Planning for Your Wedding Video —
Here are a few things to keep in mind in regards to your video when planning your wedding day.
- Light is absolutely necessary. Even with high-end cameras capable of shooting in low light conditions footage will look grainy and flat if there isn't enough light. What is pretty to the eye isn't always pretty to the camera. Remember, photographers use flash for a reason.
- If you are going to have programs for your guests at the ceremony, make sure you have enough light so your guests can read them.
- If you absolutely must have your reception venue predominantly dark, consider working some supplemental spot or flood lights into your reception table decorations. You're going to spend a lot of time and money on the items in this area and you want people to be able to see it. You also want good footage of it for your wedding movie.
- If you put candleabras on the pews down the aisle in the church, lower them so your face can be see as you walk down the aisle.
- If your church has spot lights that can be adjusted, aim them so the light falls where the bride and groom will be standing...preferrably where it will illuminate their faces.
- Keep in mind the locations where people will be participating in the ceremony when placing decorations and greenery. If they will be speaking or singing from a microphone on the lecturn, they will need to be able to get to the lecturn. If you want them to be seen by the camera and your guests, don't put tall items in front of them.
- Make sure the person operating the sound system has a program so they can follow along during the ceremony and be ready with the correct song at the proper time. If you decide to record your vocalists and scripture readers before the ceremony, make sure you tell the accompanist, too. You will also need to have your personal attendant help clear the sanctuary to enable the videographer to get a clean recording.
- Make sure the person operating the sound system has all the inputs and outputs routed correctly.
- Make sure the church is unlocked before everyone is supposed to arrive.
- If you decide to leave the venue lights on in order to get good footage of the first dances of the evening, make sure you have someone at the light switches to make sure they stay on.
- When choosing a location for your cake table, don't put it in front of a picture window or any window. The backlighting will be terrible. A silhouette is all your guests will be able to see.
- When planning your cake table, place the silver, napkins and punch at the end of the table so they are the last items guests have to pick up. Fewer messes this way.
- Ask someone to be the bride's personal attendant and in charge of keeping people on schedule. It usually takes more time to get the bride dressed than you realize.
- When uncorking the champagne, point it away from the photographer and videographer. Broken cameras don't record photographs or footage.
- When deciding where to stand to say your vows and exchange rings, try to stand so the front camera can see what you're doing.
- When lighting your unity candle, stand where the front camera can record what you are doing OR take a step apart so the rear video camera and your photographer can record the event.
- Surprises and video don't work very well together. It is absolutely important that if someone in your wedding party is planning on surprising someone or giving them a gift or a flower etc., the videographer needs to know what is going to happen BEFORE you start so that the camera will be recording the entire event.
- Make sure the bride uses the restroom before she gets dressed and make sure the groom uses the restroom before the wireless microphones are routed to the camera.
- Aisle runners are dangerous.
