think. But, yeah, you, you know, as Eddy said, it can get too light even with our lights, so we just have to kind of muck around with it and get the right balance so that people feel, you know, you still want to see people have a good time. You don’t want it to be peach black, but.

Nikki: Yeah.

Eddy: Yeah. And it’s. It’s, um, not like, what am I sort of saying? Like, we can set up lights at a certain part in the day and it’s going to be completely different at night. So it’s not uncommon for Aleks or I to be running out to the dance floor to shift some lights around.

Nikki: Yeah.

Eddy: I’m really quickly just to make sure that it’s, like, exactly the way that we want it, which is kind of.

Aleks: Kind of a bit of fun on a long song.

Eddy: Yeah.

Aleks: You know our long songs, nikki, where we have dinner sometimes.

Nikki: I’ve seen you in action. Yeah, absolutely. When you got time to get to the toilet.

Eddy: Yeah, we call them our toilet songs.

Aleks: Toilet songs, yeah. Just kind of gross because they’re also dinner songs.

Nikki: Yeah. I’ve seen you have to transform a space, right. Like when you’re moving something that has been, like a beautiful, romantic space during the day and into the evening. And then it’s your job to kind of turn that into a nightclub dance floor. Right.

Aleks: It’s a rave, mate. Rave.

Nikki: Yeah, that’s it. Hand out the glow sticks.

Aleks: Yeah, I do like, I do like that idea. Definitely. I wanted to ask you this question because you actually provided a really good tip to our av guy, Dale, who’s engaged the other day. I don’t remember. On Halloween night at the wedding we were. The three of us were at. My question is basically, what are some tips that you’ve got for couples for finding a photographer? That’s their vibe.

Nikki: Yeah, totally. I remember that conversation. Yeah, look, word of mouth, obviously. Like, if you’ve had friends that get married and they love their vendors, that’s always a really great place to start. Those vendors, then, if they’re not available, will often have, like, recommendations for you of other people who are of a similar vibe, especially if you give them a few details about your wedding. You know, like, if you. Some people are like, oh, I know this wedding photographer is great with colour. Really loves that kind of vibe. Maybe shoot them an email, see if they’re free. And then once you get to that point, like check out their instagram. That’s everybody’s kind of first port of call these days. But take that a step further. So, you know, people can kind of pretty consistently get a few good shots. Or, you know, if you look at an Instagram feed and it’s like this heaps of great photos of the couples doing portraits in beautiful lighting conditions, no rain, none of those things you go, well, dig a bit deeper. Go onto their website, look at a full, like, one of their full weddings from start to finish. And have they handled that? All those different lighting conditions, all those, you know, not just when they’ve got the couple there to follow their direction, like, when they have to be adapting to different situations and different scenarios. Are there, is their work still solid throughout all of that? So I would kind of say that’s where I’m at before I’ve even had a phone call with them. And, you know, look at their copy and, like, don’t look too deeply at my copy.

Nikki: Have a look at the copy, the way they speak, like, is it really lovey dovey, romantic face? Is that the kind of wedding that you’re having? Do they want to pick traditions? Do they swear in their copy? And is that something that you’re okay with? And then reach out, see if they’re available, then have a zoom. And it’s just about whether you can talk to them, because can you talk to them? Do you like them? You’re going to spend, you know, eight plus hours with this person on your wedding day more than anybody else. You know, sometimes it’s more than your partner because we’re there for getting ready photos.

Eddy: Yeah.

Nikki: You know, you’re there for the whole process. So you want someone you’re going to feel comfortable around, somebody who isn’t just a fly on the wall in the sense that, like, we’re doing our thing and there’s someone over there.

Aleks: Oh, yeah, that person.

Nikki: Someone, like, who can be involved. Someone that, you know, will get along with your, you know, if it’s just you and your family, when you’re getting ready, will they be able to speak to you and your family? Are they cross generational? Are they, you know, young and fun and amazing? They’ll be great with your bride, your wedding party. Yeah. It’s just about making sure you’d be happy to spend the day with them and you’d feel comfortable asking them questions that you might think sound silly or you don’t want to feel embarrassed or just like, would you happily flick them an email on a Tuesday afternoon and go, hey, what do you think of this idea? Or we’re not sure about this part of the day. Do you reckon we could change it up? So, yeah. You get a really good vibe from that meeting.

