Wedding content creation is having a moment, with many couples craving real, behind the scenes content captured on their big day. We sit down with Ellen Rose Bird, the woman behind Your Story. By Elle. to learn more about luxury wedding content creation and why many couples are opting in.
What service do you provide at weddings?
Aiming at modern brides and grooms in a timeless industry, I’m your social media bestie and greatest hype girl. From candidly capturing wonderful memories of couples getting ready with their wedding party; the bride’s makeup look coming to life, a Reel moment for the dress; their first kiss as a newly-married couple; venue and vendor details, to their favourite fun party moments and so much more, my service is designed for social media, for couples to share the behind-the-scenes, less-curated iPhone content with their followers (and friends!) in a beautiful, real way.
Within 24-72 hours, I share high-quality, ready-to-post Instagram Reels, TikToks and Insta-perfect photos and Stories content with the couple, including all raw footage from their day should they wish to create their own. Rather than relying on Aunt Mary’s blurry video or a bridesmaid with a glass of prosecco in hand, you, nor your wedding party, need to worry about being on your phones — I’m there curating it all right as it happens.
I also have many upcoming brides-to-be that aren’t hiring me to necessarily post on socials, but simply craving easily accessible iPhone content of their most cherished memories right as they wake up. While traditional wedding photographers are there capturing the curated formalities of your wedding day that you frame and hang on your wall, I’m creating more casual, natural behind-the-scenes moments perfect for sharing on social media.
What inspired you to start this business?
Although working in social media for a luxury retailer and brands for a number of years, and as someone totally obsessed with strangers’ weddings, unique bridal style, cool photography, dreamy flower designs and all the fine details that come with it, I had never thought about something like this before. It wasn’t until a beautiful former client in my previous job DM’d me on my personal Instagram, asking me to capture the behind the scenes of her beautiful December wedding in Adare Manor. It was important for her and her soon-to-be husband that their attention was on each other, being off their phones and present with their wedding party and guests, knowing that someone trusted was there capturing it all. Doing this for them inspired something within me where I could marry my obsession with weddings and my passion for social media so effortlessly.
Now, less than a year post-launch, this is my full-time job, capturing beautiful weddings all across Ireland and soon-to-be abroad. With being almost fully booked out for 2024 and filling up for 2025, there is a huge demand for this new concept and unique addition to the wedding industry. I definitely felt it was the right moment to dedicate my time and energy to my growing business. So far, I’ve experienced so much love and unforgettable moments, I truly can’t wait to bring it all to the next level in 2024 and beyond, with so many exciting plans and additions to come.
What makes your service unique from other wedding suppliers in the same space?
While quick, trendy TikTok transitions may be fun, Your Story. By Elle. is more about documenting real, raw emotions with loved ones, capturing cherished behind-the-scenes moments like a First Look with dad or catching a soon-to-be husband tearing up watching his bride walk down the aisle. Along with my editing style, eye for aesthetics, technical skills, social media experience for luxury brands and professional approach, my service is focused on creating the story of the couple’s wedding, with a great understanding that this is the most important day of their lives.
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In order to achieve this and learn about my couples on a deeper level, in our pre-wedding consultation call a couple of weeks prior, we talk through their wedding day in depth. Here is where we dive into can’t miss moments and detailed elements — for example, will you be having a Something Blue? Will you be wearing your grandmother’s ring? Is it important to be included in your content, or would you rather keep that moment private?
From there, I create an essentials list that I can reference throughout the day, ensuring all special details are captured. An example of this from one of my previous weddings is where the groom had his grandmother’s spray with him the morning of, one that she always had her home spritzed with. It was important for him that I had this beautiful bottle included in the content. I also had another bride who lost her brother and had a beautiful medallion of him on her flower bouquet. Another key moment I knew I could not miss.
What’s your favourite part about your job?
