One of our first weddings. Stefan (my second shooter) and I were on video, working for a company that folded before Covid.
The photoshoot was on Argyle Street at The Rocks. Afterwards, the couple would take a water taxi to Rose Bay Wharf, where their guests were waiting, and everyone would then board the reception boat.
What they didn’t plan for — and what I didn’t have the experience to worry about — was traffic. The videographers had to go by car because of the amount of gear. But by the time we reached Rose Bay, the boat had sailed.
What then?
Called our boss. No answer. Called the bride. No answer. But, fortunately, the boat’s name was in the runsheet.
So we found the company website (thank God for smartphones — they were a lot less common back then), and someone picked up.
They called the captain, and he sighed and turned around to collect us.
Two lessons.
Lesson one: allow for traffic. Don’t miss your boat.
But lesson two is contact details. The longer it took to reach someone, the further that boat sailed — and the more pissed off everyone became.
These days, I ask for five contact numbers as standard: bride, groom, photographer/videographer (if I’m working with someone else), and also a bridesmaid and a groomsman, because the couple (bride especially) often won’t have their phone on them.
Other supplier numbers can help too: wedding planner, celebrant, hire car driver, venue manager.
And phone numbers are useful in all sorts of situations:
- For bride and groom prep, couples often don’t know their hotel room number until the night before.
- It's easy to lose the couple after the church if the photoshoot location is a big park.
- Some reception venues have loading docks or check-in procedures that you need to deal with.
Even the priest’s number can be handy. Sometimes he walks off wearing my mic. And sometimes he locks our gear inside the church while we’re outside filming the couple.