Aleks: Yeah, the meetings are really important. We always talk about this. And I think, you know, your point about spending a lot of time with your photographer. I don’t think that can be underestimated because, like, you get to the day and you do realise it is a. You know, in some ways it goes quickly, but it’s a long day. Like, it’s a. It’s a very long day. There’s lots of different things going on and you just want to feel, like you said you want to feel comfortable, you know, who’s around you. Yeah.

Nikki: Like, I’ve done. I’ve been in situations where I’m, like, spraying deodorant in up under the armpit of the dress or helping them onto the toilet or, like, strapping their booby tape on or, you know, like, you gotta be super comfortable with someone.

Eddy: Yeah.

Aleks: Yeah, I’d say so.

Eddy: Yeah. Yeah.

Aleks: I didn’t know. I didn’t know you offered a deodorant spraying booby tape adjustment shirt, Nikki, or. Cause I would definitely take you up on that next time.

Nikki: If I see a need to be filled, I feel it.

Aleks: You might regret that one.

Nikki: No.

Aleks: Good. And look, I think we’ve talked about, you know, any hot tips that you might have for couples who feel awkward, which is just. You’re not going to put them in any forced kind of awkward scenarios to begin with, I guess.

Nikki: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Like, none of that foreheads together, you know, kind of stuff.

Eddy: Yeah, I love that. You just went. Right, like, you went to that.

Aleks: Yeah.

Eddy: And I got that straight away. I’m like, yep, I’ve seen that.

Aleks: No, you know what I want an example of? I want an example of dramatic. Is that, like, the editorial, like, I’m in vogue.

Nikki: Vogue, yeah. Yeah. And that, like, that has its own beautiful style.

Aleks: Right.

Nikki: I’m not knocking that. I don’t know, of course, what my. A couple that wants that shouldn’t be booking me.

Eddy: Yeah.

Nikki: You know, like, plenty of photographers who do that beautifully and they should book them because, like I said, I don’t want you to be unhappy. And I do. You know, I just think if it gets to the point where you’re micromanaging that kind of thing on the day or you don’t trust the photographer to do their job, then you’re essentially taking the photos on the day. Right. And you’re. You’re considering every pose. And so. Yeah, book someone who’s right for the job. Look for someone like you look at their work, you love their work, you can see yourself in their photos book, then.

Eddy:Yeah, it’s so. It’s. It’s actually so refreshing to hear that said by somebody that’s not us because we often have this conversation with our couples on, like, we don’t do line dances and things at our weddings and we very, very rarely will have someone that will micromanage us, like, play this song then. This song. This song. Because you might as well have just deejayed your own wedding. So. Yeah, it’s really. It’s really good to hear that.

Aleks: Hello, Spotify. Just putting up bush, macarena and chicken dance on repeat and you got yourself Spotify.

Eddy: Feel ill.

Aleks: And look, I have to say, like, nikki, you, you did a bit of a refresh of your website and you.

Eddy: Oh, by the way, congratulations. That looks awesome.

Nikki: It is. I haven’t really put it out there yet.

Aleks: Oh, sorry.

Eddy: Oh, we’ve got the exclusive. She heard it here first on project engaged.

Nikki: Totally live. And I love it out there in the sense that, like, these days, it’s not out there if there’s not a reel about it. Right. So I haven’t done a reel, but, like, I haven’t tutored it, really. But, um, yeah, like, you know, with experience and with time comes, you know, an interest in honing down those clients and, you know, making sure you’re appealing to the same, you know, the kind of clients that both you want and, you know, will be happy with your product because. Yeah, I think, you know, the measure for you guys, like, you’re like, this is a banging dance floor. People are having a great time. There’s like, it’s full, it’s, you know, and it’s something that people remember at their weddings. Like, it’s like we had. All the guests were talking about having such a great night. Like, well, that’s, you know, that’s your. They measure for you guys, I assume. I’m very much speaking for you. Thank you.

Eddy: You’ve now.

Nikki: Yeah, but the measure for me is like, do they love their photos? Because if they don’t, I feel like I would crawl up in a corner and die. Like, I would just, you know.

Eddy: Yeah, the sensual dread.

Nikki: Yeah, yeah.

Aleks: It’s a lot of emotional energy that goes into being involved in, you know, one of the most important days of someone’s. Two people’s lives, so. Yeah, yeah, you’re right. You want. You want to make sure that they’re happy, but, yeah, I think your new brand, you know, definitely screams party. Fun, relaxed, natural and. Yeah, we love it. I mean, we’re biassed. We love pink and purple.

