Nikki McCrone is a much-loved Melbourne based Wedding Photographer, known for
getting her couples to dance and relax, thanks to her portable speaker and excellent
taste in music.
Nikki recently photographed our Melbourne TCS lunch and had our members,
laughing, dancing and posing. The photos were spectacular!

Hello Nikki McCrone Photography, thank you joining us!

Can you please tell us where you are located and what you do?
I live in the lovely green wedge of Eltham, but service Victoria wide as well as the
odd interstate and international wedding – which I love doing. I am a wedding and
portrait photographer. Majority of my work is weddings, but I also do lifestyle family
portraits which I adore, especially if they are past clients and I can be there for some
of their big milestones.

What’s your favourite part of a wedding to photograph?
Ohh, tough one, but I actually love the post ceremony cuddles the best.
Your people coming at you with the biggest smiles, hand on hearts, telling you how
happy they are for you and how wonderful you look.
They are the best candids and most natural photos, so full of happiness.
I like to make sure we put time into the timeline to allow for this part of the day, your
guests generally line up to give you a cuddle, and I stand behind their shoulder
shooting all the happy faces. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel! 
Second to that would be golden hour portraits with just the couple.
It’s when some of the formalities are over, a few drinks might have been consumed,
the light is lovely and the couple really shine and melt into each other.
It’s also a great time to take a breath and get ready to dive into the reception.

What’s your number one advice for couples when planning their wedding?
Get great vendors you trust!
It honestly just allows you to enjoy the day, put the timeline away, and know that if
you need to be somewhere, one of your team will let you know, otherwise you can
just float around.
I feel like it slows down a day that goes so fast. If you’re worried your vendors might
miss a beat, or aren’t as experienced with changing tact if a hiccup occurs you really
can’t relax fully.

I turn up to the day having done all the prep with the couple to know we have a solid
timeline and I know their priorities and know them, so we hit the ground running. 

Seeing each other before the ceremony. Yes or No and why? 
Absolutely each to their own.
I have seen some of the most beautiful intimate moments when a couple help each
other get dressed for a wedding day, the fun chaos of getting your kids ready
together in the morning, or private vows to each other if you don’t want to pour your
heart out in front of 100 people.
I do tend to lean towards suggesting a before ceremony portrait session for winter
weddings, as we lose light so early. To avoid feeling super rushed post ceremony to
fit in family photos, wedding party and couple portraits into 45 minutes of light, a first
look takes that pressure off.
I do also think it gives couples a chance to really check in and check each other out,
something they don’t really get to do if the first time they are seeing each other is the
end of an aisle and then straight into ceremony. 

What’s your best advice for celebrants OR  number one thing that you wish all
celebrants did?
(as all of us Celebrants lean in closer….)
You know what, there is a rise in not doing the signing during the ceremony and
getting the couple to walk straight back down the aisle – I’m not about it.
(This is such a welcome opinion for so many of our celebrants who actually prefer to sign
your paperwork within the ceremony! Our Local Leader, Dee, very much included!)
Often for an exit down the aisle shot I need to change my equipment, and between
first kiss and walking down the aisle there isn’t enough time to do that so it changes
my ideal shot of the couple walking out to their cheering fans or if they’ve organised
a petal/confetti toss. 
It also interrupts the flow of the post ceremony cuddles and mingling for them to be
chased down to do the signing.
May be controversial, but, there you have it.

Thanks Nikki! We LOVE a controversial opinion round these parts!