from the editors
Alex and Shenae started Simple Ben Stories back in 2019 and since then have been one of the leading wedding videographers in the South West. They have an incredible ability to be able to capture magical moments without intruding on your special day, often describing their style as cinematic fly-on-the-wall.
Read on to find out more about Simple Ben Stories, as well as their tips and advice for booking a wedding videographer. Thanks Alex & Shenae!
Tell me about Simple Ben Stories and how it all began.
We met at film school in 2011 and began filming together in 2012 when we decided to buy a troopy and travel to Victoria and back over the summer holiday. We captured our travels week by week and have been filming together ever since. Simple Ben Stories officially launched in 2019 and in late 2020 we decided to take the plunge and do this gig full time.
Describe your videography style.
Our videography style would best be described as cinematic fly-on-the-wall. We are there to document your day as beautifully as possible without intruding and intervening in your celebrations.
How long have you both been in the industry for?
Our first paid job was for a mates independent custom skateboard company back in 2011. We basically just filmed a bunch of mates skating around the Perth Hills and thought yep, this is what we want to do. We’ve created all sorts of films since then! We proceeded to travel Australia for two years and have our films be picked up by Visa, travel to South Aus to create content for Maggie Beer and promote our beautiful south west for RAC WA. In the last couple of years we have returned back to our home in the south west and have had the incredible opportunity of meeting some beautiful couples and capture their wedding day.
Big question here! A lot of engaged couples are often torn to whether or not to get a videographer for their big day. What would you say the benefits are of having a videographer capture your day?
This is the reality of a relatively new medium in the wedding sector. Sure, video and film has been around for decades but only recently has it been able to be shared instantly to every one you know and care about on all corners of the globe. Not to mention the advances in quality, beautiful slow motion, editing software and drone videography.
For many, photography is essential for capturing moments of time on your wedding day, and video is another beautiful way to capture those things that you can’t quite get from photography alone. Video is able to capture the way that dresses fall and sweep, hair blows gently in the wind, the way that guests laugh and smile, or the way that the couple share an intimate look. Video captures it all and we have the privilege of putting those moments together to create a film that captures the day wholeheartedly. It’s so lovely to be able to watch it back and relive your wedding day because it truly does go so quickly.
What’s your favourite wedding location to film in the Southwest?
For filming, we love the Conto’s Cliffs. Of course we are biased though because that’s where we eloped! There are so many beautiful wedding venues in the south west, we really are spoilt for choice. The best thing for couples to think about is how long they want to be away from their guests. Personally we would rather film couples in their element with their most favourite people, meaning minimal time spent away from the wedding. Because of this, we love filming weddings where the photoshoot is taken on the venue grounds in a beautiful vineyard or within a bush setting. Try and choose a location that has these features.
What’s your favourite part of the job?
As fun and entertaining as all of the weddings are that we’ve been honoured to be a part of, our favourite part of our job is still that moment after weeks of editing (and as the daze of the big day dissipates) when we hear back from the reminiscent couple after watching their video. It really is the most rewarding and heart warming thing about being wedding videographers. We love how couples pick up on the most unique moments in their wedding films. It just makes all of those hours in the editing suite worth it.
Best advice for future brides and grooms.
You have spent so much time planning your wedding, remember to sit back and take it all in on the day. Our favourite shots are of the couple genuinely enjoying each other and relishing the moment. This is what makes a great film.
planning your wedding?
Search and discover talented local South West suppliers to make your dream wedding a reality.