Eddy: Yeah. And I love that. I love the heart gif you have on your website as well.

Aleks: Yeah.

Nikki: Thank you?

Eddy: Yes.

Nikki: Stevie Ray did my.

Aleks: Yeah, she did ask.

Eddy: She pops up in a few places amongst our suppliers.

Aleks: Yeah, for couples. Stevie Razer, graphic designer. And she works at good day club, I believe.

Nikki: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. She’s worked with quite a. Like. She works with. I think she’s worked with precious as well, but, yeah. So I had kind of wanted to tie in. So my background, as I said, is nursing, but it’s cardiac nursing, so I kind of wanted to, like, tie the anatomical heart in. In that way. So, yeah, she had a bit of research in terms of, like, how correct blood go and blue blood and wet blood.

Eddy: Yeah, no, it’s very cool. Yeah, it’s very cool. Extremely unique.

Aleks: I hope someone out there appreciates it and pulls you up on the accuracy. It’s not me.

Nikki: I had an emcee, so I did a wedding recently and the groom was. He was a cardio electrophysiologist. And the MC, I’m not sure whether they knew each other from work, but I was talking to him and I said something about being a cardiac nurse and he’s like, oh, that explains the logo. He’s like, I looked up the website and I was like, well, that’s just sorted itself out.

Eddy: I’m so glad.

Aleks: That could be a new niche. You only do photograph for cardiac electronic physicians.

Nikki: What if that was.

Eddy: That’s so funny. So another question for you, Nikki. In terms of your sort of day, do you have a specific kind of shot list that you kind of go through, or does it completely vary between clients and their own preferences?

Nikki: It’s completely varied, as it should be. Right. Because I think there’s no such thing as. Well, there shouldn’t be such thing as normal. Right. Because when you think about a normal wedding and I think about, like, what’s that for weddings and a funeral or whatever, like, you’ve got things over the chairs and ribbons and it’s, you know, I’m not here for that.

Eddy: Yeah, either way.

Nikki: So I think, like, I’ll say to my couples and whether they take that up, take me up on that or not, is, you know, groom and bride prep or groom. Groom prep or bride and bride prep. It doesn’t need to look like how it looks like on the blog. You know, I’ve done ones where he always plays Nintendo with his groomsmen. So, like, they were hanging out playing Nintendo and, you know, those were the photos that we take or playing golf or we’ve got, like, I often will say, let’s go, you know, go to the pub, have a few drinks once you’re already dressed, it’s just a kind of opportunity to take some photos earlier in the day. And I always kind of think the more you get done beforehand, the less you kind of have to do after. So if I’m nailed photos of you and your wedding party, then. Then that’s less time we have to be doing that after the ceremony.

Eddy: Yeah, that’s a good point.

Aleks: I like that.

Nikki: And it’s more time for you to get used to me being around and my, you know, wonderful sense of humour. Right?

Aleks: Yeah, totally.

Eddy: They were both genuine laughs, by the way.

Aleks: Yeah. Mine, I sounded like some sort of evil hyena, but anyway, yeah, I have a full cackle.

Nikki: I do. So, like, there is no shot set list. But also that’s kind of as well nice for people to lean back on. Like, the flip side of that being. Ah, so this is now where we put the jacket on and we’ve got to put the shoes on. And so they kind of have seen the way it’s meant to go because for most people, it’s the first time they get married and they’re not sure the way it’s look. So, yeah, you go either end of the spectrum. Like, if that’s not what you want it to look like, let’s not. But if you want to lean on that for, you know, some structure on the day, that’s great. I’m happy to go with that as well. The key is kind of communication and, you know, I want people to be really comfortable to say, look, we’re not into that kind of thing so that we can brainstorm some alternatives. Like, by this point, I’ve been to so many weddings, I’ve seen it done so many different ways that, you know, I might be able to come up with a suggestion that suits both of you really well and get something really unique for you guys. And, you know, I’m seeing the rise of people getting ready together and I love that they’re so, like, they can be so beautiful and intimate and, you know, I had one air do we deejayed for Sophie and Nick, where they literally had an Airbnb with their baby. And, like, I had photos of them literally feeding her lunch, like puree pumpkin or something, and washing the dishes all the way through them, like, dressing her and then getting dressed. And they still did a little bit of a reveal to each other, you know, like. And so now they’ve got, like, this whole story of the whole day. So, yeah, I don’t have set shot lists and I’m also, you know, if a couple comes to me with a set shot list or, like, some example photos, I’ll often, like, I’m more than happy to receive them to kind of say, like, yep, love it. If this is a kind of vibe or a particular kind of focus that you want, but, like, just talk about the reality of, you know, this one’s got very specific lighting or, you know, this is in a. On a mountain in New Zealand and you’re getting married at a pub in Coburn.

