The traditional wedding photographer is snapping less as the lens falls to wedding content creators who are paid thousands to capture a viral wedding moment.
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Wedding content creators are the new trend in the Australian bridal industry with these 'maidens of socials' documenting all the details with candid, instagrammable videos and images.
Most seek a viral moment while others just crave a quick turn-around on images.
Sydney-based wedding content creator Lily Ngo shoots with an iPhone and has her content ready within days.
Her work won't be framed and placed above the hearthstone, but it served a different purpose, she said.
"It gives them that immediate access to all the content of their wedding day.
"They just want to still live in that moment and be able to post all the content from their wedding day, they don't really want to wait a couple of weeks or even months for the professional photography and videography to come through," she said.
"Because by that time the moment has kind of passed."
She said having a designated social media photographer encouraged guests to be more "present".
"It allows friends and family to put their phones down and have an unplugged wedding," Ms Ngo said.
Viral moments
While Instagram and Facebook audiences usually consist of family and friends, posting your wedding to TikTok allowed international viewers to share the experience.
Creative Société founder Nicola Yvonne said the rise of TikTok during COVID-19 lockdowns changed the way people catalogued their special moments.
"Everybody wants that kind of viral moment or just inspiring others through all of their elements of their day," she said.
"Because the modern couple, they are already on social media and they love it."
She said for younger couples, the fun and casual nature of a TikTok video or Instagram reel, beat the formal and cinematic style of videographers.
Content at a price
The price of hiring a wedding content creator could range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Kristine Satorre founded her content creation business in January.
She says she will be accompanying bridal parties to New Zealand, South Korea and Bali to provide social content.
Ms Satorre's prices range from $540 to $1680 with a multi-day commitment coming in at $2000.
"I consider the work I do to be a luxury instead of a necessity,' she said.
"I've had a few people ask me to do their bridal showers and their kitchen teas.
"I've gone with people to try on wedding dresses. So it is more than a monetary exchange, in a way I'm part of the bridal party."
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Nicola Yvonne's fees begin at $450 for basic coverage and rise to $1500 for a 12-hour day including props, lighting, drone footage and hundreds of images.
Ms Ngo's prices range from $450 to $1350 for a full-day of coverage and 72-hour turn around of edited images and videos.
This comes as the average Australian wedding spend balloons to $36,000, according to MoneySmart.
