Tips for a Great Wedding Video
To video, or not to video? Such a big question that many couples face. Catey of West Mint Media provides some insight that may help to make your decision an easy one. To continue on with our “Tips from Pros” trend, please read, see and watch these great videography tips from Catey – one of our favorite Lake Norman Wedding Professionals. You can learn more about Catey and her videography business at www.westmintmedia.com.
Tips from a wedding videographer:
1. When walking down the aisle, please, walk slowly. Take your time and take small steps. This is a special moment, don’t rush through it.
2. Try to relax. Your videographer will cut out any footage that isn’t flattering, so there is no need to worry. Just relax and enjoy your day. (The key to wedding day relaxation is usually a good wedding planner, so make sure you’ve got one of those!)
3. Please, no gum chewing. A chomping jaw movement throughout your video is distracting, so make sure that you, your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and any other key family members ditch the gum for day. You’ll thank us later!
4. Show your emotions. Let your feelings flow. Don’t avoid experiencing your emotions on this special day! Feel deeply and let your tears of joy flow. (Makeup can be touched up, but you’ll never get to redo your wedding day, so soak it up!)
5. If you aren’t writing your own personal vows, we highly encourage couples to write a letters to each other. When we capture you reading this heartfelt letter, we will be able to tell your story in a more meaningful way. Nothing compares to hearing the one you love speak in their own words about why they love you, how excited they are to marry you, and how they can’t wait to see you walk down the aisle.
6. We love natural light! We can work with any lighting situation, but natural light is always preferred when possible. Don’t be surprised if we want to open the curtains or turn you toward a window while you’re getting ready.
7. Make sure your Pinterest wedding vision board is attainable with the venue you choose. If you have a vision board filled with light, bright & airy photos of a whimsical outdoor wedding ceremony under live oak trees with Spanish moss, you can’t expect your photos/video to look like that when you’ve booked your ceremony to be indoors at a church with hardly any windows.
8. Ask your wedding planner to schedule a break for just you and your fiancé to spend 10 minutes alone together at some point during your reception. Sit in a quiet room. Go for a little walk together. Anything! Just be alone together for a few minutes and try to take it all in. One of my personal wedding day regrets was being pulled in opposite directions by so many family members and friends during the reception, and not taking enough time to celebrate together with my husband aside from a few minutes on the dance floor.
So, what actually *is* a video? (I know this seems elementary, but stay with me here!) In general, one second of video footage contains about 24 frames. Each frame is one still image. So, one second of your typical video footage provides about 24 still images. When we shoot in slow motion, we can take 120 frames per second! We are capturing a massive amount of still images to produce the effect movement when you watch your video. In addition to visual imagery, video also provides the medium of sound. Having audio brings the movement to life, and it provides the viewer with an experience. Your wedding is a milestone life event, and a wedding video is the closest you can possibly come to reliving it.
Our last and final suggestion:
Make sure you budget for videography and prioritize it along with your other vendors. We have heard from many couples who did not originally budget anything for video, and they are disappointed when they can’t afford it as a last-minute addition to their vendor team. Think of videography as an investment in your wedding memories. You’re likely spending tens-of-thousands of dollars on your wedding day. It’s one day. After the day is done, the only thing you will have left are memories, photos and videos. Still photos are *essential* and absolutely necessary… but the movement and audio captured via videography will take your memories to the next level. The sound of the laughs of your loved ones as your flower girl waddles down the aisle… the way your groom’s voice cracked when he said his vows… the sway of your gown during the first dance… investing in video brings these memories to life, and it extends your wedding day investment. My goal is to transform your wedding day footage into meaningful memories that will become cherished keepsakes for generations.
About me:
Catey | West Mint Media Amy Ellis Photography
My name is Catey, and I am the owner and lead videographer at West Mint Media. I earned my bachelor’s degree in 2011 from UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media & Journalism with a specialization in Broadcast & Video Journalism. West Mint Media is a wife and husband team, and we filmed our first wedding in 2014. We are based in Huntersville, NC, and we enjoy traveling to serve brides & grooms throughout North Carolina and the Southeast. Our aim is to creatively capture footage while being discreet and unobtrusive.
Still on the fence about hiring a wedding videographer? Here are a few articles to consider:
1) https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-video-must-or-maybe
2) http://www.rockmywedding.co.uk/need-wedding-film/
3) https://www.stylemepretty.com/2017/02/02/why-to-hire-wedding-videography/
4) https://www.weddingideasmag.com/if-i-could-do-it-all-again-real-brides-biggest-big-day-regrets/
5) https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-ideas/the-5-reasons-you-must-hire-a-videographer-for-your-wedding