Eddy: That’s a tricky one, Nikki.

Aleks: It’s. Yeah, yeah. Come on, do your best. It’s funny that I can see so many parallels between what, what you’re saying and the way that we work as well. It’s like, you know, and couples are so different, so we’ll have, like, people give us, you know, like a 13 hours Spotify playlist and I’ll look at the playlist and half of the tunes are depressing ballads, and I’ll be like, okay, well, that’s half of that gone. You know, it’s like, yeah, exactly. Them, you know, coming to you with a shot list, it’s not really related to the kind of context of their own wedding. So it’s really about having that trust. But for you, I suppose, just understanding, you know, what they want captured. Like, is it. Is it important that they have the Gucci shoes next to the Chanel perfume on the bed, you know, or not?

Eddy: It’s also about being experienced and confident enough to say to couples that that’s not going to work. Why don’t we try this way as well?

Nikki: Yeah. And, you know, I’m absolutely going to bear those in mind, but I’m not going to guarantee that this photo is going to look exactly like that because the situation is different. But I’m not, you know, I’m not overly precious about my artistic integrity and, you know, that it needs to be my idea or anything like that.

Eddy: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nikki: Just as long as, yeah, it’s fun and they’re happy with their product in the end. Yeah.

Aleks: You’re just trying to get the best result. Yeah. It’s like with us, you know, we won’t play a particular song. Like, for example, with must play song requests. You know, I often say, look, I’ll try and play as many of these as I can. Normally, you know, you limit it to five, but sometimes the moment just passes and it’s like you’re onto bangers and you just haven’t had a chance to play it or the mood hasn’t been right.

Eddy: Or whatever if grandma grandpa doesn’t leave the dance or you don’t want to play fisheries.

Aleks: Like, we always pick on Paul Fisher copies. I’m always like, I won’t be playing Fisher at dinner, but, you know, it’ll be upbeat.

Eddy: That’s my line.

Aleks: Yeah, no, I stole it off you. We always copy to the line. Yeah. So I think it varies, but, yeah, you’re right. You know, and that’s what, that’s what you’re paying for in your, you know, you is the expertise and putting your trust in, in your suppliers. So it is important to kind of be guided.

Nikki: Yeah, absolutely. Your skills, like, I mean, you have technical skills, but your skills are in reading the room and keeping people on the dance floor. Right. Like, yeah. Making sure that everything builds and flows.

Aleks: That’s what good.

Eddy: Nikki, we should take some of these lines.

Aleks: I know. Are you writing this down? It’s recording tomorrow.

Eddy: I’m going to listen to it and take some notes tomorrow.

Aleks: No, that’s right.

Nikki: Yeah.

Aleks: And it’s, you know, in a way, like, it’s similar. You talked about, you know, having a look at the full gallery.

Eddy: Yeah.

Aleks: From a couple. So it’s like you are telling the story of a day. You don’t want it to be disjointed and a bunch of portraits, and then suddenly, I don’t know, dance floor. Like, drunk photo. Like, what happens in between? Like, you want to be telling that story through the photos as well.

Eddy: Yeah, yeah.

Aleks: So that’s up to you to kind of manage. Yeah.

Nikki: And I think telling, like, being able to see it. So, you know, everyone talks about how quickly the day goes and. Absolutely it does. But, like, your job as a photographer is, like, to be on. You are so on. You are so looking for, like, every little interaction that’s happening across the whole room. So when the couple get their photos back, it’s like, oh, my God, I didn’t even know that was happening. Or, you know, we weren’t there for that part that, oh, so great. Look how good that food was that came out. Or I didn’t know that, you know, grandma was on the dance floor at that stage or. So they get to see their wedding, like, even kind of in more. In more ways than they did on the day. So they don’t only just relive it as they remember it.

Eddy: Yeah.

Nikki: It’s like they get to see extra parts, you know, which is, like, adds to the story.

Eddy: Yeah, that’s awesome.