Happy couples over everything — probably my favourite part is that moment the couple receives all their content and the emotion they feel looking back on their day, reliving it over and over — giving these moments to them truly makes what I do so worth it. I also can’t go without mentioning seeing my brides being fully present with their loved ones, being able to switch off their phones knowing I’m there catching the high-quality iPhone content they’re craving. While I am content creation obsessed and a true wedding fanatic, nothing will ever beat the energy and happiness a wedding day brings, everyone is in such high spirits. It truly is the most incredible feeling.
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How far in advance should a bride-to-be contact you before her wedding?
Book as early as possible in your wedding planning process, especially if your wedding is during peak season, or if it’s a destination one where I’ll need to note a couple of days away. Wedding vendors really do book up, and it genuinely does break my heart to turn down couples. The dates for 2024 and 2025 are almost gone, I even recently took my first booking for 2026! As newly engaged myself, we too just booked our own wedding date for 2026 with an already limited choice for 2025, but we really want to ensure our dream wedding day becomes a reality. Furthermore, by booking earlier on, we can discuss any special requests you may have or anything you come across on socials that you’d love.
What does the booking process look like?
The booking process begins through the enquiry form on my website (DM’s welcome too!). Once a couple inquires, answering questions such as their confirmed wedding date and venue, their photographer and/or if they have a wedding planner, I first check availability and calculate travel costs depending on their venue location. From there, I share my content package options and pricing with them, including noting any travel expenses they will have.
Once the couple have a moment to reflect and revert confirming if they would like to proceed with their chosen package, I will then share a contract with them for signing, with a requirement of a booking deposit to secure their date. Once both are signed and paid, things are official — yay! Then, about six weeks before their big day, I schedule a pre-wedding consultation video call where we go over all those finer details.
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With the exciting new feature of Instagram Collections, allowing people to organise saved posts into curated folders (similar to Pinterest boards), I create a collaborative Instagram Collection with my bride where she or I can save inspirations, things she’s loving, music ideas and so much more within this shared space, which also helps fuel an ongoing conversation, build a stronger connection between us, while also ensuring she knows my DM’s are always open to her.
What areas of Ireland do you cover? Are you available abroad?
Everywhere! From Ireland and NYC, to anywhere in Europe and beyond, nowhere is off-limits. I’m craving more opportunities to create unique content in different places, and lucky enough to have an upcoming destination wedding in the South of France for a gorgeous bride this July, it will certainly be a fun one! So, whether you’re saying ‘I do’ in dreamy Lake Como, beautiful Marbella or opting for urban vibes in NYC, I know how much effort goes into planning and envisioning your dream wedding day abroad. It would be an honour to capture every detail for you so you can relive every breathtaking moment, from beginning to end.
What’s one of your favourite weddings you’ve worked at and why?
Such a tough question, especially when all my weddings have been so unique and special in their own way. If I had to choose, I would probably say Fernando Klein and Gary Quane, who got married this past October in Adare Manor. As a fashion girly myself, the style was impeccable, from Tom Ford suits to red-bottom patent shoes. Along with a 3D LED dancefloor, disco ball energy, guests pulling serious dance moves and a surprise performance by Riverdance – these two, most importantly, were such a beautiful couple inside and out.
I also can’t go without mentioning Louise Cantillon and Declan Hannon. Their day was so much fun and their love so pure. Louise’s energy was truly so addicting — I could have captured her (and her feathers!) all day long. Filming their first dance performed by Danny from The Coronas was quite special, too. And of course, I couldn’t ever forget Aoife O’Donnell and Tim Lehane, my favourite couple of all time who inspired me to begin Your Story. By Elle. when it wasn’t even a thought in my head. I’ll never be able to thank these two enough for asking me to capture their wedding behind the scenes, I will be forever grateful.
Any advice for brides-to-be when it comes to finding the right wedding suppliers?
Like anything, always do your research. When hiring a wedding content creator, this is someone that you’re relying on capturing the most special day of your life. It is so important that you choose someone whose editing style you love and relate to. Just like a photographer and videographer, everyone has a unique vibe so knowing you have someone there you trust with the experience and skill to produce this for you without stress is essential. With Your Story. By Elle. you will have someone head over heels in love with the wedding industry, dedicated in every way to make your most special day exactly that.
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