Your wedding is a day you’ll remember forever. Here are a few basic tips to keep in mind to help make your wedding video all that you hope for.
Lighting
Low light is one of the greatest challenges for video. Image quality is always far superior with more light. Reception halls and churches can be dark. Ask your videographer if he uses an on camera and or off camera light to help with lighting challenges.
Look Natural
Breathe and relax during the whole day. During the photo session, breathe and have fun. When doing shots with just the two of you try to interact with each other as much as possible. Smile and laugh and focus on each other. Don’t be afraid to make requests either. Tell them a shot you liked and ask the videographer to try get it.
At the Altar
Try not to stand facing completely towards each other. If the videographer is shooting down the aisle this will create a profile shot. Try to stand at a slight angle to each other. This lets your guests see and hear you better as well. Also on the ring exchange, try to slip on the rings on from underneath the hand so that the ring is clearly visible on top for the photographer and videographer. Practice this before the wedding.
Cinematic or Documentary?
The cinematic wedding is like a montage music video. Some couples really like the dreamy cinematic look with the colored filters, effects, soft focus, and transitions. Documentary is closer to the personal record of your day. Documentary uses music and montages but in a less dreamy way. It relies on natural audio with music, fewer transitions, and less use of filters. The documentary’s aim is to make the video more personal without the use of what can be distracting effects. Ask the videographers their style and tell them what you like and want to see in your video. Also, make sure you watch some of their sample videos to get a taste of their style.
Other Tips:
- Make sure that your videographer uses wireless mics. I have never seen a professional who hasn’t but make sure that they do.
- Make sure they have a back up camera. Cameras can fail. It’s very rare but they should always have an extra camera on hand just in case.
- If requesting music to be added to your video, provide a variety of songs. A song that sounds great may not fit your wedding video. Provide music ideas from a few different genres and tempos.
- Ask them how long until DVD delivery after the wedding. Depending on how backed-up your videographer is, sometimes videos can take a year to get delivered. If you want your video done quickly, set a deadline prior to booking.
There are a few ideas for you. The wedding video world can be technical and confusing. I hope this helps as you’re planning your wedding and considering how to capture the day on film.
- Jordan Nagasako
Hi Focused Wedding Videography