Here are the top 10 things that you may not have considered will impact your wedding film but actually can! Remember these are not rules, but very loose guidelines! Have a read through and you'll hopefully take away some information that will help us do the best job we possibly can at your wedding.
1) To Mic or not to Mic?
Some venues like Gosfield Hall or Leez Priory do not have an in house PA system to be used for the speeches. That's a shame, right? NO! It's great!! Not using a microphone during the speeches ensures that our own microphones capture much higher quality sound, meaning we can use a lot more of it in the voiceover of your wedding film. Now sometimes if you're in a large marquee or hall, or you have a large number of guests then a microphone can be beneficial and we can use different technology to ensure we capture the best audio quality possible, however, it's very unlikely to be as clear as that non-mic loveliness! The last thing we want is for any of your guests to not be able to hear the speeches, but probably the single most important lesson to take from this blog post is if a microphone is not needed, don't use it just because it's there as it'll actually have a negative effect on sound quality for both your videographer and your guests.
2) Music in the morning
Often, a bride or groom will listen to music in the morning whilst they get ready or have it on in the background by habit. You'll probably be unaware of this but if you have music on in the background it means that most of the ambient sound captured by the cameras can not be used in your wedding film because the music playing in the background clashes with the music dubbed over the top in the edit. This might be something as simple as a champagne cork popping or a meaningful moment like reading out loud a wedding day card from your husband to be. We hate to be party poopers and we'd never actually ask you to turn your music off, however, for us, the perfect wedding for film would not have any background music playing during the morning preparation.
3) Vows
If you're having a civil ceremony you'll be asked by the registrar which set of pre-worded vows you'd like to use and crucially if you'd like to make an additional promise and say a second set of vows to each other. SAY YES! The wording of these additional vows that many don't bother to say is actually beautiful and supplies additional crucial voiceover material. Even better... write your own! This happens all the time in USA but sadly less often over here. In the weddings we've filmed, we've only heard a few custom written vows read during the ceremony and they are often absolute tearjerkers. So if you have something to say, say it!
4) Boys getting ready
Grooms so often assume that we don't want to film them getting ready in the morning and that it's all about the girls, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Over the last year or so, we've learned how fantastic footage of the guys getting dressed can look so please, if there is room at your venue to get dressed, use it! We'll only really want to get footage from when the boys are in their shirt and trousers onwards so even if you arrive with these on and just allow us film you getting ready from this point onwards, chances are it'll only take 10 minutes or so and it will provide some very valuable footage.
5) Make the most of your first dance!
If you're anything like I was before my wedding, you're probably dreading your first dance. Unless you're one of the lucky few blessed with the a natural groove, you'll probably cringe slightly at the idea of dancing on your own in front of all of your friends and family! However.. a slow, simple little wobble is GREAT for photos and video. Make the most of that once in a lifetime moment and try to resist the urge to call your friends and family onto the dance floor too soon. Try to have your entire first dance to yourselves. Once the dance floor is flooded with friends and family the chance to get that lovely shot of just the two of you has gone forever, so please make it last!
6) Male readings
If you're having a civil ceremony often you'll have one or two readings read by friends or family. More often than not these are read by females but if a male is appointed as the reader then we have the opportunity to place a discreet microphone on his jacket meaning we can capture crystal clear audio of the reading, again providing another opportunity to collect more valuable voiceover material.
7) Floral table displays
If you're undecided as to whether to have a floral display on your ceremony table then go for it! As well as looking great, they're a really practical place to conceal a small microphone during your ceremony. The same thing goes for your top table during your wedding breakfast!
Here are a few final quick tips..
If at all possible..
8) Save giving out gifts for when we are there to capture it! Gift giving provides some great shots!
9) Try to avoid having a round top table... they're a bit of a logistical nightmare to get a clear shot during the speeches!
10) Try not to have speeches in between courses. All before the meal: great. All after the meal: lovely. In between: Aaarrgh!
If you have any questions about any of these points or any other niggling questions about your wedding day please get in touch!
