Selecting Wedding Vendors: Tape it!

Capture the motion and emotion of your wedding day on video. You can relive your wedding in years to come by just popping the DVD into the player. It’s an excellent way to reminisce with those who were there and a special treat for those who were unable to attend. This interactive medium can record heartfelt wishes from your wedding guests, and a skilled videographer will know just how to elicit their comments.

A professional wedding videographer captures more than just the traditional highlights by pre-planning with you --taking note of the featured guests and moments, and suggesting the best way to capture exactly what you want. Using multiple cameras at different angles will increase the chance of the latter. While this will incur a higher cost, consider it an insurance policy towards capturing every important shot, for example, just in case a guest walks in front of one camera. Attending the wedding rehearsal will enable the videographer to pre-plan camera positions and scope out how best to remain unobtrusive.

Sample videos for your viewing should be a copy of the final product delivered to the client and not a “best of” demo. The focus should be sharp, the color should be true, and the wedding video should not be compromised by an unsteady camera. Transition between scenes should be subtle and flawless, and there should be a nice mix of scheduled events interspersed with candid moments. Then there’s the music. It is for accompaniment, so should blend well with the images. It’s a good idea to watch the video without the accompanying music so that you can judge the quality of the recorded sound.

Just as important as the quality of the videographer’s product is his or her style and manner in working with you. Excellent interpersonal skills are a must, especially if wedding guests will be interviewed on tape. You will be able to judge this during your planning meetings.

A wedding videographer who is enthusiastic about his or her work keeps up with the latest technologies by attending seminars or workshops, and maintains membership in a local or national association, such as the Bay Area Professional Videographers Association or the national Wedding and Event Videographers Association. Professional wedding videographers carry liability insurance and have a resale license. And he or she will arrive at your wedding venue with backup equipment “just in case.”

Choosing the Right Wedding Videographer:

• Ask who will be shooting the wedding and who will be editing the video, and request to see samples of this person’s work as well as references.
• View different wedding videographers’ Web sites for samples of their work so that you become familiar with various styles.
• Confirm the following items in your contract: date, location, arrival time, total amount of coverage time, number of DVDs, the name of the videographer assigned to your event, and, of course, the price.
• Make sure your wedding videographer and wedding photographer work well together by informing them that both videography and photography are important to you, and by scheduling sufficient time for each professional to capture the shots they need. The wedding videographer needs the couple to be moving. The wedding photographer needs for the couple to be stationary. Do not set up a potential conflict situation by overlapping the time allotted for each activity.
• Inquire if the videographer has other events scheduled before and after yours to avoid a late arrival or the possibility of his or her exit before your wedding ends.
• If your wedding will take place in a church or synagogue, find out about rules concerning videography.
• Ask about having your wedding shot and edited in high-definition.
• And, of course, make sure the wedding videographer you select is respectable and honest. You can be sure of this when the videographer has earned the BRO Seal of Approval.

Money Matters:
The price of an excellent wedding video is similar to that of fine wedding photography. Price will depend on:

• Amount of editing (2 to 10 times longer than the length of time to shoot the wedding).
• Length of finished piece. It may be more time-consuming to produce a well-crafted, 45-minute cinematic piece than a 2-hour documentary.
• Number of cameras and hours of coverage.
• Amount of customization.
• The quality of the finished product and the demand for the professional.