Aleks: I love that. And, you know, the wedding albums, I’m a big fan of the physical albums.

Nikki: I know we’ve been talking about this. I’m like, how do I just get, like, a full photo album of you? Really?

Aleks: Of me? Yeah. Like the photo you took of me at the post office hotel where I had five chins to our listeners. Nikki took.

Eddy: She doesn’t stop talking.

Aleks: It wasn’t. Look, it wasn’t a photo of me. I was in the background. So to be fair, this actual subject.

Eddy: Looked amazing, which was myself and.

Aleks: And Sarah.

Eddy: Sarah.

Aleks: Sarah from banging hangings.

Nikki: Yeah.

Eddy: So you did a good job there. Thank you, Nikki.

Nikki: Aleks. I kind of included that for comedic effect. I knew. I knew what you would think about that. I had five, and I was like, she’s gonna kill this idea that I. I’m like, do I deliver that? I know it’s not going to go anywhere. I’m relying on her vanity that that bad photo isn’t going anywhere.

Eddy: You made the right decision to review it.

Aleks: But I love that she knows I’m too vain to put it up. She’s like, nah, she’ll be fine. Yeah, it’s not going now. Now everyone knows about it. Everyone will want to see it now. All right. Hopefully, no one listens to this. I’ll put it up really quickly. No, I don’t think that’s the point of the podcast. Oh, my God. It’s so funny. Oh, Ed, sorry. You’re shooting it. We’ve got loads of questions, aren’t we, for Nikki?

Eddy: Yeah. We’ve really outdone ourselves on this podcast, and you’re smashing them all out of the park. Okay, so what are some of the ways you come up with the creative shots that you take?

Nikki: That’s all just, like, of the moment, right? Like, a bit of it. Of the moment, but knowing the couple. So when I say, like, I want to follow them on Instagram, like, not in a crazy way, but it’s, like, good to know the kind of things that they do on the weekend or where they travel, if I’ve got a dog or, you know, what they’re into to incorporate that in. Like, if we see the opportunity, incorporate that into the shoot. But sometimes it’s just like, what kind of outfits they’re wearing? Like, does it lend to a lot of movement? You know, running and jumping and, you know, is. Is there a lot of flexibility there? And light, obviously. Like, if I’ve got incredible light, like, you almost need to, like, say, all right, Nikki, shut up. Let’s go. Because I’ll just keep taking photos in that stuff until, I mean, lucky that it’s mostly at sunset, and there is a time limit on it. Otherwise, I would definitely. But, yeah, just, like, the day and the couple and keeping it, like, keeping it different. I think if you go in planning to be creative, that almost kind of defeats the purpose a little bit. Like, just know them. Know what’s important to them. I’ve got a little, like, a question on my questionnaire. It’s like, is there anything, anything that’s particular on the day that you want me to focus on or be aware of?

Nikki: And sometimes it’s the smallest things, like, you know, my grandma’s just out of home for the day, so it’s going to be really important, like, the time that she is there. So even just kind of knowing that, like, her going, like, leaving that reception is going to be a significant moment. So, like, keeping your eye out for that or, you know, the lace on a bouquet was from the groom’s mother’s wedding dress, and she had passed away only, unfortunately, only recently. And so knowing that as the bride was showing that to her side of the family, I’m like, I need to stay here, and it’s like. And I need to make sure I’m incorporating that into as many things as possible. And that’s kind of, you know, where the creativity stems from. So it’s just, you know, it’s just like being in my mind going at 100 miles an hour and. And sifting through the crazy thoughts with the good thoughts. Yeah.

Aleks: And they’re, like, making sure you don’t miss any moment happening.

Eddy: Oh, yeah. And it clearly pays to be prepared and to ask hundreds of questions in the lead up. You know, you mentioned the Instagram. We do a similar thing. Like, we look at our couple’s instagram to see, what festivals do they go to? Falls festival. Did they do this? Did they do that? So that gives us a bit of an insight into the types of tunes that probably want to hear on the night. But I think, yeah, you sort of hit it on the head there. Preparation is key, but also being open and opportunistic on the day itself.

Aleks: Yeah, yeah.

