When Beth Farren floated the idea of hiring a content creator for her wedding, she was met with scepticism. Her family were curious, and her husband-to-be wasn’t a fan. “The name ‘content creator’, straight away he was like, ‘No way!’” she says. “When you hear ‘content creator’ you think of influencers and Instagram, but I was just like, ‘Hear me out, we get loads of photos and videos within 72 hours that we can put on Instagram that will capture the day’. I said I’d even just pay for it myself.”
For Farren, a nurse from Co Clare, the main appeal for her of a content creator was the opportunity to capture special moments without the need for a traditional videographer. “I was really anti-videographer,” she says. “I don’t want to spend so much money on a two-hour video that I’m never going to watch. It’s getting a bit archaic too: it’s a very traditional video. Content creators do something fun, vibey, and capture the memories.”
Farren and her partner, Gary Scully, got married four years after they met on Tinder, but when the couple were planning their wedding in 2022, mobile-first wedding content hadn’t yet become popular in Ireland. “I came across the idea on Instagram but the content creators were all based in the UK,” she says. “Then, by chance, my make-up artist shared a post from Your Story by Elle, and we were her first-ever booking.”
Ellen Bird, a digital creator who runs Your Story by Elle, produced about 700 photos for the couple along with video montages and shorter clips for the couple to create their own video reels just three days after the big day. “It was mostly for Instagram and for social media, but also after the wedding, so many people ask about it. I remember going back to work and being able to just pull up a reel and show them our whole day in 20 seconds,” says Farren. “And having them on your phone, it’s great to watch them back without having to sit down for hours and watch something more formal.”
Even sceptical guests ended up loving the addition to the nuptials, in Kilshane House, Co Tipperary. “On the day, she was such a novelty. Everyone wanted to know who she was, they thought she was a cousin or something! Her presence was a lot more informal than the photographer’s, people weren’t going up to the photographer saying ‘take a picture of this,’ but they were with Ellen. Everyone was grabbing her on the dance floor saying ‘take a video of this!’”
Crucially, her husband completely changed his mind too. “Now, we both say the same thing: she was definitely the best vendor we had on the day, and the best decision we made.”
Just a few years ago, this service was almost unheard of, and yet, it’s quickly becoming a staple of vendor lists and is sitting at the top of online trend reports. Searches for “wedding content creators” have increased by a staggering 586 per cent in the last 12 months, according to Hitched.ie. Aifric Cunningham, who works in customer services, wasn’t even aware of the concept until shortly before her wedding in 2024, but once she learned about them, she was determined to add a wedding content creator to her big day in Markree Castle in Sligo.
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“I had never heard of them until summer 2024 when my friend was hiring one for her wedding. Her sister was expecting a baby in England the weekend of her wedding and obviously couldn’t attend, so my friend wanted to have pictures and videos the day after to share with her sister. When I saw all the videos she received immediately after the wedding I thought they were brilliant.”
Cunningham and her partner, Michael Leslie, hired Amy Kay of Copper Robin Studio to capture everything from getting ready with her bridesmaids to the first dance and lots of moments in between. “After the buzz of the wedding day, it was so lovely to receive the photos and videos the following evening and relive the day again. It was also great to share them around with family and friends, who were still on a high too.”
Sara Kennedy is a wedding expert behind the website The Aisle. “This is probably the biggest trend I’m seeing right now,” she says. “It’s mainly led by influencers who are highly conscious of the social media output for their wedding and are outsourcing the duty of content collection for the day. Others viewing those pieces of content are looking at that style and booking it for their own wedding.”
While many opt for wedding content creators as a replacement for the traditional videographer, as Farren did, other brides are opting for both, to ensure no detail is missed.
“I had all three [a photographer, videographer and content creator] as they all have different styles and, to be honest, they all do different things,” says Erin Cooper, who married James in September 2024. “From the outside, it might seem like there would be a lot of crossover but I’ve found all three sets of content to be completely different so I’m glad I had all three creatives.”
The Coopers hired influencer Clóda Scanlon, who runs the content creation business Allora. “I saw it on TikTok and Instagram and really liked the idea of having someone take candid, unscripted or unposed content,” says Cooper. “We did do a few TikTok trending videos, but for the most part, it was all natural, behind-the-scenes content.”
Being able to live in the moment and enjoy the day at Castle Oaks House Hotel in Castleconnell, Co Limerick was a huge selling point for Cooper. “As someone whose phone never leaves my hand, I had full trust in Clóda and didn’t pick up my phone all day, it was very freeing to know Clóda was getting everything I wanted and I didn’t need to worry or even think about it. Your wedding day is only one day in your life so having someone capture all the special moments to relive is amazing.”
In the last few years, a number of wedding content businesses have been set up in Ireland to cater to the growing demand. Many of those in the industry were working as influencers or lifestyle content creators before branching out to provide the service. Vanilla Owojo, who is also a medical student, set up her business after helping at a friend’s wedding.
“I’ve always had a natural flair for capturing moments and angles that tell a story,” says Owojo. “In August 2023, at a friend’s wedding, I realised how helpful it would be to have someone dedicated to creating shareable content for social media. Seeing how much joy and ease this could bring inspired me to launch Captured by Vanilla.”
For content creators, it’s not simply a case of showing up on the day and capturing potentially viral moments, it’s about working with the couple to ensure the content created is the right fit.
