As you tailor your expectations and budget to meet your wedding planning needs, consider the following wedding videography tips:
- Sound techniques and lighting are important. If the sound can’t be heard, your video is a “silent film.” And if the lighting is too dark or too bright, it’s just radio.
- Video montages can splice together baby pictures, school images, candid shots and wedding out-takes to be played at your reception and added to the master wedding video.
- You can have pre-wedding events like dress fittings, showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and the rehearsal dinner recorded and included in the final product.
- One of the more unique wedding videography tips is to have honeymoon photographs or video footage added to your master wedding video.
- Find a professional wedding videographer you’re comfortable with.
- Assure that the videographer uses quality equipment, including wireless microphones, low-light technology and unmanned cameras, when necessary.
- Choose someone with experience working at weddings.
- Ask for references.
- Discuss the editing process in detail — what special effects, animation and musical score will be used.
- Your videographer should try to be unobtrusive, taking the “fly on the wall” approach. If he or she lacks the technology to do this, consider booking a different videographer.
- A standard wedding can yield 12 hours and more of footage. To turn it into a finished two-hour video tape or DVD requires as much as 20 to 40 hours of editing time.
- Lastly, (and most importantly) put the details in writing. The contract should cover the time, date, location, types of shots, fees, editing time, number of copies and delivery date. Other aspects to discuss include appropriate dress, meals and travel costs.
To find a wedding videographer in your area, see Photography and Video.