Nikki: And, I mean, being able to read people a bit. Right? Like, so, you guys, the art in reading the room, reading the dance floor. And I think for me, like, even it’s not like I’ll nail you with a thousand, like, one line of questions and what the answer is, you know, it might be as simple as when we’re having our first zoom, I’ll say, okay, so, you know, where are we at? Like, where are we at with the wedding. And they might say, oh, we haven’t really done much. We’ve only booked the DJ. And I’m like, okay. So I know from that that music and dance floor and party is your 100% priority. Like, you are going to want to be there for cocktail hour. Maybe we talk about doing those beforehand. Like, you know, so being able to read into answers a little bit as well. And yet, like, you say, like, reading into that Instagram story of what festival they’re at, like, you can extrapolate from that. Yeah, yeah.

Aleks: I even, like, look at, you know when you see stories from, like, hens nights and buck nights, and they’ve got, like, they’re dancing, they’re very drunk. They dance like dancing queen. I made a mental note the other day. I’m like, I’ll have to bust that out later in the night. Because they were just, like, loving it. And it’s funny, isn’t it? Because, you know, after you had a few drinks, the inhibitions sort of slip away and, you know, your guilty pleasure songs come out and that sort of thing. So it’s funny. It’s definitely good to get an insight. So the couples. We are watching you.

Eddy: We are.

Nikki: Yeah.

Eddy: In a non creepy way.

Nikki: Research teachers. I love speeches, right?

Eddy: Like, oh, yeah.

Nikki: Tells so many great stories. Molly’s back at it again. I’m so sorry. But, Ollie, like, I think during one set of portraits, there was so many references to a football club. Like, so many more than normal, because, you know, the football gets. Gets dimensioned relatively frequently. But, you know, and it was before portraits, so I was like, I made sure to put on that anthem because I always take music with me. Like, you guys know how transformative music is. Like, how, you know, any really magical moment in your life or memory can be so stimulated by music. So having music with me during portraits and, like, just having that ready to play, like, I know that they’re going to laugh. I know that they’re going to have fun with it. Yeah. And they know that I’ve been listening or that I know them. And that’s so cool.

Aleks: That is so cool. I love that.

Nikki: Thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking.

Aleks: All right, any other hot tips for non traditional couples who want to nail their wedding photos?

Nikki: Just do it. Do it your way. So I sometimes use the analogy, and I think it’s a solid one, that planning a wedding is like moving house. You, like, you move the couch and you move the tv and you move the bed, and you’re like, oh, my God, we’re nailing this and that’s. Like your venue and your photographer and your celebrant or your DJ. Like, you’re nailing the big items and you’re like, sweet. We are doing great. And then you get kind of down to the, like the miscellaneous drawers or the stuff under the bed.

Aleks: I was going to say the mantra the mantra our house. It’s got so much rough wrapping there.

Nikki: And that might be, like, only a month before the wedding. And it’s just things that, you know, you think you’re meant to do. But really, if you don’t, like, if you just pulled that drawer out and put it in the bin, your new house would be no different.

Aleks: You’re like the Marie Kondo of the wedding photography world. Is that her name? Marie Kondo?

Nikki: Well, it’s. Yeah. You do?

Aleks: Yeah, yeah.

Nikki: Does it bring you joy?

Aleks: Does it spark joy?

Eddy: Does it spark joy?

Aleks: I like that. I like that. It’s a great analogy.

Nikki: You book things. You book the things that are most important to you early, right?

Aleks: Like, yeah, if.

Nikki: If I know someone who’s already booked the florist before they’ve booked me or, you know, it’s just. That’s clearly what’s important to you. Anything that’s those trickling last things under the bed or in the drawers as the wedding comes up. If you don’t get to them, that doesn’t matter. That’s not important to you, so don’t worry about it. Like, prioritise what’s important and then it means that you’re going to have a cracking day and if you’re having a great day, you’re going to have great photos. Like, I feel like that’s the secret to, like, having fun, happy photos, is to be having a really, really good time.

Aleks: Yeah. Enjoy your wedding. You have great photos.

Nikki: Yeah. Just have a blast and lean into it. Right? Like, have fun with it. Be goofy. Have a drink. Like, trust your vendors. I feel like I listened to so many of your podcasts and I feel like it’s such a repeated theme, but, like, trust your vendors. If you love their work, trust their process. Just like, I think Natsboro’s like, just get out of their way. Book them and then get out of their way. Just let them do their thing.

Aleks: Yeah. I love that. I love that.

Eddy: It’s a great quote.

Aleks: He’s awesome. Yeah. We’re gonna be stealing so many of these things for our own social media posts. Thank you.

Nikki: I’m sorted.

Aleks: Just joking.

