Over the years in the videography business here in Kilkenny and Tipperary I have heard it all, with wedding speeches anyway! I remember 15 years ago at weddings, the Smokey hotel function rooms and the speeches that were short and to the point. As time went on the smoking ban arrived and the speeches got longer & longer for some reason.
How long is a good speech? Well I guess the way to answer that is how long in a piece of string… who knows, but the attention span of your guests should not be over looked. The total duration of the wedding speeches is usually 20 to 30 minutes max. If you want your wedding speeches to be short, then you have to make sure all the speakers know their limits and no more. Long speeches can risk repetition and guest boredom and I have see this while videoing weddings all over Ireland.
My advice to couples that ask about what I think regarding speeches is this: I tell them it’s their day but just to be aware a short speech is always remembered and spoken about later, a long speech is soon forgotten because it was too much for people to take in. Also bear in mind that if the speeches are after the meal and are long winded, people get fed up as they need to stretch their legs. I have heard horror comments after the speeches from guests after sitting for nearly an hour listening to a guy that “loves his own voice!” but as I emphasise – it’s your day and your speeches. The traditional scenario of having the speeches after the meal is fine as well, but think of the groom & best man and also the dads all sitting there eating their meal thinking the speeches have to be done soon – it can and will put them off their meal.
A trend that is becoming increasingly popular is to have the wedding speeches before the meal. This really helps people who have a speech to deliver and are somewhat anxious about making it. This will have to be arranged with your hotel in advance so that they can Plan to accommodate it with your meal.
I understand with hotels they have to keep the meal hot while the wedding speeches are being conducted, but from feedback from couples 70% now want their speeches before the meal. This way all involved in the speaking can relax and enjoy their meal knowing it’s done and dusted! It’s a great idea for people that are not used to public speaking. Of course from the hotel’s side of things this can be a nightmare! Also you band can start on time if all is done and dusted before say 9pm, and this way you get value for money from you nights Entertainment as well. The bride and groom tell the hotel they will only be 15 minutes but I have see this 15 mins drag on to an hour! The poor chef is doing his best to stop the veg from sticking to the pans, so i can understand why the hotels frown on this! If your speeches are going to be before the meal tell the hotel this and stay to an agreed time-frame – this way your guests won’t be eating cold food and all will be happy. Brand new blog in the making for next week, very interesting one at that! check back ~ Joe
Last Wednesday evening I got word that I had won the Mrs2Be brides choice awards for wedding 
I was nominated last year and was honoured to become a finalist. This year I was nominated by a couple whose wedding I filmed early in 2017 and I progressed once again to the finals, but this time I went all the way and won! It’s a nervous wait to see how things go with the judges and of course how the couples vote. But as I always say, every wedding video I complete is a winner for me – when I get an e-mail, text, Facebook review or a phone call to say how delighted a couple are with their wedding DVD, well I just won all over again!
As I mentioned, Oola Church was my next stop. What a huge amount of friends they have, guests from Galbally, Cashel and all over the world turned up! The ceremony was conducted by Fr. Jack O’Neill and when Aoife and Frank were married we moved on to Aoife’s granny’s house, a lovely farm setting with the old milking steps providing a lovely backdrop for the photo session.
Aoife and Frank had thought of every thing, with green wellies for the lads and flowery ones for the girls! Their photographers captured some great photos here and I got some lovely footage.
The Bunratty Castle Hotel was our last stop for the day. Aoife and Frank arrived soon after me – I like to try and get to the reception venue before the bride and groom to film the drinks reception so they can see what was happening elsewhere on their day. The function room in the hotel is splendid and looked fabulous on the day. The wedding cake was fantastic and the speeches were excellent – funny, emotional, and just the right length. One of the highlights of the day for the lads was when both mothers sang “The Voyage” together after the speeches; it sounded fabulous so well done to the mams for that!
I’d like to wish Aoife and Frank congratulations on their marriage, and all the best for the years to come.
Well I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and a lovely time with family and friends as I did. And congratulations! if you have received that special ring over the Christmas holidays… or even if your are expecting it over new year! January is the time to start with your wedding planning , a new year and some great and e
Tomorrow its back to work with my first wedding of this mad busy time of year and its a local one in Knockavilla just up the road from where I live, its great to have all local wedding videos this time of year with the weather the way it is or the way it could end up! of course New Years eve is a very popular choice with couples all over Irelaand,
The last few weeks has been hectic 
While looking back on last year, most visited wedding reception areas was 
So, with a fantastic looking year ahead and with 80% of my work in and around 
Weddings are huge business in every country, and your wedding needs planing a lot of planing I know I hear it all first hand so to help you along with your big day have a look at 
Wedding videography is a record of your day the way you would like it told, and along with our camera skills and editing this can be achieved. No wedding is the same and any videographer that goes out to do a job should never treat it like “yesterdays wedding” – every couple has different ideas of what they think their wedding video should look and feel like and I love to hear this, because it gives me a clear picture of what they are seeing. When the day arrives I keep this in mind, and work to achieve it.
It’s strange when I hear stories that some videographers are 3 -5 months behind on editing , so it takes months for couples to receive their wedding DVDs. When booking your wedding video be sure to ask how long it will take to see the completed product. I am very busy here in Tipperary along with covering a large area of Kilkenny and Waterford, so we are very proud that we can deliver when a couple return from honeymoon. Have a look here at some of the fantastic reviews we have got along the way for our quick but professional delivery of your special DVD. So if you are planning on getting married in 2016/ 2017/2018 give me a call and let’s discuss the wide range of packages available to you, along with our highly competitive prices. See our Reviews
As an award winning Wedding Videographer from Tipperary – and of course covering weddings in Kilkenny, Waterford, Carlow and Limerick, just to mention a few – it’s so nice to get all positive feedback along the way. It gives me a great boost when feedback is left; it means I am doing something right in my work as a wedding videographer. So BIG thank you to all who have taken the time to do so. Also, as you might know by now, another great success for me was to win the 
The wedding industry is booming at the moment and next year looks like a bumper year as well. The budgets are still in place of course and rightly so, but I have often said you get what you pay for. Of course you can get your wedding video for 300 euro for the full day but is that all your memories are worth? The average price for the day can be 750+ and I think that’s fair – it often can be an 11 hr day and that’s only the 
