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.

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.

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! 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.

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.

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.

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.

We know that people watching our live streams range from techo whizzes to technophobes, so we make it as easy as we possibly can to watch.

All you have to do is click a link. The live stream page will open and the video will start automatically as soon as we go live. There is no password and you don’t need to download an app or any software. Easy, right?

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).

It’s important to distinguish web streaming from video conferencing. They sound similar, but are quite different.

Web streaming means services like YouTube, Netflix, ABC iView, any of the many channels you can watch on your streaming box at home or traditional TV. The video or program you’re watching is designed to be broadcast one-way, from one person to many.

Video conferencing means services like FaceTime, Skype and Zoom. They enable two-way collaboration among a limited number of participants where it’s important those watching can be seen and heard – something that is not a feature of a wedding or funeral ceremony.

The distinction also becomes very important when the number of participants or viewers scales to a large number, because video and audio quality suffers, buffering is introduced and people can drop off the call.

For live streaming weddings and funerals

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).

This is really important because it 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.

It’s also important to keep everything as easy as possible because people watching range from tech whizzes to technophobes so with out setup, all you have to do is click a link. It doesn’t get any simpler than that!

Other streaming platforms use automated copyright matching algorithms which prevent the inclusion of music in a live stream. The stream will be automatically muted or even terminated in such circumstances.

Finally, experience has also shown that online guests prefer to be passive viewers, especially for funerals.

For online wakes and reception events

Online meeting apps are great for easy video chat, and an ideal choice once the formal event live stream is over.

We use Zoom for post-event meet ups and chat, whether that’s for an online wake, or for joining in the wedding reception, which is the appropriate choice in these circumstances.

We keep kit to the minimum so our footprint is small. Often people tell us they didn’t even notice us there, which is always a compliment!

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.

For graveside ceremonies, we use a simple one camera setup because we want to be as unobtrusive as possible.

Some churches and chapels, and most of Sydney’s memorial parks and cemeteries, offer live streaming as part of your booking.

These are usually automated services or operated by whoever is on duty, not a dedicated technical operator. And when things go wrong – and live streaming can be challenging – a free service you’re not paying for may not take priority when issues arise.

They are also much more basic than what we offer. Chapel webcasts are filmed by one or two cameras fixed to the wall that cannot be adjusted, rather like a security camera. The quality is often not as clear as what our cameras can capture.

While that may suit some people’s needs and budget, its like comparing night to day. We’re able to offer coverage with vastly improved production values, a far wider range of camera angles, better audio and an experienced and professional crew.

Funerals are filmed using 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.

For weddings:

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

Silver and Gold: we use two cameras. The Gold package includes a wireless roaming camera for the reception, so we can be at the centre of the party action!

Yes we can! This is our CeremonyCast Gold package.

We’ll start streaming just before the couple’s entrance and continue without interruption through to when the dancefloor opens to guests (max 4 hours).

We’ll get all the fun and the formalities. 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.

An extra camera operator with a wireless roaming camera makes sure your virtual guests can be at the centre of the action!

Yes – we have an Audio Visual package in addition to our livestreaming services.

The AV producer is a second member of staff who looks after all the tech associated with the ceremony. This means setting up the projector and screen or TV, the mics, stands and speakers, the computer or laptop, ensuring everything connects together seamlessly, and then playing all the ceremony media on cue using professional presentation software.

For funerals: the AV producer also does the pre-production in the lead up to the ceremony; sourcing and downloading the music, creating a holding slide for the venue screens, (sometimes) creating the photo tribute slideshow, and producing the recorded video tributes (these recorded videos arrive needing resizing, trimming, editing or audio adjustments in advance).

For weddings: we can play any video messages on the big screen, or bring up a Zoom call for people to give live speeches, or just join in the fun from afar!

If you book CeremonyCast for AV, our policy is to always use our own equipment, irrespective of what’s available at the venue. This is because we cannot give any confidence to the condition or working order of the kit that’s provided, and we also cannot guarantee to be able to troubleshoot problems with unfamiliar equipment. Our own setup has been tested to work in various different configurations and we can fix any issues immediately.

Livestreaming and videography are two related, but different, ways of capturing an event.

Livestreaming offers people the opportunity to be a virtual guest as the event is happening. Streaming gives you the feeling of being there. Because it’s live, there’s no editing involved and it’s a more informal way of capturing the ceremony. The streaming cameras are generally in a fixed position, but can still be zoomed and panned.

Videography provides a glossy, edited version of events filmed in a cinematic way. The cameras are fully mobile at all times and the style of shooting is more artistic.

Good internet is absolutely key to a successful livestream. Across Sydney, coverage is generally very good and we have our own mobile WiFi connection to use. If your location has WiFi available, let us know, as we’ll use the network with best results when we have a choice available.

Our mobile WiFi connection gives us good speeds and a reliable connection in the vast majority of cases. But it’s important to note that network coverage and quality varies for reasons outside our control. There are many factors that can impact the performance of a mobile network such as congestion, proximity to the tower, interference from buildings and even the weather. Speeds at the same location can vary day to day, and by time of day. Good service one day is no guarantee of the same good service another day. Internet connections (particularly mobile ones) can fluctuate unexpectedly which may cause momentary blips. These are usually temporary and the stream soon continues on. We’ll warn you on the day if the internet connection on-site is slow, and we can also put a message on your live stream page so your viewers are also aware conditions are not optimal. This happens only rarely, but the nature of live streaming means it’s always a possibility.

We do our best to avoid any issues by carrying out site tests on arrival so we can stream using the best balance of stability and quality. We also record while we stream to ensure there’s always a complete backup of the ceremony. So if the stream is interrupted in any way, we will replace the webcast with the backup recording as soon as possible so later viewings are not affected.

Yes – the coffin, casket (or urn) is one of the focal points of the ceremony so it’s important to people watching that it can be seen. Many of the coffins we see are beautifully crafted, made from all kinds of materials, and are often decorated with love and care.

We make sure to show the flower arrangements on the coffin, and any photos and important symbols that are placed on the coffin as part of the ceremony. Close-up shots of the coffin are always filmed from a distance. We are careful to always film funeral ceremonies with care and consideration.

There are some things that we do not film, unless specifically requested by the family in advance (we understand some of the following can be culturally important to show for some families):

• We do not film the viewing before the ceremony starts
• If there is an open coffin, we do not film the person inside
• If the coffin remains open for some or part of the ceremony, viewers will see the lid has been removed but they won’t be able to see inside the coffin itself

Importantly, we never show close-ups of people in grief or distress.

The technical requirements of live streaming mean we work from a fixed setup and we are limited to filming what happens inside the venue or church. Therefore, the arrival and/or departure of the hearse is not part of our standard live stream. Should you wish to include these elements, we may be able to include a second camera crew to participate in the live stream, or we may be able to record these events and add them to an edited version of the webcast video for later viewing. Requests must be made at time of booking so we can discuss possible options and provide you with a revised fee.

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

People watch our live streams from all around the world and there is no limit to how many people can view.

It’s worth noting that China blocks access to many, if not all, live streaming and social media platforms. So if you have family in China wishing to watch your ceremony, they need to do a test first. Send them this link to see if they can access our website, and the video on the page:

https://www.ceremonycast.com.au/test

If they can see and play the video on that page, then they should be able to view the live stream.