One of the first questions that comes up when talking to prospective clients concerns what is offered in each of our packages. Our web page provides a capsule description which I will expand on in this post.

Lets start with the Basic Package. This is our least expensive offering and is described on the website as follows:

“With the Basic Package your wedding day is filmed and edited in a simple, straightforward style. We provide full coverage of the ceremony and main reception events, and complete your video with a short recap of the day set to music.”

The market for our Basic Package are couples who are looking for a high quality, low price package where just basic coverage is desired.

As this is our lowest priced offering, we do much less editing than with our more expensive packages. The ceremony and main reception events are presented as filmed. We always clean up the edit, removing extraneous footage, but leave most of what was taped in the final cut. We also apply color correction and audio sweetening to the edit to make sure that it looks good and sounds good.  Then we add a short (3 to 4 minute) recap of the day’s events set to music at the end of the edit. This is the only “artistic touch” that is included with this package.

The Deluxe Package offers much more. Here is how it is described on our website:

Our most popular package. With the Deluxe package we include our Wedding Highlights Program. Combining fablulous imagery, music and sound, we create for you a personalized film that captures the essence of your wedding day.

This package is designed for couples who want something special to remember their wedding day with. The centerpiece is the Wedding Highlights Program. What we do here is to distill the day down into a 20 to 40 minute film. The approach here is to capture feelings and emotion. We aim for a more cinematic approach which makes the Highlights Program into a wedding day movie rather then just a documentary. Some examples can be found here.

With the Deluxe Package you get coverage for the bride and groom getting ready, as well as a “documentary style” edit of the complete ceremony and main reception events. We also put your own personal page on our website complete with the Wedding Highlights Program and ceremony coverage.

Recently we have added a High Definition Blu-ray copy of your wedding to the Deluxe Package as well as iPod / iPhone compatible versions of the wedding highlights. This is in addition to the regular DVDs

The Ultimate Package is just that, The Ultimate. I won’t describe it here, but if you want anything else (within reason) that is not provided in the Deluxe Package, just ask. We can do it here.

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.

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.

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.

Here is a fantastic grand entrance by the bride and groom at their wedding on June 28, 2008.

Kristin and Scot’s Grand Entrance from Alan Robinson on Vimeo.

Scot is Lead Vocalist for the FM Dance Band in Philadelphia

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.

Here of course :).

While I do have some knowledge on this subject, and I make sure that what I say is accurate (let me know if it isn’t), this site is only one of many places where you can find information on wedding video. Here are some suggestions on where else to look:

• Other videographers sites. While I would like you to choose us for your wedding video, I know that my colleagues have different styles, ways of doing business, and prices. An intelligent consumer will always shop around. Google their sites, read what they have to say, and view their samples. We hope that you will come back to us, but what is important is who is the best fit for you.
• National videographers associations. There are two, The WEVA and 4Ever Group. Both have pages especially for brides, and WEVA also maintains a directory of videographers.
• Local videographer associations. You might have to Google for these, but this is an excellent place to get a listing of local videographers. In the Phildelphia PA area, it is the Greater Philadelphia Videographers Association.
• Other sites such as Brides.com and The Knot, have lots of advice. If you are looking for a videographer, photographer or DJ, check out WeDJ.com.
• Blogs - Find some wedding related blogs, both from professionals in the industry and individual bride’s blogs.
• Friends - Do you have friends who had video? Talk to them about it. Also if they were married recently, ask to see their video. In addition ask friends who didn’t have video if they regretted that decision. You might be surprised by the answer.
• Books - Wedding planning books may be a good resource, however the information (particularly regarding video) is sometimes outdated. Our industry has changed a lot in the past few years. What we do today is quite different (and more sophisticated) than a decade ago.

While most couples are not asking this question (at least no one has asked me yet), we are moving rapidly into the world of high definition television. It is getting difficult to even buy a standard definition television these days. Wedding videographers are also moving into the hi def world, us included. We are in the process of acquiring high definition cameras and editing systems. Is resolution everything though? No. I firmly believe that content is what counts.

The reason why most couples don’t ask their videographer about HD, is that it is the content that is important to them, not how many pixels are on the screen. They want their video to be a beautiful, meaningful portrait of their wedding day.

And that is how we feel. We know that people who ask us to film their weddings are asking us because our something in our work has touched them. Not everyone who sees our samples will like our style, but for some, that style is exactly what they are looking for.

Yes, we will be going HD in the coming months. But it will not change how we tell your wedding story.

One issue that videographers have to work with is restrictions that are sometimes placed on us by churches. We want to cover your wedding ceremony in the best way possible. However we also need to be respectful of the fact that we are in a house of worship. Rule number one is always that we will abide by any any restrictions placed on us by the clergy or church wedding coordinator.

I always talk to the officiant and the church’s wedding coordinator before the ceremony. I let him or her know where our cameras are and what we will be doing during the ceremony. I then ask them what considerations that we should make to assure that we will be working within the guidelines of the church. Most clergy appreciate the fact that we talk with them as many photographers and videographers do not communicate.

This is also the time when I ask the officiant if we can place a microphone on him or her. If they object, we tell them that the bride and groom would really like to hear the words that they will be saying. This flatters them and more often than not, they agree to the microphone.

What if the officiant does not agree to allow us to cover the wedding properly. In this case we have little choice but to work within the guidelines set down by the church. We will do the best we can, but if we can only shoot from the back of the church, you can’t expect to have those wonderful closeups that you may have seen in our sample wedding videos.

Most of the time however, we are not restricted in a way that we will be unable to cover your wedding properly. You should talk to your minister or priest well before the wedding about having video. That way you will know about any restrictions. As I mentioned, we can often get some of these lifted just by talking to the officiant. They may have had a bad experience in the past and just want some reassurance that we will conduct ourselves in a respectful an professional manner.

We found this video on YouTube recently. In it, a couple discuss their decision not to hire a wedding videographer.

It goes without saying that having video at your wedding is a decision that you will never regret.