Eddy: We do have one final question for you, Nikki, and thank you for being such a true part. This is one of our longer episodes, so we’re very appreciative. So the final question. What song will get you onto the dance floor?

Nikki: Oh, I feel like I should be asking you guys that because you guys always get me up there.

Eddy: Are you trying to skirt around it?

Aleks: Yeah.

Nikki: Look, those that know me know that I am an absolute, like, die hard Bruce Springsteen fan. Nice. So anything boss. But also, I know that that’s not necessarily universal, but, like, that will get me, you know, singing along, stamping my feet, singing at the top of my voice. But I think, like a Phoenix Lister mania. I feel like that’s really, like. That’s a really good, like, get me up and on there. Um.

Aleks: Do you want to get married again? We’ll come play a wedding.

Nikki: Oh, all the things that I would change. You would absolutely be doing the tunes at my wedding.

Aleks: I thought we were friends when we’d be guests, but that’s all right. We’ll take this offline.

Eddy: It’s the curse of a wedding vendor.

Aleks: Yeah, it is, isn’t it? It is the curse of the wedding vendor when you. Yeah, not yet married. And then you think, I want these amazing vendors, but they’re also my friends and I want them to be guests.

Nikki: Yeah. Yeah. And then you end up not getting married because you hang out with these people every weekend anyway.

Eddy: Yeah, pretty much. Pretty much.

Nikki: Someone else is paying, so it works.

Aleks: Well, cut that bit, couples.

Eddy: Great answer. Well, great answer with that question. Our last question.

Aleks: Love it.

Eddy: Yeah. Bruce Springsteen is. Yeah, definitely in acquired taste, but when the crowds into it, it goes off. He goes off.

Aleks: Well, I was always actually talking about a wedding that Nikki and I did do together where Joe and Sophie’s Nikki, where they were huge Bruce Springsteen fans. I think I played two or three songs and it went off. So, yeah, definitely.

Nikki: And, yeah, I actually. I think I had told. Because at any opportunity, I will slot in the fact that I have danced on stage with Bruce Springsteen. So I think I must have mentioned that to Joan, Sophie, maybe. And so some of their guests were actually asking me about it, so I’m guessing they were like, we’ve got a wedding. Who has danced with Bruce Ringstein? So, you know, those songs are always going to go off and you’ll always find me bopping along, no matter what it is, even if it’s not Bruce.

Eddy: We sort of saw that at the open day at post office hotel, where I did the majority of deejaying. You do a little bit, Aleks, but you were popping along and it was actually the vibe was great there because everyone was just into it. Next time, next year, I’ll make sure I play some of the boss for you, though.

Aleks: I think we’ll have to collect some requests.

Nikki: Whatever you play. Absolutely worked. And the wedding we did together recently, I barely wanted to go home. The one at the farm, Yarra Valley.

Eddy: Oh, yeah, that was a. That was. Yeah, that was a fun vibe. That was great.

Nikki: Yeah, that was an absolutely banging dance floor. But, you know, I was like, I think I had to work at the hospital the next day.

Eddy: Yeah, you did. Yeah, you did. Yeah, that’s right.

Aleks: Would have been a bit much.

Nikki: Yeah.

Aleks: Well, thank you. Thank you so much. Sorry, my cat’s got her bum in my face now. Literally, like, actually, hello.

Nikki: At least she’s been quiet about it.

Aleks: Yeah, I know. She’s very quiet, but, you know, she’s like a quiet little demon. She’s gonna attack me soon. Where can people find you online?

Nikki: Oh, so good old Instagram is just very, you know, pretty straightforward @NikkiMcCronephotography, Nikki. And just website is www.nikkimccrone.com.au. They’re probably the two easiest places.

Eddy: Fantastic. Yeah, definitely. Check out. That again. You heard it here first. Check out. That new website design we did, the soft launch, the rebranding this, and looking forward to the comments on the heart, which I’m a big fan of it on.

Aleks: Thanks, you, legend. Hopefully we’ll see you soon.

Nikki: Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. I’m so chuffed to have spent this time Chinwaggin’ with you.

Eddy: Thanks, Nikki. It was awesome.

Aleks: Bye. Thanks for tuning in. If you’re enjoying Project Engaged, please hit the subscribe button on your fave podcast app.

Eddy: You can also follow us on Instagram, @projectengaged, and @onemoresongdjs.

Aleks: We’ll see you next time. And until then, have fun out there.