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 live stream to the CeremonyCast website via Vimeo, a professional video platform which is viewing only (it’s just like streaming Netflix or watching a YouTube video). Importantly, this gives us full control over all technical settings and aspects of the live stream and gives a superior and reliable viewing experience to everyone watching. When you’re streaming something important like a wedding or a funeral, there’s only one chance to get it right.

Online meeting apps are great for easy video chat in a work or social environment but they’re not designed for professional event live streaming. These platforms are designed for simple online meetings, where video and audio quality is less important, and is automatically set at lower bitrates and resolutions. We’ve all sat through drop-outs, buffering and poor quality sound and vision as the app copes with more people joining the call and bandwidth gets stretched. Or someone can’t work out to turn their mic off which disrupts everyone’s enjoyment. Normally that doesn’t matter when you’re chatting with your mates. But important events are very different. Experience has also shown that for several reasons, online guests actually prefer to be a passive viewer rather than an active participant.

We also avoid platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitch etc for similar reasons. These platforms use automated copyright matching algorithms which prevent the inclusion of music in a live stream. Your stream will be automatically muted or even terminated in such circumstances.

You can still talk to people watching though. At weddings, we get the couple to come over to our cameras when the ceremony is over to say hello to everyone. This is always a lovely moment!

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 has been live streaming weddings and funerals since 2018. The experienced team of Stephen Lee and Jason de Plater have a wealth of knowledge, care and skill from backgrounds in Marriage and Funeral Celebrancy, TV, video production and photography in Australia and the UK. Unlike other live streamers from corporate event backgrounds, we have specialised and intimate knowledge of how weddings and funerals work and how best to capture them. Put simply, this is our niche!

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.

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 and Platinum packages.

For Gold: we’ll start streaming just before the first speech and finish once the final speech has concluded. This gives your online guests an engaging and focused viewing experience. The wedding speeches are among the most memorable and entertaining highlights of your reception. Unlike traditional wedding videos, we show the speeches in full, so nobody misses a word. This usually works out around 2 hours.

For Platinum: we’ll work with you on your run sheet to capture as much as we can throughout the reception. An extra camera operator with a wireless roaming camera can be at the centre of the action. We can also provide an on site AV setup for any video messages or live speeches from online guests.

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

For Bronze: we use a single camera in a continuous shot (or long-take) filming style.

For Silver and Gold: we use 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 Platinum package adds an extra camera operator with a wireless roaming camera for the reception, so we can be at the centre of the party action!

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.

Yes, you can interact – and we encourage it! At weddings, we always ask you to come and say hi to everyone watching before we end the stream. That’s always a lovely moment. This is our recommended way to speak to your guests as it’s quick and easy.

If you want to have a two way conversation, we’ve seen couples who have jumped on to a Zoom call on a guest’s phone immediately afterwards to have a two way chat.

This does make it more complicated as you’ll need to give that task to someone and your guests will need to switch platforms. It’s also worth noting that the end of the ceremony is a very busy time because your guests with you will all want to congratulate you and your photographers will want to launch straight into the photos while everyone is still together. There a lot happening and you’re being pulled in different directions.

So from experience, we suggest you do that Zoom chat later on when you have more time in the wedding schedule, either between ceremony and reception or at the reception itself.

For funerals, people watching prefer to be passive viewers rather than active participants so interaction is not a normal feature of these events.