“Some people love the camera and are very extroverted. Others are more camera-shy. Factors like these influence the type of content creator I am on the day. Once booked in, I have a chat with my bride and groom. We talk about vision boards, content inspiration, trending audios and ideas that we would love to consider for the wedding. About two to four weeks before D-day, we have a call to talk through the wedding day logistics and the particular content they would like to capture. We also finalise any particular trends that we want to do. If the couple would prefer me to be an ‘invisible guest’ capturing candids, I adjust accordingly. By this stage, we are comfortable around each other, which is a recipe for amazing content.”
Owojo covers anywhere from four to 12 hours of the big day and turns it around at speed to get it back to the couple. “Twenty-four hours later, they receive the raw and edited content ready, perfect for them to relive the day.”
Not all veterans of the industry are fans of the new phenomenon. Help! I’m Getting Married is an Irish Facebook group with more than 70,000 members. It’s mostly brides-to-be, and vendors promoting their services. Discussions range from vendor recommendations to queries on etiquette, and everything in between. Numerous posts ask whether content creators are worth it. While brides who’ve hired them will often rave about the service in the comments, some photographers and videographers have shared their hesitations. In the group, one anonymous bride recently posted that her photographer was strongly against her having a content creator, claiming they get in the way.
Many photographers in the comments agreed. “It makes our job harder when there are three of us trying to grab you for photos/videos or when we’re looking for the bridesmaids for photos and they’re off making a TikTok with the content creator,” wrote videographer and photographer Matt Griffin. “Most photographers and videographers have also studied or spent years perfecting their art. Somebody turning up with a phone and mostly standing in the way irritates most of us as it makes our job harder on the day.”
Speaking to The Irish Times, Griffin said that while those he’s worked with have all been lovely, he wonders how long the concept will last. “I did wonder if it’ll just be a bit of a fad.”
He adds that an extra person can take up space and time when both can already be tight. “We want our couples to enjoy their reception with their guests and not spend all day alone with us. Due also to our unique climate, we may have only a 20-minute window before the next downpour, and in the winter, it may start getting dark by 3.30pm. Even the best content creator is another step in that process, another person in the queue needing to get their shots and eating into the time.”
Speaking about how vendors can best work together for couples who want this service, Griffin said: “I’ve seen some of my photographer colleagues offer content creation included in new packages. I think this is the only solution to the problems I’ve mentioned. If the content creator is working for or with the photographer or videographer, it’d definitely help the day run a lot smoother.”
Áine Leech worked as head of social in Her.ie before deciding to freelance and capture meaningful moments as The Wedding Content Company.
“Content creators don’t aim to replicate or replace [the work of videographers and photographers],” says Leech. “Instead, we fill a different, more immediate need that reflects how couples engage with their memories in today’s digital world.”
“Many of us are experienced storytellers with backgrounds in social media, branding, or content production, and we take our craft just as seriously as anyone else in the wedding industry,” adds Leech. “The fact that couples are seeking out our services shows that there’s a growing demand. It’s just a shift in priorities – a desire for immediacy and accessibility alongside the enduring artistry of photography and videography.”
Leech’s company was born after many of her influencer friends were getting married and she saw a gap in the market, but now, it’s not just people with thousands of followers who book her.
“When I started, I assumed it would be mainly influencers, or people interested in social media trends. While some clients have larger followings and love to share every detail, most are everyday couples who just want to relive and share their day in a modern way,” says Leech.
Leech adds that it also takes the pressure off the guests to capture these magic moments. “Our job relieves that role from friends and family,” she explains. “Rather than relying on wedding guests to capture the phone content you wish you could look back on, you can relax in the knowledge that someone with a decade of experience working with some of the biggest brands and personalities in the world will be on hand to capture your first kiss. It allows you and all the guests to be truly present on the day, and allows you to create an ‘unplugged’ experience.”
Like Owojo, Leech turns content around in a matter of hours. After spending most of the wedding day capturing special moments, she gets straight to work. “Whilst everyone has sat down to enjoy dinner, I’m uploading all the footage to Google Drive so the couple can wake up to their memories. And the next afternoon they’ll have received edits such as a recap of their day, or a video of the girls getting ready in the morning.”
The Aisle’s Sarah Kennedy adds that most suppliers don’t mind the additional vendor on the day, and, like videographers, content creators are experts in their particular niche. “The key question here is, will it be the videographer working with the couple on their TikTok transitions? No. But couples who love social media want this now, so someone who is well versed in social media is the one to deliver it.”
She adds: “One big issue is where the creative boundaries start and finish. If a photographer or videographer has worked with the couple to style them into a beautiful scene, is the creator moving in on that? That’s where the boundary needs to be aligned. I think this is still in its infancy so there is natural fear of the unknown but this will settle.”
While the pressures of social media play a factor in many couples’ decisions, others simply want quick, shareable memories from their day. Like many vendors, the cost depends on the package you choose, but with many offering options from as little as €450, price-conscious couples are opting for this as a fun, instant, budget-friendly layer to their special day.
As for choosing whether it’s the right option for you: “I think like every single thing with a wedding, you don’t have to buy everything just because others are doing this,” says Kennedy. “This is ideal for couples who like to share on social media, and also want to get some fly-on-the-wall or fun footage with guests. I think couples also need to look at their budget as you would with everything for a wedding, and if you want this style of footage and you have the budget, then why not?”
