How to Hire a Videographer for your Wedding: The Wedding Day
What does a wedding videographer DO on a wedding day? This is a question I commonly get, so here’s my short (yes, this is the short) answer!
Our wedding day prep begins long before the actual wedding day. During the weeks leading up to your wedding we’re answering questions, refining timelines, sourcing anything we will need that we don’t already have, and making sure our whole team 100% understands the day – there’s no last minute anything around here! Then we spend the day before your wedding cleaning cameras and lenses, charging batteries, and reviewing the timeline one more time. On the day of your wedding, we wake up, get our coffee (duh), get dressed in our best black wedding attire, load batteries and format memory cards, pack up, and head out.
Now we’re finally on site! We like to arrive a little early to get some drone footage of the space then we head inside to say, ‘hey!’. Your two shooters will split up between the bridal parties and start filming bits and pieces of getting ready and your details. We LOVE details! We always ask for a invitation suite and we’ll steal away your rings for the shot (for legal reasons, we don’t actually steal them – you know what I mean).
After you’re all ready and dressed, you may opt for a first look and in that case we will mic up anyone you’re doing a first look with; the groom, dad, grandpa, etc… Pro Tip: we usually only mic the men because we can hide the mic easily in their collar so your photographer doesn’t have to photoshop it out of every picture. We film any ‘live event’ in totality so we can splice together the different camera angles to give you the whole Hollywood experience!
Next is the ceremony – this is where we get to shine! We mic up the pastor, groom(s), and get a feed from the DJ’s sound board for crystal clear music. Then we set up at least 4 cameras: a ‘bride cam’, a ‘groom cam’, and ‘isle cam’, and a ‘flex cam’. This ensures that we capture every single angle and event that could go down at your ceremony. Our flex cam allows us to be mobile if you’re moving around and our other cameras serve to be able to switch angles when a guest or photographer blocks one during the ceremony.
After the ceremony we’ll do pictures, pictures, and more pictures. This is super important for us to capture as well! This is where we get those pretty, romantic shots that we’ll sprinkle in to our film to give it those tear jerking moments!
Finally, we wrap up with the reception! Again, we start by mic-ing up the soundboard to get your music and toasts crisp and clear! We may also mic up your toasters or anyone else who will be speaking/performing. Then we film with a few cameras to capture all of the entrances, dances, and toasts. We don’t film guests eating because…. ew. Then we start it all back up after dinner for more dancing, cake, and any other things you have planned! We film guests dancing in bits and pieces and wrap it all up with your grand exit!
If you’re hiring us for destination wedding videography, we also cover your welcome party and good-bye brunches the days before and after your wedding with the same processes. For state-side weddings, we also cover lots of traditional and religious ceremonies and rehearsal dinners! We’re all over the place!
Something that makes us unique is that we shoot this way for every wedding regardless of the films you want upfront. That means that after the wedding day (even up to years after your wedding day!) we can create any film you want from your footage. We don’t only shoot bits and pieces if you just want a highlight film; or we don’t only shoot just the ceremony if you only want a ceremony film. We film it all! We keep it forever so all you have to do is give us the word and we put it together!
