Twelve weeks out, find your brief
Start by watching full films, not just 60 second reels. Note pacing, how vows sit in the mix, and whether you can hear place, like gentle waves under words at Tallebudgera or birds across Tamborine Mountain. Decide on deliverables early, for example a 1 minute teaser, a 5 to 7 minute highlight and a 30 to 90 minute documentary cut. On the Gold Coast, quality coverage for 8 to 10 hours usually lands between $3,200 and $6,500 depending on second shooters and long-form edits. Shortlist a cinematic wedding videographer on the Gold Coast whose storytelling matches yours, then check their approach to audio and light, not only their drone shots. To see how different pacing plays out across real weddings, browse our recent work on wedding videography and compare it with stills on wedding photography so you understand how your day can feel in both mediums.
Eight weeks out, lock logistics
Map your day with actual minutes, not guesses. If your ceremony is outdoors, set it 2 hours before sunset in winter and 2.5 hours in summer to protect portraits and audio. In August, sunset on the Gold Coast hovers around 5:20 to 5:30 pm, which gives you roughly 50 minutes of golden hour. If you love Burleigh Headland for portraits, plan for parking constraints on weekends and a 5 to 10 minute walk from the Goodwin Terrace side. If you prefer a quieter frame, the palm groves beside Tallebudgera Creek glow warm 40 minutes before sunset and are a 3 minute walk from the southern car park. We can help you shape this timeline in detail, step by step, or you can start with the sample outlines on our weddings page.
- Confirm ceremony length, most civil services sit at 20 to 30 minutes
- Book 60 to 90 minutes of prep filming per side, with buffers for travel
- Block 30 minutes for family photos and 45 to 60 minutes for portraits
- Set speeches in one block of 30 to 45 minutes, then first dance
- Schedule a 10 minute private breather after the ceremony for clean audio bites
Four weeks out, get great sound
Cinema feel lives or dies on audio. Ask your celebrant if we can place a discreet lav mic and recorder on them and on one partner, and request an XLR or 3.5 mm feed from the PA for vows and speeches. Ocean locations need wind protection and gain staging. August often brings dry westerlies, so we plan for gusts over 20 km h with furry wind covers, hidden mics inside jackets and a backup recorder near the lectern. For beach ceremonies, place the arbour so the wind hits from the side rather than head on, and position guests close enough that we can run a clean PA feed without cranking volume. If you want to hear light ambient surf rather than roar, Burleigh cove is calmer on low tide. For a deeper look at how we record and mix, see the technical notes scattered through our wedding galleries and behind the scenes on the blog.
- Have vows and speeches printed in large type, which helps consistent mic distance
- Ask the band or DJ to avoid blue-only lighting during speeches, it looks cold on skin
- Keep drink service paused during vows and toasts to save audio from clinks
Seven days out, permits and light
Check whether your portrait locations need permission. City-managed headlands and parks can require a simple filming permit on weekends. Currumbin Alley rock shelves are tidal, so check a tide chart and aim for 0.2 to 0.8 m for safest footing. If you are near Gold Coast Airport at Bilinga, drones may be restricted within 5.5 km of the runway. Build a weather backup that is more than a balcony, like the rainforest boardwalks on Tamborine Mountain or the covered terrace at Currumbin Vikings. In August, wattle is glowing in the hinterland and early jasmine can edge doorways, so even a simple laneway or verandah can feel local and seasonal without leaving your venue.
- Reconfirm sunset time and plan 45 to 60 minutes of portrait light
- Assign two umbrellas and one towel for every portrait location with water or wind spray
- Send final run sheet to vendors 5 days out, with contact numbers
Morning of, set the scene
Give video 60 to 90 minutes in each prep location. Clear one surface for details, turn off overheads and use window light at 45 degrees to faces. Hair and makeup should finish 60 minutes before departure so we can record toast letters or quiet vows without rushing. Keep rooms to essential people only, ideally 4 to 6, which stabilises background noise. If your suite faces south along Broadbeach, we will likely move details to the brightest corner and kill mixed light. If you are in the hinterland, a verandah with open shade will look better than a dim cabin interior.
- Have rings, invites, perfume and florals in one spot by call time
- Steam dresses and suits the night before to avoid loud gadgets during audio
- Pack a simple kit, lip balm, powder, small scissors, safety pins, blotting paper
Ceremony to portraits flow
Most Gold Coast ceremonies run 20 to 30 minutes. We mic the celebrant and one partner, sometimes both, and place a tiny recorder at the arbour. If surf is heavy, we tighten mic placement to 10 to 15 cm from source and ride levels conservatively. After your confetti walk, allow 30 minutes for family, named in order, then 30 minutes with your wedding party. That leaves 20 to 40 minutes for couple portraits before sunset. On Burleigh Hill, the path to the cove is narrow, so plan footwear you can walk in for 5 minutes. At Tallebudgera Creek, the sandbank glows about 40 minutes before sunset, and a short detour into the tea trees gives quiet sound for spoken words in the edit.
Reception, light and pacing
Ask your venue to dim house lights to a soft 3200 K look for skin and to keep dance floor lighting steady during first dance. Speeches typically run 30 to 45 minutes in total across 3 to 5 speakers. We take a direct feed from the DJ or band and run a backup recorder on the lectern mic. Plan 60 to 90 minutes of dance floor coverage for energy and story. Some hinterland venues at Tamborine have 10 pm noise curfews, so shift your formalities 20 minutes earlier if you want a sparkler exit. If your package includes a teaser, we can often deliver it within 7 to 10 days, with full films following at 6 to 10 weeks depending on season. Ready to shape your day with a team who cares about story, sound and light, start a conversation on our enquire page.