Why you should put the wedding movie first in your planning
In recent months, I have received several inquiries from couples who didn’t know if they could afford a wedding movie. Too often a large part of the budget is put into flowers, DJ, limo, chair covers, the cake etc. While these are nice to have, when fitting everything into a budget, you should think about what will be left after the last guest has departed.
There are three tangible things that you will take with you, your rings, the photos, and your wedding movie. Everything else will be gone. You will always have your rings, and the photos will remind you of the day, but the movie will let you hear the vows, see the tears & laughter, and allow you to be a part of the first dance all over again. When the wedding movie is left out of the equation all you can do is see a moment in time through still images, but you can’t hear it or relive it again. This is why your movie should be seen as an investment instead of an expense. It will be there for you, your children and grandchildren to treasure in the years to come.
As you plan your wedding, consider the value placed on the memory of the day. If your expenses are tight, consider what won’t be as important after the wedding as remembering the day through the timeless imagery of your wedding day movie. If you put the rings, the photos, and the video at the top of your list, you won’t regret it.
You may have noticed in this post that I have used the word movie instead of video. The objection that we hear all too often when someone tells us why they don’t want video, is that is is boring and they will never watch it more than once. As professionals, we pride ourselves on telling a story that is engaging and emotional, that no matter how many times you have seen it, your wedding movie will never will never grow old. For examples, visit our gallery page.
Thanks to Phil Hinkle of Frogman Productions for inspiring this post.
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Winter Weddings
Here in the Philadelphia area, the wedding business is seasonable as it is in most of the northern states. Most weddings take place between April and October. However there are at least a few people willing to try for a winter wedding. Yes, there is a risk with the weather, but there are benefits. I have been learning this as my stepson Tim and his fiancee Alicia have chosen a January date.
For one thing most reception venues are often wide open. Photographers and videographers are more likely to be available and there is much less stress overall. There is also the chance that vendors may provide discounts for winter weddings. It depends on how business is at the time. You should ask, but don’t walk away from someone you like because they are not discounting their services. Consider the overall package and choose who you feel will do the best job. Don’t expect any discounts for a Christmas Eve or New Years Eve wedding however. These dates are in demand and many vendors would rather spend the day home with their families.
Another benefit is if you pick a date right after Christmas or New Years, you will often find that reception venues are still decorated for the holidays which will add a festive touch to the occasion.
The big issue is often weather. We have been lucky so far and have not been in a position where a wedding that we were shooting was snowed out. Part of this is that the Philadelphia region like much of the country has been having milder winters. If snow is in the forcast, keep in touch with your vendors. Let them know as soon as possible if there are any changes due to weather.
Another advantage of having a winter wedding is that your photographer and videographer may be able to deliver your photos and video sooner, as we may not have any backlog as we often do in the summer.
Read MoreWhy Video?
It sometimes amazes me that only about 20 percent of the weddings in the US have a videographer. Why is this? For one thing, video is fairly new. The wedding videography industry is only about 25 years old, where photography has been around for 150 years. Therefore when planning a wedding, couples think of the flowers, reception venue, and photographer, but too often get a videographer only if there is money left over. Yet few people who have had a video have regretted it. In most cases they consider their video the most valuable item that they bought for their wedding.
While photography is certainly worthwhile (and you should have a photographer), consider what you will not get with your wedding photos:
- There will be no record of the sounds of your wedding, no vows, no toasts, no readings, no music.
- You will have only moments in time. Your first dance will be just that, snapshots, not the dance itself.
It is said that sound has a greater impact than images. With video you get both a moving record of the day, and even more important, the sounds.
But today a wedding video is much more than just a record. Many videographers will go far beyond that and create for you, your own wedding day film. We have the skills and the talent to capture and enhance the feelings and emotions. While a skilled photographer can also use artistry to move beyond pure documentary, we can do so much more, by the fusion of imagery, the spoken word, and music.
Here in the Philadelphia area we have a wealth of talent, perhaps more than any metropolitan area in the country. There is a lot to choose from in this region. No matter where you live however the important thing is to find someone whose style you like and who you can afford. But don’t cut corners and pick the cheapest videographer. In fact consider hiring your videographer before your photographer. You won’t regret it, and your videographer will probably be able to refer you to a photographer whose style is compatible.
You wedding day movie is something that you will always have, like your photos. But unlike the photos sitting in an album, your video will allow you to see and hear your wedding day as it happened.
Read MoreChurch restrictions revisited
A few months ago I published this post regarding church restrictions. As restrictions can affect our ability to film your wedding properly, I feel that I should revisit this topic. Reception venues vary considerably on how much freedom videographers have. Most (but not all) non-church ceremony locations will allow us to work with no restrictions. Individual priests, ministers and rabbis may impose their own set of rules when conducting a wedding at a non-religeous location. The venue itself may have rules. So even if you are having your wedding ceremony at a reception hall or country club, it is important to ask both the manager of the venue and the officiant what rules or restrictions exist for videography.
When having a wedding ceremony in a church, you should ask about restrictions before hiring a videographer. While we can work well even when shooting from the balcony, we will still need to set up audio (wireless microphones and digital recorders for the groom, officiant, and for reading and music). Sometimes this is not allowed and we cannot properly capture the music and speech. Occasionally a church will not allow any video, although this is rare. Don’t assume that the rules are the same for videographers as they are for photographers. While most venues do have the same rules, there are some places that restrict videography but not photography.
Most of the time we have no problems and will be able to get the coverage that you would expect from us. But it is important to know ahead of time. Discuss any restrictions with your videographer. He or she will be able to tell you if they can provide adequate coverage.
Read MoreFor the groom – Wearing a microphone
Most videographers outfit the groom with either a wireless microphone or a digital recorder before the wedding ceremony, so we have a clear recording of the vows.
We usually place a small clip-on microphone on the groom’s lapel. This picks up audio from both the bride and groom. Why do we only mic the groom? There are two reasons, Since the bride and groom are facing each other during the vows, the bride’s voice will usually be as loud and clear as the groom. The second is appearance. While a small dark colored microphone is almost invisible on the groom’s tux, it is quite noticeable on the bride’s dress. In addition, it is connected to a wireless transmitter or digital recorder. We can easily hide these in an inside pocket, or on the groom’s belt. It isn’t so easy to hide such a device on a wedding gown.
In most cases, we put the microphone on right before the ceremony, and remove it afterwards. It is important not to turn it off or touch any of the controls as this could cause us not to be able to record your wedding vows. Remember that once the ceremony has started, we can’t come over and fix anything.
The microphone is sensitive enough that you only need to talk in a normal tone of voice. As long as you speak loud enough to be heard by your guests, we will get a good recording.
Use of extra microphones is one reason to have a professional do your wedding video. We have the equipment and experience to allow the entire ceremony to sound great.
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