CeremonyCast​

A live webcast is an online video broadcast at a set time which you watch through your web browser, just like streaming a TV program or a movie.

Any number of people can watch, wherever they are. We’ll give you a special link to distribute to your online guests.

Our webcasts can be viewed on any device such as smartphones, tablets, desktop, laptops etc. They are optimised for viewing on portable devices, like your phone. You can also watch the webcast on your TV if you have Chromecast, Apple TV or similar hooked up (although the picture quality will change as the screen gets bigger).

You do not need to download an app or any software. Simply open up the webpage address we give you and the webcast will appear.

We can webcast from almost any location, inside or outside, using professional audio and video kit.

A livestream is dependant on a good internet connection. The ability to webcast and the quality of the stream is dependent on the internet connection or mobile data available at the ceremony location. Should we find there is very poor or no coverage, we will record the ceremony instead and upload it as soon as possible.

Yes. The webcast is broadcast live, but when the livestream ends, the video will be available as a recording to watch at your convenience.

Experience shows us that while many watch live, other prefer to watch at a time which is more convenient or comfortable to them.

By default, webcasts are online for one month, after which they automatically go offline. We can shorten or extend this time upon request.

We webcast using Vimeo, a professional livestreaming video platform which is viewing only (it’s very similar to watching a YouTube video).

Zoom is great for simple video chat but it’s not designed for professional live streaming. Therefore we do not live stream via solutions such as Zoom or Skype where viewers can be seen or talk back, because the video and audio quality on these platforms is designed for online meetings and not professional webcasting to large numbers of people.

Additionally there are copyright restrictions on these platforms which prevent the inclusion of music in webcasts. Automated matching algorithms will mute or end the stream.

Webcasts are broadcast in the best resolution and quality we can achieve on site. In the vast majority of cases, the picture quality is excellent. We optimise our webcasts for viewing on portable devices, like tablets, phones and laptops as our analytics show us this is how most people watch.

Livestreaming is a balance between picture quality and the data speed available at the ceremony location, which can vary for reasons outside our control. So in areas of very poor connectivity, we will need to reduce quality to provide a reliable stream without pauses or buffering.

Yes. Should we arrive on site and find that we cannot webcast live, we will record the ceremony instead and post it online as soon as possible.

Or we can time-shift your webcast with a live playback at a later time.

If the webcast fails mid-broadcast for reasons outside of our control, we will endeavour to resume as soon as possible. However the intervening part of the ceremony may be missed while we reconnect.

Live streams are also recorded as they are broadcast so in such circumstances, we can upload the recording of the ceremony for subsequent viewers.

Yes! Although we focus on funerals and weddings, we can also webcast other events too. Tell us your requirements and we’ll work out the best solution for you.

CeremonyCast was established to connect family and friends during important moments and milestones, wherever they are. We understand how important it is for those who can’t be there in person to still participate in such an important moment.

Our aim is to offer professional live streaming and webcasting to as many families and couples as possible by keeping the right balance between service and affordability, As a small boutique company, we keep everything as simple and straightforward as possible.

Our service is specifically designed for weddings and funerals. We have many years of niche experience in these particular areas. Stephen comes from a TV background, working in live broadcasting. He is also a Marriage and Funeral Celebrant, and has an intimate understanding of the unique requirements of both kinds of ceremonies. Jason is a professional wedding photographer and videography lecturer.

We work as solo operators and film unobtrusively, working alongside the other professionals at your ceremony.

Email us here or call 02 8325 1722.

Sure you can – if you don’t mind it looking like this….

Live streaming sounds easy but in practice you’ll soon encounter all kinds of issues and pitfalls. Can you be sure your DIY job isn’t going to look and sound terrible? How will you get clear audio? Or be able to see all the key moments clearly? Will you be able to avoid your stream being automatically cut off by Facebook or YouTube because copyrighted music is detected? How will you know the best settings to choose – or will you even get a stream out at all?

Handing this important task to those who can produce a quality product is always the best idea. There’s only one chance to get it right. Think of it like decorating your home. Sure, you can go to Bunnings, buy some paint, rollers and brushes and paint it yourself. But it’s always much harder work than you expect and it never looks anywhere as good as getting it done by a professional team….

We cover the Sydney metro area, which is up to 60km radius from Sydney CBD.

Yes we can! This is our CeremonyCast Gold package.

Receptions work differently to wedding ceremonies. At your ceremony, everything happens within a focused time frame in the same location, so it’s easy to live stream. We begin the stream shortly before it’s due to begin to capture guest arrivals, and finish a few minutes after the ceremony wraps up.

Receptions unfold over several hours and have extended periods between formalities where not much happens. Therefore our focus at your reception is live streaming what many see as the most important part – the speeches. Traditional wedding videography only includes short extracts from the speeches; our webcast service captures every word.

To give your online guests a more engaging and focused viewing experience, we start streaming just before the first speech and finish once the final speech has concluded. This avoids lengthy periods of inactivity during an extended meal service. Feedback and experience tells us that watching people wandering around or eating a meal for several hours is pretty dull!

It’s also important to note that unlike a wedding videography team who can move around with their cameras, the practicalities of our streaming setup mean we are in a fixed position. This restricts what formalities we are able to webcast; for example sometimes the dance floor is in an adjacent room so we’re not able to show anything that happens there. (If you’re a drunken Dad dancer, maybe that’s for the best?!)

So while other formalities are best captured by your photography and videography teams, we’ll work with you to identify any other possibilities once we have your reception run sheet. For example, if you’re cutting your cake in the same window as the speeches, we can webcast that too. Every reception plan is slightly different.

And just like the ceremony, you can download and keep the reception video!

The standard setup our professional producers use is two cameras, which offer an ample variety of different shots. The cameras are mounted on tripods and are constantly readjusted between different directions, wide shots and close-ups to track and capture all the elements of your ceremony. We set up our streaming desk in a position where we have a good view but still out of the way, so we can film as unobtrusively as possible. We vision mix your ceremony live, cutting between the shots. It’s just like watching a TV program.

The exception is our CeremonyCast Bronze budget package for weddings which uses a single camera.

Clear and clean audio is absolutely a key part of our webcasts. We understand how vital it is to be able to hear everything and everyone.

We use pro-grade wireless microphones, placed in the best positions to capture every word. We also give your Priest or Celebrant their own lapel mic to wear.

Or we can also use a direct audio feed from your venue or Celebrant’s PA to ensure good quality sound.

We have two cameras which we set up on tripods in a fixed position next to our control table. We don’t move or roam around (we are tethered by cables) but we can still get plenty of various angles and views by pointing the cameras in different directions and using the zooms.

We choose a spot where we’re out of the way but can still see everything clearly. We’re usually off to the side or towards the back, depending on what space there is.

Our crew is just one person. We are solo operators, managing all aspects of your ceremony webcast ourselves. This fits with our approach of keeping everything easy, simple and straightforward.