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Your wedding day is a memory in the making. You will have cause over the future years to ponder and reflect about it in detail ... the happy moments, the faces of your friends and relatives, all the awkward or funny moments which you share on your wedding day. Great wedding photographs have their undisputed place in your lives. They are taken out and browsed through from time to time, but the wedding video will make you a star in the eyes of all who see it.
As Others See Us ...
Video will capture the sounds and colours, the moods and motions of your wedding day. It records the sounds of the wedding - the reading and exchanging of vows, the honking of horns as the wedding cars depart, the speeches, toasts and laughter, the band playing and the dancing guests. It can also snatch moments which would otherwise be lost forever. Do ask to have a say in the editing, and be careful what you decide to have leave out. Those little things which may go wrong on your wedding day, and which you may find awkward or embarrassing at the time, could actually make you laugh in years to come.
Technical Standards
The technical standard of video production is now, generally speaking, quite high. Look for a cameraman with style, imagination and the tact to be unobtrusive while filming, particularly in the church. Technical know-how alone won't give you the best video results. Scenes from the church and reception which look as if they have been taken by a hidden security camera will hardly evoke feelings of nostalgia in years to come.
Getting Permission
Before you make any video arrangements, it is vital that you first make sure that it is permissible to have the ceremony filmed on video in your particular church. It is a decision left entirely up to the priest or minister in question, and is generally not open to discussion. Most churches have a set policy.
Video Checklist
Make a checklist of certain points of your wedding that you would especially love to have on video. In addition to documenting the entire day, the list might specifically include:
- the bride and her bridesmaids preparing to depart
- the wedding party and guests arriving at the church
- the musician(s) performing during the ceremony
- the signing of the civil register (if allowed)
- the newly-married couple departing from the church
- the guests being greeted by the bride & groom at the reception
- the cake-cutting ceremony
- the toasts and speeches
- the couple departing on their honeymoon
- the continuing revelries at the hotel
The person filming the video will offer additional suggestions. Take the list with you when checking and comparing the costs of professional firms.
Illegal Dubbing
Most people are blissfully unaware that dubbing music onto wedding videos is illegal. After all, why should musicians go broke while we enjoy their music?! One association, the Professional Videographers Association or PVA pays all royalties on behalf of its members, who thereby operate within the law. If legality concerns you (as we hope it does!), select a Videographer who is a member of the PVA.
A Video Gift
It is a lovely idea to send copies of the video to friends or relatives who, for one reason or an other, cannot witness your happy wedding moments. Ask the firm you have chosen if it is possible to have your video copied, and how much this will cost, before you order copies. This may well be the only chance you get to be the stars of your own show, so choose your director wisely!!
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